HomeSeller: January 20, 2023

it first

Q: I asked a Realtor what my home would sell for if I decided to sell. I told her I’m not ready to sell, but maybe in the spring. I told the Realtor my daugh ters wanted me to move home and I was just thinking about it. I signed a contract for her to be my Realtor if I decided to sell. Before she left, she talked me into listing my home. I thought we were testing the market since I told her I’m not ready to sell. I thought she had my best interest in mind.

I was 68 years old. She was nice. I trusted her. So, I said OK.

An offer came in. I said No. I didn’t read the contract. She said just go on and sign it. I’ll fix it. I thought it was pre liminary. The next day she countered on an expired con tract which I signed, I didn’t think anything I was signing was binding. I was forced out of my home. I couldn’t find a house I could afford to buy. I’m having a hard time finding a rental I can afford,

As I look at the papers I signed, I realize she changed the date on the expired contract to the day before. DocuSign time stamped the time I signed. I filed a complaint with the Real Estate Commission 18 months ago. Nothing has been done. Do I have a case for fiduciary failure?

A: My dear old mother always used to tell me, “Now Tim, there’s two sides to every story.” Now with almost three decades of practicing law behind me I realize she was just plain wrong. There is a virtually endless number of sides to every story!

Your story is one side and the only side I have to work with. And I have no reason to doubt that you’re being entirely honest in the telling of it. But with no more facts than you’ve given me, I can imagine another side to the

would tell, but let me give you

selling your house. You did what thinking about selling and just

price and what is involved with the marketing and sales process.

looked at your house, and then sat down to go over comparable sales and her company’s marketing plan. The process is known in the business as a “listing presentation.” You explained about your daughters, your house, why you want to move, and maybe offered her a cup of tea.

The Realtor heard that you wanted to sell your house to move closer to your daughters and politely accepted the tea. She then quickly drew up a listing agreement, which you signed. I have never seen a form that a perspective home seller signs that simply says they may

want to sell the house in the future. So, it’s more than likely the first form you signed was the listing agreement.

It’s possible you told the Realtor that you didn’t want to sell until “maybe the spring.” But the Realtor simply didn’t comprehend what you were trying to say. If she had, she could have drafted the listing agreement so as to delay the actual marketing of the house.

But here’s the rub, that’s why people read things before they sign them. Apparently, you neglected to read anything that you signed during the process. If you had, you could have stopped this thing dead in its tracks and re-explained what you wanted to do.

I can’t speak to the “expired contract,” though if both you and the buyers ultimately signed a counteroffer then it really doesn’t matter. Expired or not, you would then have a valid, legally enforceable contract. Once that contract is entered into, you were stuck with the sale. If you had refused to sell, the buyer could have simply sued you to complete the sale.

My point is that my made-up version of events is just as plausible as yours. With your

admissions that you didn’t read any of the documents, a judge or jury would have no reason to be particularly sympathetic.

It’s true that Realtors have a fiduciary duty to their clients (regular readers will recall that a fiduciary duty is the highest possible legal duty one person can have toward another). But you weren’t a client until you signed the listing agreement. And a Realtor’s fiduciary duty is to do their best to fulfill the terms of that listing agreement.

It’s not uncommon for sellers to have remorse over selling their house, and perhaps in this case you didn’t intend to sell your house right now. But the law allows no one to simply sit back, close their eyes and sign legal documents only to claim they aren’t enforceable because they didn’t know what they were signing.

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.

Mortgage rates retreat to 6.23%, lowest in four months

TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY

U.S. mortgage rates fell to a four-month low last week, supporting more home purchases and refinancing.

The contract rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage decreased 19 basis points to 6.23% in the week ended Jan. 13, according to Mortgage Bankers Association data released Wednesday. That helped boost total applications by nearly 28% in the week, though the data can be volatile around major holidays.

MBA’s purchasing and refinancing indexes each rose to the highest since September.

Even with last week’s advance, the refinancing index remains historically depressed. Mortgage rates have skyrocketed in the last year as the Federal Reserve increases borrowing costs to rein in inflation, which has hampered activity in the housing market.

Five questions to ask before you buy a HEAT PUMP

BLOOMBERG

Heat pumps are one of the most effective ways to shrink your home’s carbon footprint and your utility bills at a time of rising electricity and natural gas costs. The technology can heat and cool homes, and supply hot water.

A high-efficiency electric heat pump that replaces a fossil fuel furnace or boiler resembles an air conditioner unit and is installed outside the house. To heat the home, a liquid refrigerant in a copper coil extracts heat from the atmosphere as warm air naturally moves toward the cold. The heat transforms the refrigerant into a cold gas; a compressor then pressurizes the gas, raising its temperature and heating the air inside the house. In the summer, the appliance cools a home by absorbing heat from inside and transferring it outside. Heat pumps are up to four times as efficient as natural gas furnaces since they merely move heat from one place to another rather than burn fuel.

A heat pump water heater works on the same principle and is up to four times as efficient as conventional gas or electric water heaters. They can also act as “thermal batteries,” heating water when electricity rates are low for use later in the day when prices rise. Many models are Wi-Fi-enabled, allowing homeowners or utilities to control when water is heated.

If you’ve been on the fence about getting a heat pump, consider that some countries are offering generous incentives –£5,000 in the UK, for example,

and up to $8,000 in the U.S. – that make now a good time for it. But make sure you know or ask for the answers to these five questions first.

How old is my furnace and water heater?

The lifespan of a natural gas furnace typically runs 15 to 20 years, though some can last as long as 30 or more: If you’ve

recently replaced a natural gas furnace with another one, you probably won’t want to scrap it for a heat pump. Likewise, gas water heaters usually only need to be replaced after 12 to 15 years.

But if you’re planning on installing an air conditioner, it could make sense to go ahead and switch to a heat pump. And if you’re in the U.S. and your home is already powered by solar panels, there’s a stronger case for

replacing a furnace before the end of its useful life. Not only will you avoid paying for increasingly expensive natural gas, you’ll be tapping low-cost electricity to power the heat pump.

Water heaters are prone to sudden failure as they age. Most people don’t want to go long without hot water, so if your gas or conventional electric water heater is getting old, now would be the time to replace it with a

heat pump. Another reason to avoid buying a heat pump under duress is that installing one can be complicated and time consuming and they can be in short supply.

How well insulated is my home?

If your house is drafty because the doors and windows are leaky and the walls and attic are poorly insulated, then you’ll need a bigger and more expensive heat pump to keep the home warm. It pays in the long run to hire an energy auditor to identify where heat is escaping the house and plug the leaks. That will let you properly size the heat pump, lowering your electricity bills.

What type of heat pump system do I need?

If you currently have central heating, you’ll most likely want a heat pump that distributes air through the existing ducts. (Be forewarned, though, that the ducts may need to be replaced if they’re old, which can be a pricey proposition.) Alternatively, you can install what is known as a ductless heat pump, also called a minisplit, that circulates warm or cool air through wall-mounted units. One advantage of the mini-split is that you don’t have to worry about maintaining ductwork, which can become leaky over time.

Will I need to upgrade my home’s electrical panel?

Heat pumps are high-voltage appliances and usually require

CHRIS RATCLIFFE/BLOOMBERG FILE (2021)

A trainer shows trainees a newly installed heat pump system at the Octopus Energy Ltd.’s training and R&D centre in Slough, U.K., in Sepember 2021. Octopus, backed by Al Gore’s sustainability fund, is helping teach the plumbers to install heat pumps that will play a pivotal role in the U.K.’s strategy to have net-zero emissions by 2050.

Real estate transactions

BENICIA

TOTAL SALES: 1

LOWEST AMOUNT: $638,000

HIGHEST AMOUNT: $638,000

MEDIAN AMOUNT: $638,000

AVERAGE AMOUNT: $638,000

254 East E Street - $638,000

12-15-22 [2 Bdrms - 1201 SqFt - 1998 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 07-01-20, $512,000

DIXON

TOTAL SALES: 3

LOWEST AMOUNT: $550,000

HIGHEST AMOUNT: $700,000

MEDIAN AMOUNT: $613,000

AVERAGE AMOUNT: $621,000

760 Collier Drive - $700,000

12-13-22 [4 Bdrms - 1975 SqFt - 1992 YrBlt]

1950 Dailey Court - $613,000

12-16-22 [4 Bdrms - 2021 SqFt - 1993 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 08-21-02, $360,000

365 Rennert Way - $550,000

12-16-22 [4 Bdrms - 1773 SqFt - 2004 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 09-19-17, $424,500

FAIRFIELD

TOTAL SALES: 22

LOWEST AMOUNT: $240,000

HIGHEST AMOUNT: $1,175,000

MEDIAN AMOUNT: $665,000

AVERAGE AMOUNT: $619,591

2772 Ambrosia Way - $675,000

12-16-22 [4 Bdrms - 2253 SqFt - 2021 YrBlt]

2330 Baldwin Court - $479,000

12-15-22 [3 Bdrms - 1204 SqFt - 1976 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 02-19-15, $242,500

2983 Carmel Way - $580,000

12-16-22 [4 Bdrms - 1738 SqFt - 1976 YrBlt]

5319 Collect Lane - $725,000 12-14-22 [3 Bdrms - 2715 SqFt - 2019 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 12-19-19, $636,000

1412 Couples Circle - $780,000 12-13-22 [4 Bdrms - 3004 SqFt - 2013 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 05-14-21, $800,000

1 Elkhorn Place - $685,000

12-12-22 [2 Bdrms - 1619 SqFt - 1978 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 05-19-21, $567,500

12 Fairway Place - $675,000 12-14-22 [2 Bdrms - 1687 SqFt - 1978 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 10-23-19, $537,000

3521 Fieldcrest Avenue - $740,000 12-12-22 [4 Bdrms - 2948 SqFt - 1989 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 06-01-21, $767,000

1332 Fullerton Drive - $737,000 12-14-22 [4 Bdrms - 2514 SqFt - 1995 YrBlt]

1118 Harding Street - $440,000 12-12-22 [3 Bdrms - 1264 SqFt - 1954 YrBlt]

1413 Jamboree Drive - $660,000 12-14-22 [4 Bdrms - 2427 SqFt - 2019 YrBlt]

3221 Lagunita Circle - $777,000 12-14-22 [5 Bdrms - 3381 SqFt - 1999 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 05-28-20, $625,000

2152 Madrone Drive - $645,000 12-16-22 [3 Bdrms - 1624 SqFt - 1977 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 06-18-13, $300,000

128 Manchester Drive - $370,000 12-13-22 [2 Bdrms - 1029 SqFt - 1995 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 11-09-20, $310,000

2902 Montclair Way - $469,000 12-14-22 [3 Bdrms - 1040 SqFt - 1983 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 05-08-15, $255,000

1920 Rollingwood Drive - $725,000 12-13-22 [4 Bdrms - 2941 SqFt - 1997 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 07-08-19, $587,500

2043 San Luis Street - $475,000 12-15-22 [3 Bdrms - 1824 SqFt - 1965 YrBlt]

125 Stephen Street - $499,000 12-16-22 [3 Bdrms - 1400 SqFt - 1959 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 07-09-19, $405,000

318 East Utah Street - $410,000 12-12-22 [3 Bdrms - 985 SqFt - 1952 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 08-27-13, $165,000

118 Villa Court - $240,000 12-14-22 [2 Bdrms - 968 SqFt - 1971 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 10-02-09, $31,000

509 Walnut Court - $1,175,000 12-12-22 [6 Bdrms - 3102 SqFt - 1974 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 03-08-19, $780,000

3315 Whitemarsh Lane - $670,000 12-14-22 [4 Bdrms - 1968 SqFt - 1988 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 09-09-09, $367,500

RIO VISTA

TOTAL SALES: 1

LOWEST AMOUNT: $583,000 HIGHEST AMOUNT: $583,000 MEDIAN AMOUNT: $583,000 AVERAGE AMOUNT: $583,000 275 Harvest Hills Lane - $583,000 12-16-22 [2 Bdrms - 1853 SqFt - 2016 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 11-14-16, $450,000

SUISUN CITY

TOTAL SALES: 4

LOWEST AMOUNT: $475,000 HIGHEST AMOUNT: $655,000 MEDIAN AMOUNT: $522,000 AVERAGE AMOUNT: $543,500 517 Fortuna Court - $495,000 12-13-22 [4 Bdrms - 1474 SqFt - 1986 YrBlt] 635 Klamath Way - $475,000 12-12-22 [3 Bdrms - 1492 SqFt - 1985 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 10-23-02, $270,000 600 Klamath Way - $549,000 12-16-22 [3 Bdrms - 1776 SqFt - 1978 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 10-19-20, $445,000 1754 Stoneman Drive - $655,000 12-16-22 [4 Bdrms - 2627 SqFt - 2017 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 07-06-20, $538,000

VACAVILLE

TOTAL SALES: 13

LOWEST AMOUNT: $270,000 HIGHEST AMOUNT: $725,000 MEDIAN AMOUNT: $560,000 AVERAGE AMOUNT: $543,615 648 Arcadia Drive - $320,000 12-16-22 [2 Bdrms - 954 SqFt - 1989 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 11-16-20, $260,000 1102 Beelard Drive - $680,000 12-13-22 [4 Bdrms - 2431 SqFt - 1992 YrBlt],

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.

Previous Sale: 06-02-22, $600,000 419 Carema Court - $520,000 12-12-22 [3 Bdrms - 1497 SqFt - 2007 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 06-03-15, $343,000 681 Chateau Circle - $560,000 12-12-22 [4 Bdrms - 1852 SqFt - 2001 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 06-24-22, $625,500 990 Cloverbrook Circle - $605,000 12-12-22 [4 Bdrms - 1886 SqFt - 2000 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 05-10-00, $235,100 2001 Eastwood Drive #32 - $270,000 12-16-22 [2 Bdrms - 902 SqFt - 2001 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 05-10-17, $171,500

173 Encinosa Avenue - $725,000 12-12-22 [4 Bdrms - 1944 SqFt - 1978 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 10-02-13, $366,000

204 Mckinley Circle - $440,000 12-16-22 [2 Bdrms - 1602 SqFt - 1964 YrBlt]

107 Palermo Way - $537,500 12-12-22 [3 Bdrms - 1570 SqFt - 2005 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 12-19-05, $540,989

130 Salinas Drive - $670,000 12-13-22 [3 Bdrms - 1567 SqFt - 1981 YrBlt]

201 Sungate Court - $569,500 12-13-22 [3 Bdrms - 1596 SqFt - 1993 YrBlt]

618 Sweet Pea Street - $670,000 12-14-22 [4 Bdrms - 2100 SqFt - 2019 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 09-09-19, $503,000

301 Zion Court - $500,000 12-16-22 [3 Bdrms - 1617 SqFt - 1990 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 03-01-02, $285,000

VALLEJO

TOTAL SALES: 19

LOWEST AMOUNT: $285,000

HIGHEST AMOUNT: $970,000

MEDIAN AMOUNT: $445,000

AVERAGE AMOUNT: $506,632

3057 Blue Sky Court - $970,000 12-13-22 [4 Bdrms - 2830 SqFt - 2002 YrBlt]

1061 Coronel Avenue - $435,000 12-15-22 [3 Bdrms - 1166 SqFt - 1953 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 09-29-15, $195,000

52 D Street - $425,000

12-13-22 [4 Bdrms - 1873 SqFt - 1939 YrBlt]

135 Dawson Place - $460,000

12-12-22 [3 Bdrms - 1448 SqFt - 1982 YrBlt]

106 El Campo Court - $415,000

12-14-22 [3 Bdrms - 1386 SqFt - 1954 YrBlt]

224 El Sendero - $391,000

12-16-22 [3 Bdrms - 1050 SqFt - 1954 YrBlt]

105 Evelyn Circle - $600,000 12-12-22 [4 Bdrms - 2346 SqFt - 1980 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 01-04-17, $355,000

620 Hilton Avenue - $345,000 12-13-22 [2 Bdrms - 865 SqFt - 1942 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 04-04-02, $180,000

371 Idora Avenue - $426,000 12-15-22 [2 Bdrms - 840 SqFt - 1930 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 04-26-10, $115,000

557 Jennings Avenue - $465,000 12-12-22 [2 Bdrms - 1290 SqFt - 1941 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 11-12-03, $145,694

515 Lighthouse Drive - $285,000 12-14-22 [2 Bdrms - 918 SqFt - 1988 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 05-03-13, $59,000

960 Madrone Avenue - $675,000 12-12-22 [4 Bdrms - 2580 SqFt - 2005 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 04-26-16, $490,000

1193 Maple Avenue - $445,000 12-16-22 [3 Bdrms - 817 SqFt - 1942 YrBlt],

Previous Sale: 12-29-08, $60,000

208 Mica Drive - $519,000 12-12-22 [3 Bdrms - 1255 SqFt - 1986 YrBlt]

829 Modoc Street - $430,000 12-14-22 [2 Bdrms - 857 SqFt - 1942 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 09-03-19, $330,000

936 North Regatta Drive - $730,000 12-12-22 [4 Bdrms - 1661 SqFt - 1987 YrBlt]

3618 Rocky Shore Drive - $680,000 12-15-22 [4 Bdrms - 1836 SqFt - 1997 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 08-21-08, $355,000

108 San Ramon Avenue - $505,000 12-13-22 [3 Bdrms - 1157 SqFt - 1955 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 08-27-10, $180,000

1207 Symphony Way - $425,000 12-12-22 [2 Bdrms - 1167 SqFt - 2010 YrBlt], Previous Sale: 10-26-21, $405,000

a circuit panel capable of handling multiple 240-volt devices. If you live in an older home and are replacing lower-voltage furnaces and gas water heaters, you may need to upgrade your circuit panel to 200 amps, which can cost several thousand dollars. If a utility “supply” wire to your home must be replaced, costs can balloon to $10,000 or more.

There are some workarounds. One option is to install a “smart panel” that manages all the circuits in the home, balancing electrical demand so that appliances like heat pumps can be added without overloading the system. Smart panels made by Span and Schneider Electric can cost $3,000 or more. The Inflation Reduction Act, however, offers Americans a $4,000 rebate for electrical upgrades.

Another alternative to reduce the electrical load is to install a lower-voltage heat pump water heater. Right now, there’s just

a couple of 120-volt models available, from Rheem and Ruud, and the Rheem is currently only sold in California. But other major manufacturers are expected to bring 120-volt versions to market in the next year or so.

One word of caution: Some home electrical upgrades can take months to complete, time you won’t have if a water heater just failed. It’s a strong argument for answering this question ASAP, and making any needed improvements well in advance of installing a heat pump.

Do contractors in my area specialize in heat pumps?

Almost any plumbing company can install a gas furnace or water heater. But finding one that is knowledgeable about heat pumps and how to replace gas appliances can be a challenge. In the U.S., your state or utility rebate program may list recommended contractors. Otherwise, check out plumbing contractors’ websites and gauge how much they promote heat pumps and the depth of their expertise.

Experts recommend 7 sheet sets to help you sleep soundly

THE WASHINGTON POST

Choosing a set of sheets is a largely subjective decision. Sleeping habits, after all, are about as personal and individualized as it gets.

Even the long-heralded objective measure of sheets – thread count – does not reliably reflect quality these days, says Laura Fenton, author of “The Bunk Bed Book.” Manufacturers sometimes get creative with their counting, she says, to give the appearance of higher-quality material. (An exception: It’s a good measure if

the sheets are 100 percent cotton.)

How do you choose what’s right for you, then, whether it’s an inexpensive set you can swap out when you update the look of your bedroom, pricier sheets that will last for years or a particular material that allows you to feel cooler or warmer when you sleep? Start with the material. Sheets made of cotton, a soft and durable natural fiber, are always a safe bet, says Lexie Sachs, executive director of the Textiles, Paper and Apparel Lab at the Good

See Sheet, Page 9

You’ll love this home in the heart of the Browns Valley community! Offering 5 bedrooms and 3 full baths. Including a bedroom and full bath downstairs. 2,286 sq. ft. and 9,583 sq. ft lot. The kitchen has been updated with beautiful white cabinets and granite counters. Gorgeous engineered wood flooring on the main floor and a large laundry room. The large lot has a beautiful in-ground pool and lots of space for family entertainment. A short walk to the local park and elementary school. Don’t forget the 3 car garage and possible RV parking.

Supertunia

ON GARDENING

Long live magenta with Supertunia Royal Magenta

iva Magenta, Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2023, has certainly caused a stir in the garden world. As typical of our times, there are the lovers, and the haters. Since it is a primary color, I thought I would delve into a little thought on color. Before everyone screams, especially art teachers, I know it is not a primary color by tradi

tional standards. I grew up in a newspaper family, and magenta is one of the big four in the color model used in color printing, along with cyan, yellow,

and of course black (the model is referred to as CMYK). The whole world of glorious print color revolves around the role of magenta. With that said, may I introduce you to Supertunia Royal Magenta. This incredible Supertunia has no trouble standing on its own like other Supertunias, but I want you to look at it from the aspect of what else you can

do with it.

In the print world they call CMYK subtractive color. Each color has its own plate made from a separation. The end result is none of them will be 100% of their color, but they come together magically in full color. With Supertunia Royal Magenta petunia, we will

See Winter, Page 8

CHRIS BROWN PHOTOGRAPHY/TNS

Royal Magenta petunia could very well be the poster photo for Pantone’s Color of the Year, Viva Magenta.

Norman Winter

The designer mix is called Boost of Energy and will literally put a spring in your step. It features Supertunia Royal Magenta petunia, Blushing Princess sweet alyssum and Supertunia Trailing Roseveined petunia which echoes the magenta.

Winter

From Page 7

use it in additive color mixing, which is really what we do in a design. In other words, Supertunia Royal Magenta is so beautiful, and what we add to it or partner with it can make the design even more dazzling.

The past few years I have been able to see and photograph Supertunia Royal Magenta petunia recipes, both named and experimental. I came to realize what a key ingredient this flower has become. British horticulturist Gertrude Jekyll at one time called it “malignant magenta,” which was due to the process of getting the dye at that time. Perhaps it seemed unnatural. I believe she might love it now.

The most recent combination I photographed was given the name “Surfin’ Safari” by the creator. This no doubt was due to

how the new Safari Sky, a South African phlox, or Jamesbrittenia, with sky blue flowers, plays a key role. The third partner was Superbells Double Amber calibrachoa. This was actually very close to the three colors of CYM appearing together in a flower recipe, and it was beautiful.

A recipe you would just crave to have in your containers is called Boost of Energy. Every time you water it you would leave feeling exhilarated. The obvious ingredient is Supertunia Royal Magenta petunia, but the partners are two we often overlook or let slip by. The first is Blushing Princess sweet alyssum. We are so quick to buy Snow Princess that we don’t see the possibilities of a Lobularia or sweet alyssum with a blush of purple/pink. May I remind you these are sweet alyssums that keep performing all summer.

The third partner in the mix was just amazing, and you have to see it work to understand. It was Supertunia Trailing Rose-

Veined petunia. This petunia gets 12 inches tall with a spread of 3 feet. It was magical the way the rose-veined flowers echoed the color of Supertunia Royal Magenta petunia.

Supertunia Royal Magenta petunia can also give you a slight twist on the old red, white and blue. I had a chance to photograph this experimental recipe before it had a name, and I could not take my eyes off it. It features Supertunia Royal Magenta petunia, Supertunia Mini Vista White petunia and the new Superbena Imperial Blue verbena. I promise you’ll love it. Here is a salute to Pantone 18-1750, the 2023 Color of the Year. Indeed, long live magenta.

Norman Winter is a horticulturist, garden speaker and author of “Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South” and “Captivating Combinations: Color and Style in the Garden.” He receives complimentary plants to review from the companies he covers.

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ON THE M ARKET

FOR THIS WEEKEND

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Cindy

NORMAN WINTER/TNS

Report: A new state housing law has done little to encourage building

TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY

Once seen as the death knell for single-family neighborhoods in California, a new law meant to create more duplexes has instead done little to encourage construction in some of the largest cities in the state, according to a new report published Wednesday.

Senate Bill 9 was introduced two years ago as a way to help solve California’s severe housing crunch by allowing homeowners to convert their homes into duplexes on a single-family lot or divide the parcel in half to build another duplex for a total of four units. The law went into effect at

the start of 2022.

The bill received bipartisan support and ignited fierce debate between its backers, who said SB 9 was a much-needed tool to add housing options for middle-income Californians, and critics, who blasted it as a radical one-size-fits-all policy that undermined local government control.

Neither argument has so far proved to be true.

Across 13 cities in the state, SB 9 projects are “limited or nonexistent,” according to a new study by the UC Berkeley Terner Center for Housing Innovation.

The report focused on cities considered high-opportunity

areas for duplexes because they’ve reported significant increase in the construction of accessory dwelling units – also known as granny flats, casitas or ADUs – in recent years and have available single-family properties for possible divided lots. ADUs are small, free-standing homes most often built in the backyards of existing single-family homes.

The cities include: Anaheim, Bakersfield, Berkeley, Burbank, Danville, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Maria and Saratoga.

By the end of November, 282 applications had been sub-

mitted for SB 9 projects, and only 53 had been approved.

Los Angeles tallied the bulk of applications with 211 submitted, according to the report, and had approved 38. San Francisco received 25 applications and had approved four, while San Diego received seven and had approved none.

Three cities received one

application, and in Bakersfield, Danville and Santa Maria, zero were submitted.

Applications for dividing lots seem to be even less popular than for building duplexes. Just 100 applications were submitted, the report noted, and 28 had been approved.

From Page 5

Housekeeping Institute in New York. They’re ideal “for those who want a natural, crisp feel,” she says.

We asked Fenton, Sachs and April Gandy, an interior designer in Chicago, to share their favorite sheets. Here are their picks.

If you’re looking for something thicker, with a silky feel and a loose-knit weave for warmth, consider sheets made with cotton sateen. In the lab’s extensive testing, Brooklinen’s sateen Luxe Core sheet set ($159-$239, brooklinen.com) was the winner in the cotton category. “It feels substantial, really smooth,” Sachs says.

Percale cotton sheets are lighter, crisper and more breathable than sateen. Fenton recommends the solid hemstitched Supima percale sheet set ($59-$69 for a pair of pillowcases; $59-$99 each for top and fitted sheets, garnethill.com). “Garnet Hill’s quality is consistently high, and I like a hemstitch detail better than an embroidered one,” she says, for keeping sheets flat without ironing. (Supima is a brand of Pima cotton, which has long, uniform fibers that make

these sheets feel extra luxurious.)

Flannel or brushed-cotton sheets have raised fibers that trap more air and feel warmer. Sachs likes Parachute’s brushedcotton sheets ($100-$110 for a top sheet; $110-$120 for a fitted sheet; $59-$69 for a pillowcase set; parachutehome.com). “They feel great and they’re not too hot,” she says.

Linen sheets are also gaining in popularity, Sachs says. And although you can find high-quality options from plenty of brands, they can be expensive. Fenton likes H&M’s washed linen fitted sheets for the price ($74.99$89.99, hm.com). “They usually have a couple neutral options and a couple tasteful colors,” she says. Skip the top sheet, she says, in favor of the linen duvet cover set ($129-$169, hm.com).

Another natural fiber option: hemp. “I predict we’ll be seeing more of it as people get to know it better,” Fenton says. She likes Evenfall’s hemp sheet sets ($370-

$440, evenfallhome.com), which she says feel cool and wash and wear “beautifully.” Beware, though, that these sets work better with deeper mattresses, she says. And be leery of sheets marketed as having the natural fibers of bamboo or eucalyptus, Sachs cautions. Often, “there’s no bamboo or eucalyptus within the fabric,” she says.

Gandy prefers microfiber, because sheets made with polyester will be less expensive and softer, and they’ll be more shrink – and wrinkle-resistant than their natural-fiber counterparts. “They’re not super expensive or fancy,” she says. Gandy looks for them on Amazon or from Target. She particularly likes Target’s Room Essentials sheet sets in classic white or fun patterns ($9.50-$22, target.com). “One thing I love about cost-effective sheet sets is that you can play with color and pattern, so you can have some variety,” she says.

And for kids, Fenton recommends just using a fitted sheet and a duvet, so it’s easier to make the bed, including on hard-to-reach bunk beds. She particularly likes Beddy’s zipper all-in-one bedding sets ($149.95-$309.95, beddys. com). They have built-in fitted sheets and zip-on comforters to further streamline the bed-making process.

BROOKLINEN Brooklinen’s Luxe Core sheets.

Insured losses hit $120B as extreme weather spreads

BLOOMBERG

The insurance industry is struggling to adapt to a new normal in which losses fueled by climate change are now regularly exceeding $100 billion a year.

Insured losses from natural disasters hit about $120 billion in 2022, most of which was weather related, according to data compiled by Munich Re. Hurricane Ian, which devastated Florida in September,

was responsible for about half that. Including uninsured losses, the total cost of storms, droughts, earthquakes and fires last year was $270 billion.

“There is no denying that climate change is driving losses from natural catastrophes,” Ernst Rauch, chief climate scientist at Munich Re, said in an interview. “Insured losses of more than $100 billion a year are the new normal.”

That’s a major depar-

ture from industry norms of less than two decades ago. Before 2005, the year Hurricane Katrina ripped through New Orleans, insured losses had never exceeded an annual $50 billion, adjusting for inflation, according to Munich Re’s records. The much higher loss level that’s taken hold this decade comes as insurers also grapple with a sharp spike in inflation and higher levels of market volatility.

Storms and floods proved

Solano County Listings: Homes for sale

$835,000 116 Mountview Ter Benicia 4 3 2,288 0.11 322031987

$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

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

$599,950 5077 Moscato Ct Fairfield 3 2 /1 1461 0.078 323000761

$675,000 223 Madison Street Fairfield 4 1/0 1020 0.170 322105113

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

$875,000 2818 Watson Ct Fairfield 5 3/0 3000 0.198 322104028

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

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

$2,599,888 5324 Boulder Ridge Ct Fairfield 5 6 5,325 0.91 322099213

$649,000 1648 Hickam Cir Suisun City 3 2 /0 1841 0.18 323001341

$315,000 518 Arcadia Drive Vacaville 2 1/0 990 0.020 323000338

$375,000 158 Del Rio Ct #4 Vacaville 3 1/0 1056 0.02 323001068

$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

$434,997 366 Trinity Dr Vacaville 3 2 1,293 0.11 322103267

$450,000 324 Plum Street Vacaville 3 2 /0 1286 6098 323002425

$509,000 424 Mandarin Cir Vacaville 2 2 /0 1323 0.116 322066345

$525,000 4 84 Manchester Wy Vacaville 3 2 /0 1602 0.13 322083162

$550,000 200 Coulter Way Vacaville 3 2 /1 2120 0.100 323000798

$565,000 107 Colony Way Vacaville 4 3 1,887 0.07 322068608

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

$574,999 296 Plantation Way Vacaville 4 2 /1 1840 0.130 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 0.100 32209946

$589,982 748 Bluebird Dr Vacaville 3 2 /0 1478 0.125 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 0.191 322100614

$675,000 764 Shannon Dr Vacaville 3 2 /1 2262 0.147 322099214

$679,000 312 Bridgeport Ct Vacaville 4 3/0 2148 0.126 322104241

$699,900 1030 Mission Bay Drive Vacaville 4 3/0 2311 0.138 323001203

$700,000 245 Wykoff Dr Vacaville 2 2 /1 1566 0.433 322103932

$735,000 8024 Claret Court Vacaville 4 3/1 2941 0.160 322074811

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

$759,000 499 Willamette Dr Vacaville 4 3 2,195 0.16 323000667

$807,500 878 Daffodil Dr Vacaville 4 3/1 2762 0.138 322102280

$899,000 1000 Brighton Ct Vacaville 5 3 3,431 0.21 322090634

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

$1,199,000 8 42 Elderberry Loop Vacaville 5 4 /1 4058 0.295 322043728

$475,000 305 Campbell Ave Vallejo 4 2 /0 1686 0.115 322103190

particularly destructive last year. After Hurricane Ian, floods in Australia in February and March stand out as the costliest natural disaster of 2022, with Munich Re estimating insured losses at about $4 billion.

The development is feeding through to the $35 billion market for catastrophe bonds, where yields are soaring. Investors in such debt are

Losses, Page 11

$475,000 450 Carousel Dr Vallejo 3 2 /0 1310 0.137 322104455

$565,000 1541 Severus Dr Vallejo 4 2 1,428 0.12 322103845

$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 8 457 Plesants Valley Rd Winters 2 1/0 22.16 321006700

$1,500,000 9211 Boyce Road Winters 3 1/1 1500 31.000 322099831

LOTS & LAND

PRICE A DDRESS 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 $500,000 360 Butcher Rd Vacaville 1.10 COMM 321098151 $1,250,000 8 362 Auction Ln Dixon 2.16 COMM 322014651

$1,600,000 2300-11 E Monte Vista Ave Vacaville 3.66 COMM 321102156

$40,000 1172 Deputy Dr Pope Valley 0.48 RESA 322104578

$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

$549,000 County Rd Crockett 1.06 RESA 322104890 $699,000 3874 Ciarlo Ln Vacaville 19 RESA 322102228

$875,000 8 457 Plesants Valley Rd Winters 22.16 RESA 321000406 $15,000,000 Mankas Fairfield RESA 21825708

MOBILE/FLOATING

MULTI UNIT

COMMERCIAL

EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI/BLOOMBERG FILE (2022)

Property damage following Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., Oct. 4, 2022.

From Page 9

David Garcia, Terner Center’s policy director, said the new law is only in its first year of implementation and should be given more time before it’s judged as ineffective. But he added that lawmakers should consider whether SB 9 needs tweaking.

“It doesn’t seem like Senate Bill 9 in its first year has resulted in very meaningful amounts of new housing,” Garcia said. “Pretty much everywhere you look, Senate Bill 9 activity is very marginal. It is nonexistent in some places.”

Homeowners right now have an easier time building an ADU than a duplex, thanks to local and state laws that have eased barriers to construction in recent years, Garcia said. It took multiple rounds of legislation to see productive ADU development, and the same will probably be true for SB 9 projects, he added.

The report suggested cutting fees associated with new development, or adding more uniform standards for SB 9 projects to ensure local governments can’t attach subjective criteria that discourage applications, such as architectural design requirements or stringent landscaping rules. It also proposed revising a mandate that homeowners who

split their lots must live in one of the units for at least three years, a key concession lawmakers made to reduce opposition from organizations worried about gentrification.

Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), author of the legislation, said SB 9 was “never intended to be an over-

night fix to our housing shortage.”

“We always said not every homeowner would be able, or want, to utilize the tools provided by the bill on Day One,” Atkins said in a statement. “Subdividing a lot, or even just adding an ADU, is a big investment. This bill was never intended to be a sledgehammer approach – it was meant to

increase the housing supply over time, and as awareness of the law increases and more homeowners have the ability to embrace the tools, I’m confident that we will see results.”

Garcia and other housing experts said slow progress could also be attributed to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, when

prices for building materials shot up and homeowners and buyers faced significant market uncertainty. That was followed by high inflation and interest rates.

While the report offers legislators a limited snapshot of how SB 9 has worked so far, the state is also expected to have more robust data available this summer.

Any attempt to modify SB 9 this year, however, is sure to reignite opposition from many of the dozens of cities and neighborhood associations that tried to block its passage in 2021. Since then, some cities have gone to great lengths to avoid implementing the law, including the Silicon Valley suburb of Woodside, which declared itself a mountain lion sanctuary and invited a stern warning for compliance by the state attorney general’s office.

Matthew Lewis, spokesperson for California YIMBY, a housing advocacy organization that supported SB 9, said it could be worth going back to the drawing board to ensure local governments are doing what they can to ease burdens to duplex development.

“The reality is people will follow the path of least resistance to building the house they want. And if there’s still a lot of resistance to SB 9 – which I think there is – then we are getting what we would expect,” Lewis said. “So as we learn about what’s working and what’s not, I think we’re always ready to go back and improve upon legislation.”

Losses

From Page 10

now demanding the highest premiums in years to cover issuers against disasters.

Extreme floods have already caused havoc in the first moments of 2023. After years of drought, California is now in a long flood fight as waves of storms roll in off the Pacific, killing at least 14 people, closing highways up and down the state and sending residents fleeing for their lives.

The German insurer said it’s still too early to provide a reliable estimate of the losses caused by Elliott, the name given to the deep freeze that blanketed the US last month.

The Munich Re report also shows that uninsured losses are meaningfully larger than those covered by insurance, which tend to focus on the developed world. Africa and Asia, meanwhile, often face the brunt of the fallout from climate change.

World Weather Attribution, a scientific group that analyzes extreme weather for evidence of

climate change, found that flooding caused more than 800 deaths in Nigeria, Niger and Chad last summer. The most devastating floods of 2022 were those that hit Pakistan, leaving at least 1,700 dead and countless more exposed to malaria, cholera and other water-borne diseases. Direct losses stemming from that event are estimated at $15 billion at least, with almost nothing insured, Munich Re said.

With such devastation beyond the scope of insurers to cover, governments and international organizations are looking into new

frameworks to channel money to those most affected by climate change. At the COP27 climate summit in Egypt last year, negotiators agreed to create a fund that will help developing nations by securing commitments from rich countries.

The establishment of such a fund “isn’t about dispensing charity,” Sherry Rehman, Pakistan’s climate minister, said after the deal was struck in late November. “It is clearly a down payment on the longer investment in our joint futures.”

MYUNG J. CHUN/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS FILE (2021)

A poll of LA County voters’ positions on new state laws that take effect Jan. 1 that allow for duplexes, and in some cases fourplexes, in single-family home neighborhoods such as this South Los Angeles neighborhood in December 2021, show that they are in favor. The new housing that will be allowed will look very much like accessory dwelling units.