STOCKTON - David Midura, a 49-year-old real estate developer and manager, was appointed with near unanimity Thursday night to the Stockton Unified School District board seat that became vacant when Sara Cazares died April 20.

STOCKTON - David Midura, a 49-year-old real estate developer and manager, was appointed with near unanimity Thursday night to the Stockton Unified School District board seat that became vacant when Sara Cazares died April 20.

The number of Sacramento-area homeowners who owe more than their homes are worth continued tumbling in the first three months of this year, real estate tracking firm Zillow reported Wednesday.

Local museums are where curiousity meets a vast wealth of knowledge. Whether visitors want to uncover the agriculture roots of the area, enjoy interactive science and wildlife exhibits, or even crave some football history during the offseason, at least one of these Central Valley museums can provide that information.

With clear Sierra streams flowing through the foothills, man-made reservoirs that stretch for miles and the meandering waters of the Delta nearby, Lodi is an angler’s dream.

(StatePoint) It’s not as easy to hide under layers of clothing during the summer. You’ll want to look your best in those shorts, t-shirts and bathing suits; as such, staying in shape is key.

As the spring selling season gets under way we find the market blooming with fragrant appreciation, fewer foreclosures, and fantastically low interest rates.

(StatePoint) Buying or selling a home in today’s real estate market? Go about it properly. From home inspections to home improvement, take your advice from leading experts.

(BPT) - For years, the real estate market has been a buyer’s world, with ample inventory, fewer qualified buyers, and highly motivated (read: desperate) sellers. This spring, some signs are pointing to a shift back toward a seller’s market. If you’re shopping for a home this spring and summer, chances are you’ll face increased competition from other buyers.

Updating the outside of a home pays off, according to this year’s Cost vs. Value Report according to Remodeling magazine and the National Association of Realtors.

(NAPSI)—In the past, selling your home for sale by owner (FSBO) meant trying to reach buyers on your own by posting a yard sign or running a classified ad. With over 80 percent of buyers using agents to find homes, however, FSBO sellers were locked out of “the club” because they could not get on the agents’ Multiple Listing Service (MLS) or on popular sites like Realtor.com. Without hiring a full-commission agent, FSBO sellers’ chances of being seen by qualified buyers were slim.

In Lodi, home values are up. Foreclosures are down. And while it still has room for improvement, the city’s financial heath is getting better.

(BPT) - For most Americans your home is the biggest ticket item you will ever purchase. It’s no wonder that people can take months, and sometimes even years, to find the perfect home. When you walk into a house that’s on the market, many times the homeowner or real estate agent has “staged” it to ensure that you focus on the home’s greatest assets and overlook its flaws. Your job is to look past all that to see if this house is right for you.

Ups and downs in the current market and recent corporate and banking scandals have prompted many people to seek ways to have more control over their retirement funds. Self-directed IRAs allow consumers to use their knowledge and expertise to invest in assets beyond stocks, bonds and mutual funds. While self-directed IRAs provide a new way to grow retirement savings, they may not be the best option for everyone.

(BPT) - Want to sell your property quickly? Looking for your dream house? Are you hoping to get the best deal possible during the complex process of buying or selling a home? With so much money – and often, emotion – at stake, going it alone is generally not the best way to reach your goals. The secret for getting exactly what you want: Work with a savvy real estate agent.

(StatePoint) There’s a good reason why many people dream of owning a home. Homeownership offers benefits such as stable monthly payments and the opportunity to establish a sense of community.  It can also be a way to build equity over time. 

I hope you understand my humor in the headline today. Can you image what our parents would say if we told them just 20 short years ago that we’d have a shortage of homes, historically low interest rates, and lender rebates for buyers? It would have been unheard of.

(NewsUSA) - It's tempting to slack off on certain business ventures as the weather heats up, but we all know businesses don't get the luxury of a summer break.

We've had a promotion and a new hire here, and a related reassignment of beats. Like the staff at many papers, our reporters are now stretching to handle multiple coverage areas. I guess it relfects that cliche: Doing more with less. But our staff here is passionate about journalism and very hard-working.  I'm excited about these changes and how our staff has responded.

The Lodi housing market is going gang busters, but don’t just take my word for it. Take a look at the facts. As you can see, the average price per square foot in zip codes 95242 and 95240 have increased 21.8 percent over the last 12 months. This took us from $111 in March 2012 to $135 in March 2013. Never before has affordability been so well married to low prices to create such a romantic market.