New Safety Requirements for Southwest Riverside County Homeowners



Today we’ll talk about requirements for carbon monoxide detectors, smoke detectors, and water heater bracing. 

 A couple of years ago, California passed a law stating that carbon monoxide detectors are required in your home. If your home has an attached garage for your vehicle or you have any fossil fuel burning appliances like a gas furnace or heating oil stove, those things can emit carbon monoxide. 

 You need a carbon monoxide detector on each floor near the bedrooms in your home. This is required even if you’re not selling your home. If you have outlets in the hallway, just purchase the plug-in version of these detectors. Mount them low to the ground because carbon monoxide is a heavy gas.


If you have a newer home, you probably have a smoke detector in every bedroom and in all of the common areas. If you have an older home, you might not have smoke detectors in the bedrooms. Frequently on real estate transactions and re-fi's, appraisers and lenders now require smoke detectors to be in each bedroom.

 California passed a law recently that if you purchase a battery-operated smoke alarm, it has to have a non-replaceable, non-removable, ten-year battery. Some people take the batteries out when they start beeping and forget to replace them. This way, you are always protected. 

 Finally, water heater bracing has not changed much. Under the law, the water heater must be properly strapped. If you have a gas water heater, it’s very important to have the water heater strapped in. If that water heater fell over, not only would you have a lot of water damage on your hands, but you would also have to deal with a gas leak.
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Location: Canyon Lake, TX, USA

Buyers and Sellers Should Be on the Alert for This Scam



Today, we’re going to talk about a scam that has been happening more frequently during real estate transactions. We’re seeing it show up a lot in Southern California.

Hackers will break into an email address to try to get information on a recent real estate transaction. Typically, they look for the closing date and the real estate agent’s email address. After creating a similar email address that may be off by one number or letter, they then send a message to the buyer asking for funds to be distributed to a specific account.

Usually, these hackers say that this account is for closing funds, or that the wiring instructions have changed. They make it look like a legitimate email from the agent. The money doesn’t go to escrow or to the settlement company like it’s supposed to. Instead, it goes to the hacker.


You have to be very careful about this. There are a couple things you should keep in mind. First, always use basic security with your email accounts. Change the password often, use difficult passwords, and don’t use the same password for multiple accounts. Secondly, keep in mind that wiring instructions will come from your escrow or title company, not your agent.

You usually get wiring instructions when you sit down to sign your closing paperwork, so if you get a random email during the transaction about wiring funds, that should be a red flag. Don’t reply to the email and don’t wire any funds. Instead, call your agent or the title company to confirm that they legitimately sent you that message.

If you have any questions, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!
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Location: Riverside County, CA, USA
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