whe must a house be fumigated

I received a call recently asking if

it was a law that a house be fumigated in California.

The short answer is no.

Okay then how often does a house need a fumigation?

Short answer, only when the house has too many wood destroying bugs to locally treat for them. Here's what I found on the pest control boards web site.

When drywood termites or wood boring beetles are found, does the structure always have to be fumigated?

No. Fumigation is not always required for treating drywood termites and wood-boring beetles. Fumigation is an all-encompassing treatment in which the gases permeate the entire structure, eradicating both visible infestations and termites that are otherwise inaccessible. If only a small area is infested, local applications may be used. The inspector will decide which treatment is necessary. You should be aware that the localized treatments will not eradicate hidden infestations elsewhere in the building.

Will fumigation eliminate all the termites and pests in the structure?

No. Subterranean termites require separate treatments to create a barrier between the structure and their nest in the ground. Under ideal conditions, the target pest will be dead or obviously dying by the end of the fumigation. Drywood termites can remain alive as long as a week after a lethal dose of a fumigant. Lethal doses vary for different pests, depending on the fumigant used. It is possible for household pests (such as spiders or cockroaches) to survive a fumigation.

So what are my alternatives?

Are there alternative methods to fumigation?

There are several alternatives for localized chemical treatments. There are, however, only two methods for whole-house eradication of drywood termites: fumigation and whole-house heat treatment. Other methods such as electro gun, microwave, and freezing with liquid nitrogen are local or spot treatments designed to eradicate termites in a specific area. These methods are not intended for whole house eradication and therefore are NOT alternatives to fumigation. The University of California, Berkeley, conducted a study for SPCB on these methods. A free, condensed version of the study is available on SPCB’s Web site, www.pestboard.ca.gov/howdoi/research.shtml.

First time buyer affordability; from the Cal. Assoc. of Realtors CAR.org

Housing Affordability Index - First-Time Buyer C.A.R.'s First-time Buyer Housing Affordability Index (FTB-HAI) measures the percentage of households that can afford to purchase an entry-level home in California. C.A.R. also reports first-time buyer indexes for regions and select counties within the state. The Index is the most fundamental measure of housing well-being for first-time buyers in the state. Download the complete historical series: XLS First -Time Buyer Housing Affordability Index Methodology 2014 Q3 First-time Buyer Housing Affordability Index STATE/REGION/COUNTY Q3 2014 Q2 2014 Q3 2013 CA SFH (SAAR) 52 53 54 CA Condo/Townhomes 61 61 63 Los Angeles Metropolitan Area 55 55 57 Inland Empire 68 68 71 S.F. Bay Area 44 42 45 r US 75 75 74 S.F. Bay Area Alameda 42 40 44 Contra-Costa (Central County) 43 43 45 r Marin 29 30 37 Napa 44 48 r 52 San Francisco 34 32 36 r San Mateo 34 33 36 Santa Clara 44 42 45 Solano 71 72 76 r Sonoma 53 53 r 56 r Source: CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® r – revised Note: The effective interest rate series previously used to calculate C.A.R.’s First-Time Buyer Housing Affordability Index (FTB-HAI) was discontinued in 2008. Beginning with this news release, the FTB-HAI will incorporate an effective interest rate that is based on the one-year, adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) from Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS). The effective rate accounts for both the one-year ARM rate and the points/fees as reported by Freddie Mac.

The job market is stronger With the recession behind us, more and more companies are adding new employees to the payroll. The unemployment rate has dropped 5.8 percent and 321,000 jobs were opened up in November. All of this work equates to improved consumer optimism; The Conference Board's latest Consumer Confidence Index highlighted confidence weighing in at 19.5 percent higher than a year ago. As jobs continue to stabilize and moods lift, more potential homebuyers will enter the market as they become more eligible for a mortgage, and more capable of taking on those pesky mortgage payments. according to Zoe Eisenberg is RISMedia's Associate Editor. 17,000 jobs in April, pushing down unemployment rates to their lowest levels in nearly six years, according to the Mercury News. MLS reprots an 18% raise in home prices in San Mateo County.

CALIFORNIA HOME PRICES RISE

HOME PRICES RISE YEAR OVER YEAR IN SEPTEMBER Home prices nationwide, including distressed sales, increased 5.6 percent in September 2014 compared to September 2013, according to the September CoreLogic Home Price Index report. This change represents 31 months of consecutive year-over-year increases in home prices nationally. On a month-over-month basis, home prices nationwide, including distressed sales, dropped 0.1 percent in September 2014 compared with August 2014.

Re-post from CAR

Bill to Stop Tax on Loan Modifications Passes Legislature – updated 7/17/14 If the principal on your mortgage was reduced with a loan modification new legislation may lower taxes. The Legislature has passed AB 1393 (Perea), a bill that will prevent homeowners from being charged state income tax when they’ve had a mortgage loan modified to reduce the principal. Under current law, the forgiven debt created by a reduction in principal as a result of a loan modification isn’t subject to federal income tax, but is currently taxable under state law. The bill has been passed by the state Legislature and awaits the Governor’s signature. If signed, it will become effective immediately and is retroactive to January 1, 2014. This is great news for homeowners.

Historic Low for Young Adult Home Ownership Rate *

Young Americans are putting off home buying at unprecedented levels. The home ownership rate for the Millennial generation age group has fallen to its lowest level since the U.S. Census Bureau started tracking home ownership by age in 1982. The home ownership rate in the first quarter of 2014 for Americans 35 and under fell to 36.2 percent, dropping from 36.8 percent in 2013. Broken down even further, Americans in the 25-29 age group had the biggest decline in home ownership rates at 33.3 percent, followed by 47.5 percent for the 30-34 age group. Granted, home ownership for all age groups has fallen to 64.8 percent, the lowest level since 1995. But Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C., says that high student loan debt and sluggish unemployment are added elements that are keeping many young Americans on the sidelines. “The labor market for younger people remains pretty bad. Obviously you’re worse off without a college degree, but for people with college degrees, if they have a regular job, often it’s not paying very well and often they are jobs that pay just as well for people who have just a high school degree,” Baker says. “They also have a lot of debt. So it’s not surprising that people in their late 20s or early 30s are less likely to buy a home than what might have been the case 20 or 30 years ago.” The unemployment rate for those ages 20-24 is 12.4 percent, according to March data from the Bureau of the Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate for Americans 25-34 years old is 7 percent, compared to the national average unemployment rate of 6.7 percent. “Those stories you hear about people in their 20s or early 30s living with mom and dad, those aren’t just stories, and if people don’t move out, they’re not going to buy a house again because we’re still in the after effects of the worst financial crisis in 75 years,” said David Wessel, senior fellow of economic studies at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. * Source: “Homeownership for Millennials Declines to New Lows,” U.S. News & World Report (April 30, 2014)

2013 was the strongest real estate market in San Mateo county, since 2007. In fact, it appears to not have abated into 2014, as it normally would have. Here are a couple of graphs to bolster this statement.