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“Scary times don’t call for fearless leaders. We don’t need a gladiator jumping into an arena with the hungry tiger. Instead, times of fear and uncertainty call for leaders to become fear(less) – aware of and consciously able to sort through what is truly scary and deserves careful consideration and what is causing undue stress and anxiety without being a real threat.”
That quote came out of a quick article I read, here in this link . For the sake of this discussion, replace the word “leaders” with people. After all, leaders are just people, individual persons. You are also a person.
What does this have to do with real estate? Well, if I’m being philosophical, real estate is about people’s lives. A person can’t live their life in a constant state of fear, and really, there is no hungry tiger to defeat in this story, it’s real estate. What’s there to defeat? What is there even to fear?
If you care about real estate, the enemy is misinformation, uncertainty and the fear it drives.
It makes you question everything, and end up doing nothing. It’s not enough for me to say “be fear(less)” if you’re jumping into this real estate market. You have to actually be able to fear less things. Your ability to be “aware of and consciously able to sort through what is truly scary and deserves careful consideration and what is causing undue stress and anxiety without being a real threat” is important when you’re thinking about making a purchase or sale that will change your life and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
See, if you’ve been on the internet, or listen to the radio, or watch tv, you find pretty quickly we live in a world full of threats, real and imaginary. Fear. BE AFRAID. But mostly, the fear is imaginary. Clickbait. Lots of somebody’s hot take bullshit out there masquerading as news so you click and share. Sorry for the language, but it’s true.
Not only are we bombarded by headlines full of fear, but most of them are full of misinformation, missing pieces, things that are flat out incorrect analysis and bullshit. Take these statements for example:
Fear, sensationalism and wrong information in each bullet point. Why do I say that? Because we don’t write headlines, we sell real estate. We actually are working in the market every day, with buyers buying and sellers selling, not writing clickbait for ad revenue. Here’s the answer to each of those bullet points.
That’s the best part of working with us. You don’t have to figure out what’s true, and what’s not, in the headlines. There isn’t anything to be afraid of. You’re either wanting to buy a property or you aren’t. You’re either wanting to sell a property or you aren’t. If you are thinking about jumping into this, selling or buying, we can help you.
We know how to look at it all critically, and we’ll help you make sense of it. We have sellers selling each week with multiple offers over list price. We also have buyers winning multiple offer situations, buyers getting contracts signed with the ability to do home inspections, buyers getting contracts signed with offers that include seller help with closing costs, and buyer’s buying homes for list price or less.
We are not confused, we are not afraid and we’re ready to help you too. Call us at 717-371-0557, let’s talk! – Jason
Your Friends in Real Estate,
Jason Burkholder Real Estate Team
Jason Burkholder
Kelly Burkholder
Adam High
Jaci Hoosier
Welcome Home Real Estate
717-298-8040 office
57 E Main St
Lititz, Pa 17543
Looking for help finding your new place? We can help ! Reach us at (717) 371-0557
Your Friends in Real Estate, Jason Burkholder Real Estate Team
——————
Jason Burkholder
Kelly Burkholder
Adam High
Jaci Hoosier
717-371-0557 direct or text
Welcome Home Real Estate
717-298-8040 office
57 E Main St, Lititz, PA 17543
Ok friends, let’s shine the light on a couple myths floating around out there regarding the real estate market right now. There’s no denying that it’s a different market, and sometimes conflicting signals. But that’s kinda the case every year, and misconceptions floating around about this market, coupled with people filling airtime trying to “predict” what’s going to happen next aren’t making things any easier.
So what, exactly, are those misconceptions, and why are they incorrect? Let’s discuss some of the common myths in today’s housing market that are hurting both buyers and sellers, including:
So, what does it all mean for you? Exactly what we have been saying. Now is a good a time to buy, or sell, as any. People move because they want to, or need to, and despite headlines to the contrary, yes you can buy. We are helping people do it all the time. We can help you too. Let’s talk about it.
Looking to sell or buy anywhere in Central Pa? Call 717-371-0557!
Your Friends in Real Estate,
Jason Burkholder Real Estate Team
Jason Burkholder
Kelly Burkholder
Adam High
Jaci Hoosier
———————-
Jason Burkholder
AB066232
717-371-0557 direct or text
Associate Broker
Realtor, e-Pro, RENE, AHWD
Certified Marketing Specialist
C2EX Endorsed, Certified Ally
Jason Burkholder Real Estate Team
Welcome Home Real Estate
717-298-8040 office
57 E Main St
Lititz, Pa 17543
www.JasonsHomes.com
As coats are put away for good and flowers are in full bloom, the real estate market begins to shift. Spring market. Summer Market. We’ve all heard the terms. It’s often a busy time for buyers, sellers, and Realtors.
But does that mean you should wait until spring if you’re ready to sell now?
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: don’t let the market dictate your life. If you have a deadline, then it’s your time. List when it’s right for you.
There are, however, some interesting numbers out there, stating that the prime time to sell is May, April, and June (in that order). Sellers received over a 10% increase above market value during those months.
After an analysis of 51 million single-family home and condo sales from 2011 to 2022, ATTOM found the top 3 months for increased seller premiums:
All that to say, the market is always shifting. There are no guarantees in how the market will behave, but we can still help! No matter the market, no matter the season, we can help you buy or sell. Give us a call or text at (717) 371-0557 !
Your Friends in Real Estate, Jason Burkholder Real Estate Team
——————
Jason Burkholder
Kelly Burkholder
Adam High
Jaci Hoosier
717-371-0557 direct or text
Welcome Home Real Estate
717-298-8040 office
57 E Main St, Lititz, PA 17543
You’re getting quotes for a new patio and wondering- is it worth it? Will I enjoy it? Will this add value when it comes time to sell?
Short answer: if it will bring you joy, then it’s worth it. You own the house. Do what makes you happy!
Long answer: if you want to consider resale value, consider the following numbers-
For all of these projects, on a joy scale of 1-10, homeowners gave each of them a 9 or higher. In ground pools and landscape lighting were both at 10!
Whether you want to remodel for aesthetics, functionality, or just because it makes you happy, do it!
Need a contractor recommendation? Give us a call at (717) 371-0557 and we’ll be happy to connect you with a local professional!
Your Friends in Real Estate,
Jason Burkholder Team
––––––
Jason Burkholder
Kelly Burkholder
Jaci Hoosier
717-371-0557 direct or text
Hometown Property Sales Group, LLC
717-207-8093 office
57 E Main St
Lititz, PA 17543
You’ve likely heard all of these terms before and have wondered if they can be used interchangeably. Realtor.com breaks it down this way:
Real estate agent- “someone who has a professional real estate license to help people buy, sell, or rent all sorts of housing and real estate.”
“To get that license, states generally have education requirements, which include pre licensing training.” These requirements vary from state to state. To earn their license, agents must pass a written exam.
Real Estate Broker- “A real estate broker is someone who has taken education beyond the agent level as required by state laws and passed a broker’s license exam.”
“Similar to real estate agent exams, each state sets its own broker education and exam requirements.” A certain amount of experience is necessary to take the broker’s exam. In Pennsylvania, that’s a minimum of 3 years, a specific number of closed transactions and an additional requirement of 240 hours of education.
On top of that, there are 3 different types of brokers. Principal/designated broker, managing broker, and associate broker.
Realtor- This one’s pretty straightforward. “In the real estate industry, in order to become a Realtor—a licensed agent with the ability to use that widely respected title—an agent needs to be a member of the National Association of Realtors®. As a member, a person subscribes to the standards of the association and its code of ethics.”
Beyond those titles, a Realtor® can also earn designations and certifications through the National Association of Realtors (NAR). These are the acronyms listed after a Realtor’s name, such as CMS, CCIM, etc.
NAR provides “provide a wide range of programs and services that help members increase their skills, proficiency, and knowledge…Real estate designations and certifications through NAR are specialized credentials for REALTORS®.”
What’s the difference between a designation and certification? A Realtor pays annual dues for a designation, where as a certification only requires an application fee.
Here are a few examples of designations an agent can earn:
And some examples of certifications:
You can read more about the designations and certifications by going to NAR’s article here.
Fun fact, Jason earned his Associates Broker’s license in 2007, and has these designations/certifications:
e-Pro, Real Estate Negotiation Expert, At Home With Diversity, Certified Marketing Specialist, is a LGBTQA Real Estate Alliance Certified Ally and is C2EX Endorsed by the National Association of Realtors.
Looking to buy or sell in Central PA? We can help ! Reach us at (717) 371-0557
Your Friends in Real Estate, Jason Burkholder Real Estate Team
——————
Jason Burkholder
Kelly Burkholder
Adam High
Jaci Hoosier
717-371-0557 direct or text
Welcome Home Real Estate
717-298-8040 office
57 E Main St, Lititz, PA 17543
We all want a tidy home with no clutter, but most of us don’t have the hours to dedicate to deep clean-outs. The solution: finding moments in your daily life for a few minutes of organization.
Waiting for water to boil- go through your kitchen utensils and decide what to keep, donate, or throw away. You can also wipe down your microwave, counters, or clear out any old leftovers in the fridge.
Grabbing a Tupperware container with no lid- time to admit defeat and throw it away. Same goes for any lids without a match!
Brushing your teeth- clear out your medicine chest and vanity of expired medications and cosmetics.
Breaking down an Amazon box- keep it as a donation box! Give Back Box allows you to donate and ship your unwanted clothing and household goods to charity, for FREE!
Putting away laundry- throw out any lone socks or other item of clothing that’s past its prime.
Letting your conditioner sit- sort through body washes, shampoos, conditioner, old razors, bath poofs, and anything else that’s taking up real estate in your shower.
Watching TV- go through junk mail, magazines, and circulars
Putting clean sheets on the bed- if you’re avoiding another set of sheets, ask yourself why. Are they scratchy? Ugly? Decide whether to donate or throw away! Keep in mind that animal shelters will happily accept bedding and towels!
On hold with customer service- go through your junk drawer!
Hanging up your coat- are there any that could be donated? Thrown away? Sold?
Rome wasn’t built in a day and your house won’t be clutter free tomorrow, but chipping away bit by bit is manageable and adds up!
Source: houselogic.com
Looking to buy or sell in Central PA? We can help ! Reach us at (717) 371-0557
Your Friends in Real Estate, Jason Burkholder Real Estate Team
——————
Jason Burkholder
Kelly Burkholder
Adam High
Jaci Hoosier
717-371-0557 direct or text
Welcome Home Real Estate
717-298-8040 office
57 E Main St, Lititz, PA 17543
Do you know what a popcorn ceiling is? Love it? Hate it? Most people hate it. After all, ceiling popcorn is about the most useless (not to mention ugliest) decoration ever. Want to get rid of it? Well. Normally that involves scraping it off, or demolition. Tear it down. As effective as that tutorial is, some of you might not want to get that messy. Or if your house was built in the 1950’s, scraping off popcorn means dealing with potential health hazards like asbestos. Not fun or safe.
Well, I have some great news! Imgur user, makesomething, chose a different way to handle the ceiling popcorn in a room in his 1950 home. Here’s the thing, they didn’t even bother removing the popcorn at all!
Removing all those layers would be too much of a hassle.
They also bought 2 inch brand nails, which they used to nail some planks to the joists in the ceiling.
However, if you want to save money, you could always use wooden pallets!
Obligatory dog photo. She would walk in every once in a while to check on the progress.
This method would be awesome for old, cracked plaster ceilings too! Not exactly a DIY kind of person and need a professional to help you pull this off? Call me, I can connect you with a contractor!
Have questions? Do you want to buy or sell a property? Call me or text at 717-371-0557, I’ll be happy to help you! You can always email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041 as well!
Your Friend in Real Estate,
Jason Burkholder
Realtor, e-Pro
Associate Broker
Certified Marketing Specialist
Weichert, Realtors – Welcome Home
717-291-1041 office
717-371-0557 direct or text
PS – As always, I’d like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please feel free to let me know, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!
When the housing bubble burst in 2007/2008, many Americans found themselves underwater or, in other words, with a home worth significantly less than what they owed on their mortgages.
But that’s all changed now. According to recent studies, more and more Americans are finding themselves in the opposite situation—with a home worth far more than what they owe on their mortgage.
According to the a recent Equity Report from ATTOM Data Solutions, which curates a well-known nationwide property database, as of Q2 2018, nearly 14 million properties in the US are now what’s known as “equity rich”—meaning the balance of loans on the property is worth 50% or less than the current estimated market value. That’s approximately one in four homes in the US that currently holds a mortgage!
But what, exactly, is the advantage of being “equity rich”? Homeowners that are equity rich can sell their homes and walk away with a significant chunk of cash in their pockets—cash they can then use to make a down payment on a new property. The market is beginning to shift. Now might be the perfect time for you to use that to your advantage!
The Takeaway
If you’ve been thinking about selling your home and upgrading to a larger and/or pricier property, let’s check the balance on your mortgage against the current market value. If you’re one of the equity rich, you can use that equity to get into the home of your dreams.
Have questions? Do you want to buy or sell a property? Call me at 717-371-0557, I’ll be happy to help you!
As always, I’d like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please feel free to let me know, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!
If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!
Your Friend in Real Estate, Jason Burkholder
Realtor, e-Pro
Associate Broker
Certified Marketing Specialist
Weichert, Realtors – Welcome Home
717-291-1041 office
717-371-0557 direct or text
True or false…
When you’re selling a house, you should bake cookies before a showing or an open house.
I guess you could say the answer is a hard and fast “true†because, after all, it can’t hurt. Who doesn’t love the smell of freshly baked cookies?
But it’s also kind of false…
