San Benito Magazine July 17-23, 2020

THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF SAN BENITO COUNTY

A supplement to the Hollister Free Lance

JULY 17, 2020

DANGER ZONE

Recent wildfires underscore importance of home preparedness P2

HOME IMPROVEMENT P4 | HOME OF THE WEEK P6 | REAL ESTATE P7

BY DWIGHT GOOD

Evaluate your home’s protection against embers

DON’T WAIT

JULY 17, 2020

PLAN NOW

2

Editor’s note: The recent wildfires, from Paicines to Morgan Hill, are a somber reminder that we live in a region that is susceptible to these devastating blazes.

According to Cal Fire, the number of wildfires and acres burned so far this year in the state have exceeded last year’s total from the same seven-month period. From Jan. 1 to July 5, the number of fires in California stood at 3,562, totaling 23,640 acres.

From that same period in 2019, a total of 2,041 fires ignited, burning 18,564 acres. The five-year average during the same interval reports a smaller number of fires as well, but more acreage.

The summer fire preparedness season in San Benito began on May 18, with Santa Clara’s beginning not long after.

However, any time is a good time to prepare your home, inside and out, for the possibility of a wildfire.

Fire Marshal Dwight Good, who serves the Cal Fire Santa Clara Unit, urges residents to be “Ember Aware.”

The campaign is intended to educate people on the risks of ember cast during wildfires and the actions they can take to reduce those risks.

The following article is the first installment in a series written by Good on wildfire preparation.

M

ost homes are destroyed by wildfires because wind-driven burning embers come into contact with something easily ignited on, in or near the home. When evaluating your home and property’s vulnerability to embers, you should do it in the context of wildfire conditions. You should assume: • Hot temperatures, very low humidity and strong gusting winds; • Poor visibility due to smoke; • No electricity; • Little or no water pressure; • No telephone, including cell phone service; • Panicking people acting irrationally; • Firefighters will not be protecting your home and will likely not even be in your neighborhood; • You and your family will not be present; and • Thousands of burning embers coming from burning pieces of bark, pine cones, branches and construction

DEFENSIBLE SPACE Defensible space is essential to improving your home’s chance of surviving a wildfire. It’s the buffer you create between a building on your property and the grass, trees, shrubs or any wildland area that surround it. This space is needed to slow or stop the spread of wildfire and it helps protect your home from catching fire— either from direct flame contact or radiant heat.

Two zones make up the required 100 feet of defensible space.

Zone 1 extends 30 feet from buildings, structures, decks, etc.: • Remove all dead plants, grass and weeds (vegetation).

• Remove dead or dry leaves and pine needles from your yard, roof and rain gutters.

Juan Reyes

FORWARD PROGRESS Smoke and flames can be still be seen as several acres

of land continue to burn in Gilroy on July 6.

• Remove branches that hang over your roof and keep dead branches 10 feet away from your chimney.

• Trim trees regularly to keep branches a minimum of 10 feet from other trees.

• Relocate wood piles to Zone 2.

urban interface home ignitions result from embers. Make changes now to reduce the ember threat to your home.

The Ember Aware campaign is intended to educate people on the risks of ember cast and the actions they can take to reduce those risks, to encourage residents to harden their homes against embers and/ or to maintain those ember-resistant features, and to practice ember-safe housekeeping and landscaping. You can learn more at www.emberaware.com.

Fire Marshal Dwight Good, MS, EFO, serves the Morgan Hill Fire Department, South Santa Clara County Fire Protection District and Cal Fire Santa Clara Unit.

He has 25 years of fire service experience.

For questions or comments, email Dwight. good@fire.ca.gov or call 408.310.4654.

• Remove vegetation and items that could catch fire from around and under decks.

• Create a separation between trees, shrubs and items that could catch fire, such as patio furniture, wood piles, swing sets, etc.

Zone 2 extends 100 feet out from buildings, structures, decks, etc.: • Cut or mow annual grass down to a maximum height of four inches.

• Create horizontal space between shrubs and trees.

• Create vertical space between grass, shrubs and trees.

• Remove fallen leaves, needles, twigs, bark, cones and small branches. However, they may be permitted to a depth of three inches.

—Information from Cal Fire, readyforwildfire.org

JULY 17, 2020

materials are being driven by winds into your house and onto your roof.

Now assume that your home is exactly as you left it this morning when you left for work or errands. Would it survive under these conditions? Did you leave a window open? Did you forget to close the garage door? Is the firewood pile stacked next to the house? Are the garbage cans on the back porch full and not covered by lids?

Take steps now to reduce the ember threat to your home. Waiting until the fire starts may cost you your home.

Most people believe that wildfires ignite homes through direct contact with flames, but it is rare to have a home ignite this way.

Flaming brands and embers can travel a mile or more ahead of the active front of a wildfire and up to 60 percent of wildland/

• Remove or prune flammable plants and shrubs near windows.

3

HOME IMPROVEMENT

‘New normal’ upgrades

HOME WORK People spending more time at home are more likely to complete a renovation project this year, a survey found.

JULY 17, 2020

Homeowner survey finds shift in priorities

4

W

ith people across the country spending more time at home than ever before, home improvement projects are increasingly becoming top of mind for homeowners. Despite the financial difficulties brought on by the pandemic, 77 percent of homeowners say their home renovation budget for 2020 is the same or greater than last year, according to a survey by the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Whether it's finally having time to make their dream home improvements a reality or preparing their homes to sell, homeowners are optimistic about completing renovations this year. NAR's survey found the top three home renovations that homeowners hope

to complete within their budgets in 2020 are: • A new bathroom (28 percent); • A new kitchen (23 percent); and • Fencing in their yards (21 percent).

"In an ever-changing world, homeownership provides sanctuary, safety and financial security," said NAR President Vince Malta, broker at Malta & Co., Inc., in San Francisco. "As we celebrate Homeownership Month, we recognize that buying a home is one of the most rewarding transactions people will make in their lifetimes. Making your home your dream home through remodeling projects takes time and patience, but Realtors and homeowners alike recognize the feelings of accomplishment, satisfaction and potentially higher home values that come with it."

The survey also revealed homeowners are attuned to how the pandemic may influence prospective buyers' preferences. A fenced-in yard, for example, the third most popular project for 2020, didn't even make the top 10 Realtor-recommended projects in NAR's 2019 Remodeling Impact Report, which examined a variety of remodeling projects and their appeal, value and potential return on investment. A further 21 percent of homeowners expect new additions such as a home office, gym or other space will offer one of the greatest returns on investment—another project that Realtors would not have recommended as a top priority based on 2019 data.

"Homeownership looks different now than it did years or even months ago—our homes have become offices, gyms and studios, so we're seeing a shift in priority of the types of features that homeowners and potential buyers want," Malta said. "Homeowners must keep in mind that some projects that sound appealing during a pandemic have not historically provided as much value when selling a home."

Still, some renovation priorities remain unchanged: Kitchen and bathroom upgrades and remodels were highly recommended by Realtors in 2019, and continue to top most homeowners' lists now.

"Not only will improvements like updated kitchens for a better cooking experience be of interest to potential home buyers, but renovations such as adding space for a home office or gym will increasingly be in higher demand as we follow social distancing guidelines."

Realtors can help homeowners understand their local real estate markets as well as determine which home renovations improve quality of life and provide a greater return on investment during this “new normal” of homeownership.

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HOME OF THE WEEK

Submitted photo

STONEGATE This Tres Pinos home is located in an exclusive gated community.

Peaceful property JULY JULY17, 17,2020 2020

Upgraded Stonegate home features orchard, riding arena in Tres Pinos

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G

ardeners and equestrians will find this Tres Pinos home suitable for their needs.

Located at 5652 Diablo Hills Road in the Stonegate community, the 3,031-square-foot home includes four bedrooms and three baths. It recently received a number of upgrades, including lighting, paint, flooring and bathrooms.

Sitting on 6.5 acres, the fenced

property includes established fruit trees, raised garden beds, berry bushes and vineyard installation, all with fully automated watering.

A two-stall barn with tack room, a riding arena, a three-acre pasture and three-car garage round out the property.

The home, built in 1997, is listed at $1.3 million by Pacific Oak Real Estate Services. For information, visit tinyurl.com/yao4zh9e.

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