Newsletters

SLO County Market Update / SLO’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance Update On July 19th, San Luis Obispo’s City Council introduced two ordinances as part of an equitable-development strategy to address affordable-housing needs. Final adoption is scheduled for August 16th and they will go into effect after September 25th. Here’s a quick summary for better understanding.   Inclusionary...

SLO County Market Update / Types of Mortgages The first step for any potential homebuyer, is finding the loan that works best for their specific situation. Understanding your options and finding a mortgage professional to guide you through the process is a critical step in the biggest financial decision many people will ever make; buying a home.   Fixed Rate Mortgage A fixed-rate mortgage is...

SLO County Market Update / Federal Solar Tax Credit... The federal residential solar energy credit is a tax credit that can be claimed on federal income taxes for a percentage of the cost of a solar system. In December 2020, Congress passed an extension of the ITC through the end of 2023, unless Congress renews it. There is no maximum amount that can be claimed. The Details: The federal solar...

SLO County Market Update / Construction Supply Chain Issues Since the beginning of the pandemic, global supply chain issues have rocked numerous industries, but none nearly as hard as the construction business. Pricing, lead times and availability of many of the most crucial materials for construction and home renovation projects are increasingly unpredictable. Lumber: The pandemic both slowed...

SLO County Market Update / Remote Work & Real Estate Before Covid, many businesses and industries considered working from home taboo. However, the pandemic has proven that remote work can be productive and efficient, while cutting costs, and helping to attract and retain talent. An untethering of people who previously felt the need to live close to expensive downtowns, has resulted in a massive...

ADUs Banned in Los Osos & Cambria The California Coastal Commission unanimously voted to prohibit secondary dwelling units in Los Osos and Cambria, due to a concern over water supply issues. This decision comes on the heels of several new California laws that are intended to promote the construction of accessory dwelling units, in order to create more affordable housing and combat California’s...

Retrofit Upon Resale... California’s water resources are limited and we all need to do our part to meet the current and future water needs of residential, commercial and agricultural uses. With water conservation in mind, cities throughout the county have developed incentive programs, water audits, cash for grass landscape rebates, strict rules, irrigation schedules, hefty fines and local conservation...

Short-Term Rentals With the growing popularity of vacation rental sites like Airbnb, Homestay and VRBO, many property owners in SLO County are finding ways to capitalize on this expanding market. Anyone who lives here knows that each city has its own quirks and characteristics that make it unique. You’ll quickly find that rules and regulations regarding vacation rentals are no different; varying from...

San Luis Obispo County Market Update & ADU: Accessory Dwelling Units Info ADUs are a secondary, usually smaller, unit on a property that can either be attached, like a loft conversion or a garage apartment, or detached, like a granny flat or guest cottage. According to Google Trends, more Americans are searching for ADUs online than ever before.   FAST FACTS: Popularity There are an estimated...

California Senate Bill 9 Taking effect January 1st, 2022, SB 9 intends to address the affordable housing crisis.   In a nutshell Traditionally, single-family lots only allowed 2 large units; a stand-alone house and an accessory dwelling unit, as well as an attached junior unit no larger than 500 square feet. With the passing of SB 9, property owners will now be allowed to split a single-family lot...