Appraisers or Inspectors Archives • Steve + Heather Ostrom

Where did the Appraisal Go? Steve Ostrom and Dara Delgado discuss why some files have buyer appraisal waivers

You’re a buyer and your offer just got accepted – congratulations!

You are being the best buyer ever and you have all your remaining requested information over to your loan person, and now you’re informed you have the option for an appraisal waiver … what’s that all about?

REALTOR Steve Ostrom with Coldwell Banker Realty in Roseville, CA sits down with the mortgage broker, Dara Delgado with Dara’s Loans to review why some files might see the option of an appraisal waiver and what could possibly be some of the variables that create this scenario.

We also touch on why you may NOT want an appraisal waiver as a buyer.

Each buyer scenario is unique with inherent risks any party is willing to take on or forego the option of an appraisal waiver. There may be strategic maneuvers when a buyer may choose to state that they may have an appraisal waiver to increase the appeal of their offer, but as always, you should always review in detail, the pros and cons of your unique situation to understand all risks and possible benefits.

We do encourage you discuss these items with your lender in advance of going into contract and be sure to include your buyer’s agent in this conversation. Never rush into any financial decision without research and having your questions and concerns answered.

To discuss your unique scenario as a buyer (or seller that will be in this scenario) – give Real Estate Agent, Steve Ostrom a call or text 916-308-2446 or click here. **

To review loans and investments, give Dara Delgado a call / txt at 916-224-3327 or click here to visit Dara’s website. NMLS #249825 | CALIFORNIA – Mortgage Broker that can assist with refinances, purchases, and loans. **

*With all purchases / decisions – always consult your trusted financial, tax, or loan person before making any financial decision. All items mentioned here are for educational purposes only, not advice for your unique buyer or seller situation.

**Please identify yourself as a buyer or seller represented by a real estate agent. We ethically must be respectful of all current real estate relationships, including buyer broker agreements in place. Your representation must be the party answering contractual questions*

This video was filmed in January 2026

REALTORs® Steve & Heather Ostrom

Roseville & Rocklin Real Estate

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APN Placer County Assessor's Website Searching Tax Bills

View Past Property Tax Bills in Placer County

2 Comments / Appraisers or Inspectors, Buyer Information, First-Time Home Buyers, Real Estate Education, Seller Information, Videos / Heather Ostrom

View a Property’s Past Tax bill

We’re often asked about past property taxes for a home they’re interested in buying and seeing the breakdown of those taxes (including questions about Mello-Roos)

We can help you find the info and answers to your questions! As a reminder, you should ALWAYS contact the Placer County Tax Collector’s Office 530-889-4120 or the Placer County Assessor’s Office at 530-889-4300. Or call them for any detailed tax related questions about the property.

All parties on this post are to verify all information found here. Agents cannot verify tax amounts with any property due to liability reasons.

**For Placer County ONLY**

How to VIEW a Past Property’s Tax Bill

First, head to the Placer Assessor’s Office website – click here

The link above will take you to the Placer County Assessor’s Official Website Page for Property Details Research (you should see an image similar to below)

Once you agree to the “terms of the Placer County Assessor’s website” (check box) it will take you to the image below.

Warning: if you have pop-up menus disabled on your web browser, you may have to enable them temporarily

This pop-up window will include a drop-down menu option (see screengrab below) with options to either enter the property’s APN (assessor parcel number) OR the property’s address.

Enter your info and voila, you’re done! Now just hit “View Details” and it will take you to the property profile. FYI: the property info page will default to “property info,” but you will have the option to toggle to a second column called “Roll Values.”

Our Placer County Web Designer likes to change things constantly (including links), so I apologize if any of the links above are broken (it is frustrating for us too). I do try to check this post frequently for broken links.

Updated 1/13/26.

Black Widows, Buzzing Wasps, and Beetles – OH MY!

Appraisers or Inspectors, Buyer Information, First-Time Home Buyers, Home Safety, Real Estate Education, Seller Information, Videos / Heather Ostrom

So perhaps you’re considering regular pest service … or maybe you just need one-shot to get rid of wasps. Black widows are another item we see often in our area. They’re the shiny, eight-legged vampires of the night – you won’t always see them during the day, but look out once the sun is down. Okay, I know … that’s not nice that I am typing this and freaking you out (bleegggh, they freak me out)

The reason we love working with Zack is he’s a good person, that knows and loves what he does, and helps home owners with their pest problems. And he always has an idea for how to tackle pest problems.

Sometimes one visit takes care of items, but sometimes the right solution is on-going service.

So listen in to what options you have with regular or one-shot pest service.

Also one other thing to mention, if you’re considering putting your home on the market for sale, a clear pest (WDO / wood destroying organism) report is a great thing for a listing agent to have or know about, so be sure to mention to your listing agent (but of course, that’s us … right?) * wink wink *

Visit Finley Home Services: Termite and Pest Control Website 916-741-2847 (BUGS) or info@finleyhomeservices.com

REALTORs® Steve & Heather Ostrom

Roseville & Rocklin Real Estate

Call

Buyers

Sellers

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wood destroying organism wdo report termites ostroms

Sellers: How Should I Prepare for a Pest Inspection?

1 Comment / Appraisers or Inspectors, Buyer Information, First-Time Home Buyers, Real Estate Education, Seller Information, Videos / Heather Ostrom

Californians: so your property just went into escrow and your inspection period has started.

Sellers are you ready? Is your home ready? Do you know what’s going to happen?

If you watch the video below, you might be thanking us. This is a great preparation video for sellers that are expecting their pest / WDO inspection to be happening once in contract (wood destroying organisms).

Avoid last minute scrambling, moving items in your garage, cutting back bushes, and most importantly … avoid an unnecessary re-inspection (nobody likes paying for a “re-inspection fee” to gain access to spots that couldn’t be accessed on the original inspection).

Watching this video before you go active on the real estate market and then you’ll be ready for when that great offer comes across for you to accept!

Watch Steve Ostrom and Zack Finley review the important items to be ready for in a pest inspection.

You’re going to love the great tips from Zack Finley of Finley Home Services: Termite and Pest Control. You’ll be ready to go for your pest inspection and less stressed.

More tips:

Before ANYTHING, Buyers, talk to your real estate agent about timelines and who’s paying for “what inspections” (this is not advice that overrides your trusted real estate agent’s opinion / representation)
Before doing ANY repairs – always verify your contractor is licensed (active) and bonded before any inspection or review or repair is conducted. DIY can get you into trouble and be aware, for a clearance that’s needed contractually, you will likely have to still pay a pest inspection group to come out for a “clearance” report. Also, be aware with you doing the work, you are the one liable for how the work was executed. Also make sure the contract does not state, “To be completed by a professional with receipts to be provided.” If you think you’re immune to this, we can share some horror stories. Again, consult your trusted agent and representation before doing anything.
Pest inspectors: ask for recommendations from your agent or friends. We have enjoyed Zack Finley with Finley Home Services in the past, but please do your research online for reviews and see who makes the most sense for your situation.
Ask about pricing for inspections (in advance vs. through escrow) – it may be cheaper to pay on-site or in advance.
Verify repairs include primer paint and re-paint fee (you’ll need to have your paint on-site and ready to roll) – this is one that catches folks the most off-guard. Getting the repairs and only have the primer wood exposed. It typically does NOT include a repaint of the original matching paint, primer only.

As with any choice in vendors – please do your research as it only takes one new hire to ruin the reputation of a company. Yelp and Google Maps Business are two of our favorites, but also – the Facebook Neighborhood groups can be a great resource to hit up that “search button” for recommended inspectors. FYI, not all regular service pest groups do “WDO inspections” (the correct name for a pest inspection is a WDO Report)** so if you ask, let them know it’s for a real estate transaction.

Questions – don’t hesitate to ask for our help or give us a call 916-308-2446

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Being Prepared for the Appraiser

3 Comments / Appraisers or Inspectors, Real Estate Education, Videos / Heather Ostrom

REALTOR Steve Ostrom talks with Appraiser Ryan Lundquist about the agent perspective and the appraiser perspective about an agent meeting the appraiser at the property, at the time of appraisal with paperwork on comparables (called comps) and giving insight to those comparables which may not be readily available on the internet or know because a home may not have been on the market that long.

Ryan also explains his thoughts, on the best approach, what to say and what not to do as an agent … it gives sellers a good perspective on what we do as listing agents, but also what we as agents, are dealing with when approaching an appraiser. Each appraiser is different and will have a different take on the listing agent meeting the appraiser to discuss comps …

Give us your thoughts? What do you think?

Thanks Ryan for your interview, as always! It’s always great to get another person’s perspective so we can stay fine tuned.

Ryan Lundquist
ryan@lundquistcompany.com
TEL: 916-595-3735
FAX: 916-361-1964
@SacAppraiser on Twitter
FB – https://www.facebook.com/SacramentoAppraiser

Coldwell Banker Sun Ridge • 4011 Woodcreek Oaks #110 Roseville 95747

Visit our Real Estate Educational Library – RosevilleAndRocklin.com

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