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Chester County PA Real Estate Market Trends for October 2016

by Scott Darling

Chester County PA Real Estate Market Trends for October 2016

Chester County PA single family homes saw pending sales increase by 18.25% in October 2016 when compared to October 2015. 494 homes sold in October with a median sales price of $325,000, a 7.69% increase from October 2015.  The average sales price increased by 12.73%, and homes were on the market 1 day fewer.

Chester County PA Real Estate Market Trends for September 2016

by Scott Darling

mortgage

Freddy Mac reports that mortgage rates staying low. Here are the national averages for mortgage rates during the week ending Oct. 6:

  • 30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.42 percent, with an average 0.5 point, unchanged from last week. A year ago, 30-year rates averaged 3.76 percent.
  • 15-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 2.72 percent, with an average 0.5 point, also unchanged from last week’s average. Last year at this time, 15-year rates averaged 2.99 percent.
  • 5-year hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages: averaged 2.80 percent, with an average 0.4 point, dropping slightly from last week’s 2.81 percent average. A year ago, 5-year ARMs averaged 2.88 percent.

With rates like this, is it time for you to buy a home? If so, just hit reply to get started!

Take a look at how many folks bought homes in our market last month…

Chester County PA Real Estate Market Trends for September 2016

2,692 Chester County PA single family homes were for sale in Sept 2016 which is an 7.14% decrease from Sept 2015. 570 homes sold in Sept with a median sales price of $319,000, a 0.31% decrease from Sept 2015.

The supply of inventory was 5.1 compared to 5.65 in Sept 2015 and the Sales vs List Price was 94.8%.

Date Homes For
Sale
Months Supply
Inventory
Homes
Sold
Median Sales
Price
Sales Price vs
List Price
Sept 2016 2,692 5.1 570 $319,000 94.8%
Sept 2015 2,899 5.5 587 $320,000 94.9%

Curious about the value of your home? Get your home's value here!

Easy Ideas for Going Green in Your Home

by Scott Darling

Going green in your home!

Everyone these days is talking about “going green” and making the world a cleaner place for our children and grandchildren.  You may not think that you can do much towards this green movement but the truth is in fact you can.  There are many ways that are simple and easy to go green inside your own home.   Below is a list of a few of the ways in which you can make your home green, and I don’t mean in color. 

  1. Most homemakers don’t love doing laundry and this little tidbit is going to be music to your ears!  By letting your clothes pile up a bit you are doing the environment a favor.  Running small loads of laundry through your washing machine and dryer is a waste of energy and a waste of water.  In fact one load of laundry used 25 gallons of water regardless of how full the load is.  Why not do your part in going green by only run your washing machine when you absolutely have to.  
  2. Do you enjoy raking up grass cuttings after you mow?  My guess is that you just answered with a loud “no”!  There is great news for you then my friend; leave the trimmings on your lawn and let them do their job of being a natural fertilizer!  This is a great way to go green that doesn’t cost you a dime! 
  3. By adding a lot of live plants around your home you are doing your part towards helping the world be a cleaner place.  Live plants help get rid of some of the pollutants in the air and therefore make the air cleaner for everyone to breathe.  Adding some live plants on the inside of your home is also a great way to help the air be more fresh and appealing. 
  4. Microwave ovens use 50% less energy than your oven.  The next time your family asks for a meal to be prepared, why not zap a meal into the microwave to help save energy.  If your family objects, tell them you are doing your part to make the world a better place for everyone by “going green” and saving as much energy as you can. 
  5. Whenever you purchase sprays and soaps for the house, buy unscented.  This will not only make a difference in the environment but will also be beneficial to your own health as well. 

Hopefully these few easy ways of going green have got you thinking in the right mindset so that you can begin to make your own home a bit greener.

Courtesy of Chester County PA Realtor Scott Darling.

Chester County PA Real Estate Market Trends for July 2016

by Scott Darling

houses

Fifty-two percent of home owners say now is a good time to sell in their neighborhood. This is up from 34 percent who said so last year, according to a survey conducted by the real estate brokerage Redfin.

What’s more, 58 percent of home owners believe sellers have more power than buyers in the market right now. Redfin researchers note this is nearly the highest level of seller confidence they’ve recorded.

Take a look at how many sellers successfully sold their homes in July…

Chester County PA Real Estate Market Trends for July 2016

2,977 Chester County PA single family homes were for sale in July 2016 which is a 6.54% increase from July 2015. 781 homes sold in July with a median sales price of $345,000, a 1.47% increase from July 2015.

The supply of inventory was 5.8 compared to 5.3 in July 2015 and the Sales vs List Price was 95.6%.

Date Homes For
Sale
Months Supply
Inventory
Homes
Sold
Median Sales
Price
Sales Price vs
List Price
July 2016 2,977 5.8 781 $345,000 95.6%
July 2015 2,794 5.3 683 $340,000 95.7%

Curious about the value of your home? Get your home's value here!

Courtesy of Chester County PA Realtor Scott Darling.

Chester County PA Real Estate Market Trends for June 2016

by Scott Darling

chester county pa real estate

FHA has recently relaxed many of its condo financing rules making it easier for condo buyers to secure loan when buying a condo. If you are in the market for a condo be sure to talk with your lender about how the new rules may help you.

Chester County PA Real Estate Market Trends for June 2016

3,045 Chester County PA single family homes were for sale in June 2016 which is a 6.43% increase from June 2015. 801 homes sold in June with a median sales price of $340,000, a 2.01% decrease from June 2015.

The supply of inventory was 6.1 compared to 5.3 in May 2015 and the Sales vs List Price was 96.4%.

Date Homes For
Sale
Months Supply
Inventory
Homes
Sold
Median Sales
Price
Sales Price vs
List Price
May 2016 3,045 6.1 801 $340,000 96.4%
 May 2015 2,861 5.3 784 $347,000 96.3%

 

Curious about the value of your home? Get your home's value here!

Chester County PA Real Estate Market Trends for May 2016

by Scott Darling

When putting a home on the market, there is a lot to consider. How will you find a REALTOR®? What should you price the home? And the big one—is the home ready to sell? Most sellers know to get rid of clutter and fix any big or obvious problems. But what else can sellers do to get top dollar for their home? The National Association of REALTORS has identified some staging tips for various rooms in a home. After all, NAR research shows that 81 percent of buyers believe it is easier for them to picture themselves in a home when it’s staged. To appeal to those buyers, NAR recommends scrubbing the fireplace, focusing on symmetry in decoration, packing up dishes that don’t match your main set in your cupboards, making the extra bedroom a fun activity room to showcase other functions (like a sewing room or office), and keeping all closets as empty as possible.

Check out how many local sellers were successful selling their homes in May:

Chester County PA Real Estate Market Trends for May 2016

2,984 Chester County PA single family homes were for sale in May 2016 which is a 6.76% increase from May 2015. 557 homes sold in May with a median sales price of $324,000, a 0.30% decrease from May 2015.

The supply of inventory was 6.1 compared to 5.2 in May 2015 and the Sales vs List Price was 95.9%.

Date Homes For
Sale
Months Supply
Inventory
Homes
Sold
Median Sales
Price
Sales Price vs
List Price
May 2016 2,984 6.1 557 $324,000 95.9%
 May 2015 2,795 5.2 591 $325,000 96.2%

Curious about the value of your home? Get your home's value here!

You’ve Moved into Your New Home—Now What?

by Scott Darling

Congratulations! You’ve survived the process of leaving one home and finding another and the onus of packing everything up and then unpacking the same boxes.  You’ve found a new bank and a new doctor; you’ve investigated trash pick-up times, licensing requirements, and car registration; and your mail is being forwarded on a regular basis.  So far so good, but now that you’re somewhat settled in your home, it’s time to become familiar with your new environment.

The following tips are designed to help you become part of your new community and re-create the sense of belonging you had in your previous location.

  • Go online to learn about the new area and what it has to offer. Look at the city or chamber of commerce website. Research religious facilities, cultural opportunities, parks and outdoor activities, and so much more!
  • Acquire a regional map and drive around. Explore shortcuts and pinpoint the location of shopping malls, medical services, libraries, the post office, city offices, etc.
  • Talk to neighbors. Ask advice about home maintenance companies, babysitters, doctors, or the civic league or homeowners’ organization association. .
  • Take a walking tour of your neighborhood. Introduce yourself to and initiate conversations with neighbors who are outside. Compliment their yard or ask directions, for starters
  • Attend garage/yard sales in the vicinity of your home. Shoppers at these events are generally friendly and gregarious, so talk to them/
  • Read the local newspaper to discover places of interest and happenings in the area. Look for clubs or group meetings that focus on your interests--art, gardening, books, sports, crafts, e.g.
  • Join a recreation center or gym. Attend classes there or work out with a group that you know will share your interests.
  • Volunteer. Check with a church or synagogue, a hospital, library, or school near you. Volunteering is a terrific way to meet people and to make you feel an integral part of the community.
  • Give a house warming party and invite all your neighbors. Such an occasion is a good reason to finish unpacking and decorating your new home and a wonderful way to make friends..

Before long you will become familiar with your new environment and be comfortable there. Best of all, you’ll “belong” once again!  

Courtesy of Chester County PA Realtor Scott Darling.

Chester County PA Real Estate Market Trends for April 2016

by Scott Darling

sold sign

2,719 Chester County PA single family homes for sale in April 2016 which is a 1.98% decrease from April 2015. 485 homes sold in April with a median sales price of $310,000, a 6.41% decrease from April 2015.

The supply of inventory is 5.1 compared to 5.7 in April 2015 and the Sales vs List Price is 9347%.

Date Homes For
Sale
Months Supply
Inventory
Homes
Sold
Median Sales
Price
Sales Price vs
List Price
April 2016 2,719 5.1 485 $310,000 94.7%
 April 2015 2,774 5.7 470 $312,000 94.7%

Curious about the value of your home? Get your home's value here!

Chester County PA Real Estate Market Trends Report - March 2016

by Scott Darling

homebuyer

According to the National Association of Realtors, mortgage rates are now lower than they ended in March. That means that rates are not only near the lows for the year to date, they are also close to the lowest rates in three years. These lower rates translate into increased buying power and/or improved ability to qualify for a mortgage.

A record number of Americans are actively searching and looking at the current inventory on Realtor.com®. We currently have 2% fewer homes for sale in the U.S. relative to last year, but we’ve seen 137,000 new listings come onto the market so far in April.

Looking ahead, great weather will likely draw even more people to look at open houses and available homes over the rest of the month. According to Cleveland Research, after a cooler than normal start to April, the weather forecast for the next 10 days is expected to be “near perfect” across many of the largest housing markets in the country, especially in the central and eastern U.S.

But who cares about a national or regional weather or housing forecast? What matters most are the trends and conditions in your neighborhood.

Chester County PA Real Estate Market Trends for February 2016

2,614 Chester County PA single family homes for sale in March 2016 which is a 4.47% increase from March 2015. 405 homes sold in March with a median sales price of $280,000, a 0.70% decrease from March 2015.

The supply of inventory is 5.0 compared to 5.2  in March 2015 and the Sales vs List Price is 93.7%.

Date Homes For
Sale
Months Supply
Inventory
Homes
Sold
Median Sales
Price
Sales Price vs
List Price
March 2016 2,614 5.0 405 $280,000 93.7%
March 2015 2,502 5.2 409 $282,000 94.9%

Curious about the value of your home? Get your home's value here!

Chester County PA Real Estate Market Trends Report - February 2016

by Scott Darling

Homeowners looking to sell and move to a new place are in a great position; according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ 2015 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, sellers are seeing the sales price of their home creep up closer to list price—the median sales price as a percent of the listing price is 98 percent. Just a few years ago, in 2011, owners were selling their home for 95 percent of the list price. The amount of time a property sits on the market also matters in the sales price compared to the listing price. For homes that lasted less than a week on the market, half were sold for full listing price, while another 19 percent were sold for more than that price. The  sale-to-list price ratio falls as time goes on (for example, homes that are on the market for 5-8 weeks are only sold for 100 percent of the listing price 17 percent of the time and more than listing price only 3 percent of the time).

Take a look at how many successful home sellers there were in our market in February:

Chester County PA Real Estate Market Trends for February 2016

2,416 Chester County PA single family homes for sale in February 2016 which is a 4,67% increase from February 2015. 276 homes sold in February with a median sales price of $305,000, a 6.72% decrease from February 2015.

The supply of inventory is 4.5 compared to 4.9 in February 2015 and the Sales vs List Price is 93.2%.

Date Homes For
Sale
Months Supply
Inventory
Homes
Sold
Median Sales
Price
Sales Price vs
List Price
Feb 2016 2,416 4.5 276 $305,000 93.2%
Feb 2015 2,308 4.9 276 $327,000 94.6%

Curious about the value of your home? Get your home's value here!

Displaying blog entries 1-10 of 39

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