Chico Real Estate blog

Need a great idea for a Chico, CA family outing?

                      How about a bike ride through Lower Bidwell Park!

Young and old alike will delight in hopping aboard a bicycle to peddle their way through the 418 acres of cherished Lower Bidwell Park. The ride is a leisurely one, virtually level throughout so that riders can can fully appreciate the beauty around them.

The smooth paved roads are perfect for little people still learning to ride, while the smaller side trails offer an exciting diversion for the more adventurous. Bidwell Park is enormously popular regardless of the season or the weather. Expect to share the road with a variety of walkers, runners, dogs, skaters, bicyclists, strollers and horses, all out enjoying the day.

Make sure that you plan time for exploring a few new nooks and crannies with each visit! As fun as it is to breeze through the park on a bicycle, you might find you have an irresistible urge to hop off. There are many benches and picnic tables in day camp spots along the creek that runs through the park. Stopping for lunch is a great excuse to wade in the creek looking for tadpoles, snoozing in the sun, or watching the squirrels dart from tree to tree.

Looking for more fun things to do near Chico, CA in the fall?

• The View from a Canoe- California Park in Chico, CA
• An afternoon at the Pumpkin Patch- Book Family Farm
• Fun Things To Do Near Chico, California: Go Climb A Volcano!

The California Park residential neighborhood is the only one in Chico, CA that boasts lake frontage.

If you have the opportunity to visit the California Park area, a tour from the lake is a fun way to explore. (Note: The lakes are private. You must actually be a resident or guest.) There are 3 lakes altogether, and two of them connect under a bridge on Lakewest Drive. There are several idyllic coves in which you will find residents enjoying the lifestyle unique to Cal Park. You might wave hello to a grandpa teaching his grandson to fish, view one of several large, grassy park areas, or (if you are REALLY lucky) spot one of the turtles that calls the lake home.

The neighborhood also boasts a series of cascading duck ponds which delight young and old alike. It is such a treat to visit the lakes in time to watch the baby ducks! There are usually families that include lots of fluffy babies, all chasing after the mama duck. The lake is shallow enough in many places to view the fish swimming below. And, if you're paying attention, you can hear the tell-tale "ker-plop!" of a bullfrog jumping in the blue-green water!

If you would like information on Chico, CA real estate and foreclosures in the California Park neighborhood, please feel free to call the neighborhood expert: Sandi Bauman at 530-864-5407 or visit her on The Pink Couch, home of the Chico CA Real Estate Blog.

Chico Homes is thrilled to have their new office located with water front views of California Lake at 2580 Sierra Sunrise Terrace, Suite 120.

Visit me here: Chico CA Real Estate blog and Chico MLS listings Search

Still looking for that perfect pumpkin in Chico, CA?

The difference between a pre qualification and a preapproval, my friend, would be like buying a discount store handbag vs. a Prada or Gucci handbag.

A prequalification is a very preliminary estimate of how much you can afford to pay for a  Chico, California home.  The lender will base his opinion on the information you provide. However, your credit and employment information typically aren’t validated for prequalification, so the results can only be considered a rough idea of what size payment, and what type of loan you might qualify for.  Please be forewarned that prequalification letters are not often highly regarded by people “in the know”.  All too often, a lender is unable to get the final loan approved, despite the fact that he or she has issued a prequalification letter to his unsuspecting buyer.  The more reputable and educated the lender, the better the chance that the pre qualification letter is a valuable step in the process.

Still, a prequalification letter can be a useful tool until you have the opportunity to substantiate your information.  Like the discount handbag, it will get you by for a while!

A preapproval is a written commitment from a lender or mortgage broker to finance your home purchase up to a specific amount. This indicates that the lender has scrutinized your financial history including employment verification, rental history, credit reports, pay stubs, W-2’s, tax returns, etc.  Preapproval indicates to sellers that you are a pre-screened, serious home buyer. Once you have obtained a preapproval, you can shop with confidence, knowing that your odds of obtaining your desired loan are good.

**It’s important to note that neither a prequalification or preapproval letter is a guarantee that you will be given the loan.  Even with the preapproval, there are certain details like a finalized sales contract, inspections, and appraisals that must come into play prior to the bank’s funding your new loan. 

Don’t hesitate to give me a call if you’re ready to take that all important, first step to becoming a homeowner:  getting prequalified.  You will surprised at how quick and painless it is!!  It would be my pleasure to match you to a lender, one that both you and I can trust to provide you with the information you need to get you on your way to buying Chico, California real estate!  I can be reached at 530-864-5407.

You can also visit me on The Pink Couch!  My new Chico CA real estate blog.  Search for all Chico MLS listings, and find lots of additional real estate information.

It’s important to be preapproved BEFORE you start searching for a Chico, CA home

Time is always of the essence. There’s no use fooling around doing things the hard way when you can go straight for the gold. By investing a very minimal amount of time before you start shopping for a house, you will save yourself immeasurable time and grief later. Trust me.

1. If you don’t get preapproved, how do you know what price range you should be shopping in? There is nothing worse than spending months looking for the PERFECT house, only to find out later that you can’t make it work financially. Save yourself the pain- don’t guess!

2. It’s best to try to keep your Realtor happy! Like you, she’s busy. The last thing she wants to do is spend endless hours trying to find you a house that you can’t afford. To get the most attentive, personalized service from your Chico, CA Realtor, make sure that you’re ready to pass “GO”. Provide her a preapproval letter so that she knows what your ideal price range is. You will find that she will be dedicated and expedient in exposing you to all of your options, thereby saving YOUR time.

3. Make yourself more appealing to the seller of your dream home! When you put an offer on a house, one of the first things the seller will want to know is whether or not you can afford it! The seller will be less excited about accepting your offer if there is a question about your loan getting approved. After all, he doesn’t want to pull his home off the market only to find out 30 or 60 days later that your loan won’t go through. He would be jeopardizing his chances of securing another buyer.

Also, consider this: If the seller were to receive 2 identical offers, with one buyer being preapproved and the other NOT, which buyer do you think will ultimately have their offer accepted? Of course! The buyer with the preapproval letter.

Call me, Sandi Bauman, today at 530-864-5407 for assistance in getting preapproved for your Chico, CA real estate purchase. I can put you in touch with a lender immediately to get the ball rolling.

Getting preapproved is the best thing you can do to get started on the path to home ownership!

Visit me on The Pink Couch to begin your search for a lender and Chico, CA real estate!  Browse every listing in the Chico MLS and view my featured listings.

The Pink Couch aims to be the blog of choice for the Butte County and Chico, CA real estate market.  

We're hoping you will check back often (or better yet subscribe) to receive updates and valuable information on Chico CA real estate and surrounding areas.  You will also find tips on buying and selling Chico property, Chico area photos, Chico lenders, foreclosures, and local Chico businesses.  Search for property listings, or request a market evaluation on your property!

After much ado, The Pink Couch has finally gone live! 

That is NOT to say we don't have issues...  we do.  Lots of 'em.  I was hoping to have it all prettied up before I shared it with everybody, but things are taking a little bit longer than I anticipated.  (That tends to happen when you don't have a clue about writing web pages and all that tricky technical stuff).  Thanks, in advance, for your patience! 

 
Sandi Bauman
ABR, e-Pro Certified
Chico Homes
cell:  530-864-5407   fax:  530-899-7425
http://www.chicohomesearch.net

Subscribe to the Pink Couch here!

1563 Montgomery Street  Oroville, CA  95965  Butte County 

I just thought I would share...  I happened to drive by one of my listings last week in Oroville, CA and had to turn around so I could get a picture!   The tenants in this four-plex did a spectacular job of dressing up their home for Halloween.  So good, in fact, I had to go uncover my sign so that people still knew it was for sale!

This four-plex is a spectacular opportunity for someone looking for investment property.  The current owner has done a fabulous job upgrading and maintaining the property.  It's not often you see a building built in 1902 look this clean!

All units are occupied.  The front includes a welcoming front porch, and fully fenced yard.  In the back you will find additional parking and a coin-op laundry.  4216 square feet total.   Located close to downtown, it is in an ideal location with new building and revitalization projects on similar historic homes.

The seller has added new siding, some dual pane windows, new carpeting, paint, and tile flooring.

Price?  Only $370,000.