California requires a seller to disclose six specific natural hazards, and two of them are flood-related. Civil Code section 1103.2 names them: a FEMA special flood hazard area, an area of potential flooding after dam failure, a very high fire hazard severity zone, a wildland fire risk area, an earthquake …

Brentwood does not require a sewer lateral inspection or compliance certificate to close escrow. The East Bay program that does require one covers Alameda, Albany, Emeryville, Oakland, Piedmont, El Cerrito, Kensington and the Richmond Annex. Brentwood is not in it, is not in EBMUD's service area at all, and has …

In Dougherty Valley, "Mello-Roos" is often used as a catch-all, but most of the extra charges on the tax bill are something else. A typical bill can carry a county service area charge, a geologic hazard abatement district assessment, a school parcel tax and, in parts of Windemere, a true …

Clayton's wildfire map changed in 2025, and it now shapes three parts of a sale: the disclosure, a defensible space inspection and the insurance quote. Under the new local maps, adopted by the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District and effective July 10, 2025, much of Clayton is classified as …

Brentwood has dozens of landscape and lighting assessment districts, and unlike Mello-Roos, none of them triggers a standardized warning notice when a home is sold. California Civil Code section 1102.6b requires that notice for Mello-Roos special taxes, 1915 Act bond assessments and PACE. It does not reach assessments formed under …

If you buy a home in parts of Concord, one line in the Natural Hazard Disclosure report will say "Notice of Airport in Vicinity." It refers to Buchanan Field, the county-owned general aviation airport on Concord's western edge, and it is required by state law for any property inside the …

A PACE loan feels like part of the tax bill, which is exactly why it surprises sellers in escrow. PACE financing for solar, windows, roofs or HVAC is repaid through an assessment on the property tax bill, secured by a lien on the home. Most buyers' lenders will not fund …

The Zestimate is a useful starting point, but it is not a price. Zillow says so itself: it is "not an appraisal," and for homes that are not listed for sale, its own nationwide median error is 7.20 percent. That means half the time the Zestimate is within 7.20 percent …

Every home in Discovery Bay depends on levees most buyers never think about. The community sits on the Byron Tract, protected by 19.2 miles of levees maintained by Reclamation District 800. Those levees shape the flood map, the flood insurance conversation, and a line on every property tax bill.

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Downsizing in Contra Costa starts with getting clear on the life you want next, then working backward to the right home and a smart plan to sell the one you have. Whether you are trading a large family home for something easier to maintain or moving into an active-adult community, …