Property Owner Resource Center of Marin and Sonoma County

If you are looking to buy, sell, improve or get financial help for

homeowners, If you are looking to buy, sell, improve or get financial help

for homeowners, you are in the right place!

The Property Owner Resource Center of Marin and Sonoma County provides

education, information, and assistance for property owners, construction,

real estate investors, landlords, and professional property managers. Why

spend your precious time searching for what you need to know when you can

find all you need to run your business at any time – day or night.

Here are some helpful links.

Membership Benefits of My Site:

Helping you with Real Estate Investing needs:

Buying a Home

How to get a Loan

Selling Your Property

Helping you with Construction Management needs:

Home Improvements

How to hire a contractor

Do-It-Yourself articles

Helping you with Property Management needs:

How to Hire a Property Manager

How to Hire a Property Inspector

Recommended Schedules for preventative maintenance

Helping you locate your Professional Resources needs:

Financial Resources

Insurance Resources

Tax Resources

Section 1031 Exchange and Capital Gains

Legal Resources:

Homeowner Association Laws for California

Legal Form Downloads

Online Tutorials and Training

User Forum

Newsletter

How-to Articles

How to Subscribe to My Site.

Join Now!

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Real Estate Investing information

Buying a Home

The homebuying process can seem complicated, but if you take things

step-by-step, you will soon be holding the keys to your own home!

http://www.hud.gov/buying/

Search for HUD-approved Title 1 lenders

http://www.hud.gov/ll/code/llslcrit.html

Renting

Learn more about renting and HUD rental assistance programs.

http://www.hud.gov/renting/index.cfm

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Home Improvement Topics

Whether you want to fix a faucet or add a new addition to your home, you

need to know the facts and the pitfalls of home improvements. Here are some

sources that can help.

http://www.hud.gov/improvements/index.cfm

Home Owners Guide to Permit & Inspections

The booklet at this site provides you with the information you need to get

started in the process of obtaining permits and inspections for repair,

remodeling or adding on to your single family home.

Hiring a Contractor

Construction contractors in the State of California are required to be

licensed by the California State License Board (CSLB). The CSLB can provide

you with information about a contractor at their toll-free number: (800)

321-2752 Construction Service Centers can provide you with an informative

booklet called “What You Should Know Before You Hire A Contractor”

http://www.ladbs.org/rpt_code_pub/home_owner_guide.pdf

The Contractors State License Board protects consumers by regulating the

construction industry through policies that promote the health, safety and

general welfare of the public in matters relating to construction.

Guides and Pamphlets for Consumers

http://www.cslb.ca.gov/general-information/library/guides-and-pamphlets.asp

Do-It-Yourself Articles

Home Depot –Know How articles

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContentView?pn=Know_How&;l

angId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

This Old House

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh

DIY Articles

http://www.doityourself.com/

Hometime

http://www.hometime.com/

Mrs. FIXIT “FIXIT Yourself” Easy Home Repair

http://www.mrsfixit.com/

Hiring Contractors

League of California Homeowners

http://www.homeowners.org/

Approved Contractors Ca offering Home Remodeling with League of California

Home Owners:

Additions

Appliance Service & Repair

Bathroom Remodeling

Decking

Earthquake Retrofit

Electrical Contractor

Energy Audit

Energy Efficient Lighting

Exterior Coatings

Flooring and Carpeting

Gas & Electric Appliance Installation

General Contractor

Heating & Air Conditioning

Home Building

Home Energy

Efficiency Improvement

Home Maintenance

Home Remodeling

Home Restoration

Hot Water Heaters

Insulation

Kitchen Remodeling

Landscaping

Lead paint testing

Manufactured Housing

Masonry & Concrete

Mold Inspection

Painting Contractor

Patio Enclosures

Patios

Pest Control

Plumbing

Pools & Spas

Roofing Contractor

Sash & Door

Siding

Solar Energy

Stairs, Railings & Finish Work

Sun Rooms

Whole House Fans

Window Coverings

Windows & Doors

STERBA, Voted #1 regional website of the S.F. North Bay.

MASSIVE DIRECTORY OF 20,000 LOCAL LINKS IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COUNTIES:

http://www.sterba.com/

Marin County: http://www.sterba.net/search/Marin_County/index.html

Marin County Contractors:

http://www.sterba.net/search/Marin_County/Contractors/

Sonoma County: http://www.sterba.net/search/Sonoma_County/index.html

Sonoma County Contractors:

http://www.sterba.net/search/Sonoma_County/Contractors/

Alameda Power and Telecom Electricity

Save Energy and Money

http://www.alamedapt.com/electricity/res_savings.html

Protecting Trees from Construction Damage: A Homeowner’s Guide

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/housingandclothing/DK6135.html

2005 Edition of the Homeowner’s Guide to Earthquake Safety

http://www.seismic.ca.gov/pub/CSSC_2005-01_HOG.pdf

Spring Maintenance for a Worry-Free Summer

http://finance.yahoo.com/expert/article/moneyhappy/27797

Protect your home Checklist

A few fast and simple moves each month can bring peace of mind — and help

boost your home’s value.

http://money.cnn.com/2005/12/14/real_estate/homecalendar/index.htm

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Realtors

San Francisco Association of Realtors

SF Bay Window, your guide to homeownership in San Francisco, can provide you

with the answers to your questions or point you in the direction of the

source that can.

http://www.sfbaywindow.com/

How to Hire a Property Manager

Owning rental property can be an overwhelming experience for both new owners

and longtime investment veterans. Fortunately, that’s why help is available

in the form of a professional property manager.

http://www.homevestors.com/inthenews/investor_newsletter.php?id=144

Taxes

California Property Tax, Publication 29

http://www.boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/pdf/pub29.pdf

California Homeowner Assistance Program

This program allows a once-a-year payment from the State of California to

qualified individuals based on part of the property taxes assessed and paid

on their homes.

http://www.ftb.ca.gov/individuals/hra/index.shtml

Legal Information:

Center for California Homeowner Association Law

The Center for California Homeowner Association Law is a clearinghouse of

consumer education, training, and referral services for the estimated 7

million California homeowners, who now live in a common interest development

(CID) and for consumers who are considering purchasing an association home.

http://www.calhomelaw.org/

California Building Standards – housefixit_com

http://www.cabuildingstandards.com/reviews.htm

Consumer Information

HUD is on your side when it comes to protecting your rights as a consumer.

That’s why we want you to have this important information.

http://www.hud.gov/consumer/index.cfm

Legal Forms:

http://www.lectlaw.com/formb.htm

http://www.uslegalforms.com/realestate/

Financial Information:

Appraisal services for homeowners – California Residential Appraisals – For

Homeowners

http://www.calresappraisals.com/ForHomeowners

Section 1031 Exchange and Capital Gains

Section 1031 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code allows investors to defer

capital gains taxes on the exchange of like-kind properties.

http://www.realtor.org/libweb.nsf/pages/fg408

Insurance

Tips and Advice on Insuring Your Home

C Felicia A. Williams

http://home-property-insurance.suite101.com/article.cfm/california_homeowner

s_insurance

With the added exposure of earthquake coverage, California homeowners have

to carefully consider their options when buying homeowners insurance.

If you’re a California homeowner, or renter and are looking for homeowners

insurance, the first place you should visit is the California Department of

Insurance. Their website has pretty much all of the information you need to

become an informed insurance purchaser.

On their site they offer the California homeowner a series of informative

articles that will take you through each aspect of purchasing homeowners

insurance. Your home may be the largest single investment you make, take the

time to insure it properly. The series of articles are not passive. They

will cause you to stop, think and take stock of what you have. You will have

to seriously consider what you are purchasing and why you are purchasing it.

Very appropriately, their first article in the series is about taking a home

inventory. The 38-page document takes you step by step through your home and

assists you in taking an inventory of your belongings. This is a very

important and most often overlooked step by homeowners.

California Department of Insurance

Here are a few of the articles available on the site:

Residential Insurance: Homeowners and Renters – This is a tutorial on

California homeowners and renters insurance. It gives information about what

is usually covered and what is not. It offers advice on how to set policy

limits and how to get discounts.

Residential property Claims Guide – This document takes you through the

claims process, from what to do after a loss to how to report it to your

insurance company.

There are several documents on earthquake insurance. Unfortunately

California homeowners are faced with this very real exposure. Their articles

give tips and advice on how to purchase coverage, mediation programs and

earthquake preparedness information.

Important Residential Insurance – related legislation: A user-friendly guide

to up to date information on legislation that will affect the California

homeowner or renter.

Mold & Your Homeowner’s Policy: Very applicable information for finding out

what mold is, how to prevent it from forming, what to do if you have mold in

your home, how to get rid of it and much more.

Don’t Get Burned After a Disaster: Tips on how not to be scammed after a

disaster. Unfortunately, unethical scammers tend to take advantage of people

when they are most vulnerable. The California Department of Insurance offers

tips on how to avoid being scammed.

http://www.insurance.ca.gov/

Homeowners Insurance For All California Homes – Condos – Apartments

http://www.cahomeinsurance.com/

California Association of Homeowners Associations

http://www.calassoc-hoa.com/

Conservation:

Homeowner’s Wildfire Mitigation Guide Home Page

http://groups.ucanr.org/HWMG/

Marin and Sonoma County Resource Conservation Districts

RCDs assist landowners and residents by providing technical assistance and

funding for on-the-ground projects. RCDs also offer education and outreach

through landowner workshops, watershed newsletters and school education and

service learning programs. Watershed-wide planning and local stewardship of

the land is a central theme of RCDs in addressing current conservation

issues.

http://www.sonomamarinrcds.org/

News:

Gov. Schwarzenegger Works with Lenders to Help Homeowners Avoid Foreclosure

http://gov.ca.gov/press-release/8147/