Real Estate Information Archive

Yes, it is once again the Christmas season, and each of us has a favorite yuletide memory or a tradition that we include in our celebration each year.  Yet, in our fast-paced world, time marches on and customs change.  Just as real candles on the tree gave way to bubbling lights, twinkling lights, and now LED lights and hand-strung popcorn and cranberries were replaced by tinsel garlands and ribbons, Christmas 2012 brings with it new creations and unusual ideas which may well become traditions over time. Read on for the latest in tree and home decorations, stocking stuffers, unique gifts, and, of course, recipes.

Trees:

Trends for 2012 include an emphasis on skinny trees, metallic trees, and multiple trees spread throughout your home.    HGTV.com suggests thinking outside the box and reflecting your personality and lifestyle when it comes to decorating your tree(s).  Consider, then, silk flowers in your favorite color(s), ornaments made from sheet music or old books, or depicting a theme.  Nature-inspired motifs such as natural materials, birds, the sea, or your favorite animal are possibilities. Some with-it decorators even showcase their hobbies on their tree.  Gardening, golf, cooking…?        

Even tree toppers are changing.  While angels, stars, and bows are still popular additions for the tree in your home, creative sorts are replacing those with a floral arrangement, feathers, Santa’s hat, Frosty, Yoda, a cluster of colorful balls, and even the Eiffel Tower.  Click here for help in making unusual angels to crown your conifer.

Deck the Halls – and the Walls                                                                                    

Experiment with some low-cost “funky shui” in your home this year.   With a can of spray paint, unwanted picture frames, ribbon, old seasonal greeting cards, and wrapping paper you can achieve the reputation of an inventive decorator as you create unusual wall art, festive displays of branches, colorful lampshade stripes and “Christmas package” pillows, and one-of-a-kind paint-swirled bottles and glasses. 

Unexpected Stocking Stuffers Sure to Surprise

RealSimple.com and Perpetualkid.com have outdone themselves this year in terms of “who would have thought” suggestions for unique stocking stuffers for under $20.  Have fun as you fill those Santa stockings with a robot tea infuser, a hand-held sound effects machine, a cupcake shower cap, or scented straws.  Not full yet?  You can also add paper airplane push pins, permanent bubbles, or HotWheels’ new Ballistiks.  Not “outre” enough for you?  Then embrace the trendy mustache craze and include portable kits for emergency use, bracelet charms, gummy candy, or a baby’s pacifier reflecting the latest fad!

Food, Glorious Food

Tired of relying on standard fare such as plum pudding, Santa cookies, green bean casserole, and traditional turkey? Dare you try saffron turkey, cumin roasted potatoes, pine nut parsnips, and braised red cabbage—all covered in white wine gravy? If so, click here to get started.  Another appetizing menu has all the classics you want for the ultimate Christmas dinner updated with a stylish, modern flare.  FineCooking.com. gives you recipes for champagne cosmos, horseradish bread pudding, lemon thyme spinach, and ginger cake trifle—each sure to please even the most discriminating  palates.

Let’s Not Forget The Cookies

While chocolate chip, sugar, peanut butter, and candy cane cookies will never go out of style, there should always be room on the table in your  home—and in your stomach—for newcomers of the delicious sort.  Does your mouth water when you imagine chocolate/orange (or chocolate/hazelnut) cookie cups, gingerbread pinwheels, peppermint blossoms, or turtle bites?  If so, then Pillsbury can certainly help satisfy your sweet tooth.

Present Day Presents

Yes, Furbies are indeed back, but they are joined by the not-so familiar WHISKEY STONES and a new WINE-OPOLY BOARD GAME, both available at Gifts.com. Want something more cutting edge? Allmodern.com provides suggestions in 15 different categories and features items such as a gear clock, a molecule building set, and Ipad/Mp3 accessories. 

Amazon.com has compiled—and updates hourly-- a list of toys and games very popular with children this Christmas.  Sought-after selections include Moshi Monsters, Lego Creationary Board Game, and any Angry Birds Star Wars Item.  And, in spite of the advent of the IPad, Kindle, and numerous other electronic devices, many children still enjoy reading books and playing board games.  Ask your public or school librarian for age-appropriate suggestions or peruse Amazon’s book lists.

Remember, too, that not all gifts need to be tangible.  The sharing of your time and talents is most appreciated by all recipients, including children.  Think about an outing to a museum or the zoo, a shopping expedition for an Angel Tree child, caroling, cooking lessons, or a project in which the entire family participates,

So there you have it—a modern-day take on many elements of Christmas. There is one more relatively new idea which is quickly gaining in popularity, however, and that is.the determination to slow down, relax a bit, and actually enjoy the season with friends and family.  May your holiday be a rewarding and peaceful one!

Each year around 65% of all household moves take place between May and September, so obviously you need to plan ahead if you’re moving to a new Chester County PA home this summer.

While the act of relocating a new place can certainly be exciting, there are, of course, challenges to be met, especially during a hot, busy summer season.  Although there are no foolproof ways to make the experience totally stress-free, there are, thankfully, actions you can take to make your “adventure” a more positive one.

Sage advice to heed includes:

• Plan ahead!  Contact moving companies or truck rental firms at least six weeks in advance if possible. Try to schedule your move for a weekday and at a time when traffic is less heavy.  . Make prior arrangements for the care of young children and pets on moving day—for their sake and yours!  Line up commitments from friends and family if you’ll need their assistance for the move.
   
• Be strategic about packing.  Gather necessary supplies and start packing early.  Whether it’s one room, one cabinet, or a drawer at a time, weed through what may be years of accumulation.  Decide what to donate to charity, give to a friend, recycle, trash, pack now, or keep handy until moving day.  Label boxes as to contents and intended room in the new Chester County PA home.
   
• Take care of logistics in advance.  Ideally, you should contact your future utilities provider at least two weeks before you move regarding turning on your electricity, gas, phone, cable, and internet before your arrival, if possible.  Contact any new school for a list of documents needed for registration.  Do not pack these materials away it’s better to hand carry them for easy retrieval.  If you’re going to need to spend a night in a hotel, make those arrangements early.
   
• Make life simple.  Keep all small parts labeled, in plastic bags, and all together in one box.  Likewise, take pictures of electronic hook-ups for future use.
   
• Consider the heat.  Dress appropriately, stay hydrated, and refrain from placing certain items in a hot truck—candles or wine, e.g.  Click here for tips on packing cleaning products and toxins.
   
• Stay calm.  Relax, whistle, smile, and anticipate the pleasure of living in your new Chester County PA home. 

If you’ve ever been involved in a theatrical production, you are well aware of the many hours of planning, practice, and preparation that precede the actual performance.  You hope to gain rave reviews from your audience and will thus be sure to put forth much energy and effort in order to do so.to be successful. 

In much the same way, you, as the seller of your Chester County PA home, have aspirations of wowing potential buyers with your stellar presentation and being rewarded by appreciative applause in the form of a quick sale.  Just practice the following script and stage directions for dramatic results…

The curtain opens on a tastefully furnished room with adequate, but not overcrowded, furniture.  There is ample room to walk between the moderately-sized pieces, and doors and windows are not blocked.  Flowers and bowls of fresh fruit add color and a pleasant scent.  Personal photos and memorabilia are not present, and the few paintings that adorn the walls contribute to the overall light and airy atmosphere.

ACT I:

• Clean, clean, clean and de-clutter even more!  Create an impressive stage set by buffing floors and washing walls. This is the time to donate, throw away, and organize the many items that take up too much room, distract from positive features, make your Chester County PA home appear smaller, and create a feeling of chaos.  Let your granite countertops, roomy closets, and ample cabinet space take center stage for potential buyers.

Intermission:

Audience members will now be milling about the area

outside your theatre, so be sure that you have taken steps to

make it attractive and appealing.

ACT II:

• Concentrate on stage lighting.  Wash windows, open curtains and drapes, illuminate darker spaces. Put away winter bedding, accessories, and area rugs. Bring in spring with soft colors. Consider investing in inexpensive staging items like towels, throw pillows, candles and table settings in lavender, yellow, sage green and pale blue.   

Final curtain:

Time to take a bow, accept the flowers, bask in the applause, and enjoy

the accolades. Your presentation has been a complete success, and you

 will soon be entertaining offers for your Chester County PA home.

Every article, video, and home-themed television show which deals with selling your Chester County PA home will contain oodles of information/suggestions/tips/hints/advice on how best to achieve your goal in a short period of time.  You already know that in a buyer’s market, potential purchasers can afford to be picky and that sometimes even a small “defect” can become a deal breaker, so you dutifully heed instructions to de-clutter, de-personalize, and de-emphasize anything that could be perceived as a negative.  You even bake cookies before an open house to provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere!

But….are you aware of the importance of eliminating, not just masking, all interior odors?  No, the answer is not to spray tropical-scented commercial products all around your Chester County PA home, for that is only a temporary fix and may even provoke an allergic reaction from a potential buyer.  There are, however, natural solutions to persistent smells of all types.  Making your house smell spring-fresh is a great way to invoke the buying mood this year.

Besides opening windows and letting fresh air flow freely throughout your Chester County PA home, there are many steps you can take to identify odor-prone areas and do away with the stench.  Read on:

• Use fabric softener sheets in linen closets, vacuum bags, and pillowcases.
• Take advantage of the fact that baking soda, unused coffee grounds, imitation vanilla, houseplants, tea tree oil, vinegar, cat litter, and a boiling of cinnamon and cloves absorb odors.
• Understand that potential buyers will open drawers and closets, inspect the freezer and refrigerator, tour the basement, look carefully at bathroom and kitchen fixtures and appliances, and check out washers and dryers.
• Treat your garbage disposal to rinds of citrus fruits every so often.
• Fight the smell of tobacco smoke smell with gusto!   Place small bowls of pine-sol or baking soda in the affected areas to absorb the odor. Often a heavy duty cleaning and wall washing will be required to stop the odor once and for all.
• Recognize the fact that erasing all pet odors is mandatory.  These are stubborn smells resulting from dander, bedding, and accidents, and they require diligence and sometimes even detective skills to find the source.  Click here for an effective (and eco-friendly) homemade urine stain and odor removal solution and procedure.

Rest assured that your fresh-smelling interior will appeal to potential buyers and hasten the sale of your Chester County PA home!

Whether you are thinking about leaving your because of employment, health, a desire for a change of scenery, retirement, etc., a move to a new location is not to be undertaken lightly and requires research on your part to be successful.  While most potential transplants are aware of the need to check out housing costs, air quality, job market prospects, available health care, specific amenities, and school ratings, not all fully comprehend the economic impact relocation may have on their lives.

Areas worth investigating:

• Moving expenses:  Inquire about an employee relocation package which covers all or part of the costs of your move.  Even if your new employer doesn’t offer any financial assistance, you might be eligible for partial reimbursement at tax time, which can definitely ease some of your financial stress. (Click here to see which expenses qualify.)  Remember to include the cost of your travel from your Chester County PA home, lodging, and food in addition to the cost of moving your possessions as you calculate expenses.  (Take advantage of sites such as www.Upack.com or Moving Guru.com to assist you.)
   
• Job market:  While you may have secured a well-paying job, what are the prospects for your spouse?  What is the salary range for that field?
   
• Transportation:  What is the cost of public transportation, fuel, tolls, and parking?  Will you require a second car?  What is the personal property tax rate for autos in your new location?
   
• Municipal fees:  Are there additional costs particular to your new municipality?  What is the average rate of utilities?  Are parks, playgrounds, and museums free?  Contact the Chamber of Commerce in your new city for this type of information.
   
• Overall cost of living:  Since you will need to compare the average cost of living you had in your Chester County PA home with that of your new surroundings, you will want to take advantage of sites such as Best Places for actual facts and figures related to food, housing, utilities, transportation, health costs, and salaries in each location.  For even more detailed information about these categories, you can’t go wrong with that supplied by Numbeo.com.

Some sensible travel tips for you…

After the busy December season is over, holiday bills have been paid, and life has settled in to the doldrums of winter, many folks leave their Chester County PA home to treat themselves to a badly needed vacation or well-deserved weekend escape.   Whether you plan to travel via plane, train, or car, these basic but helpful tips compiled by ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents) allow you to begin and end your trip on a positive note.

Before leaving:

• Packing light saves time and energy when it comes to avoiding an overfilled trunk, wrestling with heavy bags, or struggling to fill the last empty space in the overhead bin.
• Be sure to secure your Chester County PA home. Lock all doors and windows and don't forget to set the alarm. Also, discourage potential burglars by having a friend collect your mail, setting lights on timers, and omitting details of your trip on the answering machine or on social media sites.

Air travel:

• Have a friend drive you to the airport, or take a shuttle or public transportation.
• Take the worry out of getting to the airport, particularly in bad weather, by staying at a nearby hotel the night before an early flight.
• As flights are often overbooked during heavy-travel times, it's critical to check in early. Domestic travelers should arrive at the airport at least two hours prior to departure, while international travelers should arrive at least three hours in advance.
• Remember that delays can—and often do-- occur.  Bring water and snacks, an inflatable pillow, a good book, favorite CDs, an MP3 player, and a deck of cards to help pass time.

Car travel:

• Before you leave your Chester County PA home, have a qualified mechanic check all the car's vitals: brakes, battery, fluid levels, tire pressure, light bulbs, and any parts that need regular maintenance. 
• Bring emergency equipment such as a first-aid kit, flashlight, blankets, drinking water, and snacks, along with flares and jumper cables.
• Don't leave valuables in your car. Pack all items, especially expensive electronics, in the trunk.
• If you're traveling with children, get everyone involved by singing or reminiscing about favorite memories.  The ride will be over before you know it, and you may actually look forward to the drive back home.

Whatever your mode of travel, make sure you take time to rest, relax, and enjoy yourself !

Unfortunately, selling your Chester County PA home in the current real estate market can be both difficult and frustrating.  As much value as you may feel your home has, the current conditions might say differently. In this buyer’s market, accurate pricing of your home is imperative in getting your property sold quickly and for the best price possible. While this might sound simple enough, correctly pricing your property is far from easy and is a decision which requires time and effort on your part.  The following tips should help make the pricing process a smooth and beneficial one for you.

1. Do your research: It’s important to know what other homes in your area are selling for right now in order to get an idea of a price point for your own property, but you shouldn’t rely on that alone. An Automated Valuation Model, better known as an AVM, is a web-based technology that immediately generates home values based on data analysis of recent area comparable sales, tax assessments and price trends. Click here for free sites.
    
2. Find the right Realtor: Hiring the listing agent who quotes you the highest price isn’t always wise.  Interview at least 3 Realtors familiar with the area around your Chester County PA home and choose the agent who supports a suggested price with comparative market data. It is the job of your Realtor to know the current market and market trends inside and out, to be closely connected to the real estate market at large, and to be aware of other properties currently for sale in your particular neighborhood.
    
3. Cast emotions aside:   It’s important to remain as realistic and objective as possible when pricing your property. Although your home will most likely be invaluable to you, focus on the statistics from your research and on the advice given to you by your real estate agent for a satisfactory sale.
    
4. Avoid overpricing at the outset.  Because your property has the best chance of selling within its first seven weeks on the market, the longer it stays on the market, the less it will ultimately sell for.  In addition, you will lose out on savvy potential buyers who won’t even come by to look, and fewer knowledgeable Realtors will preview your Chester County PA home.  Lowering your price later will only result in delays and suspicions that something is wrong with the property.

There are many reasons to consider downsizing your present living quarters—retirement, an empty nest situation, financial pressures, a desire to have more free time, health conditions, etc.—but it is not a decision to be made without first doing extensive research, examining your finances, and evaluating the emotional impact of such a move.  As with any major change which affects your life, there are both pros and cons to be recognized and analyzed before taking—or not taking—the final step.  It is wise to consult a Realtor who specializes in downsizing and to read this article on the subject from Smart Money magazine as you investigate the possibility of leaving your Chester County PA home for a smaller residence.

Reasons to stay where you are might include:

• Needing the room you have in your current Chester County PA home for guests and visits from family, especially grandchildren!
• Being unable to part with so many treasured items or large furniture pieces
• Requiring a great deal of storage space
• Feeling comfortable in a large home where you have room to move around
• Belonging to a familiar neighborhood surrounded by friends
• Finding the task of packing and moving too daunting to consider
• Paying high HOA fees and living with restrictions in a condo or townhouse community.

Reasons to downsize include:

• Increasing your monthly cash flow.  Downsizing will result in a smaller mortgage payment; lower utility bills, maintenance costs, and property taxes; and less expensive insurance on your new home.
• Having extra free time once spent on cleaning, doing yard work, and maintaining a larger home.
• Enjoying an easier, less stressful lifestyle with fewer responsibilities.
• Moving to a neighborhood of like-minded individuals—a golf or tennis community, e.g.
• Planning ahead for unforeseen health problems and aging.

If, after weighing both the pros and cons, you decide to downsize your Chester County PA home, there are many sites on the Internet that can help you analyze your finances, estimate moving costs, deal with the emotional factor, and organize the downsizing process itself.  RISMedia offers five solid tips for efficiency, and About.com deals with market timing and when to sell your current home (answer: before you buy a smaller one!)

It is also helpful to personally talk with others who have downsized, Those who decided not to, a Realtor, and your accountant.  This is, after all, a major step in your life, and the more input you receive, the easier it will be to make an intelligent decision.

Yes, you realize that the economy is tough, and, yes, you’re well aware that it is a buyers’ market in the real estate world.  But your Chester County PA home has been for sale for a long time now, and similar houses in the area have been selling.  You’re asking what you consider a fair price for the property, and you allow your Realtor to have periodic open house showings, so what is going on?

Generally the problem lies in one of four areas:  price, condition, availability, and location.

• Price:  In today’s economy everyone is looking for a bargain. With access to so much information on the internet, buyers cannot be fooled because it is very easy for them to compare prices. Many people won’t even bother looking at a house if they believe it is overpriced. Therefore, you should make sure your Chester County PA home is not priced higher than similar homes on the market. However, if you are looking to sell your home quickly, you should set the price even lower than the competition.  For more help with pricing, visit RIS Media and Realtor.com
   
• Condition:  The condition of your home inside and out is critically important to making a sale. If your home doesn’t show well, a potential buyer is going to head elsewhere. Because most buyers are looking for a house they can move into without a ton of small repairs and cleanup, you should make any interior or exterior repairs on your Chester County PA home that may be noticeable. While some buyers may be willing to negotiate on the price when there are repairs that need to be done, there are many who are looking for a home with a “move in worry free” condition. Clean and de-clutter thoroughly, and eliminate all odors  For staging suggestions, go to About.Com
   
• Availability:   Getting as many people as possible to view your home is important. Too much restriction on viewing times will naturally lessen the chance of selling the house quickly. Also, restrictions on viewing times may make a buyer may feel that the seller is not flexible and would not be willing to negotiate on anything else.
   
• Location:  When it comes to buying a house location is everything. No matter how beautiful a home is, if it is in a bad location, it will be hard to sell.  To compensate for a bad location, you may reduce the price of your Chester County PA home substantially if it needs to be sold quickly. Click here for possible solutions to a location concern.

Few people can buy a home for cash. According to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), nearly nine out of 10 buyers of Chester County PA homes finance their purchase, which means that nearly all buyers -- especially first-time purchasers -- require a loan.  The real issue with real estate financing is not getting a loan (almost anyone willing to pay lofty interest rates can find a mortgage). Instead, the idea is to get the loan that's right for you -- the mortgage with the lowest cost and best terms.

Realtors routinely urge prospective buyers to get pre-approved for a loan before they even begin looking at Chester County PA homes. They also stress the importance of obtaining a letter of pre-approval rather than of pre-qualification.  Although many homebuyers use these two terms interchangeably, there are significant differences between the two.  Simply stated, pre-qualification lets sellers know that a prospective buyer of their Chester County PA home is likely to qualify for a loan, whereas pre-approval, although not an absolute guarantee, indicates that a loan officer has determined a borrower is credit-worthy and financially able to qualify for a certain loan.

The advantages of searching for a Chester County PA home with evidence of pre-approval in hand are many.  In essence, they include the following:

• Mortgage preapproval is going to tell you exactly how much money you can borrow. This way, you will know how much your mortgage payment is going to be ahead of time.
• You won’t waste time (or be sorely disappointed) by looking at houses you can’t afford.
• Sellers and Realtors will take you seriously.  They are much more comfortable with the certainty that you can obtain a loan (and that the deal won’t fall through), and thus may be more willing to negotiate.
• Once you find a home, the mortgage process can proceed more quickly because your lender will already have. 

Although lender requirements for pre-approval may vary somewhat, be prepared to supply the following information:

• Purchase Agreement
• Social Security Number and Date of Birth
• W-2/1040 Forms
• Recent pay stubs
• Bank account statements
• Credit card statements
• Debts and liabilities
• Mortgage or rental histories
• Investment properties
• Employers
• Asset statements
• Personal property
• Current and previous statements

Supplying all this information may seem like a time-consuming process, but in the end of your house-hunting journey, you’ll be glad you did it!