Welcome Back Readers! This week we have the beginning of our guest columns from Sam Gorgone, Property Manager/Owner of Hometown Property Management Services. Sam gets alot of questions, from landlords looking for help renting to tenants looking for apartments or homes to rent in Lancaster Pa. We thought it would be helpful to you to put these questions out there one the blog, lets start with the biggest one, what exactly is property management? Read on after the jump to find out!
Welcome Back Readers! Today we’re talking about Buyer Incentives. You’ve seen them, buy this house and seller will pay selling agent bonus, seller will include new Cadillac, enter contest to win a Cruise to Bahamas. Now, not many sellers have been offering these types of incentives in Lancaster, but in new construction we have seen No Mortgage Payments for a Year, $40,000 in Builder Upgrades, buy our home and if yours doesn’t sell we buy yours, etc.
On the surface, you might think these are all great ideas, but they aren’t. They are actually terrible ideas. Read on after the jump to find out why!
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!
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! 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! Thanks for stopping by again, this week we will be learning about what Home Inspectors look at when inspecting Heat Pumps. Matt Steger, with WIN Home Inspection will be telling us some more after the jump, don’t forget that Matt is the man I call when my clients need to make sure they are purchasing a problem free home, you should call him too, 717-361-9467. See you on the other side!
