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The conventional wisdom is that when you remodel your home, whatever you do, for the love of all that is sacred, save your receipts. And this is not a “save them until tax time” recommendation; it’s a “save them until you sell the place” mandate! The money you invest into improving your home over time gets added to your purchase price, or cost basis, when you sell, bringing down the amount the IRS considers to be profit or gain and reducing your chances of incurring capital gains tax. (Single homeowners can realize $250,000 of “gains” above the cost basis of their home tax-free; married couples, $500,000.) This is no surprise to most homeowners.

Here’s where many homeowners go wrong: Remodeling projects can trigger local and state tax credits. This is especially true for home improvements that increase your home’s energy efficiency, from low-flow toilets and showerheads to dual-paned windows and insulation, even solar systems and tankless water heaters. If you’re remodeling and improving your home’s energy efficiencyat the same time, visit your state, county, and city websites to see what tax credits or other financial incentives you might qualify for. If you use a home equity credit line to finance your improvements (whether or not they are ecofriendly), chances are, you can deduct the interest from that loan (up to $100,000) on top of your home mortgage interest deduction. Again, don’t forget to mention this to your tax professional.

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The numbers don't lie; often well-staged homes can see faster sales and higher offers than their cluttered counterparts. The key is getting an early start on the process. By beginning the monumental task of clearing the clutter and doing a pre-pack now, you can reduce the stress of preparing for showings and make it easier to move when your home sells.

Try these five staging and organizing tips to help you reach a faster sale.

Purge From Top to Bottom — Do a proper sort and purge, getting rid of outdated clothing, duplicate items and rarely used gadgets. To keep this task from turning into a source of serious frustration, tackle one room (or even one drawer) at a time.

Pack Up Everything but the Essentials — Start pre-packing your home, storing non-essentials or out-of-season gear in the garage or off-site. The idea is to give potential buyers a sense of space, which can't be done if your home is overloaded with clutter.

Fix Glaring Problems — Remove out-of-style wallpaper, replace broken light fixtures, update cabinet and drawer pulls, and refresh dated window treatments. Simple fixes like these can make your home stand out from the competition.

Depersonalize — Remove family pictures and personal collections, and replace them with neutral artwork and simple accessories. The idea is to give potential buyers a neutral canvas so they can imagine their belongings in your home.

Go for Polished — Research the latest design trends and stage your house to match. Professional stagers recommend tailoring the design style to your target demographic. For example, if you're in a family neighborhood, style the bedrooms for children, even if none live in your home.

The numbers don't lie; often well-staged homes can see faster sales and higher offers than their cluttered counterparts. The key is getting an early start on the process. By beginning the monumental task of clearing the clutter and doing a pre-pack now, you can reduce the stress of preparing for showings and make it easier to move when your home sells.

Try these five staging and organizing tips to help you reach a faster sale.

Purge From Top to Bottom — Do a proper sort and purge, getting rid of outdated clothing, duplicate items and rarely used gadgets. To keep this task from turning into a source of serious frustration, tackle one room (or even one drawer) at a time.

Pack Up Everything but the Essentials — Start pre-packing your home, storing non-essentials or out-of-season gear in the garage or off-site. The idea is to give potential buyers a sense of space, which can't be done if your home is overloaded with clutter.

Fix Glaring Problems — Remove out-of-style wallpaper, replace broken light fixtures, update cabinet and drawer pulls, and refresh dated window treatments. Simple fixes like these can make your home stand out from the competition.

Depersonalize — Remove family pictures and personal collections, and replace them with neutral artwork and simple accessories. The idea is to give potential buyers a neutral canvas so they can imagine their belongings in your home.

Go for Polished — Research the latest design trends and stage your house to match. Professional stagers recommend tailoring the design style to your target demographic. For example, if you're in a family neighborhood, style the bedrooms for children, even if none live in your home.

San Diego County home prices reached their second-highest peak for 2015 in December, real estate data firm CoreLogic reported Tuesday.

The median home price rose 8 percent in the last 12 months to $475,000, CoreLogic said. The month-to-month increase was 1.5 percent.

The median home price for December also happened to be the second-highest since August 2007 when the median price was also $475,000. The median was $476,000 in June 2015.

Sales were also up. In December, 2,210 resale homes were sold — up 163 from the year before. There were 1,107 resale condo sales and 344 newly built homes sold.

A large spike in December sales is rare, and why it happened is open to debate.

Andrew LePage, CoreLogic research analyst, said the higher-than-normal increase could be attributed to lenders catching up with new requirements under TRID, or TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure Rule. The new requirement from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau went into effect on Oct. 3 and gives consumers three extra business days to review loan estimates but could lead to further delays.

It also could have contributed to the sluggish sales in November when the sales pace dropped 18.4 percent from October.

“While it’s normal for home sales to rise between November and December, the 33 percent gain between those two months in 2015 was more than double the typical, historical increase of about 14 percent,” LePage said of the Southern California market.

Cory Shepard, president of the Greater San Diego Association of Realtors, said local lenders were prepared for the changes, and the sales increase can be attributed to low mortgage interest rates and buyers trying to get end-of-the-year tax write-offs.

“We didn’t see a lot of transactions slow down by TRID,” he said. “It was a non-event for us. … In my opinion, it would not account for the strong sales.”

In the last 12 months, Orange County median sale prices rose the most in the Southern California market at 8.2 percent to $630,000, CoreLogic said. It was followed by Los Angeles at 8.1 percent, San Diego at 8 percent, San Bernardino at 6.9 percent, Riverside at 6.7 percent and Ventura at 3.4 percent.

S.D. Union Tribune By Phillip Molnar | 6:33 p.m. Jan. 18, 2016

Discover the looks that will make your place ultra chic (and which ones have worn out their welcome).

Today, Zillow Digs announced the top home design trends for 2016, along with the three soon-to-be forgotten fads of 2015. Results were based on a survey of leading interior design experts and trending photos on Zillow Digs.

So what will be 2016’s hottest design trends? Check out the surprising results!

Make sure you have a sense of how you measure up in these four key ways before you start the house hunt.

When it comes to deciding on a home to purchase, the list of things to consider can be lengthy. But while you might be comparing square footage, finishes, and neighborhoods, mortgage lenders are looking at the specific numbers that make up your financial picture with the same discerning eye.

These numbers will not only impact your ability to buy that home for sale in Santa Fe, NM, but they will also measure your buying power.

– See more at: http://www.trulia.com/blog/4-numbers-that-determine-your-buying-power/?ecampaign=con_cnews_digest&eurl=www.trulia.com%2Fblog%2F4-numbers-that-determine-your-buying-power%2F#sthash.R7cpjbqY.dpuf

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Best Wishes in 2016!

Strong El Nino conditions are present and will likely contribute to significant storms this winter. To help make sure your home or business is ready for heavy rainfall, flooding and mudslides:

 – Check the roof and make repairs to prevent leaks. Seal all seams and the edges of roof flashing as well as around vent pipes.

– Clear debris from the rain gutters and drainage systems. Check to make sure gutters are pitched properly, sloping toward the downspout. If you have sub-surface drains around the house, remove the plastic cover, clean out all debris and flush the drain using a garden hose to clear any sediment.

– Stock up on sand bags to help divert water, mud and debris from your property and to prevent soil erosion.

–  Remove dead or diseased trees before rain-soaked soils make it easy for wind gusts to knock them down.

It's also important to update your emergency plan, practice it and keep your emergency kit & supplies stored in a dry place.

Visit the websites of the American Red Cross and SDG&E for more tips on preparing for storms.