Posts by : Oscar Castillo

Nowadays you hear a lot about people moving “out” of California for various reasons such as the (A) high cost of living, (B) high taxation (C) high home prices.

With that said, the fact is… there is many a people moving to California. San Diego nicknamed “America’s Finest City” tends to be one of the favorite cities people chose to relocate to within all of California.

Below are some of the reasons as to why one chooses to move here:

(1) The reality is it’s a beautiful place to call home. San Diego is famous for its warm climate, beautiful parks, gardens, museums, art galleries and many miles of beach shoreline. Because of its great weather, on weekends there is a var...

Light Bulb types - can save you money.

With the push toward conservation of energy, many homes are becoming more-and-more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. With that said, a homeowner will integrate the “saving money” factor with decisions to purchase and install any energy saving products such as solar panels, electric cars and yes - light bulbs.

Lightbulbs, although simple and small, can add-up to a good size monthly savings. This of course depends on which type of bulb you choose to utilize and for what purpose.

Years ago, we had only one choice of light bulb – the incandescent. However, today we have the option of purchasing various types of light...

Solar powered roof tiles & types

On October 28, 2016 Tesla owner Elon Musk unveiled its new product - Solar roof tiles.

Keep an open-mind because this product could indeed very well be the future of harvesting energy from the sun. The roof tiles are actually made of "textured/tempered glass". From most viewing angles these tiles will look just like ordinary roof tiles, but Tesla's tiles will allow light to pass through onto a standard flat solar cell.

Tesla says the tempered glass is “tough as steel,” and can weather a lifetime of abuse from various weather conditions. The tiles can also be fitted with a heating element to melt snow in colder climates. “It’s n...

If you are thinking of going Solar, an important item you will need to consider is what of the type of “inverter” you plan to install. Inverters are the most important part of any solar powered system.  ♦Think of it this way…. if solar panels are the body, then the inverters are the brains.

The inverter converts the variable direct current (DC) output from the photovoltaic (PV) solar panels to the alternating current (AC) which feeds your home with electricity for any lighting and appliance daily use. Any excess of the utility frequency alternating current (AC) can also be sent/fed to a commercial electrical grid and/or sent to your systems provider local off-grid...

When estate planning, most all families want to keep their home and assets out of probate. If you own property jointly with your spouse or someone else, it's a simple matter to hold title in a way that lets the survivor inherit without having to go through probate. But if the property is in your name alone, your two main options to avoid probate are to create and utilize a Living Trust or a Transfer-on-Death Deed.

This Transfer-on-Death Deed (TODD) is also known as “Transfer on Death (Beneficiary) Deed”. The TODD allows an owner of real property to execute a deed that names a beneficiary who is to obtain title to the subject property upon the owner's death – again t...

Many homeowner's are utilizing "pressure treated" wood for pergola's (patio cover/arbor) and are very satisfied with this product. Here in Southern California homeowners experience unwanted "termites" visiting their homes and they feast themselves on the wood (ie: eaves, fascia, window trim etc.) of any home they happen to select to gnaw on. Using pressure treated wood on pergolas or other areas of your home is a great defense against termite infestation.

Yes, pressure treated wood does have indentations (many lined tiny holes) on the surface of the wood beams or posts. But when you know this type of treated wood will last a lot longer than non-treated wood and is ter...

One of the easiest ways to keep your dryer running efficiently and not overheating it is to clean out its lint trap and screen plus the vent periodically. (Lint is the common name for visible accumulations of textile fibers and other materials, usually found in all clothes and in those fresh smelling fabric softener dryer sheets).

Over time lint will build up in these areas and prevent your dryer’s “air flow” from moving around in the most efficient manner. If this cleaning is not done periodically, this will cause your dryer to work harder, heat up, use more energy and possibly start a fire. (Appliance repair technicians usually recommend cleaning the lint screen afte...

Condominiums, Townhomes and Planned Unit Developments (PUD’s), are somewhat similar dwellings and at a quick glance they all look like Condo’s, but each are different in regards to ownership. Knowing the differences is important if you are thinking of buying one of these properties. Here is a brief explanation of each.

(1) a Condominium is a form of ownership which involves a separation of property such as the common area and what belongs to the individually owned unit. Each owner holds the fee simple interest to his or her individual unit – which consists only of the airspace (that is within the walls of your unit) – and also the owner will share in a percentage of t...