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!
Welcome Back Readers! Today we are going to talk a little about the subject many home buyers complain about, Pet Odors. Pet Odors can be a big problem when selling, many pet phobic buyers who catch the slightest whiff of Fido or Fluffy the Kitty turn around an walk right back out the door. That doesn’t mean you have to get rid of Fido and Fluffy, we know they are part of the family and you love them. It does mean that you have to take some steps to address the issue. Read on after the jump to find out more!
Welcome Back Readers! Thanks for stopping back for this edition of Remodeling Lancaster with MBC Building and Remodeling! This week, we have some great tips on replacing windows! Old, drafty windows are not only unattractive, but they let your dollars literally fly right out the window with all the heat they lose in the winter time. Replacing windows can save you hundreds of dollars a year in wasted energy, they’ll pay for themselves in no time at all with the savings! There are lots of things to consider before you buy new windows and you can read about after the jump!
Welcome Back Readers! This is the first in listing posts for my clients, there are lots of details that make each home special and my video tour is here to give you the first peek into the details of this home! Let’s start with the basics, 4 bedrooms 2.5 baths, 2105 sq ft, this home has it all! Read on after the jump for more details and take a look at the 7 minute guided video tour in the youtube player!
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)
