Welcome Back Readers! Thanks for stopping by, this post is the second in our Heat Pump article series by Matt Steger of WIN Home Inspection.
This week, Matt tells us what SEER means and more importantly, how paying attention to the SEER numbers can save you lots of money on your utility bills, as well as what types are available to you. Read on after the jump for more details, see you on the other side!
Welcome Back Readers! Or should I say viewers? This is the first of many video blog posts on www.TheLancasterConnection.com . I’m excited about being able to bring you this content in a way that is relevant and timely but don’t worry, there will be more than just video posts to keep you up to date on what’s happening in real estate and the rest of Lancaster County, as we’ll still have all of your favorite guest authors as well!
This week, I wanted to talk to you about snow and ice. Not just any snow, but huge amounts of snow and ice we had that according to NAR is bringing the national housing market to a halt. Or is it?
Watch the video after the jump to see what I am talking about and why the thought that snow is stopping home sales anywhere in the nation is just WRONG! Oh, and that italian ice there in the picture? You’ll see why that’s there in the video too.
Welcome Back Readers! I wrote this article a little over a year ago and thought it would be worthwhile to refresh it and repost. Why? Well, here in Lancaster Pennsylvania we are in much better shape than many other areas, we do not have, and should not expect, a flood of foreclosures. That being said, foreclosure is the reality many homeowners are currently facing and the majority of them do not understand the process. First and foremost, this article is not in any way considered to be, or offered as, legal advice. I am not an attorney and all homeowners with specific questions about the foreclosure process should consult with an attorney. With that being said, I am going to lay out in simple terms just what to expect in the process. Let’s get started, read on after the jump for more!
Welcome Back Readers! This post wraps up the two part series on energy efficiency from Matt Steger with WIN Home Inspection ! As we began discussing last time. electricity costs in Lancaster PA have skyrocketed due to the deregulation of electric companies here in PA. One of the ways to combat this is to take steps to make sure your home is as energy efficient as possible, so this week Matt has some specific steps you can take, so read on after the jump to find out what they are!
Welcome Back Readers! It’s time once again for another installment of The Lancaster Inspector’s Corner with Matt Steger of WIN Home Inspection. This week, we address an issue that matters alot to the folks of Lancaster Pa lately, energy efficiency. With the recent de-regulation of electricity rates causing some people’s electric bills to double, energy efficiency is a growing concern for home buyers. Matt has some explanation of how those kilowatts affect you, read on after the jump for more!
Welcome Back Readers! It’s been a busy month in real estate, so many things happening both locally and nationally it seems everyday there is something new! That’s actually the becoming the normal state of affairs nowadays and I don’t mind as it gives me lots of things to write about!
I wanted to let you know about a program announced today by Fannie Mae. Fannie Mae has a little problem, namely 50,000 homes they now own through the foreclosure process and they are looking to move them. You can see a list of what’s there at www.homepath.com (there are 19 Fannie Mae Foreclosures in Lancaster County Pa as of today).
That’s not the announcement though, the announcement is that Fannie Mae is now offering 3.5 % of the home’s purchase price as an incentive to buyers! Read on after the jump to find out more!
Welcome Back Readers! I put up a post the yesterday about how FHA has recently changed their policies to allow loan modifications for qualifying borrowers before they miss a payment . This is a great policy and I sincerely hope it will help more people stay in their homes. The problem though is that in many cases it won’t. Loan modifications nationwide are failing to help avoid foreclosures. Why is that? What does it have to do with Tribbles again? Read on after the jump to find out!
Welcome Back Readers! It was a busy week last week in the real estate world, the Lancaster County PA Real Estate Market is moving quickly. I apologize for the shortage of posts recently due to this but you can expect a little more consistency in the coming weeks. I wanted to start of this week with a nice change announced by HUD last Friday.
Until HUD made this change to the rules for FHA loans, in order to qualify for a loan modification, struggling homeowners had to actually MISS payments. So, if you knew you were going to be in torouble, you had to let it happen before you were eligible for loss mitigation. Check out the release from HUD on the details of the program.
The complete press release from HUD is after the jump
Welcome Back Readers!
I apologize in advance for the negative tone of this post, but it is information that people who plan on buying this year need to have. Let me start with this: There are many solutions available to FHA’s problems, and there are other programs that allow cash poor buyers to still purchase homes. It is not the end of the world, FHA is still a fine program, but I have an issue with their changes not offering a solution to their problem.
Call me if you want to find out how low money down programs can still benefit you, in the meantime please be aware of the following info.
FHA has announced policy changes today that will potentially have a negative impact on the housing market. Read on after the jump to see excerpts from a release by NAR:
Welcome Back Again! I’m glad you’re here for the last in our Chimney and Fireplace series from Matt Steger with WIN Home Inspection! Before we begin, let me wish you a Happy New Year!
Don’t worry, just like last week I am not actually writing your latest tips from Matt on the holiday, the miracles of technology allow me to keep you informed and still enjoy the New Year Celebrations here in Lancaster County PA! Read on after the jump for the final tips on fireplace and chimney inspections/maintenance!
