Home Seller Friday, January 13, 2023

Consider advantages of buying a home now

There’s no doubt buying a home today is different than it was over the past couple of years. The shift in the market has led to advantages for buyers today. Right now, there are specific reasons that make this housing market attractive for those who’ve thought about buying but have sidelined their search due to rising mortgage rates.

Buying a home in any market is a personal decision, and the best way to make that decision is to educate yourself on the facts, not following sensationalized headlines in the news today. The reality is, headlines do more to terrify people thinking about buying a home than they do to clarify what’s actually going on with real estate. Here are three reasons potential homebuyers should consider buying a home today.

More homes are for sale right now

According to data from the National Association of Realtors, this year, the supply of homes for sale has grown significantly compared to where we started the year.

The supply of available home has shown steady growth throughout 2022, January through November, with the exception of a small dip in September, the National Association of Realtors reports, more than doubling during that time.

Numbers for December are not yet available.

This growth has happened for two reasons: homeowners listing their homes for sale and homes staying on the market a bit longer as buyer demand has moderated in response to higher mortgage rates.

The good news for you is that more inventory means more homes to choose from. And when there are more homes on the market, you could also see less competition from other buyers because the peak frenzy of competing over the same home has eased, too.

Home prices are not projected to crash

Experts don’t believe home prices will crash like they did in 2008.

Instead, home prices will moderate at various levels depending on the local market and the factors, like supply and demand, at play in that area. That’s why some experts are calling for slight appreciation and others are calling for slight depreciation.

The overall range of the price projections go from a high of a 5.4% increase by realtor.com to a low of

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Real estate transactions

These are the local homes sold recently, provided by California Resource of Lodi. The company can be reached at 209.365.6663 or CalResource@aol.com.

BENICIA

TOTAL SALES: 5

LOWEST AMOUNT: $530,000.00

HIGHEST AMOUNT: $815,000.00

MEDIAN AMOUNT: $630,000.00

AVERAGE AMOUNT: $647,200.00

284 East 2nd Street - $630,000, 12-09-22 [3 Bdrms - 1409 SqFt - 1984 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 06-27-16, $404,500

521 Gloria Way - $668,000, 12-08-22 [3 Bdrms - 1197 SqFt - 1965 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 02-06-02, $285,000

355 East L Street - $530,000, 12-06-22 [3 Bdrms - 1516 SqFt - 1942 YrBlt], Previous Sale:  00/1990, $173,500

14 La Cruz Avenue - $593,000, 12-09-22 [3 Bdrms - 1124 SqFt - 1943 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 01-04-17, $380,000

549 Sandy Way - $815,000, 12-09-22 [4 Bdrms - 1729 SqFt - 1978 YrBlt]

DIXON

TOTAL SALES: 3

LOWEST AMOUNT: $400,000.00

HIGHEST AMOUNT: $605,000.00

MEDIAN AMOUNT: $480,000.00

AVERAGE AMOUNT: $495,000.00

1610 West H Street - $480,000, 12-05-22 [3 Bdrms - 1328 SqFt - 1993 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 07-03-18, $407,000

895 Royal Elf Court - $605,000, 12-05-22 [4 Bdrms - 2196 SqFt - 1980 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 07-11-18, $500,000

1136 Valley Glen Drive - $400,000, 12-07-22 [3 Bdrms - 2162 SqFt - 2004 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 11-10-04, $433,315

FAIRFIELD

TOTAL SALES: 18

LOWEST AMOUNT: $172,000.00

HIGHEST AMOUNT: $1,100,000.00

MEDIAN AMOUNT: $607,500.00

AVERAGE AMOUNT: $619,556.00

1604 Amaral Court - $1,100,000

12-06-22 [3 Bdrms - 2319 SqFt - 1963 YrBlt]

782 Ash Court - $560,000

12-09-22 [4 Bdrms - 1773 SqFt - 1978 YrBlt]

1899 Buckingham Drive - $515,000

12-06-22 [4 Bdrms - 1456 SqFt - 1963

YrBlt], Previous Sale: 03-27-17, $320,000

751 Chateau Court - $875,000

12-09-22 [5 Bdrms - 3007 SqFt - 2009 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 08-24-09, $485,000

554 Citadel Court - $725,000

12-06-22 [3 Bdrms - 2169 SqFt - 1998 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 03-30-20, $593,000

2187 Clipper Ship Drive - $570,000

12-05-22 [4 Bdrms - 2086 SqFt - 1984 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 03-24-00, $218,000

917 Kentucky Street - $450,000

12-08-22 [3 Bdrms - 962 SqFt - 1944 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 05-18-15, $175,500

505 East Meadows Drive - $711,000 12-09-22 [5 Bdrms - 2549 SqFt - 2002

YrBlt], Previous Sale: 04-22-09, $335,000

754 Normandy Court - $495,000

12-05-22 [3 Bdrms - 1350 SqFt - 1966 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 05-23-19, $400,000

2485 Palmer Circle - $715,000 12-05-22 [3 Bdrms - 1910 SqFt - 1994 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 06-20-16, $499,000

650 Peridot Place - $689,000 12-05-22 [4 Bdrms - 2164 SqFt - 2006

YrBlt], Previous Sale: 03-24-08, $390,000

2157 Portola Court - $665,000 12-07-22 [4 Bdrms - 2320 SqFt - 1976 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 11-30-16, $435,000

4881 Regency Place - $645,000 12-07-22 [3 Bdrms - 1868 SqFt - 1988

YrBlt], Previous Sale: 08-30-16, $405,000

1049 Roosevelt Street - $440,000 12-09-22 [3 Bdrms - 1221 SqFt - 1955 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 10-04-16, $282,000

2063 Swan Place - $550,000

12-05-22 [4 Bdrms - 1584 SqFt - 1969 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 03-03-22, $420,000

380 Tulip Street - $172,000

12-08-22 [3 Bdrms - 1335 SqFt - 1964 YrBlt]

332 Tulip Street - $550,000

12-09-22 [3 Bdrms - 1551 SqFt - 1966 YrBlt]

29 Twin Creeks Drive - $725,000

12-06-22 [2 Bdrms - 1566 SqFt - 1978 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 11-30-17, $525,000

RIO VISTA

TOTAL SALES: 2

LOWEST AMOUNT: $420,000.00

HIGHEST AMOUNT: $515,000.00

MEDIAN AMOUNT: $467,500.00

AVERAGE AMOUNT: $467,500.00

662 Summerset Drive - $420,000

12-07-22 [2 Bdrms - 1864 SqFt - 1999 YrBlt]

509 Twin Lakes Lane - $515,000 12-09-22 [3 Bdrms - 2302 SqFt - 2005 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 04-26-05, $470,500

SUISUN CITY

TOTAL SALES: 3

LOWEST AMOUNT: $405,000.00

HIGHEST AMOUNT: $595,000.00

MEDIAN AMOUNT: $566,000.00

AVERAGE AMOUNT: $522,000.00

954 Bauman Court - $595,000

12-09-22 [4 Bdrms - 2023 SqFt - 1990

YrBlt], Previous Sale: 11-18-16, $400,000

1400 Potrero Street - $566,000

12-05-22 [4 Bdrms - 1952 SqFt - 1992 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 03-11-10, $245,000

911 Yosemite Way - $405,000

12-06-22 [3 Bdrms - 1327 SqFt - 1988

YrBlt], Previous Sale: 08-08-01, $224,900

VACAVILLE

TOTAL SALES: 9

LOWEST AMOUNT: $385,000.00

HIGHEST AMOUNT: $827,000.00

MEDIAN AMOUNT: $510,000.00

AVERAGE AMOUNT: $547,889.00

261 Colonial Circle - $445,000 12-07-22 [2 Bdrms - 1144 SqFt - 1977 YrBlt]

316 Colonial Circle - $429,000 12-09-22 [2 Bdrms - 806 SqFt - 1977 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 09-18-14, $207,000

655 Edenderry Drive - $685,000 12-06-22 [3 Bdrms - 2572 SqFt - 1998 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 01-28-19, $550,000

348 Fir Street - $470,000 12-07-22 [4 Bdrms - 1594 SqFt - 1961 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 08-05-14, $250,000 606 Hillcrest Circle - $827,000 12-06-22 [4 Bdrms - 2202 SqFt - 1996 YrBlt]

167 Mckinley Circle - $385,000 12-09-22 [2 Bdrms - 1043 SqFt - 1964 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 05-25-21, $272,500 173 Novato Drive - $510,000 12-05-22 [4 Bdrms - 1628 SqFt - 1967 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 02-12-18, $430,000 1007 Woodcrest Court - $655,000 12-06-22 [4 Bdrms - 2362 SqFt - 2001 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 06-19-19, $540,000 312 Woodhaven Drive - $525,000 12-09-22 [4 Bdrms - 1840 SqFt - 1977 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 01-08-18, $425,000

VALLEJO

TOTAL SALES: 11

LOWEST AMOUNT: $285,000.00 HIGHEST AMOUNT: $800,000.00 MEDIAN AMOUNT: $550,000.00 AVERAGE AMOUNT: $546,000.00 1035 5th Street - $285,000 12-05-22 [3 Bdrms - 1032 SqFt - 1961 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 05-20-99, $127,000 85 Calhoun Street - $361,000 12-07-22 [3 Bdrms - 1025 SqFt - 1980 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 06-27-14, $140,000 145 Dwight Way - $555,000 12-09-22 [3 Bdrms - 1540 SqFt - 1963 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 06-04-14, $254,500 166 Farallon Drive - $390,000 12-07-22 [3 Bdrms - 1510 SqFt - 1973 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 03-07-03, $234,000

303 Jade Circle - $685,000 12-05-22 [3 Bdrms - 1483 SqFt - 1991 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 06-29-18, $608,000

373 Lofas Place - $480,000 12-08-22 [3 Bdrms - 1600 SqFt - 1956 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 09-29-20, $432,000

1008 Mariposa Street - $605,000 12-05-22 [3 Bdrms - 1770 SqFt - 1942 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 05-14-09, $210,000

8234 Rainwater Drive - $755,000 12-09-22 [3 Bdrms - 2266 SqFt - 2018 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 11-02-18, $670,000

601 Russell Street - $540,000 12-07-22 [2 Bdrms - 824 SqFt - 1943 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 07-26-22, $365,000

485 Wilshire Avenue - $550,000 12-05-22 [5 Bdrms - 1541 SqFt - 1955 YrBlt] 245 Windsor Way - $800,000 12-08-22 [3 Bdrms - 2684 SqFt - 1990 YrBlt], Previous Sale:  00/1990, $312,500

ON GARDENING:

Superbena Royale Plum Wine verbena is Garden Guy’s pick for Viva Magenta, Pantone’s Color of the Year

participate; we love this time of the year. Thus, Viva Magenta becomes somewhat subjective. That being said, I first nominate Superbena Royale Plum Wine verbena as a gardening pick for the color of the year.

TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

Viva Magenta is the hot new color for 2023, according to Pantone, the gurus of all things color. Specifically, it is Pantone 18-1750. In the garden world, flowers will never be able to be bred so specifically so as to reach a Pantone number. We as gardeners, horticulturists, landscape and container designers, however, want to

Before I decided to go out on this limb, so to speak, I asked Google, “Is plum a color of magenta?” The results said absolutely, that it was considered the darkest shade of magenta. Home improvement TV host Bob Vila has a post on Viva Magenta on his website, too (bobvila.com). He shows paint chip cards showing the various shades. There at the

Winter, Page 13

Norman Winter

NORMAN WINTER/TNS

Superbena Royale Plum Wine is an award-winning verbena and prolific at attracting butterflies like this Eastern Tiger Swallowtail showing up in March.

See

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Open House Sunday 1-3PM

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ALL THINGS REAL ESTATE:

Buyer can’ t force seller to accept lower price

and this is heading toward mediation and arbitration.

Thank you in advance for your insight.

Q: I wanted to get your opinion on whether I may have any rights in a situation I have found myself in. I am the buyer and also represented myself as the agent. I made an offer to purchase a building for $1.64 million, there was a seller counter No. 1 at $1.8 million then a buyer counter No. 1 at $1.74 million. The buyer counter No. 1 expired because they go with another offer instead. A week later that buyer does not perform, the sellers sign my original purchase agreement and open escrow with it, they do not check the box stating subject to attached counteroffers in the purchase agreement, escrow is not given any counteroffers. I wire my earnest money deposit, I receive and sign escrow instructions at the $1.64 million price, I lock a rate, I complete the inspection and the appraisal in that same week. In the following week, the listing agent produces my expired buyer counter No. 1 signed by his sellers and states that the buyer counter No. 1 at $1.74 million should be the purchase price. I have read so much about contract law in the past week and I still can’t find what I’m looking for. I would appreciate any guidance, or just explanation of the law, or my potential rights, if any. I would like to buy the building at the $1.64 million price but they have stopped communication,

A: Sounds like a lot of people not reading carefully before they sign things and, consequently, a lot of confusion.

At its simplest, the law regarding the formation of a contract is short and sweet. Somebody, either buyer or seller, makes an offer and the other party accepts it. And magically, you have a contract. Probably, anyway.

But of course, if things were really that simple people wouldn’t need lawyers – and that’s bad!

So, there are myriad possible legal issues that mess with the idea of contract formation being simple.

A famous case everybody gets in law school involves a farmer who sells a barren female cow to a neighboring farmer. After the sale, both farmers find out the cow is miraculously pregnant. Apparently, the value of a pregnant cow is far higher

than one that can’t get pregnant. Go figure.

The farmer/seller then sues the farmer/buyer to get the now-more-valuable cow back.

The farmer/seller won because neither the buyer nor the seller knew the cow could get pregnant let alone was with calf.

The law would say there

was “no meeting of the minds” because of the mutual mistake and therefore the sales contract was void.

Your situation sounds a lot like the farmer and the cow (at least it would if the cow was worth almost $2 million). But the principle is the same. Neither you nor the seller

• Create a revocable living trust. Avoid costly & lengthy probate. Plus, there are tax advantages in a trust.

• Create monthly autopay principal reductions on your mor tgages. Even a small amount will not be missed and it will take years off your loan.

• Explore a self-directed IRA to buy income proper ty.

• Look into Prop 19 when considering selling . Major proper ty tax savings. Transfer Prop 8 taxes to new California residence.

• Consider 1031 Exchange from a rental to a rental in your retirement town.

• Calif legislators recently passed legal Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU). For single family residences. Formerly Granny Units. Link below for details. https://www.hcd.ca.gov/ planning-and-community-development/housing-elements/ building-blocks/accessory-dwelling-units.

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had come to a meeting of the minds regarding the sales price. Consequently, the seller is likely able to just back out.

The second legal theory that gives the seller an easy out involves the way the purchase contract and counteroffers were initially dealt with.

Under most circumstances, once an offer (or counteroffer) is: 1. Rejected outright, 2. Expires under its own terms, or 3. Is itself countered; the offer is deemed rejected and no longer capable of being accepted. It’s as if it was never made in the first place.

In your case, though, what appears to have really happened was the seller took your $1.74 million and,

in effect, copied and pasted it onto their new offer to you. A court could find that you accepted their new offer when you sent in your earnest money and moved forward with purchasing the property. Maybe.

A court would have to decide how much action you took to determine whether they can deem that you in effect accepted the “new” offer.

The bottom line is simply this: There’s no way to force the seller to sell for the $1.64 million price. Your two options are to buy at the $1.74 million price or make an argument for mutual mistake and walk away.

Tim Jones is a real estate attorney in Fairfield. If you have any real estate questions you would like to have answered in this column you can send an email to AllThingsRealEstate@ TJones-Law.com.

Winter storms dampen cold market

Broker owner Brian Stumbaugh made a comment to me the other day that really struck me as something that gives me hope about 2023.

He reminded me that historically, the market is slow from Thanksgiving to the Super Bowl. He pointed out to me that this year, inventory is low and although there are thousands of renters who should buy and homeowners who should sell, many are sitting on the sidelines.

Brian has an all-cash buyer who has been looking for a onestory home for five months between $800,000 to $1.7 million in the Green Valley area and currently there are only five homes in all of Fairfield that fit the parameters, and none are in Green Valley. Broker owner Ryan Preston shared with me the current numbers on this market and confirmed 326 homes sold in December throughout Solano County and there are only 528 active and coming soon listings in the county, including new builder homes.

This is less than a two-month supply of homes and the average “days on market” is around 32 days. Ryan says in his opinion, “It’s a great time to buy and sell. Most first-time homebuyers tend to be short on cash to close and in today’s market Realtors can negotiate closing cost credits from the seller to lower the cash to close.”

Both Preston and Stumbaugh emphasized that because of this past 10 years of substantial appreciation, sellers who need and want to move up can afford to credit their buyers with incentives and still walk with a lot of cash/profit. It’s a win-win.

The first quarter of 2023 looks soft, however right after the 49ers win the Super Bowl and the heavy rains subside, I believe the inventory will increase substantially because tens of

thousands of people bought their starter home from 2010 to 2020 and have now outgrown the home and need and want more space.

As far as the mortgage market goes today, it may be raining and pouring but the average mortgage company is snoring and there is no flood of refinance business. This month in America, there are only 270,000 home-

owners who would benefit from refinancing in comparison to January 2022 when there were 7 million folks who needed to refinance. There are usually 500 sales per month in Solano County, so the 326 sales in December are obviously like a drenched wet blanket covering my industry.

The Mortgage Bankers Association is suggesting a 10% to 15% decline in volume the first quarter of 2023 over the fourth quarter of 2022 and a 40% increase in volume in the second quarter over this cold and rainy first quarter.

Now is the time for homebuyers and sellers to start the due diligence for purchasing later

in the year. Call a Realtor and a loan officer today to review your options.

Jim Porter, NMLS No. 276412, is the branch manager of Solano Mortgage, NMLS No. 1515497, a division of American Pacific

Mortgage Corporation, NMLS No. 1850, licensed in California by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the CRMLA / Equal Housing Opportunity. Jim can be reached at 707-449-4777.

Jim Porter

Solano County Listings: Homes for sale

PRICE ADDRESS CITY BEDS BA (F/H) SQ. FT. LOT/AC MLS # PRICE ADDRESS CITY BEDS BA (F/H) SQ. FT. LOT/AC MLS #

$785,000 515 West Cherry St Dixon 4 3/0 2755 0.124 322083817

$4,500,000 6156 Clark Rd Dixon 4 4/0 5906 78.98 322047718

$350,000 225 Pennsylvania Ave #A2 Fairfield 3 2/0 1084 0.0258 322065570

$475,000 363 Santa Susana Ct Fairfield 3 2/0 960 0.13 322103874

$499,000 2373 Cabrillo Dr Fairfield 4 2/0 1704 0.13 322086472

$555,000 2737 Almondwood Wy Fairfield 4 2/1 1512 0.08 322080695

$560,000 832 Tulare Circle Fairfield 4 2/1 1934 6006 322080552

$675,000 223 Madison Street Fairfield 4 1/0 1020 0.17 322105113

$824,999 3032 Muse Wy Fairfield 4 3/0 2841 0.1346 322078149

$875,000 2818 Watson Ct Fairfield 5 3/0 3000 0.1977 322104028

$875,000 5181 Palace Ct Fairfield 5 3/0 3007 0.168 322082111

$1,099,900 3404 Black Mountain Ct Fairfield 5 3/1 4003 0.2146 322100196

$1,144,000 1098 Skywest Ct Fairfield 3 2/1 2709 24455sf 322098903

$420,000 101 Cedar Ridge Dr Rio Vista 2 2/0 1671 0.1293 322064595

$529,900 914 Javan Wy Suisun City 4 20/ 1532 0.14 322105241

$315,000 518 Arcadia Drive Vacaville 2 1/0 990 0.02 323000338

$389,000 146 Isle Royale Cir Vacaville 2 2/0 1212 0.13 322103633

$429,000 101 Isle Royale Cir Vacaville 2 2/0 1152 0.15 322080839

$509,000 424 Mandarin Cir Vacaville 2 2/0 1323 0.1163 322066345

$525,000 484 Manchester Wy Vacaville 3 2/0 1602 0.13 322083162

$550,000 200 Coulter Way Vacaville 3 2/1 2120 0.10 323000798

$567,500 801 S Orchard Ave Vacaville 3 2/0 1230 0.12 322073187

$574,999 296 Plantation Way Vacaville 4 2/1 1840 0.13 322062209

$585,000 148 Shefield Dr Vacaville 4 2/1 1799 0.14 322089957

$589,900 1116 Amber Ridge Ln Vacaville 3 2/1 1990 0.1002 32209946

$589,982 748 Bluebird Dr Vacaville 3 2/0 1478 0.1253 322103320

$665,000 1061 Red Mulberry Ct Vacaville 3 2/0 1898 0.127 322105014

$669,000 324 Crow Canyon Ct Vacaville 4 3/0 2003 0.1913 322100614

$675,000 764 Shannon Dr Vacaville 3 2/1 2262 0.1474 322099214

$685,000 312 Bridgeport Ct Vacaville 4 3/0 2148 0.1258 322104241

$700,000 245 Wykoff Dr Vacaville 2 2/1 1566 0.4332 322103932

$735,000 8024 Claret Court Vacaville 4 3/1 2941 0.16 322074811

$750,000 201 Wrentham Dr Vacaville 5 3/0 2286 0.22 322099300

$807,500 878 Daffodil Dr Vacaville 4 3/1 2762 0.1377 322102280

$1,100,000 896 Granada Ln. Vacaville 4 3.5 3395 16860 322100642

$1,199,000 842 Elderberry Loop Vacaville 5 4/1 4058 0.2947 322043728

$475,000 305 Campbell Ave Vallejo 4 2/0 1686 0.1148 322103190

$499,995 450 Carousel Dr Vallejo 3 2/0 1310 0.1373 322104455

$580,000 701 Keats Dr Vallejo 4 2/0 10500 10018sf 322091636

$629,000 3931 Central Ln Winters 3 2/0 1782 5.52 322102413

$875,000 8457 Plesants Valley Rd Winters 2 1/0 22.16 321006700 $1,500,000 9211 Boyce Road Winters 3 1/1 1500 31.00 322099831

LOTS AND LAND

PRICE ADDRESS CITY LOT/AC SUB TYPE MLS#

$850,000 Gaddini Road Vacaville 14.89 AGRI 322085720 $4,500,000 6156 Clark Rd Dixon 78.98 AGRI 322049465 $225,000 2060 Pinecrest Ct Vacaville 1.15 RESA 322048328 $359,950 Gibson Canyon Vacaville 1.55 RESA 22029146 $399,000 English Hills Rd Vacaville 6.09 RESA 322096839 $399,000 3872 Ciarlo Ln Vacaville 8.96 RESA 322102308 $699,000 3874 Ciarlo Ln Vacaville 19 RESA 322102228 $875,000 8457 Plesants Valley Rd Winters 22.16 RESA 321000406 $15,000,000 Mankas Fairfield RESA 21825708

MOBILE/FLOATING HOME

PRICE ADDRESS CITY BEDS BA(F/H) SQ. FT MLS # $35,000 9 Dali Ct Fairfield 0 0 800 322100984

MULTI-UNIT

PRICE ADDRESS CITY UNITS BLDGS SQFT MLS $735,900 549-551 Pacific Avenue Fairfield 2 1 2479 321043438

bottom of both were colors that matched Superbena Royale Plum Wine to perfection. (Of course, Bob doesn’t say that, he just shows that on the card.)

Superbena Royale Plum Wine verbena is an award-winner and one that has been out for a number of years. With so many flowers available in the industry, you may never have seen it. Last year was a banner year for color in my backyard. Orange, red, blue, yellow and purple colors were in abundance. Oh my gosh, the Superbena Royale Plum Wine stood out like a rare jewel, a color of royalty.

Butterflies were going to it first in March and last in October. I asked myself, how I could have missed this verbena for so many years? Of course, the answer is, if every company has 15 or more verbenas, the independent garden center simply can’t have enough shelf space. There are even more petunias.

Superbena Royale Plum Wine will reach about 12 inches tall with a 2-foot spread, hence the “royale” designation. In contrast, the Superbena Whiteout and Superbena Stormburst will spread 30 to 36 inches in the South. That Superbena Royale Plum Wine was the winner of the Leader of the Pack - Summer title in the North Carolina State JC Raulston Arboretum trials says everything you

need to know.

Superbenas like the Royale Plum Wine need a lot of sun with a soil that drains freely. This is one reason they are so easy in containers. Good, lightweight potting mixes by their nature drain well. Once you have prepared your planting beds as such, you will have one of the best blooming ground covers you can buy.

Superbenas need to be in an active state of growth to get the most riotous blooming performance. This requires you to get to know them, feed them occasionally and cut them back to generate new growth. Leaving woody, tired stems sprawling in the garden or hanging over the rim of your containers will rarely yield the performance

you desire.

If Superbenas could speak, they would tell you they were created to grow and bloom. Cutting out tired stems and giving a light fertilization will reward you with lush green growth and weeks of blooms and usually a perennial performance at The Garden Guy’s zone 8a house. Time will tell if the recent arctic blast followed by several inches of rain did them in.

I tucked my containers, chock-full of verbenas, in the garage for about five days and they all are putting on good growth and even starting to bloom. Those in the ground aren’t showing me anything yet. But even if I have to buy every year, you simply can’t beat the verbena for their performance

and their ability to attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

To me Superbena Royale Plum Wine could be the poster plant for Viva Magenta. Put a large eastern tiger swallowtail on it and you’ve got nature’s version of harmony in color. I’m planning on working with you more on this year’s Viva Magenta color of the year, so stay tuned.

(Norman Winter, horticulturist, garden speaker and author of “Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South” and “Captivating Combinations: Color and Style in the Garden.” Follow him on Facebook @ NormanWinterTheGardenGuy.)

Advantages

From Page 3

minus-5.1% by Zelman, the National Association of Realtors reports. The Realtors association projects an increase of 1.2% while Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae project decreases of minus-0.2% and minus-1.5%, respectively.

If you consider the big picture and average the expert forecasts for 2023 together, the expectation is for relatively flat or neutral price appreciation in 2023. So, if you’re worried about buying a home because you’re afraid

home prices will crash like they did in 2008, rest assured that’s not what expert projections tell us.

Mortgage rates have risen, but they will come down

While mortgage rates have risen dramatically this year, the rapid increases we’ve seen have moderated in recent weeks as early signs hint that inflation may be easing slightly. Where they’ll go from here largely depends on what happens next with inflation. If inflation does truly begin to cool, mortgage rates may come down as a result.

When that happens, expect more

buyers to jump back into the market. For you, that means you’ll once again face more competition. Buying your house now before more buyers reenter the market could help you get one step ahead.

As Lawrence Yun, chief economist for National Association of Realtors, says: “The upcoming months should see a return of buyers, as mortgage rates appear to have already peaked and have been coming down since mid-November.”

When mortgage rates come down, those waiting on the sidelines will jump back in. Your advantage is getting in

before they do.

Bottom line

If you’re thinking about buying a home, you should seriously consider the advantages today’s market offers. Let’s connect so you can make the dream of homeownership a reality.

Don McDonald (DRE License No. 01436448) is a founding partner of Re/Max Elite Partners (License No. 01215931) in Fairfield. Reach him at 707-495-0774, don@ remaxelitepartners.com or www. remaxelitepartners.com. Locally Focused-Globally Connected.