Carmichael CA Realtor| Davis CA Realtor| Craig Diez

Craig Diez - Diez & Sigg Properties

  • (916) 425-5884
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Home
  • Search
    • Search All Listings
    • Search by Map
    • Featured Listings
    • Email Alerts
  • Communities
  • Blog
  • About
    • About Craig
    • Client Testimonials
  • Contact

Archives for September 2020

What your Credit Score Should Be to Buy a House?

September 24, 2020 by cdiez Leave a Comment

From my own experience, even what would be considered a “not great” credit score may still qualify to buy your dream home. What I have learned over the years is that each lender has different capabilities. There may be 10 lenders that won’t give you a loan based on a low credit score and another 10 that will.

Ashley Sutphin gives us a good update on credit scores and purchasing homes with a large range of scores.

What credit score do you need to get a home loan? While specifically, it can vary, there are certain things you should know before you apply for a mortgage to ensure you’ve put yourself in the best possible financial position.

Factors Impacting Your Credit Score

Before you explore specific loans, pull your credit report. You can look for errors that may need to be corrected and get a better idea of what you can do to improve it.

The factors that play a role in your credit score include:

• Payment history: This is the main factor of a credit score, making up about 35% of your score. Your payment history is simply whether you pay your bills on time or not. Any creditors you have will report your activity every month to major credit bureaus. One or two late payments probably won’t have a big impact, but a pattern of late payments will.

• Debt: The amount of debt you owe across the board makes up around 30% of your score. Debt is also called your credit utilization ratio, and it looks at how much debt you’re using versus what’s available to you.

• Credit age: Making up around 15% of your score is credit age. The longer you have accounts on your credit history the better, as long as they’re in good standing. If you have old accounts, keep them open if possible because this will affect your average credit age.

Other factors that are relevant in your score are your account mix, which is the type of credit accounts you have, and credit inquiries. Credit inquiries are pulls of your report that lenders do before extending financing.

Your credit score is important not only because it determines whether you get financing for a home, but also the interest rate you’re offered.

The following are typical ranges for credit scores:

• Anything below 580 is considered very poor• A fair score is one ranging from 580 to 669
• A good credit score might range from 670 to 739
• An excellent score is between 740 and 799
• Anything 800 and above is considered exceptional

Conventional Loans

If you’re applying for a conventional loan from a bank or a similar type of lender, you will usually need at least a 620 to qualify.

Conventional home loans follow Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae’s standards.

While 620 is the minimum, having that score doesn’t mean you’ll be approved for a home loan. An excellent score is usually considered 740 and above, and with an excellent score you’ll likely not only qualify for a conventional home loan but you’ll also get a competitive interest rate and you may have a lower down payment requirement.

VA Loans

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs insures VA loans. They’re available to certain servicemembers and veterans of the U.S. Military, as well as spouses of military members who died while on active duty.

The minimum credit score for a VA loan is likely to be around 620, although this can vary, and there’s no set minimum score.

FHA Loans

Insured by the Federal Housing Administration, FHA loans are less risky for lenders so you may find it’s easier to qualify. The minimum score for an FHA loan with a down payment of 3.5% is 580. If you’re paying at least 10% for your down payment, there’s no minimum required credit score.

If you have an FHA loan originated by a private lender, each will have its own minimum requirement for credit scores.

Click here for the rest of the article

Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: Carmichael CA home loans, carmichael ca homes for sale, carmichael ca real estate agent, carmichael ca realtor, credit scores, living in carmichael ca

Your 2020 Fall Activity Guide is Here!

September 18, 2020 by cdiez 1 Comment

Get ready for sweater weather, football games, and of course, Pumpkin Spice Lattes…because fall officially kicks off next Tuesday, September 22nd! While we are unable to participate in many of the planned indoor events and activities due to Covid, there are still plenty of outdoor recreational activities and “social-distance” approved events that pay tribute to this beautiful season.

In need of some inspiration? Check out this month’s newsletter for some fun and festive ways to celebrate the fall season in and around the Sacramento area.

The time is ripe for a perfect fall outing! Pay a visit to one of these Apple picking locations. Before planning your visit, please review the safety measures that these Apple Hill Growers are taking to keep both visitors and workers safe.

Denver Dan’s Apple Patch

Goodness Orchard

Goyette’s North Canyon Ranch

24 Carrot Farm

While you’re in the area, you might want to check out one (or more) of Apple Hill’s “must visit” locations:

Johnny Appleseed Day: Celebrate Johnny Appleseed Day with special events and activities on Sunday, September 20th at these participating locations.

High Hill Ranch: This popular location has a wide array of activities including a Craft Fair, fishing, pumpkin patch, wine tasting, an apple bar, bake shop and much more!

Rainbow Orchards: This location is home to world-famous hot apple cider donuts! Check out some of their other delicious desserts and pies here and their special events here.

North Canyon Cider Co: As their name suggests, this location is known for its award-winning hard cider! They are open weekends now through mid-November.

Fudge Factory Farm: Any chocolate lovers out there? Choose from an impressive selection of handmade fudge, and 15+ types of candy coated apples, homemade jams, fresh baked pies and more! Want to skip the line? Pre-order here.

Ponderosa Ridge Bed and Breakfast: Wanna get away? Wake up to beautiful views and three acres of apples that only guests can pick!

Go wine tasting “with a view” at one or more of the below vineyards where you can enjoy live music and delicious wine and food pairings. Please note that reservations are highly encouraged during this time. Be sure to check each website to reserve your table ahead of time.

Rancho Roble Vineyards

Scribner Bend Vineyards

Rucksack Cellars

Wise Villa Winery

Starfield Vineyards

Wofford Acres Vineyards

Boeger Winery

Cante Ao Vinho

Savor the fall season by supporting some of our local restaurants in the Sacramento area and beyond! Whether you are looking for a beautiful outdoor setting or fall-inspired dishes, these restaurants (categorized by cuisine type) won’t disappoint!

Italian Cuisine: 

Paseanos

Waterboy

Piatti

Il Forno Classico

Obo’ Italian Table & Bar

Vaiano Trattoria

Visconti’s Ristorante

French Cuisine/Wine Bars:

Revolution Wines

The Rind

Whired Wine

La Provence

Brasserie Capitale

Danielle’s Creperie

Mexican/Spanish Cuisine:

Tapa the World

Zocalo

Cantina Alley

Mas Taco Bar

Mesa Mercado

Centro Cocina

Alaro Craft Brewery

American/California-Inspired Cuisine:

Wildwood

Delta King – Pilothouse Restaurant

Paragary’s

Bennett’s Kitchen

Sienna

Milestone

Hook & Ladder

Farmhaus

Asian-Inspired Cuisine:

Kru

Mikunis

Miyagi Sushi

Shangri La

Fats

PF Changs

If you are not comfortable dining in at this time, you can still support our local restaurants and businesses by placing an order to go or by using a delivery app including Postmates and DoorDash.

What better way to enjoy the fall weather than with an outdoor picnic? Below are some of my favorite fall picnic spots in Sacramento:

Ancil Hoffman Park

McKinley Park

William Land Regional Park

Natomas Rose Garden

Curtis Park

Jensen Botanical Gardens

Folsom Lake State Recreation Area

Filed Under: Sacramento Lifestyle Tagged With: carmichael ca dream homes, carmichael ca first time home buyer, carmichael ca real estate agent, carmichael ca realtor, Carmichael fall activities, Sacramento fall activities

These Are The First Half of 2020’s Hottest Interior Design Trends

September 17, 2020 by cdiez Leave a Comment

Thanks to COVID-19, the first half of 2020 saw many people hunkering down and spending more time at home—which has led to a huge surge in home design projects. But which projects and trends have been the most popular?

The Wall Street Journal asked design experts for their insights into the hottest design trends for the first half of 2020. According to the experts (whose responses were outlined in a recent REALTOR Magazine article), the hottest interior design trends of 2020 so far include:

Going two-toned in the kitchen.

Mixing and matching different tones in the kitchen—like using a darker color for your bottom cabinets and a lighter wood or paint for the top—has emerged as an on-trend way to add new life to your kitchen in 2020.

Sprucing up the home office…

With so many people working remotely, redesigning home offices has been one of the most popular interior design projects of the year. Many people are investing in structural pieces to make their home offices more functional, like built-in desks.

…and the outdoor space.

All the at-home time has prompted many homeowners to renovate their outdoor space to make it more comfortable and functional with elements like fire pits, pools, and outdoor dining areas.

Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: Carmichael CA, carmichael ca homes for sale, carmichael ca property, carmichael ca real estate agent, carmichael ca realtor, Carmichael interior design

Six Must-Haves Every Homeowner Needs For A Safe Home

September 9, 2020 by cdiez Leave a Comment

When it comes to your home, you want to make sure you have everything on hand you need to create a safe environment for you and your family. But what exactly do you need to make your home safe? Here are six must-haves you need to ensure your home is safe for your family and yourself:

1. Smoke and carbon monoxide detector

A smoke and carbon monoxide detector is a must to keep you and your family safe. You can either buy each detector separately or purchase a model that detects both. Either way, you need to make sure that you have a detector monitoring the air in your home for both smoke and carbon monoxide at all time.

You should have at least one smoke and carbon monoxide detector on each level of your home (so, for example, one in the basement, one in the ground floor, one upstairs, and one in the attic). Test them regularly and replace the batteries at least twice a year to ensure they’re working properly.

2. Fire extinguisher

House fires are more common than you’d imagine. In 2015, there were over 365,000 house fires in the United States. And while you hope that a fire will never happen to you, you still need to have an extinguisher on hand just in case.

Keep your fire extinguisher in or easily accessible from the kitchen; most home fires start in the kitchen, so you want to have your extinguisher close should a fire occur. If you have a multi-level home, you should also keep a fire extinguisher in your bedroom should a fire break out while you’re asleep.

3. An exit plan

When all else fails and your home becomes unsafe, you want to make sure you and your family all know how to get out of the home quickly and safely.

Develop an exit plan that allows you and your family to safely exit the home from all areas of the house in case of an emergency; you should have an exit route from all levels of the home so that no matter where you are when an emergency occurs, your family knows where and how to get out.

Meet with your family at least once a year to review the exit plan and make sure everyone knows what to do in case of an emergency.

4. First aid kit

Minor accidents are inevitable in your home; your children might fall and scrape their knee, you may burn yourself while making dinner. These things happen. But to keep minor injuries from escalating, you want to make sure to have a first-aid kit on hand.

First aid kits should include:

  • Bandages
  • Gauze
  • Antibiotic Ointment
  • Pain reliever
  • Alcohol Cleansing Pads
  • First Aid Tape
  • Ice Pack
  • Gloves
  • Finger Splint

Depending on your family’s needs, you might need additional items, like an Epi-Pen for allergic reactions. You can pick up a first-aid kit to suit your needs just about anywhere, including First Aid Store and Amazon.

5. Contact sheet

In case an emergency happens when you’re not home, you want to have a contact sheet full of important contacts and information so whoever is home with your family or children will know who to call and how to get in touch with them.

Include your own contact information, the contact information of friends and family that live close to your home, your family doctor, and all emergency numbers, like the police station and fire station. You’ll also want to leave insurance information in case it’s needed.

6. Disaster kit

In case of a major emergency, like an earthquake, that would cause you to hunker down in your home (or leave in a hurry), having a disaster kit on hand can be a lifesaver.

Your disaster kit should contain the following:

  • At least 3 days worth of water and non-perishable food items
  • Cash
  • Flashlight
  • Batteries
  • A battery-powered or hand-cranked radio
  • Copies of birth certificates, passports, insurance cards, and other important documents
  • Can opener
  • Disposable utensils
  • Pet food (if you have an animal)
  • A backup cell phone battery and/or a solar charger

In an ideal world, you won’t have to use any of these safety items. But these six must-haves are essential in keeping your family safe in case of an emergency.

Filed Under: Sacramento Lifestyle Tagged With: carmichael ca real estate agent, carmichael ca realtor, carmichael real estate agent, carmichael realtor, homeowner must haves, living in carmichael ca

Craig Diez

Craig Diez

California REALTOR®
916-425-5884
Contact Craig
Listing Alerts Your Home's Value

Categories

  • Charity
  • Home Improvement
  • Real Estate News
  • Sacramento Lifestyle

Testimonial

“From the very first call, Craig was polite, professional, personable and knowledgeable. We recommend him highly to anyone with real estate needs!

~ Vicky & Cliff Mackinnon“

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram

Craig Diez

916-425-5884|Contact Craig

Craig Diez – DRE#01019930

sitemap   •   admin   •   ©2023 All Rights Reserved  •  Real Estate Website Design by IDXCentral.com