Home Seller: Friday, October 14, 2022

Q: We moved to Suisun City about three months ago and we are renters. The neighbors have a green swamp for a pool. Frogs croaking all night long! My problem is the mosquitos and constant bugs. (The frogs don’t help!) Is there a city ordinance or something that they are in violation of? My kids play in the backyard and I am trying not to be nervous about it. Thanks for your time.

A: This is the type of thing that constitutes a real nuisance. Not that I had to tell you that. But in the legal world, a nuisance has a clearly defined definition.

Simply put, a nuisance is something somebody does, or perhaps doesn’t do, which causes an unreasonable interference with someone else’s use and enjoyment of their property.

Regular readers will certainly recognize the word “unreason able” in that definition.

The law uses the terms “rea sonable” and “unreasonable” throughout both criminal and civil types of laws. Of course, one guy’s reasonable may certainly be another guy’s unreason able, and that’s what makes a horse race. Or in legal par lance, a lawsuit.

The fact that you are a renter is immaterial. You have legal possession of a property and you have every legal right to use and enjoy that property. But of course, your neighbor has that same right with regard to theirs. Just because your neigh bor is doing something on his property that interferes with your enjoyment doesn’t make it unreasonable, at least not legally. It takes more.

For example, a guy playing music in his backyard that can be heard by the next door neigh bors in their yard may not be

Tim Jones

unreasonable on a nice Sat urday afternoon. However, it absolutely could constitute a nuisance at 2 a.m. It’s that rea sonableness thing.

So on to your problem.

To start, let me say I don’t know if the swamp is an unrea sonable use of your neighbor’s land. Maybe it’s just a big koi pond to him?

One of the evaluation processes a court would go through is to consider whether the type of thing you’re complaining about is the kind of thing neigh bors normally deal with. In this case, the bugs and, I presume, the smell is a 24/7 type of thing, especially with the hot summer we’ve had this season. That is not something people are generally expected to have to live with.

I can certainly envision a judge siding with you and order ing the pool drained. But that’s the law school answer.

The real answer is you would

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6 big answers for home buyers now that interest rates are soaring

THE WASHINGTON POST

If you’ve been house-hunting in recent years, you’ve really been through it. Maybe you were waiting out the market, hoping the rocketing prices would start to flatten. Now, of course, they have – but between 2021 and 2022, mortgage rates have more than doubled, from less than 3% to nearly 7%.

The math on a 30-year, fixedrate loan for a $600,000 house with a 10% down payment tells the tale: At a 4.0% interest rate, the monthly payment would be $2,500. At 7.0%, the payment is $1,100 higher, at $3,600.

“Every buyer needs to do a gut check” on how much house they can afford now, advises Patrick Holland, vice presi dent at Embrace Home Loans in Fairfax, Va. So let’s get into some of the questions you may be asking yourself.

In short, yes. Because higher interest rates mean your monthly mortgage payment will also be higher, the income required to qualify for a home loan goes up, too. When rates were 2.9%, for example, the average borrower needed an income of $133,450 to buy a $750,000 home with a 20% down payment, explains Hope Morgan, branch manager at Mortgage Network in Salis bury, Md. At a rate of 6.9%, that same loan would require an income of $195,700; the monthly payment would increase from $3,114 to $4,567.

Financial experts frequently recommend keeping your housing payment within this range. But this is only a gener alization. Depending on your personal circumstances, you may need to budget much less of your monthly income for housing to keep your finances under control. For instance, “you may have your kids in private school or have higher transpor tation costs,” says Isabel Barrow, director of financial planning for Edelman Financial Engines in Alexandria, Va. Barrow rec ommends breaking down your

monthly expenses to truly deter mine how much you’ll need to stretch to afford the mortgage and whether you can cut down on discretionary spending.

At the end of the day, though, you’ll have to be honest with yourself: “If you now need $50,000 more in income to qualify for the house you thought you wanted, it may be that you need to find a less expensive house, wait for prices to come down, save more for a down payment or wait for a raise,” says Barrow.

How can I get a lower interest rate?

If you have extra cash, you can ask your lender to show you the difference in your monthly

payment if you make a bigger down payment or pay extra to “buy down” the mortgage rate. Typically, “buying down” the rate involves paying a percent age of the mortgage balance (called a point) at closing to lower the mortgage rate for the life of the loan. One point is equal to 1% of the loan amount. The amount the rate will be lowered depends on the lender’s offer. Some lenders also offer to lower the rate for the first year or two for a smaller fee.

Before going this route, though, “it’s important to con sider how long you’ll stay in the house, which helps you deter mine the break-even point when you’ll recoup [the extra cash you’ll have to spend] with the savings on your monthly

payment,” says Barrow. “It may not be worth it if you’re in the house for just a few years.”

Adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) also tend to become a popular option when rates rise because they offer a lower initial interest rate, but they carry sig nificant risk. For example, your initial rate on a 7/1 ARM could be 5% for the first seven years, then adjust upward annually. ARMs typically have caps on how much rates can increase each year and over the life of the loan; those limits are often 2% annually and a maximum of 5%. So this loan could go as high as 10%. A homeowner who isn’t pre pared for the adjustment might not be able to keep up with their payments and lose their home. Many financial experts, includ ing Barrow, caution against ARMs unless you are absolutely certain you’ll sell the property before the rate resets.

It might be tempting to see the cash sitting in your 401(k) and decide to take an early withdrawal or borrow against it for your down payment. But this should be a last resort, says Momodou Bojang, a financial adviser and CEO of Axiom Value in Rockville, Md.: “It’s best not to take money out of your retire ment at all. You can borrow to buy a house, but you can’t borrow to fund your retirement.”

Plus, there are serious tax penalties to consider depend ing on whether you borrow

Do higher interest rates make it harder to qualify for a home loan?

Is it true that my housing payment should max out at 28% to 30% of pretax income?

What are the penalties if I use money from my retirement account to buy a house?

METRO

Real estate transactions

BENICIA

TOTAL SALES: 9

LOWEST AMOUNT: $360,000

HIGHEST AMOUNT: $915,000

MEDIAN AMOUNT: $740,000

AVERAGE AMOUNT: $660,000

77 Buena Vista - $470,000

09-09-22 [2 Bdrms - 1062 SqFt - 1943 YrBlt]

900 Cambridge Drive #18 - $360,000

09-07-22 [2 Bdrms - 1087 SqFt - 1984 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 06-07-22, $380,000

275 West K Street - $915,000

09-06-22 [3 Bdrms - 1440 SqFt - 1963 YrBlt]

437 Larkin Drive - $700,000

09-08-22 [3 Bdrms - 1454 SqFt - 1977 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 04-19-04, $460,000

201 Panorama Drive - $825,000

09-08-22 [4 Bdrms - 1874 SqFt - 1973 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 06-17-19, $562,500

526 Poppy Circle - $765,000

09-09-22 [3 Bdrms - 1814 SqFt - 1986 YrBlt]

899 Rose Drive - $805,000

09-09-22 [4 Bdrms - 1919 SqFt - 1980 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 05-05-99, $258,000

1521 Shirley Drive - $740,000

09-08-22 [4 Bdrms - 1531 SqFt - 1978 YrBlt]

900 Southampton Road #27 - $360,000

09-08-22 [2 Bdrms - 1119 SqFt - 1977 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 01-10-11, $84,000

DIXON

TOTAL SALES: 6

LOWEST AMOUNT: $390,000

HIGHEST AMOUNT: $750,000

MEDIAN AMOUNT: $580,000

AVERAGE AMOUNT: $573,333

870 West A Street - $610,000

09-09-22 [3 Bdrms - 2065 SqFt - 1966 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 05-13-22, $450,000

1320 Cornell Drive - $645,000

09-06-22 [4 Bdrms - 2169 SqFt - 2015 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 06-01-17, $445,000

825 Royal Elf Court - $750,000

09-08-22 [3 Bdrms - 2491 SqFt - 1992 YrBlt]

415 Stratford Avenue - $495,000

09-07-22 [3 Bdrms - 1092 SqFt - 1975 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 12-30-20, $449,000

1325 Valley Glen Drive - $550,000

09-07-22 [3 Bdrms - 1808 SqFt - 2005

YrBlt], Previous Sale: 09-15-11, $229,000

328 Vazquez Court - $390,000

09-09-22 [2 Bdrms - 876 SqFt - 1998 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 04-23-01, $114,741

FAIRFIELD

TOTAL SALES: 21

LOWEST AMOUNT: $350,000

HIGHEST AMOUNT: $1,100,000

MEDIAN AMOUNT: $560,000

AVERAGE AMOUNT: $603,857

407 East Alaska Avenue - $495,000

09-09-22 [3 Bdrms - 1398 SqFt - 1968 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 06-20-11, $141,000

1932 Alford Drive - $480,000

09-09-22 [3 Bdrms - 1082 SqFt - 1964

YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 10-20-18, $305,000

2710 Almondwood Way - $540,000

09-08-22 [4 Bdrms - 1512 SqFt - 1982 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 08-08-00, $179,600

2146 Audubon Court - $560,000

09-06-22 [4 Bdrms - 1618 SqFt - 1976 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 01-28-13, $195,500

3225 Bear Creek Drive - $829,000

09-09-22 [4 Bdrms - 2303 SqFt - 1989

YrBlt], Previous Sale: 06-25-99, $284,000

462 Blakemore Court - $505,000

09-06-22 [3 Bdrms - 1404 SqFt - 1975

YrBlt], Previous Sale: 08-15-16, $350,000

1110 Bunker Court - $850,000

09-06-22 [5 Bdrms - 3681 SqFt - 2006 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 10-20-11, $502,000

2267 Burgundy Way - $540,000 09-09-22 [3 Bdrms - 1403 SqFt - 1986

YrBlt], Previous Sale: 01-22-10, $131,000

1142 Candleberry Court - $589,000 09-07-22 [4 Bdrms - 1666 SqFt - 1987 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 01-24-11, $182,000

1905 Clarendon Drive - $635,000 09-09-22 [3 Bdrms - 1657 SqFt - 2001 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 06-14-18, $505,000

2147 Cobblestone Avenue - $689,000 09-06-22 [4 Bdrms - 2427 SqFt - 1989 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 08-05-11, $325,000

2424 Dawn Way - $590,000 09-08-22 [4 Bdrms - 1833 SqFt - 1990 YrBlt]

197 Diamond Court - $510,000 09-07-22 [4 Bdrms - 1405 SqFt - 1981 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 03-21-08, $80,000

2267 Fairfield Avenue - $483,000 09-09-22 [3 Bdrms - 1520 SqFt - 1968 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 11-03-10, $150,000 2447 Gulf Drive - $350,000 09-07-22 [3 Bdrms - 1408 SqFt - 1967 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 04-18-17, $325,100

4509 Haflinger Drive - $685,000 09-09-22 [4 Bdrms - 2784 SqFt - 2009 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 12-12-19, $568,000

1126 Mockingbird Lane - $455,000 09-08-22 [3 Bdrms - 1256 SqFt - 1969 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 12-27-11, $140,000

2970 Rustle Court - $660,000 09-07-22 [3 Bdrms - 2125 SqFt - 1993 YrBlt] 2509 Shorey Way - $680,000 09-09-22 [4 Bdrms - 2304 SqFt - 2007 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 07-13-11, $305,000

1687 Vicksburg Drive - $456,000 09-08-22 [3 Bdrms - 1307 SqFt - 2005 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 05-13-20, $329,500

502 Walnut Drive - $1,100,000 09-08-22 [4 Bdrms - 2558 SqFt - 1976 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 10-26-04, $875,000

RIO VISTA

TOTAL SALES: 1

LOWEST AMOUNT: $550,000

HIGHEST AMOUNT: $550,000

MEDIAN AMOUNT: $550,000

AVERAGE AMOUNT: $550,000

730 Cinnabar Hills - $550,000 09-07-22 [2 Bdrms - 2031 SqFt - 2006 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 04-03-12, $272,000

SUISUN CITY

TOTAL SALES: 5

LOWEST AMOUNT: $520,000

HIGHEST AMOUNT: $645,000

MEDIAN AMOUNT: $570,000

AVERAGE AMOUNT: $568,200

807 Blackspur Drive - $520,000

09-09-22 [3 Bdrms - 1220 SqFt - 1985 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 08-05-03, $267,500

434 Mcfall Court - $645,000

09-09-22 [3 Bdrms - 1924 SqFt - 2001 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 01-11-07, $500,000

414 Sarah Way - $526,000 09-07-22 [3 Bdrms - 1314 SqFt - 1979 YrBlt]

1033 Westwind Way - $580,000 09-07-22 [4 Bdrms - 1764 SqFt - 1987 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 06-05-12, $195,000

920 Whitney Avenue - $570,000

09-07-22 [4 Bdrms - 1766 SqFt - 1985 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 12-11-19, $410,000

VACAVILLE

TOTAL SALES: 23

LOWEST AMOUNT: $320,000

HIGHEST AMOUNT: $1,150,000

MEDIAN AMOUNT: $645,000 AVERAGE AMOUNT: $667,348

321 Acorn Court - $435,000 09-06-22 [2 Bdrms - 1066 SqFt - 1979 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 06-11-22, $435,000

90 Birch Street - $520,000 09-06-22 [4 Bdrms - 1401 SqFt - 1948 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 12-18-20, $435,000

185 Carlsbad Circle - $509,500 09-08-22 [3 Bdrms - 1452 SqFt - 1971 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 12-07-18, $365,000

112 Cheyenne Drive - $550,000 09-09-22 [4 Bdrms - 1940 SqFt - 1974 YrBlt]

1061 Copper Court - $610,000 09-09-22 [4 Bdrms - 1840 SqFt - 1995 YrBlt]

655 Corte Castro - $649,000 09-06-22 [3 Bdrms - 1896 SqFt - 1974 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 03-31-20, $530,000

852 Cosmos Drive - $650,000 09-06-22 [3 Bdrms - 2066 SqFt - 2020 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 08-15-20, $561,000

610 Coventry Court - $610,000 09-06-22 [3 Bdrms - 1572 SqFt - 1972 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 02-06-18, $440,000

191 East Deodara Street - $520,000 09-07-22 [3 Bdrms - 1160 SqFt - 1961 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 11-12-21, $480,000

112 El Dorado Way - $320,000 09-06-22 [1 Bdrms - 728 SqFt - 1964 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 07-15-22, $270,000

907 Gingerwood Court - $699,000 09-06-22 [4 Bdrms - 1981 SqFt - 1999 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 06-07-99, $228,677

956 Granada Lane - $1,060,000 09-08-22 [4 Bdrms - 2771 SqFt - 2001 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 07-31-18, $738,000

591 Honeysuckle Drive - $790,000 09-09-22 [4 Bdrms - 2605 SqFt - 2019 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 04-12-19, $607,500

802 La Cruz Lane - $542,500 09-07-22 [4 Bdrms - 1633 SqFt - 1978 YrBlt],

These

Previous Sale: 08-20-01, $222,500

2110 Marshall Road - $645,000

09-09-22 [5 Bdrms - 2357 SqFt - 1990

YrBlt], Previous Sale: 01-25-08, $368,000

142 Mayo Court - $720,000

09-09-22 [4 Bdrms - 2060 SqFt - 1989

YrBlt], Previous Sale: 03-18-16, $458,000

143 Myrtle Street - $480,000

09-09-22 [3 Bdrms - 1053 SqFt - 1954

YrBlt], Previous Sale: 08-09-19, $380,000

1049 Notre Dame Circle - $670,000

09-06-22 [4 Bdrms - 1984 SqFt - 1991

YrBlt], Previous Sale: 00/1991, $198,000

818 Oak Creek Drive - $605,000

09-07-22 [5 Bdrms - 2455 SqFt - 1989

YrBlt], Previous Sale: 11-01-02, $389,000

237 Quietwood Drive - $765,000

09-09-22 [5 Bdrms - 2573 SqFt - 1976 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 03-17-20, $565,000

5030 Ryley Court - $749,000

09-08-22 [4 Bdrms - 2921 SqFt - 2020 YrBlt]

7270 Summerwood Lane - $1,150,000 09-07-22 [4 Bdrms - 2552 SqFt - 1986 YrBlt]

6003 North Vine Street - $1,100,000 09-07-22 [4 Bdrms - 3642 SqFt - 2000 YrBlt]

VALLEJO

TOTAL SALES: 29

LOWEST AMOUNT: $225,000

HIGHEST AMOUNT: $930,000

MEDIAN AMOUNT: $525,000

AVERAGE AMOUNT: $552,017

107 Adit Court - $430,000 09-07-22 [3 Bdrms - 1478 SqFt - 1982 YrBlt]

124 Benjamin Street - $415,000 09-06-22 [3 Bdrms - 1064 SqFt - 1956

YrBlt], Previous Sale: 01-13-17, $290,000

5500 Bordeaux Court - $800,000 09-07-22 [4 Bdrms - 2368 SqFt - 1999 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 05-05-99, $265,500

150 Candy Drive - $525,000 09-09-22 [4 Bdrms - 1391 SqFt - 1977 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 07-01-10, $126,000

2967 Carlingford Lane - $930,000 09-07-22 [4 Bdrms - 2518 SqFt - 2000 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 08-13-13, $476,000

8115 Carlisle Way - $650,000 09-08-22 [3 Bdrms - 2026 SqFt - 2004 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 09-25-17, $472,000

1020 Carolina Street - $495,000 09-06-22 [2 Bdrms - 1100 SqFt - 1918 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 01-12-01, $207,000

150 Claremont Avenue - $515,000 09-09-22 [3 Bdrms - 1261 SqFt - 1952 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 02-04-19, $400,000

517 Del Mar Avenue - $475,000 09-08-22 [3 Bdrms - 1561 SqFt - 1951 YrBlt]

1324 Donner Pass Road - $474,500

09-07-22 [3 Bdrms - 1102 SqFt - 1955 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 07-24-03, $300,000

455 Echo Summit Road - $525,000

09-07-22 [3 Bdrms - 1088 SqFt - 1973 YrBlt]

1058 Flagship Drive - $680,000

09-06-22 [3 Bdrms - 2601 SqFt - 2007

YrBlt], Previous Sale: 07-24-07, $550,000

2433 Helen Avenue - $540,000

09-06-22 [2 Bdrms - 1216 SqFt - 1952 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 05-13-10, $150,000

121 Hermosa Avenue - $485,000

09-06-22 [3 Bdrms - 1900 SqFt - 1942 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 00/1990, $113,000

354 Idora Avenue - $648,000

09-07-22

[4 Bdrms - 1908 SqFt - 1939 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 11-21-17, $260,000

1759 Landmark Drive - $891,000

09-08-22 [4 Bdrms - 2549 SqFt - 2001 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 10-13-15, $553,000

1615 Lemon Street - $430,000

09-06-22 [2 Bdrms - 898 SqFt - 1941 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 10-14-16, $150,000

487 Lighthouse Drive - $225,000

09-08-22 [1 Bdrms - 718 SqFt - 1988 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 04-16-04, $205,000

366 Linfield Drive - $569,000

09-07-22

[4 Bdrms - 1440 SqFt - 1978 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 02-19-09, $140,000

10 Muirwood Court - $423,000

09-07-22 [3 Bdrms - 1132 SqFt - 1954 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 03-03-22, $375,000

911 Point Reyes Court #8 - $435,000 09-09-22 [2 Bdrms - 959 SqFt - 1990 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 09-26-18, $358,000

161 Radcliffe Drive - $525,000 09-06-22 [4 Bdrms - 1440 SqFt - 1978 YrBlt]

127 Rome Drive - $375,000 09-08-22 [5 Bdrms - 2077 SqFt - 1963 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 09-26-08, $165,000

851 Sandhurst Drive - $750,000 09-06-22 [4 Bdrms - 2498 SqFt - 1995 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 11-13-19, $623,500

911 Sheridan Street - $325,000 09-06-22 [3 Bdrms - 1120 SqFt - 1961 YrBlt]

1234 Sonata Drive - $515,000 09-06-22 [2 Bdrms - 1238 SqFt - 2010 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 01-29-20, $399,000

224 Steffan Street - $530,000 09-09-22 [2 Bdrms - 900 SqFt - 1942 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 03-23-16, $286,500

1072 Topsail Drive - $800,000 09-08-22 [4 Bdrms - 2539 SqFt - 1988 YrBlt]

220 Trotter Drive - $628,000 09-06-22 [4 Bdrms - 2077 SqFt - 1984 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 02-17-20, $500,000

Solano sees increase in home inventory

Don McDonald of Re/Max Gold Elite Partners made a detailed PowerPoint presen tation for the Northern Solano County Association of Real tors recently on the national and local real estate market. Solano County, like pretty much every county in the country, has seen a decrease in sales and an increase in inventory.

As of Sept. 1, Solano County had 2.3 months of inventory, which is twice as much as there was Sept. 1, 2021. This is good news for serious homebuy ers who need to buy their first house or dream-home buyers who can afford today’s interest rates because now they are not involved in bidding wars with four or five other offers to beat.

I know most of what I have written this past six months has

been positive about the health of our local homeowners, but this market is now officially a buyer’s market. The existing home owners in our county may have been able to sell their home one year ago for 10% more than they could today but most don’t care because they have an afford able low-rate house payment and aren’t selling.

Fannie Mae is forecasting they expect mortgage rates to average 4.5% in 2023, which

Green Valley Lake 5080 Pyramid Way

Live in beautiful Green Valley Lake! This 2912 sf home features new engineered wood plank floors downstairs and Marmoleum flooring in the bathrooms. Kitchen with granite, island, stainless appliances, and pantry. There are four bedrooms plus an office or fifth bedroom. Spacious flex space upstairs with lots of room to play or study. The large primary suite features a remodeled bathroom as well as a huge, customized walk-in closet with shelves, drawers, and lots of hanging space. Plantation shutters throughout with updated exterior paint combination. Large backyard for outdoor entertaining or gardening. Two-car garage with plenty of cabinets and workspace. Owned solar. Amenities include access to the community pool and clubhouse, tennis courts, private park, and private lake. Enjoy hiking and biking in your own backyard with access to Rockville

Open House Saturday & Sunday 2-4PM

John and Rhonda Stallings

Jim Porter

OPEN HOUSE

OPEN HOUSE

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Open House Sat & Sun

Open House Sat & Sun 1-3PM

Carema Court,

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Silver Creek Road, Fairfield

Renee Neuman & Sylvia Cole

OPEN HOUSE

PRICE

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FOR THIS WEEKEND

15th & 16th

3 bedroom, 2 bath. Simulated wood, tile

carpet. Kitchen with granite counters, SS appliances. Newer dual pane windows.

oversized lot. Outdoor

Renee Neuman & Associate

DRE#01231287

Open House

Schultze & Associate

Confession about perennial sweet potatoes

My bride, Jan, said, “Those ornamental sweet pota toes you planted this year look better than they did last year.” She was referring to a big display of Sweet Caro line Medusa Green that was draping over a rock wall.

Sheepishly, I bowed my head and sort of muttered that I didn’t plant any sweet potatoes this year. I feel like I am about to break out in hives knowing what I am about to write. Knowing I was going to do this, I even sought counsel from other South ern horticulturists.

Norman Winter

dollar rescue off death row clearance at the big box store is in year four.

Confessing this is most reliev ing. I have felt like I should be a member of a sweet potato help group where we join and state emphatically, “Hi I’m Norman and I grow ornamental sweet potatoes as perennial.”

NORM WINTER/TNS

Illusion Emerald Lace ornamental sweet potato year two with Superbells Pomegranate Punch calibrachoa.

My beautiful Sweet Caroline Medusa Green spilling over the wall is in year two; so is my Illu sion Midnight Lace growing in a container. My Illusion Emerald Lace is in year three, and my

The guilt associated with this is deep rooted. The tags for the plants say hardy in zones 11a and 11b, holy Panama! But I suppose

Winter, Page 8

THE DAILY REPUBLIC DELIVERS.

Open House Sunday 1:30-3:30PM

Har vest Hills Lane, Rio Vista

see tile

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lake. Chef’s kitchen w/soft closing

Open House Saturday 12-3PM

Gardiner Way, Rio Vista

Craftsman

1952, w/

carport, 70 ft driveway, workshop

Don’t Miss This One!

Michigan Street, Fairfield

3 bd 2 ba with new interior

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Nelson

Nelson

Ralene Nelson

Winter

my most profound guilt came from the years working as a horticulture specialist for Missis sippi State University. The first line in my job description was to promote the green industry.

I have felt that if I spill the beans that the ornamental sweet potato may be perennial, the plant industry might not sell as many in the spring and I might crash the market. My counsel in Louisiana however,

said yes, we tell customers they are perennial.

Obviously, I have been dab bling in horticulture humor or buffoonery to this point. The real truth is that the ornamen tal sweet potato is the same genus and species as the one you eat at the Thanksgiving table. They produce tubers just like the edible varieties, though their taste and consistency is not up to culinary standards.

So, picture that my Sweet Caroline Medusa Green or Illu sion Emerald Lace are likewise producing tubers underground. When frost comes, I remove

REAL

the foliage just like vegetable growers do, one because they are ugly, and two, we don’t want any diseases going into the tuber.

My plants are growing in super well-drained soil, which definitely is a factor in those that return. During the winter the tubers and the dormant partner plants like Rockin salvias, Truf fula Pink gomphrena and Vermillionaire cuphea are asleep waiting for spring temperatures and warm soil.

If you have grown ornamen tal sweet potatoes, you know they are vigorous travelers, with the ability to travel 10 to 20 feet.

Therefore, you can find your self in the management business. This is the big reason why compact or behaved varieties like the Sweet Caroline Medusa Green have racked up more than 20 awards.

The Illusion varieties are also award winners and highly popular in the landscape indus try. If you do have tubers, they are generally close in proximity to the original plant and haven’t creeped into the rose garden.

The Illusion series is adding a new color in 2023 called Illusion Penny Lace that is a gorgeous coppery red.

Yes, The Garden Guy is an ornamental sweet potato lover and has been growing them as perennials in zone 8a Georgia for three or four years. I am looking forward to growing the new climbing Sweet Caroline Upside series and the new Illusion Penny Lace.

Norman Winter is a horticultur ist, garden speaker and author of “Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South” and “Captivating Com binations: Color and Style in the Garden.” Follow him on Face book @NormanWinter TheGardenGuy.

Buyers

from your 401(k) or take a with drawal that you don’t intend to repay. “If you withdraw the money from your 401(k) rather than take a loan, you’ll pay a 10% penalty and income taxes on it at your regular income tax rate,” explains Barrow. “This is a loselose situation because if you’re borrowing because your home is hard to afford, you’re also going to have to work harder to save more to rebuild your retire ment savings.”

Barrow says taking out a loan against your 401(k) is margin ally better because there’s no immediate penalty or tax con sequences, but you’ll lose the long-term benefit of letting that money earn value while sitting untouched. In addition, if you

don’t repay the loan quickly enough, or you lose or leave your job before it’s paid in full, you’ll be required to pay taxes and a penalty on the remaining loan balance.

The IRS has different rules for retirement funds held in an IRA account. “If you have an IRA you can’t borrow from it, but you can take a withdrawal,” explains Bojang. “You’ll pay a penalty and income taxes unless you’re older than 59 ½. First-time buyers get an exemption from the penalty.”

Should I cash in stocks to afford a house?

If you have non-retirement investment accounts, financial experts say tapping those to increase your down payment is preferable to eating into your retirement. But there are tax implications to selling stocks. “If you’ve owned the stocks for a

long time and have a capital gain, you’ll pay a capital-gains tax” on the profit you’ve made on those stocks since first buying them, says Bojang. But he adds that the capital-gains tax will still likely be lower than the income tax you’d pay on a withdrawal from a retirement account.

Still, no one is advising that you drain your savings and invest ments to get into a house. Indeed, once you become a homeowner, having cash on hand will be more important than ever. “You may need more cash reserves for an emergency when you own a house because big expenses can crop up unexpectedly,” says Barrow. “We recommend keeping six months to two years of living expenses accessible.”

Can I refinance later when interest rates come down?

Some buyers assume that if

they lock in today at a 7% inter est rate, they’ll simply be able to refinance when mortgage rates eventually decline – but there’s no guarantee that mortgage rates will come down, or that home values will keep rising.

“If your mortgage payment is too high for comfort and infla tion continues, you could end up having to sell your home . . . into a worse housing market” or wind up unable to refinance into a lower rate, explains Barrow.

Refinancing also comes with

upfront costs. Generally, you’ll have to come up with 1.0 to 1.5% of the new loan amount in closing costs when you refinance. Still, Morgan says homeown ers who are planning to live in the house for many years may want to refinance if rates drop by as little as one-half a percent age point because this reduces the payment, especially on a large loan balance, and the inter est savings over time can be significant.

Your Home Improvement Specialists

Accumulation of pollen, leaves, dust, wildfires and more will affect panels and

their efficiency to drop. We also

is one of the reasons mort gage rates are so stubbornly high today. When a mortgage is funded, the investor who buys the loan pays a premium of 2% to as much as 4% for the loan to the originating lender based on the rate, in the hopes the loan will be on the books at least seven to 10 years.

For example, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, the world’s largest mortgage investors, might buy a 30-year, 6.875% fixed-rate, $600,000 mortgage today from a mortgage company for $618,000. If we see 4.5% mortgage rates next year and the homeowner refinances the mortgage in 12 months, this is a loss for the investor.

This also affects the rates portfolio lenders can offer because if a credit union or a bank does a loan for a customer or member at zero points and the loan pays off in 12 months, the lender will never recover

the cost to originate, process and fund the loan. The cost of staff ing a processing, underwriting, sales, marketing and the com pliance department is a huge expense for all lenders.

Today’s conventional, VA and FHA loans do not have any pre payment penalty and over the past 32 years, we have had many refinance markets.

Unfortunately, today, many people are not willing to pull the trigger at today’s rates to buy a house with the hopes of a refi nance in 2023 or 2024. These folks are fearful this inflation and global recession may turn into a depression. Unlike the Great Recession, 14 years ago, when 25% of our local home owners suffered a short sale, job loss, foreclosure or bank ruptcy, this time the only people suffering are the mortgage com panies that have already laid off 200,000 people nationwide year to date, the hard-working, frus trated Realtors and builders, and the retired folks who live off their IRAs, with the stock market down 30% this year, and of course the families that

live paycheck to paycheck with no savings while paying $7 per gallon and $7 for butter.

As Warren Buffett says, “It’s never paid to bet against America. We come through things, but it’s not always a smooth ride.” You might say this was easy for him to say because he is 92 and worth billions, but remember he has been around since 1930 and started with nothing.

Baron Rothschild, an 18th century British nobleman, is credited for saying “the time to buy is when there’s blood in the streets.” Buy now, keep your FICOs high and refinance during the next refinance mania like I did – and like your parents did.

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.

today for an estimate to clean

solar panels.

Callen Street Vacaville

Solano County Listings: Homes for sale

$465,000 4 33 W H St Dixon 3 2 /0 1043 322064761

$472,000 1340 Blackberry Ct Dixon 4 2 /0 1969 0.07 322073001

$479,000 1019 Parkgreen Dr Dixon 2 2 /0 1257 0.130 322063429

$484,900 1320 Blackberry Ct Dixon 3 2 /0 1487 0.073 322062507

$519,700 710 Priddy Dr Dixon 3 1/1 1036 6969sf 322080176

$530,000 1000 West F Street Dixon 4 2 /0 1771 0.15 322071225

$565,000 160 Victoria Ct Dixon 4 2 /0 1688 0.132 322082941

$615,000 1410 Cornell Dr Dixon 3 3/0 1,917 0.07 322085404

$645,000 1405 Bello Dr Dixon 4 2 /0 2,036 0.19 322084561

$679,000 1950 Dailey Ct Dixon 4 2 /0 2021 0.248 322084370

$740,000 500 Kings Ct Dixon 5 3/1 3200 0.195 322070538

$749,000 705 Wiegand Way Dixon 4 2 /0 1850 0.23 322055685

$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

$367,000 225 Pennsylvania Ave #42 Fairfield 3 2 /0 1084 0.026 322065570

$469,287 3031 Roadrunner Dr Fairfield 3 2 /1 1717 0.058 322073804

$480,000 1655 Hemlock St Fairfield 3 2 /0 1,274 0.16 322082879

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

$499,900 231 E Utah St Fairfield 3 2 /0 1517 0.12 322083815

$499,900 2330 Baldwin Ct Fairfield 3 2 /0 1204 0.18 322087210

$519,000 175 Santa Barbara Way Fairfield 3 2 /0 1,213 0.14 322079516

$533,000 178 Santa Barbara Way Fairfield 3 2 /0 1,335 0.14 322079600

$535,000 618 E Colorado St Fairfield 4 2 /0 1261 0.13 322081431

$549,000 1180 Dana Dr Fairfield 5 2 /0 1,650 0.16 322070975

$565,000 8 32 Tulare Circle Fairfield 4 2 /1 1934 6006 322080552

$575,000 2737 Almondwood Wy Fairfield 4 2 /1 1512 0.08 322080695

$588,888 4 831 Silver Creek Rd Fairfield 3 2 /0 1082 0.185 322077342

$589,000 2836 Candleberry Way Fairfield 3 2 /1 1666 0.16 322090618

$595,000 782 Ash Ct Fairfield 4 2 /0 1773 0.13 322090911

$599,000 2523 Freitas Way Fairfield 3 2 /0 1,665 0.11 322086195

$633,000 1084 Mission Cir Fairfield 3 2 /0 1305 0.114 322082699

$650,000 3116 Clydesdale W Fairfield 4 2 /1 2253 8 302 322044501

$660,000 4756 Canyon Hills Dr Fairfield 4 3/0 1,816 0.12 322076136

$695,000 4 480 Rolling Meadows Ln Fairfield 4 2 /1 2210 0.169 322086454

$725,000 3422 Glen Ellen Dr Fairfield 4 3/0 3287 0.229 322029030

$779,000 5278 Kingsell Pl Fairfield 4 2 /1 2430 0.366 322090155

$824,999 3032 Muse Wy Fairfield 4 3/0 2841 0.135 322078149

$859,000 5080 Pyramid Way Fairfield 4 3/0 2,912 0.13 322087738

$960,000 5181 Palace Ct Fairfield 5 3/0 3007 0.168 322082111

$975,000 417 Knoll Dr Fairfield 4 2 /1 2803 0.257 322070191

$1,425,000 3279 Congressional Cir Fairfield 5 5/0 3948 0.292 322086975

$1,495,000 1106 Skywest Ct Fairfield 5 3/0 3414 0.804 322068078

$1,599,000 5270 Oakridge Drive Fairfield 4 3/0 4,034 0.3 332069250

$2,300,000 853 Bridle Ridge Dr Fairfield 4 6/0 3,937 0.97 322075479

$2,350,000 1604 Amaral Ct Fairfield 3 2 /0 2,319 2.5 322074329

$430,000 101 Cedar Ridge Dr Rio Vista 2 2 /0 1671 0.129 322064595

$535,000 1973 Garden Ln Rio Vista 3 2 /0 1635 0.146 322085292

$515,000 635 Klamath Wy Suisun City 3 2 /0 1492 0.14 322079444

$525,500 601 Whipporwill Way Suisun City 3 2 /0 1,480 0.18 322072584

$550,000 411 Avalon Wy Suisun City 3 2 /0 2152 0.23 322067943

$660,000 330 Engell Ct Suisun City 3 2 /1 2206 0.160 322070250

$679,997 429 Dobbins Ct Suisun City 5 3/0 2,338 0.14 322079187

$418,950 167 Mckinley Cir Vacaville 2 2 /0 1,043 0.13 322089026

$420,000 116 Mckinley Cir Vacaville 2 2 /0 1,043 0.13 322086513

$434,000 101 Isle Royale Cir Vacaville 2 2 /0 1152 0.15 322080839

$457,000 105 Rainier Cir Vacaville 2 2 /0 1152 0.13 322078018

$460,000 125 Christine Dr Vacaville 3 2 /0 1,062 0.11 322080818

$460,000 4 84 Manchester Wy Vacaville 3 2 /0 1602 0.13 322083162

$465,000 112 Manzanita Dr Vacaville 3 2 /0 1472 0.12 322075477

$479,500 173 Cambridge Dr Vacaville 2 2 /0 1,212 0.05 322087011

$485,000 106 Longview Dr Vacaville 3 2 /0 1284 0.13 322087578

$519,000 407 Deodara St Vacaville 3 2 /0 1168 0.13 322059937

$545,000 462 Buckeye ST Vacaville 3 2 /0 1168 0.13 322090616

$549,000 686 Mashall Rd Vacaville 3 2 /0 1402 0.18 322059279

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

$588,888 107 Colony Way Vacaville 4 3/0 1,887 0.07 322068608

$589,950 4 31 Carema Ct Vacaville 4 2 /1 2197 0.068 322088672

$599,000 312 Woodhaven Dr Vacaville 4 2 /1 1840 0.14 322088768

$599,999 296 Plantation Way Vacaville 4 2 /1 1840 0.13 322062209

$610,000 148 Shefield Dr Vacaville 4 2 /1 1799 0.14 322089957 $610,000 512 Florence Dr Vacaville 4 2 /0 1785 0.21 322090024 $620,000 243 Loch Lomond Dr Vacaville 4 3/0 2308 6251sf 322088592 $625,000 667 Laurelwood Cir Vacaville 3 2 /0 1,750 0.14 322080908 $629,900 784 Calico Trl Vacaville 3 3/0 1,951 0.15 322072800 $635,000 454 Royal Oaks Ct Vacaville 3 2 /0 1,544 0.20 322082581 $639,000 519 Parkridge Ct Vacaville 4 2 /1 1950 0.16 322088423 $645,000 272 San Leon Dr Vacaville 4 3/0 1,843 0.15 322084746 $648,000 636 Silver Star Ct Vacaville 4 2 /0 1661 0.134 322071775 $675,000 263 Bantry Dr Vacaville 4 2 /1 2143 0.184 322086137 $680,000 231 Kildare Ln Vacaville 3 2 /1 1988 0.209 322091198 $770,000 901 Cedarcrest Dr Vacaville 5 3/0 3014 0.207 322061115 $775,000 200 Ginger St Vacaville 4 3/0 2482 0.135 322085207 $775,000 754 Arabian Cir Vacaville 3 2 /0 2,066 0.26 322067856 $780,000 8024 Claret Court Vacaville 4 3/1 2941 0.16 322074811 $839,000 606 Hillcrest Cir Vacaville 4 2 /0 2202 0.233 322054244 $899,500 155 Foothill Dr Vacaville 3 3/0 1,919 0.60 322068886 $959,000 7396 Paddon Rd Vacaville 3 2 /0 1500 2.43 322071057 $1,199,000 8 42 Elderberry Loop Vacaville 5 4 /1 4058 0.295 322043728 $1,999,000 4150 Shelly Ln Vacaville 6 4 /0 4,800 20.00 322060664 $300,000 150 Calhoun St Vallejo 3 1/0 988 0.010 322079969 $460,000 2940 Georgia St Vallejo 3 2 /0 876 0.13 322087029 $575,000 184 Smokey Hills Dr Vallejo 3 2 /0 1532 10890sf 322084742 $595,000 118 Fairmont Ave Vallejo 4 3/0 2,107 0.16 322069781 $599,000 815 Valle Vista Ave Vallejo 3 2 /0 1,829 0.13 322068195 $650,000 701 Keats Dr Vallejo 4 2 /0 10500 10018sf 322091636 $1,100,000 3024 Overlook Dr Vallejo 4 3/0 3,368 0.25 322071681 $659,900 3931 Central Ln Winters 3 2 /0 1782 5.52 322032322 $875,000 8 457 Plesants Valley Rd Winters 2 1/0 22.16 321006700

LOTS & LAND

PRICE A DDRESS CITY LOT/AC SUB TYPE MLS#

$550,000 Liberty Ln Vacaville 25.01 AGRI 322061524 $699,000 Liberty Ln Vacaville 29.9 AGRI 322061700 $850,000 Gaddini Road Vacaville 14.89 AGRI 322085720 $2,300,000 5663 Dally Rd Vacaville 76.09 AGRI 322070665 $4,500,000 6156 Clark Rd Dixon 78.98 AGRI 322049465 $500,000 360 Butcher Rd Vacaville 1.10 COMM 321098151 $1,250,000 8 362 Auction Ln Dixon 2.16 COMM 322014651 $1,870,000 2300-11 E Monte Vista Ave Vacaville 3.66 COMM 321102156 $265,000 2060 Pinecrest Ct Vacaville 1.15 RESA 322048328 $359,950 Gibson Canyon Vacaville 1.55 RESA 22029146 $399,500 3757 Wild Oak Trl Vacaville 4.96 RESA 322061715 $549,000 3745 Wild Oak Trl Vacaville 5 RESA 322061705 $875,000 Oakridge and Lopes Rd Benicia 20 RESA 322061922 $875,000 8 457 Plesants Valley Rd Winters 22.16 RESA 321000406 $15,000,000 Mankas Fairfield RESA 21825708

MOBILE/FLOATING

PRICE ADDRESS

$187,000

Del Rey Ct Vacaville

322065331 $209,000

322072141 $75,000

Calle Chapultepec Vacaville

Springs Rd

Vallejo

321043438

322065332 $735,900

PRICE

have to sue your neighbor for cre ating a nuisance. That’s both costly and time consuming. Then, even if the court sides with you, your neigh bor could ignore the court order and leave you with even more legal expenses in going back to court.

Concerning the bugs, you would have what we call a “proof problem.” Suisun City is known for its mosquitos. It’s located right next to one of the biggest marshes

in the world. Absent a program of putting tracking collars on the little guys, it would be tough to show your mosquito problem stems from the neighbor’s pool.

So here are my thoughts on the issue.

The bugs pose a health hazard, not to mention the safety hazard should a child fall into the swamp. I’d call the city’s planning depart ment. While they may not be able to help you directly, they should be able to point you in the right direc tion. City and county planners are about the most well-versed munic ipal employees around when it

comes to code and ordinance issues.

Perhaps the city has an ordi nance against such things. If so, a code enforcement officer could be your best friend. Or maybe the health department of the city or Solano County is interested and would pursue it.

Again, as a practical matter, this is exactly the type of problem where you want to be the squeaky wheel.

Tim Jones is a real estate attor ney in Fairfield. If you have any real estate questions you would like answered in this column, you can contact him at AllThingsRealEstate @TJones-Law.com.