Blog Archives

Buying a vacation home with friends or family in California: TIC vs LLC title, co-ownership agreements, joint mortgages, property tax, rentals and exit plans.

Modern homes in Napa and Sonoma: viewshed and ridgeline rules, the 2026 WUI Code for glass, roofs and vents, what to inspect and how architecture-led homes resell.

Marin County's short-term rental ordinance as of October 2026: the county license, township caps and waitlists, the license ending at sale, the 14% West Marin hotel tax and city-by-city rules.

How California's Mills Act works: the 10-year self-renewing contract, the income-based assessment, which Bay Area and Napa programs take applications, and what a buyer inherits.

When siblings disagree on selling an inherited house: who decides in a trust or probate, buyouts and Prop 19, agreed sales, mediation and partition in California.

How a luxury real estate auction works in California: reserve vs absolute terms, the buyer's premium, licensing, disclosure timing and financing for bidders.

Home hardening for wildfire in Napa, Sonoma and Marin: the upgrades that matter, Safer from Wildfires discounts, local grants and what to disclose.

Napa Airbnb rules as of October 2026: the county's prohibition, the City of Napa's capped permits, St. Helena's wait list, Calistoga's 2025 ban, and more.

What a coming soon listing is under NAR and local MLS rules, how it differs from delayed marketing and office exclusives, and what buyers and sellers can do.

What a septic and well inspection should cover when you buy in Napa or Marin County: records, pumping, yield tests, water testing and Stinson Beach permits.

Can you buy a house anonymously in California? What the deed and LLC filings reveal, trust vs LLC vesting, Prop 13 rules and the FinCEN rule's 2026 status.

What the Coastal Act and the Sonoma and Marin Local Coastal Programs mean for buyers: exemptions, bluffs, septic, appeals, tsunami maps and vacation rentals.

Before you buy a house to tear down in San Francisco, Marin, Napa or Sonoma, confirm the demolition path, replacement-unit rules, historic review and site limits.

How to buy before you sell in California: bridge loans, HELOCs, buy-before-you-sell programs, contingent offers and rent-backs, plus Fannie Mae's DTI rule.

Buying property with a conservation easement in Marin, Sonoma or Napa: Civil Code 815 rules, MALT and Ag + Open Space approvals, escrow checks and value.

How the Tiburon view ordinance and Belvedere's tree rules work, why California has no general right to a view, and how to document a Marin view before you close.

Zone 0 regulations in California, October 2026: what the Board adopted, where the 5-foot rules apply, phase-in timing and what sellers and buyers can do now.

Hillside home for sale in Marin, Napa or Sonoma? When to order a geotechnical report, how to read one, retaining wall red flags and landslide insurance.

A plan for selling a long-held North Bay home and moving to a smaller one: Prop 19 tax base transfers, the home-sale exclusion, 55+ and continuing care contracts, and how to sequence the sale and purc ...

Homes with a guest house for sale in Napa, Sonoma or Marin: how to tell a permitted ADU from a guest house or unpermitted unit, and what each can be rented for.