If you are looking to buy a home in Elk Grove you may want to look into the Cal HFA program.California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) has supported the needs of First Time Home Buyers by providing financing and programs that create safe, decent and affordable housing opportunities for individuals within specified income ranges.Many of the buyers I soeak wit are holding off buying a home because they don't have their down payment saved yet. What I try and remind them of is if they are renting, they are paying someones mortgage. So why not gain equity and pay the mortgage too?!See Homes Available in for sale in Elk Grove >>Did you know there are loan programs that offer grants and/or silent loans to help you with your down payment? By silent loan I mean there is no monthly payment for th... 01/30/2009

Join us at the February Elk Grove Investor Club (Elk Grove REIA) Meeting! "Ask an REO Agent"  Meet a local Realtor who sold over 300 bank owned homes in 2008 in the Sacramento Area. Carlos Kozlowski, From Coldwell Banker, has his pulse on the Sacramento REO Market! Get insight about buying directly from the Bank, and know what to expect when making an offer on a Sacramento Bank owned home. Learn... What offers are getting through and what offer aren't! What you can expect as far a multiple offers and how the Bank will process them! Find out who else is involved with the transaction! What to expect in regards to closing costs and out-of-town title companies! What disclosures you will need to sign.. be careful!  What inspection and contingency dates you need to monitor! Join us for some ... 01/29/2009

It seems like I am asked daily lately, where did our buyer's market go?  Is it still a buyer's market?  Or is this market in Elk Grove now a seller's market? We have seen more SOLD signs!  We have had more home sales occuring in the past few months and inventory holding steady in the Sacramento region.  California Association of Realtors recently reported that sales of single family detached resale homes have skyrocketed to 84.9 percent in December 2008 compared to December 2007. Inventory is down!  This generally means it's a seller's market.  In the Elk Grove area, we started 2009 with 985 active listings in Metrolist.  This is down by approximately 30% over the beginning of 2008, which we began with 1333 active listings.  The market is red hot right now and mutliple offers have becom... 01/29/2009

- WEEK ONE - OK.. Here is my first week check-in for the Body Fit Challenge I entered at the California Family Fitness in Elk Grove! Weight loss was not so much my motivation for joining this challenge.  It was more about getting myself in better shape so I can be healthier and live a longer life. I realized this year that all the money in the world can not buy your health! So as I creep up into my 30's, I decided I am no longer invincible and need to get it together! Week one was somewhat of a challenge for me in that I was out of town and thrown off my schedule for 3 out of my 7 days. It was a challenge yes, but not impossible. I worked out at the gym everyday while I was home. When I was out of town, I threw on my walking shoes and took a walk/run 2 times a day for about an hour or s... 01/28/2009

I was nervous about posting this because like Oprah I might regret it! This weekend I (Erin) joined a fitness challenge at California Family Fitness in Elk Grove called the Body Fit Challenge. It is a 8 week competition (similar to The Biggest Looser TV show) where you compete against other members to see who can achieve the biggest results within the allotted time frame. Because I am very competitive, I thought this was a great way to push me out of my comfort zone and get me to step up my fitness game.  Last Saturday marked our first weight-in and boy was that depressing! What is so great about this challenge? I get to meet other folks in the Elk Grove area who are all working on the same goal of improving their health.  Although it is an individual competition, it is fun working out ... 01/21/2009

The Mode & DurhaM Team announce the opening of Monterey Village Laguna! Prices starting in the low $200,000's! Many homes are ready for you to move into now - no waiting! Plus buyer incentives available for closing costs! Call The Mode & DurhaM Team for more information today at (916) 405-5765!  Join us on Saturday, 1/24 from 11:00 - 4:00 for our Open House Grand Opening!  5 homes, including 2 model homes will be open for your viewing!                                        Single story & 2 story plans available in this gated Elk Grove community with sophisticated designs awaiting you.  2, 3, and 4 bedroom home floorplans available starting at 1001 square feet up to 2402 square feet!  Monterey Village is a unique gated master planned community in Elk Grove.  Combining distinctive styles... 01/17/2009

Here a some pictures from the meeting at the Elk Grove Real Estate Investment Clubmeeting on January 14th. We had Chuck Cozort from the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency(SHRA) teach us how to provide housing for Section 8 Housing tenants. We realy appreciate the time he took to spend a couple hours with local Sacramento landlords to discuss the ins-and-outs of the Section 8 Program. Here are a couple notes that I took: How do I get started?Start with the tenant!  Advertise your available rental as you normally would to locate a tenant.  Folks in the room shared that they had great success with Craigslist(an online free/cheap classified ad website). Chuck said you could also list your property online at the SHRA's website.Once you have found a tenant that you want to rent to, t... 01/15/2009

I start off each Monday by running statistics on our local market area - Elk Grove, CA and I am amazed so far this year at what is happening!   In the Elk Grove area - zip codes 95624, 95757 and 95758, below are the number of Actives and Pendings at the beginning of each of the last 3 years -   2007 - 1199 Active Lisitngs                    202 Pending Listings 2008 - 1333 Active Listings                    285 Pending Listings 2009 - 975 Active Listings                      291 Pending Listings   Active Listings are down!  Pending listings are up!  Buyers are out there buying right now!  We are seeing multiple offers on a lot of our new listings!  Don't miss out...interest rates are great.  First time home buyers and investors are getting great deals right now in the Elk Grove area.  I... 01/13/2009

Join us at January's Elk Grove Investor Club Meeting Learn the ins-and-outs of Renting to a Section 8 Tenant  Meet a representative from the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency find out how the government can subsidize your tenant's rent.The Housing Choice Voucher Program, (formerly Section 8) is a tenant-based rental subsidy assistance program administered by the local Housing Authority, the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency.The program is a three-way partnership between owners and agents, the Housing Authority, and the family.   Join us and learn.. What the process is for getting on the list of available units! What criteria your property must meet to qualify! What the rental income limits are in our area per bedroom size! What the annual inspection process consists ... 01/12/2009

Dryer vent cleaning is often forgotten when scheduling appliance maintenance  Sacramento, CA - Energy is a scarce resource; the rising cost of utilities has encouraged Americans to be more conservative.  Home maintenance, including weather-stripping, replacement windows and appliance maintenance has proven to reduce utility costs significantly.  Gina Fazil, owner and operator of Dryer Vent Wizard, a dryer vent cleaning specialist, has made it her mission to educate consumers on clothes dryer maintenance.  "Most people are aware of the necessity of appliance maintenance; they know to have their furnace cleaned regularly, but sadly, many do not think about dryer maintenance," said Gina Fazil in a recent interview.  "A clothes dryer is much more likely to cause a fire than a furnace or sto... 01/06/2009

Lori Mode and Amanda Rawls with Prospect Mortgage have combined forces in a newly formed strategic relationship with a licensed real estate company, Home Buyers Marketing II, Inc. (HBM II). HBM II provides area homebuyers with an innovative and FREE home finding service called the Home Buyers Scouting Report®. The Home Buyers Scouting Report® matches your personal home search criteria with properties that are currently listed for sale and in your price range in the Elk Grove/Sacramento area. Online...available 24 hours a day! At your convenience, login to HBM II's private, password-protected website to view the listings that meet your home search criteria in the Elk Grove/Sacramento area with pictures, prices, addresses, directions, maps and more!* You can specify a particular school, ... 01/04/2009

  Here's the latest Statistical Summary for the Elk Grove, CA Real Estate market, based on data pulled this evening, January 2, 2009 from California Metrolist   Active Listings: There are currently 917 single family homes for sale in the Elk Grove area - this includes 95624, 95757 and 95758 zip code areas) .  This active listing count is down by approximately 30% from 1 year ago. Price Range - $85,900 to $3,299,000 2 bedroom, 1 bathroo.m, 918 square feet - 7 bedroom, 5 bathroom, 5,698 square feet Average - 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom, 2232 square feet.  Average days on the market - 95 days Of these 917 single family homes for sale, 235 of them are REO's or Bank Owned Homes and 540 are Short Sale listings (both REO active listings and short sale listings have decreased from last month) Pendin... 01/02/2009

Join us at January's Elk Grove Investor Club Meeting (Elk Grove REIA) Learn the ins-and-outs of Renting to a Section 8 Tenant  Meet a representative from the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency find out how the government can subsidize your tenant's rent.The Housing Choice Voucher Program, (formerly Section 8) is a tenant-based rental subsidy assistance program administered by the local Housing Authority, the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency.The program is a three-way partnership between owners and agents, the Housing Authority, and the family.   Join us and learn.. What the process is for getting on the list of available units! What criteria your property must meet to qualify! What the rental income limits are in our area per bedroom size! What the annual inspection ... 12/30/2008

The Elk Grove City Council is holding a public outreach meeting on Wednesday, January 7th, to get the public's input for the new Elk Grove Civic Center.  This meeting is scheduled for 7:00 P.M. at The Council Chambers at 8400 Laguna Palms Way, Elk Grove. The Civic Center is to be located at the corner of Big Horn and Elk Grove boulevards. "The Civic Center project is perhaps a once in a lifetime opportunity for residents and stakeholders to weigh in on what amenities are needed to help move Elk Grove forward into the next chapter toward our highest potential," says Mayor Hume. The Architect,  Zaha Hadid is an internationally known architectural firm and known to consistently push the boundaries of architecture and urban design.  The public's input is vital to the City Council's decision... 12/27/2008

Sacramento Home Buyers and Condo Buyers need to have home inspections whether buying a brand new home or condo from a home builder, a bank owned REO home or a sell home for sale. Since most experienced Realtors have a list of good professional home inspectors who have proven over time the quality of their work, it is likely that your Realtor can refer you to a good home inspector. Don't worry Realtors do not make money when they refer you to a Lender, a pest company, a home inspector or a Title company. That is considered a RESPA violation and their license could be removed. For a video and steps on what a home inspector looks for be sure to read the rest of this article at How to Have Peace of Mind When Buying A Home. If you like what you read here on Sacramento Real Estate Voice simpl... 12/11/2008

The bail-out just may have trickled down to the little people! "We saved one client alone over $220 a month on his payment for his new home!" Big moves by the government pushes rates WAYYYY down! Watch this quick video and find out what is going on!  We watch for lows in the market in order to predict what rates are doing throughout the day. Proactively watching for hot rates that are usually only available for a matter of hours! The rates were so hot, loan officers crashed a major bank's online lock system because of the demand.   This video brought to you by: Team Newington Sacramento Mortgage Planners (916) 687-6868 www.SuperiorLoanTeam.com Point 12/01/2008

Join at the next Elk Grove Real Estate Investment Group (Elk Grove REIA) meeting!Wednesday, December 10th Networking 6:30-7pmMeeting 7pm-9pm Join us for a live mortgage update at the Elk Grove Real Estate Investment Group! This month's meeting topic will be: End-of-Year Tax Wrap up  If you are going to make adustments to your numbers for 2008, you don't have much time!   Join us as we spend some time with a local CPA to discuss year-end tax planning and more!   Here are just some of the topics Bob Wellman from TaxWise will cover: Missed deductions every real estate investor should know about Tax Credits for Improvements Tax Law Update for 2008 that you need to take advantage of before they are gone! Potential 2009 Tax Law changes Bring your questions! Meet our Speaker TaxWise is a loca... 12/01/2008

I recently worked with First Time Home Buyers In Elk Grove, CA who just got their keys to their new home. It was a bank owned foreclosed home in Elk Grove, CA and what a deal these 1st Time Home Buyers got! Quite the savings and now they are proud homeowners.  Click to see more about Elk Grove Real Estate and videos. Click below to view home for sale in Elk Grove, CA Elk Grove homes for sale, Zip code 95757 Elk Grove homes for sale, Zip code 95758 Elk Grove homes for sale, Zip code 95624 Remember, you can click on Search for Homes and chose bank owned homes in all of the Sacramento and surrounding areas. Plenty of 1st time home buyers are approved and ready to buy one of these great deals. If you like what you read here on Sacramento Real Estate Voice simply click and subscribe to get t... 11/30/2008

  Craigslist Rental Scam in Elk Grove   Everyone browses Craigslist. Craigslist is widely used to find anything, from baby items to cars and houses. People trust this site as a local alternative to Ebay, but caution is still necessary when contracting items or services through this venue.  The newest scam to hit Elk Grove, is the home rental scam.   The culprits are rings of scam artists in South Africa and Nigeria. They use Craigslist listings to create their own fraudulent listings. They find homes that had been listed for rent the previous week, they copy the advertisement, and list the exact same house, complete with pictures. There is one striking difference though: there is no phone number, no local contact, and the rental amount is reduced.  They use contact email accounts, takin... 11/20/2008

In my last Blog Post I wrote about the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) 2007 update to the the "Toxics Release Inventory"  (TRI). Hazardous materials releases that must be reported to USEPA are listed in the TRI database.I entered my home zipcode in the TRI datase last week, and discovered that a Georgia-Pacific Chemical facility is located within one miles of my home.  Where is the Irony you ask??  Today, I read in the Sacramento Bee that the same Georgia-Pacific was fined $2.4 Million for illegally diluting their chemical waste and disposing it into the sewer. They saved $300,000 per year by not hauling their waste to an approved disposal site. Where is the environmental harm?  Liquids that are disposed in the sewer system travel to sewage treatment plants.  Sew... 11/11/2008