There’s good news for people hoping to buy a home this year: A new report shows that national housing inventory, or the number of homes on the market, rose 2.2 percent between April and May.

As the strong job market in Northern California continues to attract new workers, the real estate markets in Sacramento, El Dorado and Placer Counties become ever more attractive to prospective buyers.

Here in California, many of us make green living a priority, but it can be hard to know just what to look for when buying a new property.