The best time to get a sense of the costs involved in home ownership is before you begin to look for one, especially since the “hidden costs” of owning a home can top $14,000 a year for the average U.S. homeowner and exceed $22,000 in pricey metros such as San Francisco and New York.

The sum — which pencils out to $1,180 a month for the average homeowner — includes utility bills, homeowners insurance and maintenance costs, according to an analysis by Zillow and Thumbtack, a home management platform that enables people to fix, maintain and improve their homes.

While most prospective buyers are familiar with big ticket items such as mortgage payments and property taxes, smaller costs add to the cost of owning a home. Taking them into account before you begin shopping can help prevent unpleasant surprises that strain or drain your finances.

What are the costs of owning a home?

“Understanding all the costs that come with homeownership can not only impact a buyer’s budget, but the type of home they shop for, too,” said Zillow® home trends expert Amanda Pendleton. “While a big backyard or a larger home may be appealing, it’s important to consider how much maintaining those spaces could cost. Buyers may want to consider affordable alternatives to single-family homes, or spend more upfront on a new-construction home that could need less maintenance in the near term.”

The total costs of home ownership are made up of purchase costs, ongoing fixed costs and maintenance expenses. The most common ongoing expenses include:

• Mortgage payments (principal and interest)
• Property taxes
• Insurance
• HOA dues (if applicable)
• Utilities
• Maintenance

Costs of homeownership by location

Of the top 39 metro areas analyzed, the locations with the highest hidden costs of ownership costs are San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles, which all came in at more than $22,000 annually. 

Locations with some of the least expensive annual hidden homeownership costs are Las Vegas ($9,886); Asheville, North Carolina ($11,318); and St. Louis ($11,824).

Home details that affect your homeownership costs

A few additional factors besides your real estate market can make your homeownership experience less or more expensive than the average, including: 

• Age of the home
• Home’s condition based on inspection and disclosures
• Location (affects both contractor costs and climate-specific maintenance)
• Materials used for build and subsequent renovations or repairs
• Home warranty

Ongoing fixed costs of owning a house

Once you buy a home and move in, you’ll start paying a set of ongoing fixed costs for as long as you own the home.

Monthly mortgage payments (principal & interest)

If you put 10% down on a typical U.S. home, valued at about $350,000, and financed the rest with a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage at 7%, here’s what the cost of borrowing would look like:

• Principal and interest: $2,096
• Private mortgage insurance: $155 (note that for many loans, you’ll only have to pay PMI until your equity in the home reaches 20%)
• Total monthly mortgage payment: $2,251

Property taxes

How much you’ll pay in property taxes depends on the tax rates where your home is located and how much your house is worth. Your property taxes are paid in a lump sum annually or biannually, either out of pocket or, more commonly, through your mortgage escrow account. 

Nationally, homeowners pay an average of $2,827 in property taxes annually. Metro New Yorkers pay the highest property taxes out of the 40 studied, averaging $9,145 a year. Pittsburgh metro homeowners average the lowest property taxes at $1,055 annually.

Homeowners’ insurance

Homeowners’ insurance generally covers repairs or replacement of your home and its contents if they are damaged by certain hazards such as fires or other natural disasters and is almost always required by your lender.

The cost of homeowners’ insurance will vary depending on your location, the type of coverage you’re buying and any discounts you might qualify for, and your insurer.

Broadly speaking, homeowners pay about 0.5% of their home’s value every year for insurance. So for the typical home, valued at about $350,000, you’d pay about $146 a month. The cost is likely to be higher in areas prone to hazards, and lower in the most affordable metros, such as Pittsburgh ($994 annually) and Cleveland ($1,087 a year).

Coverage for rebuilding or repairs after an earthquake or flood is usually not included in standard homeowners’ policies, so you may want to — or in the case of flood insurance, have to — buy a separate policy.

If you’re buying with a mortgage, the lender will typically roll the cost of insurance into the monthly mortgage payment and pay the premiums on your behalf.

Homeowner association (HOA) fees

If your home is part of a homeowner’s association, you’ll be responsible for paying monthly, quarterly or yearly dues. HOAs are more common in condominium, townhome or planned communities. 

Homeowner associations or HOAs are non-profit entities that can establish and enforce rules, provide basic services such as water and tend to the maintenance and repair of community amenities such as pools, roads and landscaping.

Commonly found in condominium, townhome and planned single-family home communities, HOAs are run by a board of homeowners and typically charge dues that you will be required to pay monthly or annually. Dues vary widely, and can change depending on the community needs. For instance, an association that has neglected maintenance or wants to undertake development of something such as a new park can raise dues or levy special assessments. 

Maintenance expenses of owning a home

“Just like you would visit a mechanic for regular tune-ups to help keep your car in good condition and avoid big bills, your home needs the same routine maintenance to ensure that everything is running smoothly,” said David Steckel, Thumbtack’s home expert. “Staying on top of annual home maintenance will not only increase the value of your home, but will also help prevent emergency repairs that can wreck a homeowner’s budget.”    

Maintenance costs are somewhat flexible because they may not impact every homeowner in the same way. For example, you could have to pay for lawn maintenance out of pocket or through your HOA or you may not have a yard to maintain. Although costs will vary, it’s helpful to get a feel for maintenance expenses. 

Maintenance and upkeep

Based on data from millions of home projects completed across the country, home maintenance and upkeep runs about $6,413 annually, according to Thumbtack. The list of projects on which the list is based is a long one that may or may not apply to your circumstances: 

• appliance maintenance 
• carpet cleaning 
• central air conditioning maintenance 
• deck staining and sealing 
• duct and vent cleaning 
• fireplace and chimney cleaning 
• full-service lawn care 
• gutter cleaning and maintenance 
• heating system maintenance 
• house cleaning 
• pressure washing 
• roof maintenance 
• sprinkler and irrigation system maintenance 
• tile and grout cleaning 
• tree trimming and removal 
• water heater maintenance
• window cleaning

The average cost of upkeep is highest in Los Angeles and Chicago, totaling $8,639 and $7,722 respectively. Meanwhile, homeowners in Pittsburg pay an average of $3,373 and those in Cleveland pay $3,747 a year to maintain their homes. 

Utilities

If you’re a first-time buyer, the cost of utilities could surprise you, especially if your previous rental home included utilities. Homeowners in Hartford, Connecticut, pay the highest utility bills, averaging $4,443 annually, according to the Zillow/Thumbtack research.

For homeowners in urban areas, utilities could include: 

• water and sewer
• garbage pickup 
• electric 
• natural gas 
• cable and internet

Rural utility costs could include: 

• water 
• septic repair and maintenance 
• garbage pickup 
• electric 
• propane 
• wood or wood pellets for heat 
• internet

Larger homes are likely to cost more to heat and cool, and older homes may be less energy efficient unless they’ve had new windows installed and/or the insulation upgraded.

Home repairs and cosmetic updates

Depending on the age and condition of the home, you’re likely to run into things you want to update or have to fix. 

Research and survey data from Zillow and home services website Thumbtack in 2021 shows that 65% of active shoppers are not looking for a fixer-upper. Yet the research found that the typical for-sale home could need nearly $30,000 worth of work, and that new homeowners should expect to spend $26,900 to make their new home move-in ready.

That’s substantially more than the $10,000 to $15,000 the average millennial surveyed by Thumbtack expects to pay for repairs and updates.

The most expensive project — evaluating, repairing or replacing heating and air conditioning systems — clocked in at a national average of $3,615.

New appliances

Everything in a home has a lifespan, and appliances are no exception. 

If you’re buying a newly built home, the appliances should be new and under warranty. If you’re buying a resale home, the need to replace or repair an appliance can vary widely depending on the age and condition of the appliances.

At a minimum, most appliances will run you several hundreds of dollars for the most basic models. Add bells and whistles, and you could be looking at thousands of dollars to replace a refrigerator. You also could have to pay for installation, a pricey proposition if it involves changes to electrical wiring or plumbing.

How to prepare for hidden costs

A good place to start is to determine how much you intend to put down on the purchase, and then see how much you’re prepared to spend on closing costs and improvements. 

A good rule of thumb is to have 1-4% of the home cost reserved for hidden costs.  

Complete a home inspection

Look to your home inspection for a preview of what to expect. The best way to get a handle on possible costs for repairs and upgrades is to have a home inspected before you make an offer to buy it.

A good inspector can assess electrical systems and plumbing, structural soundness and the condition of the roof — and some inspectors can offer price estimates for various repairs. Even seemingly small repairs add up, so knowing what your house may need in advance can help set expectations for your wallet. 

Once you have a handle on what repairs are needed, you can factor them into the cost of the house to determine the true cost of owning it, and compare the price to other homes that might not need as much work.

Set up an emergency fund

Home maintenance costs can be unpredictable. It’s smart to set aside 1-2% of your home’s value each year into an emergency fund, so that when those big-ticket repairs need fixing, you’ll already have the money set aside. 

Make a plan for improvements

Plan for updates. Think about what things would have to be done immediately, what could wait, and — if you’re handy, what you might be able to do yourself. Be realistic. Some home projects, such as painting the outside or remodeling the kitchen, can take a long time when you’re working and/or tending to your family.

Forecast repairs and replacements

Although it’s impossible to pinpoint exactly when something in your home is going to fail or need replacing, you can use the expected lifespan to prepare, both financially and mentally, for upcoming projects. If you’re buying an existing home, your home inspector will usually estimate the age of the appliances at the time of your purchase. Here are common lifespans, according to the National Association of Homebuilders and Consumer Reports: 

• Roof: 20-30 years, or 50+ years for slate or copper roofs
• Furnace: 18 years for a gas furnace, 15 years for electric
• Air conditioner: 15 years
• Oven/range: 15 years
• Refrigerator: 13 years
• Freezer: 11 years
• Washer/dryer: 10-13 years
• Dishwasher: 9 years
• Flooring: 10-100 years, depending on the material

Assess your appliances

Get to know your appliances. Ask your inspector to test the appliances during the home inspection, and ask your real estate agent to get the age of the appliances from the seller, along with typical cost of utilities in the summer and winter months.

Consider a home warranty

Research home warranties. A home warranty — which is a short-term service contract that helps home buyers cover the costs of repairing or replacing certain mechanical systems and applies during the first year of ownership, can take away some of the financial uncertainty. Depending on the level of coverage, home warranties typically cost between $300 and $800, and can usually be paid monthly or in a lump sum. You can ask the seller to pay for one or buy one yourself. 

Ask about HOA maintenance practices

Since HOA dues are fixed for the year, they should be easy enough to figure into the budget. To get a sense of how stable those costs are likely to be long term, ask for a copy of the HOA’s most recent three annual financial reports to see whether it is spending money on routine maintenance. HOAs that kick the can down the road can end up with expensive projects that require special assessments or hefty dues hikes.

Add up costs for maintenance

If you’re contemplating a home with a yard, for example, do a cold-eyed assessment of how much time and money you need and want to spend maintaining it. If you prefer to hire someone to do it, put that in your budget.

Remember: Your list doesn’t have to be exhaustive, but it should get you close to what you’re prepared to spend. Having that monthly cost in mind, can help you determine whether the home you want to buy fits your budget.

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It took months of work – between the City of San Francisco, Warner Bros., and the good folks at the Castro Theater – and featured many movie stars, starting with Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss. But the US premiere of “The Matrix Resurrections”, partly shot in San Francisco, on Saturday, December 18, was primarily a tribute to the visionary director Lana Wachowski.

Twenty-five years ago she and her sister Lilly Wachowski – then known as the Wachowski Brothers – had a Bay Area premiere of “Bound” in the historic Castro Film Palace during Frameline, the biggest LGBTQ + film festival worldwide. Lana, a transgender resident in San Francisco, who was directing this time alone, was determined to bring the latest chapter in the “Matrix” series to her favorite theater, which will be 100 years old next year.

“In high school, I struggled with my identity. I went to the movies with popcorn and sticky bottoms and it was a kung fu movie and I knew everything would be fine, ”she told the crowd. “I didn’t think I could become a Hollywood director. I didn’t think I could be a transgender woman and a director. “

Lana Wachowski comes to the premiere of “The Matrix Resurrections” at the Castro Theater. Photo: Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

The Castro demonstration of “Bound” helped her “imagine another outcome for my life,” she continued. And now: “I would like to say ‘thank you’ to this beautiful city, in which I fell in love with my wife 20 years ago.”

Karin Wachowski, who was in attendance, is an executive producer on the film.

Undoubtedly, the premiere of “The Matrix Resurrections” was a more gigantic affair than “Bound”. Castro Street was cordoned off in front of the theater and the security precautions were strict, even SWAT team members were stationed on the roof.

“It’s like the president is coming,” said a Castro employee.

A video was projected on the front of the theater and people unable to get tickets for the special screening could wait in a “fan zone” for Reeves and his cast to wave their hands and maybe sign autographs.

The crowd in the “fan zone” watches as the actors arrive. Photo: Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

Mayling Suazo was right at the front of the fan zone with books, magazines and a “John Wick 3” Blu-ray with Reeves. Suazo and her husband drove out of Sacramento that morning to get a seat, even though they didn’t have tickets, in hopes of getting Reeves’ attention.

“Maybe he’ll sign my album,” said Suazo.

Fans started gathering as early as 9 a.m. for the 7 p.m. event. Castro Theater owner Steve Nasser, whose grandfather built the theater, which opened in 1922, bought coffee for everyone who got there early.

“This is one of the biggest premieres we’ve ever had,” said Nasser. “It cuts right at the top with ‘Milk’ premiering,” he noted, referring to Gus Van Sant’s 2008 biopic, in which Sean Penn played San Francisco-based gay politician Harvey Milk.

Keanu Reeves arrives at the Castro Theater for “The Matrix Resurrections”. Photo: Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

The premiere and after-party, which included Waterbar and Epic Steak along the Embarcadero with nightly fireworks in the bay, was filled with celebrities: Reeves, Moss, Wachowski, Neil Patrick Harris, Yahya Abdul Mateen II from the Bay Area, Jonathan Groff, the new star Jessica Henwick, Jada Pinkett-Smith and son Jaden Smith, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and husband Nick Jonas, the Mayor of San Francisco London Breed and even former San Francisco Giants player Hunter Pence who spent the night with his wife Alexis Cozombolidis danced in the waterbar.

Wondering what the fireworks display is all about? It’s for the #Matrix US premiere in SF pic.twitter.com/kV3We05a8T

– Mariecar Mendoza (@SFMarMendoza) December 19, 2021

Speaking at the Castro’s opening address, Breed noted that “when The Matrix was filmed in San Francisco, Lana Wachowski committed herself to that city and committed to doing more.” That meant creating jobs, even for some local kids from Opportunities for All, a youth development program in San Francisco who served as paid interns.

Wachowski responded by thanking the mayor, who makes a cameo in the film, for “turning no to yes” during filming across town.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II at the screening of “The Matrix Resurrections” at the Castro Theater. Photo: Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

Reeves, who was particularly shy about public appearances, also enthusiastically thanked San Francisco on stage before quickly passing the microphone over to Moss, who was delivering one of the most moving speeches of the evening. Although in constant demand since her breakthrough with the first Matrix in 1999, which starred in two Marvel series – Jessica Jones and Daredevil – and many other film and television projects, she didn’t become the breakout star some have predicted.

“The Matrix Resurrections” should dispel all doubts: at 54 she still has it. In fact, her pairing with Reeves, 57, makes the film one of the few action franchises with a middle-aged romance.

Carrie-Anne Moss arrives for the premiere of “The Matrix Resurrections” at the Castro Theater. Photo: Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

“I didn’t know how much I needed to be Trinity again,” she said of her Matrix character. “I hope from the bottom of my heart that you love the film as much as I made it. It was such a nice experience with Lana and all the beautiful artists who made this film. “

“The Matrix Resurrections” (R) opens in theaters on Wednesday December 22nd.

The post Star-studded ‘Matrix Resurrections’ U.S. premiere in San Francisco a dream come true for director appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Now that the queer bars have reopened, the San Francisco LGBTQ + community has abundant evidence that zoom is a totally inadequate way to experience camaraderie and togetherness, and these are vital spaces that deserve our patronage and protection.

We also have substantial evidence that some of them play terrible music at full volume with no sense of taste or judgment, like a SoulCycle in Orinda.

Then there is Martuni’s, perhaps the only real piano bar in town, a kind of AAA team for cabaret singers who aim for the more upscale stage at Feinstein’s at the Nikko, along with professional musicians who let off steam. It’s not exactly a true queer bar, but a really mixed environment, the format of which attracts a large gay following. Located in this nether vortex, which is somehow not the Mission, the Hayes Valley, the Castro or the Lower Haight, it is also a beautifully lit room with a front and a back room, in which proper cocktail serving martinis in proper martini glasses deliver – not those little hearty things.

On a Thursday at the end of June, Martuni’s reopened after more than a year, less with fanfare than with fan favorites. Singer and pianist Joseph Magdalena III piloted the baby grand piano as singer after singer performed, with groups of smartly dressed people grinning everywhere. It’s not karaoke as there is no text screen or reverb on the microphone, and it was essentially a rite of worship for the Great American Songbook itself. At one point, Magdalena wore artificial insignia and sang “You’ll Be Back,” one of the numbers of King George III. from “Hamilton”.

San Francisco nightlife personality Maria Konner recently reopened Martuni’s.

Mariah Tiffany / Special on SFGATE

“I used to play here once a month,” said Maria Konner, the San Francisco nightlife personality, a few days before the Girl Shock release party, her memoir about her life on stage and sex reassignment. “This was the funniest place when I moved here 15 years ago, the epicenter of straight and queer people. It changed a little before COVID, got a little more mainstream. So I ask myself: Which butterflies will fly out of the COVID cocoon? “

“Maybe they want to explore a little more,” Konner continued as someone sang “Piano Man” by Billy Joel. “You spend a lot of time online looking for alternative things and maybe you want to come to a place like this, a place with some class. Not a dark, dirty club. “

Local food writer Omar Mamoon managed to make it into Esquire’s Best Bars in America for 2020, but whether or not such a list deserves an asterisk in a plague year, Konner is absolutely right that Martuni’s class is exemplary. Take the $ 12 namesake drink. Made with Smirnoff (if vodka) or Gordon’s (if gin), it is a reminder that “walktails” and other modifications to drinking culture from the COVID-19 era are a pale facsimile of what life should be. You can also be uplifted and have the Ultra-Martuni with Source One Vodka or Heritage Estate Juniper Grove Gin as well as a lemon drop or a Cosmo or one of half a dozen fruity martinis like watermelon or creamsicle.

The scene at the recently reopened Martuni’s, San Francisco’s only real piano bar.

Mariah Tiffany / Special on SFGATE

Cocktail server (and even a jazz singer) Rhonda Sauce quit her engineering job just hours before her shift. She had heard that the owner, Skip Ziobron, needed a little help reopening, so here she was.

She typically sings “The Life of the Party”, Idina Menzel’s song from “The Wild Party” as well as jazz standards like “You Turned the Tables on Me” or cbut, while performing at what she calls the best bar City is sticking to Sauce’s core task of giving people space. What percentage of customers order something that is not a martini because of their short tenure?

“Five percent,” she said. “And it’s usually after martinis, and they just want a nice, stiff scotch.”

Clinton Sienega (Dirty Vodka Martini) and Jimmy Kraft (apricot) were there to take part of that space.

The scene at the recently reopened Martuni’s, San Francisco’s only real piano bar.

Mariah Tiffany / Special on SFGATE

“Martuni’s was the first bar I ever went to. I was 19 and fell in love, ”says Kraft, a native of Novato who is now old enough to legally drink. “I’ve lived in town for five years and I’m a regular. I teach singing, saxophone and piano and I play. I just came here to let off steam. “

Kraft had been Sienega’s teacher after another City College singing teacher told her class to practice with Martuni. (“National cocktail bar as a course assignment” is a pretty glamorous homework, n’est-ce pas?)

“I was shaking the first night,” says Sienega. “I did this song from ‘My Fair Lady’, ‘On the Street Where You Live’, and there were several people up there who were so supportive and encouraging by the trembling voice. They got me rooted and I kept coming back. Then I soon became a regular guest. This is the only place in SF I’ve waited to open again. This is # 1 on my list. Please survive, please be there – because San Francisco will not be San Francisco without Martuni! “

The scene at the recently reopened Martuni’s, San Francisco’s only real piano bar.

Mariah Tiffany / Special on SFGATE

Joseph Magdalena IV and his wife Jessica Roy agreed. They came from Los Angeles to meet Joseph III. to congratulate him on his return to the piano and on Father’s Day. Joseph IV’s mother and grandfather, Joseph II, were also present. Was papa surprised?

“Oh yeah, big surprise,” said Joseph II, adding that he and a core group of artists had hosted a weekly cabaret night on Facebook Live during the pandemic to keep the spirit of Martuni alive. Over 15 months Gershwin and Broadway all began piling up soundboards and other professional equipment, and Joseph III. regularly raised funds to cover rental costs (as well as a new piano).

“This is such a big part of our family and we wanted to do what we could,” said Joseph II. “I did ‘The Rainbow Connection’ and bought a Kermit muppet. During the cut, I ducked under the camera and came up and recorded myself for both parts. I could sing the duet with me and the Kermit doll. ”

For her part, his wife Jessica taught herself to yodel so she could sing “The Lonely Goatherd” from “The Sound of Music”.

“It was less difficult than I thought,” she says.

The scene at the recently reopened Martuni’s, San Francisco’s only real piano bar.

Mariah Tiffany / Special on SFGATE

People sang “Seasons of Love” from “Rent” and “A Whole New World” from “Aladdin”. A countertenor named Matheus Luduwig Coura and his friend Manu made it even better with a performance of “La Habanera” from “Carmen” with light BDSM. Completely unimpressed, the crowd called back the chorus (“Prends garde à toi!”) As if on cue.

“I like to do opera drag, so I usually go around with a leather whip and slap the audience,” Coura said later.

It was clear that the followers of Joe III. enthusiastic, including a regular Thursday evening and a manufacturer of radio-oncological devices who only called his name as Ulf.

“I was really concerned that Martuni would not survive the pandemic,” said Ulf, who was standing next to his two-week wife. “I paid part of the rent from some of the waiters. I really missed going All [in my neighborhood] goes to sleep at 7:30 am, all the Prius Nazis – and then you come here and the people are just themselves. There is no such thing as ‘what are you doing?’ No one-sidedness. ”

Peter-Astrid Kane (they / them) is the communications manager of San Francisco Pride and former editor of SF Weekly.

The scene at the recently reopened Martuni’s, San Francisco’s only real piano bar.

Mariah Tiffany / Special on SFGATE

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How do you move a hippopotamus across the country? In a special heavyweight box, according to the zoo.

RELATED: Monterey Bay Aquarium like you’ve never seen it before – through the eyes of a clumsy penguin

In this specially built container is Tucker – better known as Bruce to visitors to the SF Zoo.

The hippopotamus received this nickname in honor of former Giants skipper Bruce Bochy, but is referred to as “Tucker” when it becomes part of his new Hippo-Pod.

Bruce moves to Cincinnati to team up with a potential buddy, Bibi.

“It certainly took an entire village to move, and we thank all of our employees, the DHL and SFO team for their help in making this move smooth,” said SF Zoo in a tweet.

How do you move a 4,500 male hippopotamus across the country? In a special heavyweight box! We said goodbye to Bruce yesterday morning when he moved to his new home at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens! pic.twitter.com/lXQIKUVLzc

– San Francisco Zoo (@sfzoo) September 7, 2021

Copyright © 2021 KGO-TV. All rights reserved.

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