The Real Folsom Blog

Landscapers Tips May Help Keep That Folsom Lawn Green a Little Longer

I'm looking out at my nice green Folsom lawn this morning and wondering how much longer I'll be able to keep it in decent shape. The past few days of cool weather are a welcome relief from the scorcher days of last week, but I know that with just two days of watering a week I won't be able to keep the lawn looking good. I did find the following tips from the California Landscape Contractors Association on how to cope with the water rationing.

• Do not use high nitrogen fertilizers during a drought.  They encourage growth but the plants will need more water.
• Heavily mulch all flower and soil beds.  Mulch helps keep water in the soil. Do not use rocks/gravel because they add heat to the soil and moisture evaporates faster.
• Mow grass higher to promote deeper root growth and hold more moisture. Aerate the lawn and fill the holes with compost so the water can infiltrate deeper.

I'm not sure how much these tips will help in the long term but it's at least a little something.

Dwellicious Is One of Latest Social Networking Tools

MetroList, our local multiple listing service provider in Sacramento has just announced a new feature called Dwellicious! Cute name! So what does Dwellicious do? It’s simply one of the latest in a string of social networking tools that are all the rage these days. Visitors to MetrolistMLS.com now have the option of bookmarking properties they like on MetrolistMLS.com and sharing them with friends and family.  And, Dwellicious works with the most popular social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. If you go to www.dwellicious.com, you’ll find a video tour describing the service.

While You Are Sleeping … Foreclosures Are Increasing

The inventory of foreclosed homes on the market has plummeted recently. For those of you looking for that bank-owned deal there is some good news from our guest blogger Barbara Van Duyn. Barbara is a certified mortgage planner with First Priority Financial, If you have any mortgage questions, you can reach Barbara through her Web site, www.BarbaraVanDuyn.com.

With little fanfare, the foreclosure moratorium put in place by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac last November was lifted this month. As a result, we will see a new wave of bank-owned properties, also known as REOs, hit the market soon as banks start releasing their properties. This is good news for first-time home buyers and investors looking for more options as the current inventory of foreclosed homes have been picked through. Buyers don’t need to be convinced anymore… they get it. This is the best time to buy and they are. Until next time … take care, Barbara

Recent Folsom Home Sales April 12-18 '09

After an explosive start in April, home sales settled down a bit in Folsom for the week of April 12-18 with 8 sales recorded by MetroList, our local multiple listing service. The properties were listed and sold by various multiple listing service brokers. If you'd like to know about a recent sale in your neighborhood, just drop me a line at  annerhea@kw.comand I'll look it up for you.

* 516 Willow Creek, 3 bed/2 bath, 1195 sq ft, sold 4/13/09 for $290,000 (97 percent of list price) after 53 days on the market for $243 per sq ft.
* 1669 Osborne Court, 3 bed/2.5 bath, 2033 sq ft, sold 4/15/09 for $375,000 (100.03 percent of list) after 20 DOM for $184 per sq ft.
* 2139 Horseshoe Glen Circle, 4 bed/3 bath, 1851 sq ft, sold 4/15/09 for $382,000 (99 percent of list) after 43 DOM for $206 per sq ft.
* 142 Elkins Circle, 4-5 bed/3 bath, 2470 sq ft, sold 4/15/09 for $418,000 (98 percent of list) after 68 DOM for $169 per sq ft.
* 1789 Langholm Way, 3-4 bed/2.5 bath, 2584 sq ft, sold 4/17/09 for $419,000 (100 percent of list) after 115 cumulative DOM for $162 per sq ft.
* 104 Stroup Lane, 4 bed/2.5 bath, 2413 sq ft, sold 4/16/09 for $429,900 (100 percent of list) after 46 DOM for $178 per sq ft.
* 130 Hillswood Drive, 3 bed/2 bath, 2232 sq ft, sold 4/14/09 for $475,000 (97 percent of list) after 21 DOM for $213 per sq ft.
* 999 Patrick Circle, 5 bed/3 bath, 2992 sq ft, sold 4/17/09 for $510,000 (97 percent of list) after 36 DOM for $170 per sq ft.

Remember you can always drop me a line if you want to know what a home sold for and don't see it in my Thursday sales update or if you simply want more info about the sale.

City Celebrates Trails Day Saturday, April 25

One of our best assets as a city in Folsom is the wonderful system of bicycle/hiking trails we have. This Saturday, April 25, you can show your support and appreciation by rolling up your sleeves and volunteering for some hard work and fun from 9 a.m. to noon. Sign up by calling the city at 355-7285. For your effort, you'll receive a free lunch and a commemorative T-shirt! You must be 16 years old to participate.

"Locking" an Interest Rate, What Does That Mean?

What I love about reading guest blogger Barbara Van Duyn's blog posts every week are the insights she gives into the financial end of the business. Once again this week, I learn a little something interesting about how the mortgage business works. Barbara is a certified mortgage planner with First Priority Financial, If you have any mortgage questions, you can reach Barbara through her Web site, www.BarbaraVanDuyn.com.

Whether you’re financing a purchase or refinancing an existing loan, at some point in the process you and your mortgage professional will discuss “locking” the interest rate. Let’s talk about what that means and why we do it. First of all, interest rates change every day. Locking a rate insures you get the rate you have been promised by your lender. If rates get worse, you’re protected. If rates improve, you keep the locked rate. Generally we lock rates for 30 days but locks can be longer. How long you choose will depend on your needs. There is another piece of this process most people aren’t aware of. The lender funding your loan is likely selling it to an investor. Once a lock is made, an investor is expecting delivery of that loan at that rate. So a lock is not only protection for you, it’s a promise from the lender to deliver that investment with those terms after they have completed the loan. Until next time … take care, Barbara

Recent Folsom Home Sales, April 1-11 '09

Wow. Home sales are really picking up in Folsom with 21 sales recorded by MetroList, our local multiple listing service, in the first 11 days of April. The properties were listed and sold by various multiple listing service brokers. If you'd like to know about a recent sale in your neighborhood, just drop me a line at annerhea@kw.com and I'll look it up for you.

* 507-1/2 Coloma Street, 2 bed/1 bath, 808 sq ft, sold 4/6/09 for $125,000 (83 percent of list price) after 18 days on the market for $155 per sq ft.
* 140 N. Grant Lane, 2-3 bed/2.5 bath, 1387 sq ft, sold 4/1/09 for $205,000 (91 percent of list) after 349 cumulative DOM for $148 per sq ft.
* 745 Kilbirnie Court, 3 bed/2 bath, 1130 sq ft, sold 4/9/09 for $295,000 (96 percent of list) after 7 DOM for $261 per sq ft.
* 2307 Clapton Way, 3 bed/2 bath, 1457 sq ft, sold 4/2/09 for $295,000 (92 percent of list) after 20 DOM for $202 per sq ft.
* 1475 Lewis Way, 4 bed/2.5 bath, 1905 sq ft, sold 4/3/09 for $328,000 (100 percent of list) after 59 DOM for $172 per sq ft.
* 770 Agostini Circle, 4 bed/2 bath, 1810 sq ft, sold 4/2/09 for $329,000 (100 percent of list) after 49 DOM for $182 per sq ft.
* 133 Kerslake Circle, 4 bed/2 bath, 1595 sq ft, sold 4/10/09 for $332,000 (94 percent of list) after 25 DOM for $208 per sq ft.
* 2258 Cattle Drive, 4 bed/3 bath, 1851 sq ft, sold 4/6/09 for $340,555 (96 percent of list) after 86 DOM for $184 per sq ft.
* 514 Diamond Glen Circle, 3 bed/2.5 bath, 1673 sq ft, sold 4/3/09 for $364,000 (95 percent of list) after 100 DOM for $218 per sq ft.
* 442 S. Lexington Drive, 4 bed/2 bath, 1951 sq ft, sold 4/8/09 for $365,000 (96 percent of list) after 41 DOM for $187 per sq ft.
* 113 Elkins Circle, 4 bed/3 bath, 2214 sq ft, sold 4/3/09 for $365,000 (98 percent of list) after 31 DOM for $165 per sq ft.
* 203 Baurer Circle, 4 bed/3 bath, 2453 sq ft, sold 4/7/09 for $412,000 (103 percent of list) after 113 DOM for $168 per sq ft.
* 1440 Berriedale Court, 4 bed/2.5 bath, 2372 sq ft, sold 4/10/09 for $415,000 (97 percent of list) after 285 DOM for $175 per sq ft.
* 315 Crow Canyon Drive, 4 bed/3 bath, 2678 sq ft, sold 4/2/09 for $455,000 (101 percent of list) after 32 DOM for $170 per sq ft.
* 1121 Souza Way, 3-4 bed/2 bath, 2300 sq ft, sold 4/3/09 for $474,000 (97 percent of list) after 33 DOM for $206 per sq ft.
* 1682 Bowen Drive, 5-6 bed/4 bath, 3449 sq ft, sold 4/10/09 for $493,750 (96 percent of list) after 37 DOM for $143 per sq ft.
* 111 Briggs Ranch Drive, 4 bed/3 bath, 2835 sq ft, sold 4/10/09 for $525,000 (97 percent of list) after 265 DOM for $185 per sq ft.
* 1569 Manasco Circle, 4 bed/3.5 bath, 3022 sq ft, sold 4/9/09 for $532,000 (99 percent of list) after 10 DOM for $176 per sq ft.
* 1528 Manasco Circle, 5 bed/4.5 bath, 3927 sq ft, sold 4/3/09 for $672,000 (99 percent of list) after 45 DOM for $171 per sq ft.
* 94 Valley Falls Place, 4 bed/4 bath, 3706 per sq ft, sold 4/2/09 for $720,000 (96 percent of list) after 119 DOM for $194 per sq ft.
* 1789 Summer Cloud Court, 4-5 bed/3.5 bath, 4137 sq ft, sold 4/3/09 for $790,000 (93 percent of list) after 637 cumulative DOM for $190 per sq ft.

Remember you can always drop me a line if you want to know what a home sold for and don't see it in my Thursday sales update or if you simply want more info about the sale.

Folsom Home Sales Stats for March '09

The Folsom home sale statistics are in for March. Let's start with the median price of homes sold in Folsom in March: $370,000--that's down from $395,750 in February but still up from Nov-Jan. Overall, the median price is down 24% from March '07. Sales have been picking up the last few weeks so it'll be interesting to see how that impacts prices. Although the median price was down, that actually represented 5 more sales (55) than in Feburary. Meanwhile, the median price of the homes for sale at some point during January (399) was $399,000--last time it hit that mark was September '08. On the other hand, the median price of homes that got and accepted an offer was $344,900 (representing 93 properties). That is the lowest median price seen in at least two years for pending homes. Will be interesting to see what the homes actually sold for.

Now a look at the months supply of inventory (MSI) for Folsom: The MSI took another dive in March to 2.8 months, down from 5.2 in February.The national average MSI also took a dip--down to 4.8 months' supply. In normal times, this would be a mega seller's market but these days nothing is normal. It is a tougher market for buyers looking for selection.  As I mentioned above, 55 properties sold in Folsom in March with an average of 73 days on the market. Overall that's a whopping 44.4% drop from March of '07.

There you have it--a quick look at the sales stats for Folsom last month. I have lots more detailed stats if you would like to now anything specific about last month's market. Just drop me a line.

Recent Folsom Home Sales March 22-31 '09

The pace of home sales in Folsom continued on track with 15 sales recorded by MetroList, our local multiple listing service, for the period of March 22-31. The properties were listed and sold by various multiple listing service brokers. If you'd like to know about a recent sale in your neighborhood, just drop me a line at annerhea@kw.com and I'll look it up for you.

* 94 Dean Way, 2 bed/1 bath, 822 sq ft, sold 3/27/09 for $108,000 (94 percent of list price) after 27 days on the market for $131 per sq ft.
* 109 Esplanade Circle, #109, 2 bed/2 bath, 1059 sq ft, sold 3/30/09 for $170,000 (97 percent of list) after 86 DOM for $161 per sq ft.
* 116 Fargo Way, 3 bed/2 bath, 1147 sq ft, sold 3/23/09 for $235,000 (100 percent of list) after 154 DOM for $205 per sq ft.
* 144 Oxburough Drive, 3 bed/2 bath, 1207 sq ft, sold 3/25/09 for $285,000 (95 percent of list) after 32 DOM for $236 per sq ft.
* 153 Lembi Drive, 3 bed/2.5 bath, 1677 sq ft, sold 3/31/09 for $294,000 (99 percent of list) after 11 DOM for $175 per sq ft.
* 988 Seabough Court, 3 bed/2 bath, 1733 sq ft, sold 3/23/09 for $300,000 (86 percent of list) after 42 DOM for $173 per sq ft.
* 750 Filkins Court, 3-4 bed/3 bath, 1709 sq ft, sold 3/23/09 for $320,000 (96 percent of list) after 329 cumulative DOM for $187 per sq ft.
* 109 McFarland Drive, 3 bed/2.5 bath, 1960 sq ft, sold 3/26/09 for $320,000 (92 percent of list) after 175 DOM for $163 per sq ft.
* 683 Agostini Circule, 3 bed/2 bath, 1810 sq ft, sold 3/25/09 for $330,500 (102 percent of list) after 4 DOM for $183 per sq ft.
* 485 S. Lexington Drive, 4 bed/3 bath, 2256 sq ft, sold 3/31/09 for $355,000 (98 percent of list) after 94 DOM for $157 per sq ft.
* 111 Flindell Way, 3 bed/2.5 bath, 2129 per sq ft, sold 3/25/09 for $395,000 (96 percent of list) after 101 DOM for $186 per sq ft.
* 1110 Souza Way, 3-4 bed/2 bath, 2300 sq ft, sold 3/30/09 for $411,000 (103 percent of list) after 48 DOM for $179 per sq ft.
* 127 Conductor Way, 5 bed/3 bath, 2781 sq ft, sold 3/27/09 for $496,500 (97 percent of list) after 94 DOM for $179 per sq ft.
* 262 Luna Circle, 4 bed/2 bath, 2125 sq ft, sold 3/24/09 for $530,000 (97 percent of list) after 42 DOM for $249 per sq ft.
* 202 Marsh Hawk Drive, 4 bed/4 bath, 3743 sq ft, sold 3/25/09 for $551,600 (92 percent of list) after 4 DOM for $147 per sq ft.

Is It Time To Replace Your Old Refrigerator?

Did you know that old refrigerators (i.e., fridges older than 10 years old) can account for up to 15 percent of a home’s energy consumption. Newer refrigerators, especially ENERGY STAR ones, consume significantly less energy than older ones—sometimes as little as one-quarter of the energy. And, if you are trying to improve your home's energy efficiency don't even think of trying to keep the old refrigerator running in the garage as a back up! Many local utility companies offer rebates to pick up your old refrigerator if it’s still operational. You can find more info on SMUD's rebate program on their Web site.  On the bad news side, due to a freeze on state funding the low-flow toilet rebate program that had been offered on the city of Folsom's Web site has been suspended until further notice.