Image courtesy of Alan Cleaver via Flickr
Welcome Back Readers! Thanks for stopping by again! There’s alot of emails that circulate during an election year, one of the most common ones this year relates to a real estate is that the federal health care legislation (affectionately called Obama-care) passed in March 2010 contains a 4.0% transfer tax on all real estate sold after 2012. You might be wondering if this is true or not. Well, in short the answer is no. There is no national transfer tax on all real estate.
But like all great myths, this one does have a small grain of truth to it. There is indeed a tax on certain real estate transactions specified in the bill, read on after the jump to find out more!
Welcome Back Readers! Thanks for stopping by again, I just wanted to take a minute and let you know about a new website from Fannie Mae. The site, www.KnowYourOptions.com is full of great information regarding forclosure and as the title would suggest, what your options are. Check it out and if you are thinking of selling your home to avoid foreclosure, call me, I will be happy to help you through!
Welcome Back Readers! Ok, so you’ve decided to buy a house. What do you need to do? How does the process work? I’m going to give you a simple 10 step approach to buying a home “the right way”.
Photo Courtesy of B&M Photography
To buy a house or not to a buy a house, that is the question. It’s a big decision, some would say due to the huge impact it can have on your lives it’s the biggets decision you’ve ever made. Some people will tell you to buy a house right away, others will tell you to wait a few years. These opinions vary between friends, family members, co-workers, even Mom and Dad might disagree on the right thing for you to do. Who’s right, what should you do?
Well, the short answer is that it’s completely up to you. You should rely on the advice of friends and family, their experiences can save you a lot of trouble, but in the end no one can make this decision but you and your spouse. As a Realtor, I get asked all the time by nervous buyers whether I think they are making the right decision and while I am happy to give advice, my answer is always the same, it doesn’t matter what I think, because in the end YOU will be living in whatever home you buy and YOU will be paying for it. For that reason and that reason alone, you need to tune out everyone else’s opinions and focus on what you want to do.
Welcome Back Readers! Thanks for stopping by, I wanted to pass on a little info about a scam that has been happening across the internet, as always if something sounds to good to be true it probably is a scam.
If you think Nigerian Bankers are the only ones out there scamming people, I have news of a new (well not new but it’s becoming more widely used) scam involving craigslist and real estate rentals. (read on to find out more)
Welcome Back Readers! It’s been a hugely busy month for me in real estate, with the end of the Federal Tax Credit for Homebuyers the Lancaster County real estate market has warmed up with the spring! Even as we close the door on the tax credit, there are many, many other incentives still available for buyers though as we proceed through summer.
For example, I wrote a post a few months ago about Fannie Mae offering 3.5% closing costs assistance/appliance credits for buyers. Due to the popularity of this program (according to Fannie Mae that is), they have extended the program through June!
Click through the “Read More” link after the jump for all the details!
Welcome Back Viewers! Happy Earth Day, it’s time for another installment of our Green Tip Video Series with Matt Blank from MBC Building and Remodeling! This week Matt has some easy tips to reduce your electric consumption and save you money!
Click the “read more” link to check out the video after the jump!
Welcome Back Viewers! Thanks for stopping by, today we have the start of our GREEN series in honor of Earth Day! Matt Blank, from MBC Building and Remodeling, LLC is here to share some tips with you on how being earth friendly can save you lots of money! You’ll have to watch the video to find out more, but in the meantime don’t forget to call MBC Building and Remodeling at 717-371-5136 for all of your home improvement needs!
Welcome Back Readers! It’s time for a Market Update, The Lancaster County Association of Realtors® (LCAR) just released their monthly recap of real estate market activity in February 2010 and there were a few good things to point out.
I’ll tell you what those are after the jump, but in the meantime just a note, March was busier than February, April will most likely be too. As a reminder, if you are buying a home, as a first time buyer or a repeat buyer, you have 29 days left to place a home under agreement to ensure that you qualify. Buyers who want to claim the credit must have a home under agreement by 4-30-10 and must settle by 6-30-10. Call me if you’d like more details, now on the the market report!
Welcome Back Readers! In real estate, I often have clients who have remodeling and home improvement needs and they ask me “Who should I call?” or “How do I pick the right contractor?”.
Well, my answer is usually pretty simple, I tell them to call Mike Blank at MBC Building and Remodeling, LLC. Mike is always available to answer questions and does quality work at a great price, you can call him at 717-371-5136.
For some people though, they want to talk to different contractors, shop around a little bit, make sure they are getting the best deal. That’s O.K. too, but you always have to be careful when selecting a contractor that you pick the best one for the job. Mike feels the same way too and he has put together some great tips for you on how to select a contractor. Read on after the jump to check them out, see you on the other side!
