It's A Seller's Market Again.
There's a shortage of inventory.
Martha Ann Wishnev
marthaann@wishnev.com
(925) 586-2853
DRE No. 00608658
Homes in Concord, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Lafayette, Orinda and areas adjacent
2608 Saklan Indian Drive, #3, Walnut Creek
Offered at $249,000
Posted 04.27.12
There was a change in the law for 2012 that has implications for all California homeowners. A vote by the state legislature added one relatively tiny little checkbox to the sea of documents involved in a home sale. But it's not that addition that homeowners should be concerned about. It's the law that the legislature was amending. It was passed in 2009 to deal with the state's still on-going water shortage, and it says:
- 1) Starting January 1, 2017, all homeowners are required to install water-conserving plumbing fixtures in their homes.
- 2) For homeowners who add on to their properties anytime after January 1, 2014, the law goes into effect then.
- 3) Homeowners who sell their home are required to disclose whether or not it's equipped with "water-conserving plumbing fixtures".
As they say on TV, "certain conditions apply", the most important of which is that the law only covers homes built before 1994. And the absence of upgraded fixtures cannot be a reason for a sale failing to close. Then there are terms that need defining, like "fixtures", which specifically means faucets, shower heads and toilets. And there are loop holes to be aware of, such as a waiver a plumber can sign saying installation of water-conserving fixtures is not technically feasible. Things are different for landlords, too: they have until January 1, 2019 to comply with the law.
The bottom line is, if you're lucky enough to be a California homeowner and you'd like to sell or add on to your home, you're going to be confronted with this.
Details like these are nothing to worry about if you've got a real estate agent to help. I'm always available to answer any questions you might have, whether you're buying or selling a home or not. And if you are, allow me to relieve you from any worry about overlooked checkboxes. That's part of the service I've provided buyers and sellers in Contra Costa County for over 30 years. You can trust that I know what I'm doing.
Read and download the three-page text of the law by clicking here, or please feel free to call me anytime.
Additional information from the California Association of Realtors can be found here.
I've lived in Contra Costa County since 1966,
and sold real estate here since 1977.
