Local guides
- Why Vallejo homes cost less than Benicia — and what you're actually tradingA Benicia resident who sells in Vallejo on the real price gap between the two towns: what the Benicia premium buys, what people get wrong about Vallejo, neighborhoods, and the commute.
- Closing and inspection costs in Vallejo: who pays whatWhat it costs to close on a house in Vallejo: the county and city transfer tax, who customarily pays for title and escrow in Solano County, and what each inspection runs.
- Assumable mortgages: how to take over a seller’s low rateHow assumable FHA, VA and USDA loans work for Benicia and Vallejo buyers and sellers: who qualifies, the equity gap, fees, timelines, and the seller’s release of liability.
- Property taxes, Mello-Roos and insurance in Vallejo: the real monthly costWhat a Vallejo house actually costs each month beyond the mortgage: how property tax is set after you buy, the supplemental bill, Mello-Roos on Mare Island, and insurance.
- What to check before you buy a house in VallejoVallejo's sewer lateral rule changed in July 2025, PACE liens ride on the property tax bill, and permit history is public. Four things that are cheap to check before you're in contract and expensive to find after.
Benicia, Vallejo & Solano County
- Benicia votes November 3 on a property transfer tax — who pays, who's exempt, and what failed before
- Valero's Benicia refinery is idled. Here's what that means for property owners — now and when those 900 acres finally open.
- Vallejo rewrites its ADU rules — council adopts ordinance Sept. 9, parking exemptions now in effect
- Vallejo Planning Commission unanimously advances first inclusionary housing ordinance — rentals over 10 units now face affordable-unit mandate
- Mare Island's Connolly Corridor is on hold — and the sewer fight explains why
- Mare Island Company acquires the dry dock — and bids for a federal shipbuilding designation
- Solano County agents push back on over-assessments — and the assessor acknowledged the problem
- Fairfield's largest employer shut off the taps in February — now 170 acres on I-80 is for sale
- California Forever's 2026 Sacramento push closes without a bill. The Suisun City stakes: EIR, LAFCO, and a 2027 retry.
Myths, checked
- “Is the housing market going to crash?” No. Here’s what the 2026 data says.
- “California is switching to tiered home pricing.” No — it always behaved that way.
- “Always demand seller concessions.” Bay Area data says: ask a local, not an algorithm.
- “2016 was the best time to buy.” The math says: true. Also irrelevant.
- “Prices hit a record as residents flee.” Both true. Not the same people.
- 'Pay with OpenAI stock' went viral. Not a single deal actually closed that way.
- No, agents aren't getting fined $250 per virtual staging photo — that's a different rule
- That 'available' Bay Area apartment on TikTok? The owner doesn't know it's listed.
California housing law
- Newsom signed all six YIMBY housing bills — four directly cut the red tape that slows construction in Solano and the Bay Area
- Signed: Two detached ADUs now legal on a single-family lot, fee penalty on larger units cut — both take effect January 1, 2027
- Your city can't make you live on-site to build an ADU — and hasn't since 2024
- If the city stalls your building permit, a new law lets you force it through
- The real rent-notice rule: 90 days for an increase over 10% — not 5%
- SB 838 isn't what it sounds like — it closes a hotel loophole, not a city's veto
- Starting July 1: state law makes dense housing near transit stops by-right in eight California counties
- $11.25 billion in California housing money heads to voters in November — here's what's actually in it
- SB 457: counting 'in-kind services' toward housing goals
- California limits what cities can charge builders — potentially cutting up to $70,000 per unit from home-building costs
- California's builder's remedy got teeth in 2025 — and the holdout cities are finding out
- Cities scramble to comply with — or fight — the state housing law
- The biggest federal housing bill in a generation is now law — it took effect July 11, without Trump's signature.
- The “no income” borrower isn’t always a dead deal
Around the Bay & the state
- San Francisco just rezoned most of its residential land
- SF's number isn't $1,099 — it's about $1,150 a square foot, and it's up double digits
- San Francisco: AI money is pulling workers back, and supply can't respond
- San Joaquin: still waiting on the train that's supposed to justify the prices
- Newport Beach voters will decide whether to gut their own state-approved housing plan
- L.A. County let rent-gouging protections for fire survivors expire at the end of May. The county chose not to extend them.
Have a question about a specific house or street? Text me at (925) 307-8798 or schedule a call.