Fremont Real Estate and Beyond

During their March 5 meeting, the Hayward City Council unanimously approved an emergency that requires landlords to show a "just cause" for evicting a tenant.  The requirement applies to all rental housing in Hayward including single-family homes and condominiums. According to a press release issued by the City of Hayward, landlords must notify their current tenants of the new policy no later than April 5 and must notify all future tenants, as well. A complete list of "just causes" for eviction are available here .  For more information please contact Jennifer Ott, Deputy City Manager at: Jennifer.Ott@hayward-ca.gov

Speaking of solar panels, Google released Project Sunroof, which calculates how much energy your roof can produce if it had solar panels. Check it out! https://www.google.com/get/sunroof#

The City of Fremont, along with 3 other East Bay cities, is embarking upon implementation of SunShares, a community-wide solar bulk procurement program which we hope will make installation of residential solar both simple and more affordable than ever for homeowners. A similar program launched this spring on the Peninsula with almost 700 participants and is on track to install half a megawatt of solar in just 3 months! The East Bay SunShares program ( www.fremont.gov/sunshares ), will be available to both residents as well as anyone employed or doing business in Fremont but living elsewhere in the Bay Area. Program registration began August 3 and close mid-October, 2015 ( www.mygroupenergy.com/eastbaysunshares ). More info here-- http://www.fremont.gov/2295/East-Bay-SunShares

In an effort to “scale up” solar, the Obama Administration recently announced an initiative that will result in lower household energy bills and job growth in the clean energy sector. The initiative, unveiled by the White House earlier this week, will primarily benefit renters and low- and moderate-income communities. More info here-- http://rismedia.com/2015-07-08/white-house-makes-solar-power-accessible-to-lower-income-households/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=eNews

Here's an updated map of all the water restrictions for the East Bay--

A story in the Press-Enterprise highlights some of the difficulties real estate agents and consumers are having when it comes time to refinance or sell a home with a HERO or PACE loan. The Property Assessed Clean Energy, or PACE, program upgrades include HERO loans. The HERO program allows a homeowner to install “green” improvements at a low out-of-pocket costs, but with a payment program attached to a homeowner’s property-tax bill. Real estate professionals say well-meaning green energy loan and lease programs crafted to put idled contractors to work and pump up home values need to be scrutinized carefully. The new, energy-efficient products to lower utility payments and increase the value of a home are written into property tax bills as an added assessment, and payments can stretch out for up to 20 years. The cost, plus an administrative fee, and interest, is tax-deductible. But it also takes a first-lien position. The first-position is so important the Federal Hou...

The California Youth Energy Services is offering no-cost "Green House Calls" to Fremont residents as well as those in other cities. More info here-- http://www.risingsunenergy.org/content/greencall.html Your CYES Green House Call with our friendly and professional youth Energy Specialists will consist of: A walk through of the house with the client; looking for energy saving opportunities Replacing all incandescent bulbs with FREE energy-saving compact fluorescent versions (which use about a 1/4 of the energy!) Installing FREE high-efficiency faucet aerators and showerheads (all the pressure without the water waste!) Inspecting all toilets for efficiency and leaks Checking the attic insulation of the home Installing a FREE retractable clothesline to reduce dryer use or a FREE power strip to reduce phantom load from electronic devices Installing FREE hot water pipe insulation Providing energy and water conservation education Emailing a customized repor...

Many people don't really think about solar panels when they buy a home.  Homeowners who like the idea but can't afford to pay upfront the installation costs choose to lease them over a period of time.  Sometimes during this period of time, the homeowner puts their home up for sale and that can open a can of worms. Why am I bringing this up? A) In Southern California it's really popular and it's slowly creeping up here to Northern California.  and B) The new residential purchase agreement (RPA) just added new verbiage to address this issue.  It gives the seller 7 days to make the disclosure and provide any paperwork necessary to assume/cancel the lease to the buyer.  What are the issues? One of them is that the seller needs to transfer the lease to the buyer upon sale of the home or cancel it.  If the buyer doesn't qualify for the lease or doesn't agree to the terms, trouble starts.  I've heard a seller pay $50k+ in cancellation fees because they di...