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!
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 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, 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! 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 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!
