About Humboldt County, CA

Many older homes throughout the country, especially where I live in Eureka CA still sit on a pier and post foundation. As a Realtor working with many buyers interested in purchasing a charming old home in the Humboldt Real Estate Market, most buyers are concerned about this older foundation surviving the next major earthquake.

Well my first response is always, “Well it’s still standing after how many major earthquakes?” I usually get a calmer chuckle or two. With that being said, it’s still a good idea to get someone who specializes in older foundations to do an inspection on the home you are interested in buying. Only an experienced foundation guy can tell you exactly what your soon-to-be home is sitting on. There are times your home might be on a perimeter foundation, but have existing pier and posts left behind. Sometimes what appears to be a perimeter foundation actually is just a skirt to cover the gap between the ground and the first floor of your house and what you're looking at is still a pier and post foundation. So it's a good idea to know what you have. Most home inspectors have a general knowledge on foundations. However, if you want to make sure your pier and post foundation is in good shape and whether your home is actually bolted to the perimeter foundation it's a good idea to ask the experts.

I remember when I bought my first Victorian in Eureka CA, I too was concerned about the pier and post foundation, especially since there was a noticeable hump in the middle of the dining room floor. I have to admit, my husband and I were just as nervous about that foundation as any other buyer would be. So we called George Kurwitz, the foundation expert in Humboldt County. He’s the one who repaired almost all the old Victorians in Ferndale CA that jumped off of their foundation during the last major earthquake in the 90’s. Within minutes of crawling under our house, he determined the foundation was in great shape and the hump in the floor was just due to settling over the years.

Many worry that pier and post foundations are a liability, but in reality many of these foundations are still in good shape. Although most folks would prefer seeing their old Victorian or Craftsman sitting on a perimeter foundation, many foundation experts see no issue with pier and post as long as the pier and posts are not rotting and preferably bolted down. Most experts agree that during an earthquake pier and post foundation enable the home to move with the quake. Essentially there is more flexibility. Not so much with a home sitting on a perimeter foundation.

So if you are buying an old home that still sits on a pier and post foundation, call your local foundation expert, one who specializes or works regularly with pier and post. This extra step will ease your mind and address your concerns about whether or not your soon-to-be-home’s foundation is good enough to withstand the next major earthquake.

I work with both buyers and sellers who's first love is an older home. It's good to work with an agent who specializes in these homes. I have built connections in the restoration and old home maintenance industry to be able to refer my buyers and sellers to the old house experts. If you are considering an older home give me a call and we can chat about what's available in our area. If you are ready to sell your Humboldt Historic Home I have the tools and know how to attract the old house buyer. Just call 707-496-5770 for details.

Copyright 2009 Jessica Bigger. All Rights Reserved. *Humboldt Real Estate: Old House Foundations – Should I Be Worried About Pier and Post Foundation?*

With the recent mortgage rates dropping down to the low 5.0% range my husband and I decided it was time to look into refinancing our current mortgage.

While I represent both buyers and sellers in their real estate transactions in Humboldt County CA and am aware of all of the lending fees you have to pay up front, I forgot that the process to refinance your loan is similar to buying a home and being in escrow again. The fees are the same, just a bit less than what you would spend if you were getting a loan to buy a house.

So we called our lender Jason at Bank of America and got a quick quote at how much cash we would need to come in with up front. He said around $4000, which included the 1 1/2 points to get our interest rate down a little lower. But when we got all the documentation in the mail, our HUD statement estimated us paying about $6000 in fees, loan points, etc.

Huh? How did we go from $4000 to $6000? Not that it would make a difference in our decision, because either way, we were going to save quite a bit by going through with the refinance, but we wanted to understand what the $2000 discrepancy was.

So we called our lender immediately to clarify this and he mentioned that some of the fees posted on the HUD statement were off a bit, because Bank of America will sometimes grossly overestimate rather than be under the mark. He explained to us what we would be paying up front and reassured us that his original estimate of $4000 would be closer to what we would pay.

It really is like buying a house (with out the seller or the agents as part of the transaction) in terms of the fees involved. Since you have to open up escow there are escrow fees, title fees, transfer tax and other fees just like when buying a house. So if you refinance your home plan on paying several thousand dollars to cover all the fees it takes to reduce your monthly payment. And if you don't understand what all those fees are for, set up a meeting with your lender to go over them with you. Make sure you understand where those fees come from and also what they add up to = estimated total fee amount.

For us in the end, even having to spend $4000 to get our monthly payment lower, is well worth it. So just make sure you weigh the options you have and make the decision that's going to be best for you. We're glad we've decided to move forward on our refinance. How about you?

Copyright 2009 Jessica Bigger. *Refinancing? Make Sure You Know All the Fees Up Front.*

Good to excellent conditioned homes for sale in Eureka CA, especially in the lower price range seem to be selling rather quickly recently. I've been working with one of my buyers in this price range for several months now, so I've been keeping an eye on Eureka CA Homes for Sale as they come on the market as well as the McKinleyville CA real estate market. My buyer has expressed her interest in living in either Humboldt County CA city. So we keep our search criteria focused in these locations.

We ended up officially writing two offers on homes listed in this price range and competed with other buyers who also wrote offers. Unfortunately both times we were not the highest bidder and both times the home sold for higher than it was listed for. We waited on a couple of homes my buyer wasn't as interested in, because of location or some other issue and when she decided to put in an offer the home had at least 2 offers on it already or was already pending.

It seems that home sales in the $225,000 to $250,000 price range have really picked up in December alone. There were 12 homes that sold just last month and most of the home sales were in McKinleyville CA.

Plus, several lenders have mentioned that they have been getting a ton of calls from buyer's requesting a pre-approval letter because the interest rates are lower than they have been in a long time. Last I checked our annual interest rates were around 5.0% with no points. This is good news for Eureka and McKinelyville home owners thinking about selling their home in this price range. Because there are more buyers who are able to qualify for a loan because of the low interest rates available. Plus any buyers who were waiting for the market to hit rock bottom are realizing the opportunity to get a home is becoming much more appealing.

With FHA loan programs for first time homebuyers and several lower income downpayment assistance programs through the City of Eureka and the City of Arcata, there is plenty of opportunity for Humboldt County CA First Time Homebuyers to purchase their first home. Also those buyers who have a decent amount of cash to put towards their down payment have plenty of homes to choose from. The minimum cash a buyer must put towards their new home purchase today, unless you are a first time home buyer, is 20% cash down payment, which is now required by most, if not all Humboldt County CA lenders and mortgage brokers.

If you are thinking about selling your Eureka CA home or your McKinleyville CA home this might be a good time to look into what you could realistically get for your home if it sold in today's market. And if you're thinking about buying your first home or your next home, interest rates are low and it might be worth sitting down with your lender to see what options you have towards purchasing your home today. I'd be happy to chat with you about your home buying or selling plans. Feel free to give me a call at 707-269-4305.

Copyright 2009 Jessica Bigger. All Rights Reserved. *Eureka CA Homes Listed Between $225,000 to $250,000 are Selling Quickly Even in Today's Slower Market*

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Contact Jessica Bigger, Realtor®, Ming Tree GMAC Real Estate at 707-269-4305 to list your home for sale or to purchase your first or next home in Eureka, Cutten, Bayside, Arcata, McKinleyville, Westhaven, Trinidad and the rest of Humboldt County California.

To view all Humboldt County CA Historic and Luxury Homes for Sale Click Here, then click on Search Area Listings at the top of the web site. I know Humboldt County CA well and can help you get your home Sold or help you buy your next Humboldt County California Home. Call today!

Happy New Years to Everyone from all of our staff here at Lucky Star Realty in Eureka and Crescent City California. We wish you all good health and prosperity in the new year and we are ready to serve your real estate needs in both Humboldt County and Del Norte County California.

Do not hesitate to call our office toll free 866-875-2279 whether you are buying or selling a home in Northern California. All of our agents are hard working and willing to serve your real estate needs in the coming year.

It's tradition for Humboldt County folks to celebrate the Christmas holiday not only with Ham, but Crab too. Same goes for New Years. So this year Dave and I rung in the New Year with fresh, succulent dungenous crab that we bought right off the crab boats docked here in Humboldt Bay.

What a way to ring in the new year!

One of my favorite things I love about living in Humboldt County CA is the fresh seafood we get to eat throughout the year. At this point I just break it down into seasons.

There's the Salmon season (summertime), the Tuna season (late summer), Oyster season (year round) and my favorite season of all Dungenous Crab season (Winter). Whether you are a DIYer - fishing for tuna or salmon, throwing out your own crab pots, or even digging for clams (Yes, we have clams in our bay too!) or you're just a patron there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy these great foods throughout the year.

I remember my father-in-law realizing what an incredible seafood gold mine we have. Not only is our seafood readily accessible, but it's soooo affordable.

So we're currently in the middle of the Dungenous crab season right now. And I'm taking advantage of it as often as I can.

There are plenty of places to get crab right now, cooked or live. Most of our local stores sell crab already cooked, but there are several crab fisherman who sell their crab, live and fiesty, right off their boat. Just visit them on Woodley Island (across the Samoa bridge from Eureka CA) or try the Marina near the Wharfinger building near Old Town Eureka.

Personally I prefer live crab, because they are the fresher option. We usually buy our crab from Carol Pinto of the Jenna Lee (Crab boat) off the docks on Woodley Island. They're usually open till around 5:30pm, which makes it easy to pick up right after work. And they only cost...are you ready for this? $4.50 a lb! So you can get two succulent crabs for under $20 bucks. That's a great deal. Usually you'll spend more than that for 1 crab dinner at a restaurant.

If you like what you see in these photos here's the recipe below:

BBQ Dungenous Crab Recipe

1. Kill Live Crab first - Use a Knife and a Mallet and cut right through the middle of the crab.

2. Then pull the carapace (top shell) and clean rest of crab - you just want the meat and legs.

3. Take a huge piece of aluminum foil, place your crab on the foil.

4. Season - with butter, chopped garlic and fresh basil (add some white wine if you like).

5. Wrap the crab up in the foal - fold one side of the crab and then the other and then roll of the other sides - you want a packet that will steam the crab and something you can flip over too.

6. Place on grill for 10 minutes and then flip the crab over onto the other side for another 10 minutes - Viola you're done. Crack that Champagne open and enjoy!

So if you're visiting Humboldt County or just moved here, come visit the crab boats and get your live crab today!

Copyright 2008 Jessica Bigger. All Rights Reserved. *Ringing in the New Year Humboldt County CA Style - Dungenous Crab and Champagne!*

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Contact Jessica Bigger, Realtor®, Ming Tree GMAC Real Estate at 707-269-4305 to list your home for sale or to purchase your first or next home in Eureka, Cutten, Bayside, Arcata, McKinleyville, Westhaven, Trinidad and the rest of Humboldt County California.

To view all Humboldt County CA Historic and Luxury Homes for Sale Click Here, then click on Search Area Listings at the top of the web site. I know Humboldt County CA well and can help you get your home Sold or help you buy your next Humboldt County California Home. Call today!