Cheryl Nightingale - Monarch Realty Group, LLC

Daily Real Estate News | Wednesday, November 23, 2016 The federal government is increasing the limit for conforming mortgages from $417,000 to $424,100 in most regions of the United States starting Jan. 1, 2017, the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced Wednesday—the first such increase since 2006. The approximately 1.7 percent bump in the baseline conforming loan limit follows the FHFA’s announcement that  the average U.S. home price has returned to its pre-decline peak, which it hit in the third quarter of 2007. The FHFA bases the loan cap on its quarterly Housing Price Index, which gauges average single-family home prices. The index rose 1.5 percent during the third quarter of 2016 and is up 6.1 percent over the past year, enough to push it above its previous high point. Conforming loan limits are significant because they apply to home loans that meet the underwriting guidelines of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored entities that acquire mortgag

Update your pet’s tag with your new address. Make sure your pet’s collar is sturdy and correctly sized. The tag should also include your mobile number and e-mail address so that you can be reached during the move. Request veterinary records. Ask your current vet to send your pet’s medical history directly to the new vet. Have their contact information handy in case of emergency or if the new vet has questions. Keep a week’s worth of food and medication with you. You may want to ask for an extra prescription refill before you move. Take the same precaution with special therapeutic foods. Seclude them from chaos. Keep your pet in a safe, quiet room on moving day with a clear sign posted on the door. There are many light, collapsible travel crates available, but ensure it is well ventilated and sturdy enough for stress-chewers. Also, introduce your pet to the crate before the trip. Prepare a pet first aid kit. Include your vet's phone number, gauze to wrap wounds or t

Daily Real Estate News | Wednesday, November 02, 2016 Santa Monica, Calif., is the first city in the world to make it a requirement that all new single-family construction in the city meet zero-net energy standards. The ZNE standard means that projects must generate enough of their own energy from renewable sources to equal what they take from the power utility over a year. The Santa Monica City Council voted last week to approve the ordinance requiring ZNE on all new-home construction. It must now be approved by the California Energy Commission before it becomes final. “Santa Monica is proud to take a global lead in zero net energy building standards that put the state’s environmental policy to action,” says Mayor Tony Vazquez. “ZNE construction, considered the gold standard for green buildings, is a major component that will help us reach our ambitious goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.” The California Public Utilities Commission in 2008 adopted what is essentially

Daily Real Estate News | Tuesday, November 01, 2016 Thanks to rising home prices, home owners are getting richer, a new study says. The amount of homeowner equity has doubled in the last five years, according to CoreLogic’s latest Home Price Index and HPI Forecast for September 2016. "Home equity wealth has doubled during the last five years to $13 trillion, largely because of the recovery in home prices," says Frank Nothaft, chief economist for CoreLogic. "Nationwide during the past year, the average gain in housing wealth was about $11,000 per home owner, but with wide geographic variation." Home owners in several markets across California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, and Utah are seeing some of the most growth, with double-digit home price gains. Home owners nationwide likely are to see even more equity in the coming months, too. “Home-price growth creates wealth for owners with home equity,” says Anand Nallathambi, president and CEO of