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Knowing When You've Found Your Dream Home

Wednesday, January 27, 2016
by Scott Darling

dream home

When you are looking to find a mate to marry you may spend years and years before you find the one that is meant for you to be with, however you don’t need to look for years to find “the one” when it comes to house hunting.  There are ways to know when you have found the right house for you but you may need to make a few tweaks in your wish list to make it all possible.  Below are a few ideas to help make finding your dream home  a bit easier. 

  • A good way to get started finding the house that you have always dreamed of owning is to make a list of your expectations.  You should list your must have items in order of how important they are to you.  As you begin house hunting you may want to rearrange your list a little depending on what you find on the market.  It may be helpful to put a star beside the expectations that are most important to you so that you don’t forget something.
  • It’s perfectly alright to look online as much as you want at houses when you are shopping for a home but it may be wise to limit your actual house viewings.  If you visit too many homes during your house search you may find that it becomes a bit overwhelming and you may also realize that you are trying to create the home of your dreams by piecing together bits and pieces of each house you look at.  Narrow down your actual house viewings to about four of your top picks.  This will help you to more easily narrow down your search and to make a final decision more quickly.  
  • If you find that you simply cannot find what you are looking for in the current real estate market, perhaps it may be best for you to stop looking for a month or two and wait to see what may pop up.  You may find that the home of your dreams is only a few short months away from being found. 

Again, you may need to make a few adjustments to your wish list once you start looking for a home but that doesn’t mean you cannot find the perfect home for you and your family.     If the house you choose doesn’t have everything you hoped it would, you can always add things once you move in. 

Courtesy of Chester County PA Real Estate Expert Scott Darling!

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How to Sell Your Home with Chidlren

Friday, January 22, 2016
by Scott Darling

kid

You may think that it might be impossible to sell your home while you and your children are living in it, especially if you have a lot of small children.  Selling your home doesn’t have to be a major headache as there are many tips and tricks to get the job done even with the little ones running around making messes everywhere.  Let’s take a look at a few tips on how to sell your home despite the "little people".

  • A good idea to get your kids involved in the process of selling your home is to get them to take care of any clutter they may see around the house.  It doesn’t necessarily have to be clutter they created, just any kind of mess that may be lying around will do.  Kids love to feel helpful and what better way to help them feel helpful than to get them to help.  If you have older kids you can perhaps motivate them with a bit of cash to get the job done correctly. 
  • You and your kids need to make a plan for when someone comes to tour your home so that you can all get out of the house together and have something fun to do.  When you have a last minute showing you and your children will easily remember that plan and head out together to wherever you have already decided upon.  A good place to go if it is summertime or springtime is the local park; if it’s cold the library might be a good option. 
  • Have your children be in charge of packing their own rooms away for the future move.  They can easily pick through their toys and pick out the ones they don’t play with as often and go ahead and pack them away in boxes.  This is also cool to do because once you finally make the big move it will feel like Christmas to them when they open the boxes filled with toys they had forgotten they had. 

Whatever you do, try to make the packing and moving as low key as you possibly can, for your sake as well as your children’s.  Kids can sense when you are upset or stressed about something and then they can upset and stressed.  Do your part to make the transition of selling your home as smooth as possible. 

Courtesy of Chester County PA Realtor Scott Darling!

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Tips for Buyers and Sellers When It Comes To Home Inspections

Friday, January 15, 2016
by Scott Darling

home inspector

Whether you are selling your home or you are looking to buy a home, there are a few things that you need to know to help your home inspection go as well as it possibly can.  Home buyers need to know that the house they are buying is in good shape and home sellers need to be on the up and up when selling their home. When it comes to home inspections there are a few tips that can help the inspection go smoothly and the process be as stress free as possible. 

  • If you are selling your home and you have a home inspection on the schedule, do your part to make it easy on the inspector by getting your pets out of the house while he or she is doing the inspection.  Your home inspector may love and adore animals as much as you do but your pets being under their feet during the inspection will not make the job any easier. 
  • During a home inspection, typically the potential buyers are inside alone with the inspector and they may want to look around to take one last look at things before making a final decision.  If you want to make a good impression on those potential buyers, you may want to clean up the clutter you have left laying around.  Believe it or not clutter can cause a potential home buyer to walk away without making an offer.
  • As a home buyer don’t freak out if the home inspector comes up with a list of things that need to be taken care of in the house.  You need to realize that most houses have some sort of upkeep or maintenance that needs to be taken care of and that inspector’s are known for being nitpicky.   Realize too that most everything can be fixed.  Even the dreaded mold and radon.  Realize as well that home inspectors cannot predict the future and won’t be able to tell you how long something will last; they will just be able to tell you that it needs attention. 

Hopefully these tips will help you out the next time you have a home inspector coming to your home, whether you are selling or buying.  Remember that the home inspector is there to help you not to harm you or to ruin your dreams.

Courtesy of Chester County PA Realtor Scott Darling.

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5 Easy Ways to Combat Holiday Stress

Friday, January 15, 2016
by Scott Darling

The holidays should be joyful and relaxing, filled with quality family time, but with all the pressures of gift buying, parties and traveling, you might view the season a bit differently. Whether you’re worried about money, checking everyone off your gift list or sending your holiday cards, it seems there’s never enough time to get everything done.

But the season doesn’t have to bring about feelings of stress and anxiety. When you focus on all the happiness the season brings, you can get back to enjoying what the holidays are all about.

Here are some tips to help you beat the many holiday stressors and enjoy this time of year:

1. Get organized.

Never underestimate the power of list-making and planning. Use a planner or your phone to keep track of all the tasks and events on your to-do list. Crossing items off as you go will help keep your stress levels in check.

2. Avoid taking on debt.

Money worries are one of the biggest triggers for holiday stress, but that doesn’t mean you have to go into debt. By planning and sticking to a budget, you can easily avoid spending too much. Decide what you can truly afford given your regular bills and expenses and don’t overlook easy ways to find “hidden” money in unexpected places. Gather all your coins from coat pockets and jars around the house… you’ll be amazed how those pennies can add up to. And be sure to also check your wallet for gift cards you may never use.

3. Be realistic.

You can only make it to so many parties and events in a given time frame, so don’t overdo it. You don’t have to be the perfect holiday host or please every one of your family members. Instead, focus on the traditions and holiday events that mean the most to you. If family events tend to overwhelm you, remember it’s OK to set a time limit for any event or visit.

4. Take time for yourself.

Sixty-six percent of holiday shoppers can name at least one thing they’d be willing to do to ensure they can purchase gifts for everyone, including eating out less, spending less on entertainment and taking on credit card debt. Try not to take enjoyable activities out of your budget, if you can. Treat yourself to dinner and a movie every now and then to keep yourself sane when the stressors start piling up.

5. Get active.

Stick to your normal exercise routine and make a point to get out and move. Regular exercise decreases feelings of anxiety, releases endorphins and improves your sleep quality, which are things you could use during the holidays. And even though it may be dark for a large portion of the day, spend a few minutes outside or sit near a window on particularly sunny days.

When you incorporate these tips into your routine, you’ll find it easier to enjoy all the wonderful things that come along with the holiday season. And instead of collapsing in relief at the end of the season, you’ll carry that calm and positive momentum right into the New Year. (BPT)

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Mobile Banking Can Play Critical Role in Monitoring Holiday Shopping Budgets

Friday, January 15, 2016
by Scott Darling

The average person will shell out approximately $805 on holiday spending this year, according to the National Retail Federation. That’s a significant increase in spending for most people, and in the excitement of shopping, purchasing and doling out gifts, it can be easy to forget about account balances and bills.

One solution that could help shoppers stay within their means this season: their smartphone.

According to the Bank of America Trends in Consumer Mobility Report, many Americans view their smartphone as an indispensable companion. In fact, 36 percent say they check it constantly, to the point of a few times an hour or more. With this growing mobile-mindset, shoppers have an invaluable tool at their disposal to help manage and simplify their holiday finances.

“During the rush of the holiday season, mobile banking makes it convenient for consumers to stay on top of their finances and manage their spending on the go with alerts about their accounts,” said Michelle Moore, head of digital banking at Bank of America. “For example, we send more than 1.5 million alerts a day to customers, including notifications of low account balances and upcoming bill payment due dates.”

Additional findings from the Report reveal how consumers may be using their phones to manage their finances this season:

  • Constantly connected. More than six in 10 (62 percent) consumers using a mobile banking app say they access it at least a few times a week or more, with two in 10 (20 percent) checking once a day or more.
  • Keeping a watchful eye. The majority (81 percent) of mobile banking app users are receiving push alerts and notifications via their mobile device to keep an eye on their account activity in real-time, with low balance (43 percent), unusual activity (41 percent) and deposit made (41 percent) alerts as some of the most popular elections. And it’s not just Santa who’s always watching — nearly one in seven (13 percent) Americans admit to tracking the spending of their parents, children or their significant other via mobile banking.
  • Ditch the cash. More than half (56 percent) of respondents would consider paying someone using person-to-person payments via a mobile banking app, specifically family (44 percent), friends (29 percent) and household helpers (20 percent). Additionally, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of mobile banking users use mobile check deposit.
  • Smartphones as shopping companions. Nearly two in five (38 percent) consumers shop for goods and services on their mobile device, with more than half (51 percent) of millennials doing so. Shoppers are also using their smartphones in store, with more than one-third (34 percent) citing they would consider or have already used their smartphone to make a purchase at checkout. (BPT)
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Ways To Get Your Finances in Order for 2016

Friday, January 8, 2016
by Scott Darling

finances

We all have New Year’s resolutions each year.  Why not make 2016 a great one by deciding once and for all to get your finances in order.  There are several ways that you can make a big step to improving your finances for this coming year that are not that difficult to do. 

  • One of the first things you should do in order to get a hold of your finances is to write down everything you spend for at least a month.  This way you will be able to clearly see where your money is going and where it is not.  You may find that you are a bit surprised by exactly how much money you waste on a daily basis buying things that you can definitely do without. 
  • Another easy step to taking a hold of your financial situation this coming year is to start paying off your credit cards.  It is a good idea to start with the smallest amounts owed on credit and pay that amount off first, then move to the larger amounts owed and whittle them down as well.  Once you pay off your credit cards do your best to do without them if you possibly can.  Living on a cash only basis is a great way to take charge of your finances.  If you don’t have it, you don’t spend it…it can be as simple as that!
  • This is a bit old school, but clipping coupons is a great way to help ease financial strains that you may have gotten yourself into.  There are several ways to coupon and many times you can get products completely free of charge if you get good enough at couponing.   Make a stockpile of things that you use on a regular basis such as toilet paper and toothpaste and other items you can get very cheap or free.
  • If you can, it is a good idea to save up an emergency fund for things that may go wrong now and again such as car repairs and the like.  A good amount to strive to save up is around $1,000.  This will be a big help when you find yourself in need. 

This should be a good start to getting you thinking about your finances and how to take control of them before they take control of you.  This time of year it can be hard to think about finances due to the holidays and all that they include but it is well worth it if you do so that you can start out the New Year in the right direction.   

Courtesy of Chester County PA Realtor Scott Darling.

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