Real Estate Information Archive

Perhaps you have been searching for your dream home and you have already found the one you really want but before you get a chance to do anything about it you drive by and notice it is ‘under contract’ or ‘pending’.  If this happens to you, don’t give up on your dreams there are things that you can do to make things go in your favor.  Below are a few ideas for you to try if you find that your dream home is about to slip through your fingers.

• First of all if you find that the home you have your eye on is ‘under contract’ you need to know that you shouldn’t give up.  Under contract doesn’t mean that the sale has taken place it only means that an offer has been made but that it hasn’t closed yet.   There is still a good chance that the home may come back on the market again especially if the buyer cannot come up with the funds needed through financing.  Another reason a sale pending may fall through is if the inspection doesn’t work out.
• Talk to your Realtor and let she or he know that you are interested in the house that is under contract.  Many times seller’s agents will continue to show a home until the last minute.  They do so because they may be hoping for a better offer than they currently have.  They also do this so that if the funding falls through for the current bidder they will have someone else in line to make an offer quickly afterwards. 
• If you REALLY want this house and you don’t want it to slip through your fingers you can always make a higher bid than is currently in play.   If you can afford to do this, it can be an easy way to make things go in your favor. 
• Sending a handwritten note to the seller is a great way to let them know just how serious you are about purchasing their home.  Hand written letters are pretty much a thing of the past these days and a handwritten note may make all the difference in the seller’s decision. 

Some of these tips for snatching your dream home  out of ‘under contract’ or ‘pending’ status are pretty unconventional but if you really want the home to be your own you may be willing to do whatever it may take. In the end if you don’t end up getting the home, there is another one out there that is better for you and your family. 

Courtesy of Chester County PA Realtor Scott Darling.

You may think that it might be impossible to sell your home while you and your children are living in it, especially if you have a lot of small children.  Selling your home doesn’t have to be a major headache as there are many tips and tricks to get the job done even with the little ones running around making messes everywhere.  Let’s take a look at a few tips on how to sell your home despite the "little people".

• A good idea to get your kids involved in the process of selling your home is to get them to take care of any clutter they may see around the house.  It doesn’t necessarily have to be clutter they created, just any kind of mess that may be lying around will do.  Kids love to feel helpful and what better way to help them feel helpful than to get them to help.  If you have older kids you can perhaps motivate them with a bit of cash to get the job done correctly. 
• You and your kids need to make a plan for when someone comes to tour your home so that you can all get out of the house together and have something fun to do.  When you have a last minute showing you and your children will easily remember that plan and head out together to wherever you have already decided upon.  A good place to go if it is summertime or springtime is the local park; if it’s cold the library might be a good option. 
• Have your children be in charge of packing their own rooms away for the future move.  They can easily pick through their toys and pick out the ones they don’t play with as often and go ahead and pack them away in boxes.  This is also cool to do because once you finally make the big move it will feel like Christmas to them when they open the boxes filled with toys they had forgotten they had. 

Whatever you do, try to make the packing and moving as low key as you possibly can, for your sake as well as your children’s.  Kids can sense when you are upset or stressed about something and then they can upset and stressed.  Do your part to make the transition of selling your home as smooth as possible. 

Courtesy of Chester County PA Realtor Scott Darling!

Whether you are selling your home or you are looking to buy a home, there are a few things that you need to know to help your home inspection go as well as it possibly can.  Home buyers need to know that the house they are buying is in good shape and home sellers need to be on the up and up when selling their home. When it comes to home inspections there are a few tips that can help the inspection go smoothly and the process be as stress free as possible. 

• If you are selling your home and you have a home inspection on the schedule, do your part to make it easy on the inspector by getting your pets out of the house while he or she is doing the inspection.  Your home inspector may love and adore animals as much as you do but your pets being under their feet during the inspection will not make the job any easier. 
• During a home inspection, typically the potential buyers are inside alone with the inspector and they may want to look around to take one last look at things before making a final decision.  If you want to make a good impression on those potential buyers, you may want to clean up the clutter you have left laying around.  Believe it or not clutter can cause a potential home buyer to walk away without making an offer.
• As a home buyer don’t freak out if the home inspector comes up with a list of things that need to be taken care of in the house.  You need to realize that most houses have some sort of upkeep or maintenance that needs to be taken care of and that inspector’s are known for being nitpicky.   Realize too that most everything can be fixed.  Even the dreaded mold and radon.  Realize as well that home inspectors cannot predict the future and won’t be able to tell you how long something will last; they will just be able to tell you that it needs attention. 

Hopefully these tips will help you out the next time you have a home inspector coming to your home, whether you are selling or buying.  Remember that the home inspector is there to help you not to harm you or to ruin your dreams.

Courtesy of Chester County PA Realtor Scott Darling.

We all have New Year’s resolutions each year.  Why not make 2016 a great one by deciding once and for all to get your finances in order.  There are several ways that you can make a big step to improving your finances for this coming year that are not that difficult to do. 

• One of the first things you should do in order to get a hold of your finances is to write down everything you spend for at least a month.  This way you will be able to clearly see where your money is going and where it is not.  You may find that you are a bit surprised by exactly how much money you waste on a daily basis buying things that you can definitely do without. 
• Another easy step to taking a hold of your financial situation this coming year is to start paying off your credit cards.  It is a good idea to start with the smallest amounts owed on credit and pay that amount off first, then move to the larger amounts owed and whittle them down as well.  Once you pay off your credit cards do your best to do without them if you possibly can.  Living on a cash only basis is a great way to take charge of your finances.  If you don’t have it, you don’t spend it…it can be as simple as that!
• This is a bit old school, but clipping coupons is a great way to help ease financial strains that you may have gotten yourself into.  There are several ways to coupon and many times you can get products completely free of charge if you get good enough at couponing.   Make a stockpile of things that you use on a regular basis such as toilet paper and toothpaste and other items you can get very cheap or free.
• If you can, it is a good idea to save up an emergency fund for things that may go wrong now and again such as car repairs and the like.  A good amount to strive to save up is around $1,000.  This will be a big help when you find yourself in need. 

This should be a good start to getting you thinking about your finances and how to take control of them before they take control of you.  This time of year it can be hard to think about finances due to the holidays and all that they include but it is well worth it if you do so that you can start out the New Year in the right direction.   

Courtesy of Chester County PA Realtor Scott Darling.

The time is upon us and Christmas will be here before you know it.   Finding the right Christmas tree for your  home can be a lot of fun if you go about it the right way and with a few guidelines. Below are some tips for putting up your Christmas tree without messing up your home.

• The first thing you should do even before purchasing your Christmas tree is to prepare your home for its arrival.  If you have furniture that will need to be moved out of the way in order for your tree to take its rightful spot in your home then go ahead and move it out of the way before you leave so that when you arrive home you won’t have to worry about it being in your way. 
• Be sure to put a sheet down before you drag the Christmas tree across your hardwoods.  The sap that is possibly still present in your tree can get onto your hardwood floors and destroy them if you are not careful.   This will also make it easier for you to put the tree where you want it as it will alleviate you having to carry the tree through the house. 
• Take measurements where you want your tree to go before you go get one.  This way when you are searching for a tree you know exactly what size you will need for the space allotted.  No one wants to pay top dollar for a Christmas tree only to get it home and realize you have to cut three inches or more off so that it won’t hit the ceiling. 
• Water your tree daily to avoid it catching on fire due to dry and brittle branches.  Be sure if your tree is not freshly cut that you trim at least a half inch off the bottom of the tree before you place it in its stand and water it, otherwise the tree will not be able to absorb the water and therefore will die prematurely and may catch fire.   

Now that you have read these tips for setting up your Christmas tree, you better get on out there and get you one of your own before Christmas has come and gone!

Courtesy of Chester County PA Realtor Scott Darling.

The economy has been bad for quite some time now and although it has improved some over the last few years, it doesn’t seem to be getting a whole lot better.  A good way to save money is to downsize your home.  This is especially a good idea if you have already raised your family and you and your husband are left paying a mortgage on a home that is too large for you.  Let’s take a look at how downsizing your home will help you to save a bit of money, to live more comfortably as well as some easy ways that you can downsize.

• One easy way to downsize is to look for a home that has a small garage or even no garage at all.  If you and your spouse are living in the home alone and your children are grown it is likely that you don’t have a bunch of stuff to store in a garage.  Buying a home without a garage is a great way to get more house for your money and to downsize your payment. 
• Finding a home without a lot of land is another way to downsize and to save big.  You can find a lot of cute houses on the market these days that don’t have a ton of land with them.  It is also good to find a home without a lot of land if you are older and don’t have the stamina you once had to do all the yard work that is involved with a house with a lot of land attached. 
• Buying a home that is one story is also a good way to downsize and to save when it comes to buying a new home.  Buying a home without stairs is good for when you get older as well because you won’t want to or may not be able to climb them once you get up in years. 
• Realize that you don’t have to give up on the home of your dreams when you downsize.  There are plenty of adorable houses on the market that won’t break your bank account that are 1500 square feet or less.  Don’t let society dictate to you that you need a large house in order to fit in.  There are plenty of upsides to downsizing to a smaller home!

Once you set your mind in the right direction and you realize that you don’t need to have a huge house and that it’s no longer important to “keep up with the Jones’’ you will be well on your way to saving a lot of money.

Courtesy of Chester County PA Realtor Scott Darling!

There are two typical questions raised all the time about real estate…

Sellers: “Shouldn’t I first start with trying to save some money by selling on my own as a “For Sale By Owner?”

Buyers: “Shouldn’t I just look around on my own and work with the listing agents when I find something I like?”

Both of those scenarios have hidden problems. The field of real estate is loaded with land mines. Real estate professionals “know the ropes” so you don’t need to. Here are some thoughts for you to consider!

• Sellers need true expert guidance navigating the dangerous pitfalls that currently exist. Finding a buyer ready, willing and able to pay fair market value at a time when lending standards are so stringent is not an easy task.
   
• Buyers are finding reasonable financing is not easy to come by. It can be very tricky when interest rates are volatile like they have been over the last several months. And underwriting standards are tight, meaning that you need special guidance getting pre-approved and assuring that your credit is clear.
   
• Both buyers and sellers need to be hiring a talented negotiator who could save you thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of dollars. Each step of the way – from the original offer, to the possible re-negotiation of that offer after a home inspection, to the possible cancellation of the deal based on a troubled appraisal – you need someone who can keep the deal together until it closes.
   
• Sellers should also realize that when an agent is negotiating their commission with you, they are negotiating their own salary; the salary that keeps a roof over their family’s head; the salary that puts food on their family’s table. If they are quick to take less when negotiating for themselves and their families, what makes you think they will not act the same way when negotiating for you and your family? 
   
• Buyers should consider working with a buyer’s agent from the start. That should be someone who really tunes into your needs and wants. That’s so they can really pinpoint the search for the right property for you. They can save you hours of spinning your wheels and they are ultimately compensated by the seller at the closing table.

Both buyers and sellers should take to heart that old saying “You get what you pay for.” Just like a good accountant or a good attorney, real estate professionals will save you money when all is said and done.

Information provided by Chester County PA Realtor Scott Darling.

A new paint color in your home  can do wonders for your mood and it can also do wonders for helping to sell your home.  Paint colors can change your mood from happy to sad to relaxed or even make you angry.  Why not do your part to make selling your home as easy as you possibly can by choosing the right paint colors.  Below are some color ideas to get you started in the right direction.

• Blue is a nice color for a home if you are looking for a peaceful feeling.  Many people choose to paint the walls in their bedroom blue so that they will be more able to get a good night’s sleep.  Some people like to paint a spa blue in their bathrooms to make it have a spa like feel.  You can’t go wrong with blue paint when it comes to getting your home ready to sell. 
   
• Another color that gives a good tranquil feeling to everyone who enters your home is green.  Green is associated with nature and nature is typically peaceful.  You can use green in almost any room of your house where you want to feel calm and peaceful.  Some folks use light green paint in their bathrooms while others use darker earth tone greens in their family rooms. 
   
• Yellow is a good color to paint in your home if you are interested in selling it because it makes folks feel happy and joyful.  What better feeling would you want your prospective buyers to feel than joy and happiness as they enter your home.  Typically yellows are used in hallways or large foyer areas.  It is best however to stick with soft yellow colors and not get too carried away by attempting such as a mustard yellow color.  Yellow paint done in the right way will appeal to most people. 
   
• Be careful with painting grey in your home if you are trying to sell it because sometimes although you may be going for a warm inviting feel you may end up with a cold harsh feel and that is not something you want your buyers to pick up on.  Grey done right can be very relaxing and inviting.  Perhaps talking with a paint expert at your local hardware store might be a good idea before using grey.
   
• Brown is a typical staple color in a lot of homes.  If you choose to paint beige which is a light form of brown in your home, you will likely find that it can be very warm and inviting to guests or potential buyers. 

I would suggest not using orange or red in your home as a new paint color if you are going to be putting your house on the market anytime soon.  These colors tend to make people feel anxious and or angry.  Painting your home in a few new colors is a perfect way to get it ready for a great showing!  Happy selling!

Information courtesy of Chester County PA Realtor Scott Darling.

From wall stains to washing machines, indoor stains and smells can be a challenge to tackle. Luckily, there are surprisingly simple methods to erase them for good. Here are a few tips to freshen up the most stubborn spots in your home.

Conceal wall stains with primer

Have your kids made artwork of your walls, or has your leaky roof caused a water-damaged mess? Tough wall stains like these can be hard to get rid of, but are easily sealed by applying a high-quality, stain-blocking primer. For example, KILZ Hide-All Primer Sealer covers problem areas on surfaces from drywall and woodwork to concrete and brick. It even masks over dark stains without allowing color to bleed through. With only a one-hour drying time before applying a topcoat, this is the perfect one-weekend project to cross off your list. KILZ primer can also seal off odors caused by pets or smoke.

Eliminate refrigerator odors

Refrigerators are subject to a variety of spills and odors. Making time for fridge maintenance can help prevent unusual odors and keep your food fresh longer. To cleanse and polish your fridge, begin by emptying the contents of your fridge and throwing out, recycling or composting any food that is expired or beginning to smell.

Next, pull out any removable drawers or shelving and place them in the sink. Using a damp, soft cloth or non-abrasive sponge, wipe down these pieces, the interior of your fridge and the door with a multi-purpose cleaner. Or, mix two tablespoons of baking soda with one quart of hot water for a natural soap alternative. Don't forget the seams of the shelves and rubber door seal.

If your fridge requires an extra-deep cleaning, unplug it while you work to avoid wasting energy. Before putting all of your food back into the fridge, wipe down the exterior of each jar or container with a damp cloth. Repeat this process every two or three months for the best results.

Make grout lines shine

Tile surfaces are prone to dirt and debris, especially in bathrooms or high-traffic areas. To keep tile looking fresh and new, grab an old toothbrush or electric toothbrush for a deeper scrub. Before you start, wash the surface with water then mix two parts baking soda with one part water. Scrub the resulting paste into the cracks and crevices, then douse with water again. If the grout lines are stained, spray a mixture of equal parts vinegar and warm water onto the area and brush. After a final rinse, the grime will be gone.

Prevent a moldy washing machine

If you own a front-loading washing machine, you've probably noticed the unpleasant smell that can linger after completing a load of laundry. Despite being more energy-efficient, these machines have a tendency to hold odors and harbor mold. To clean and prevent grimy buildup, try this: instead of detergent, cycle two cups of vinegar and a quarter-cup of baking soda on a hot setting. When it's done, use a clean sponge to scrub down the inside. Finally, rinse with a plain-water cycle, and you'll see (and smell) the results.

Whether in the kitchen, bathroom or laundry room, tricky stains and odors in your home can be a tough job, but with these four tips you'll be able to eliminate a few messy tasks in no time. (BPT)

Information courtesy of Chester County PA Realtor Scott Darling.

If you own a home, vacation property, boat, art or other valuables, you likely understand the importance of insurance. What you might not know is there's a good chance you're overpaying for that insurance, and furthermore, it's likely not providing the coverage you really need.

Most financially successful people who insure their assets with carriers geared primarily for the average U.S. household overpay for coverage, according to an ACE survey of independent insurance agents. Furthermore, the survey found that coverage is often inadequate, leaving their wealth unnecessarily exposed to the risk of severe financial loss.

"It's a shock to many families with substantial assets that they are overpaying for inadequate protection," says Jim Williamson, president of ACE Private Risk Services. "The reason this occurs is people frequently fail to update their coverage as they build wealth."

Unfortunately, unless people experience a severe loss, they never realize their agent and carrier no longer have the expertise, insurance coverage and services to fully meet their needs. By then, it's too late. In order to get the right coverage for your assets while paying appropriate premiums, it's best to take a proactive approach.

The first step is to conduct a personal risk review. Risks tend to grow alongside wealth and situational complexities make each person's needs unique. A sound insurance program should be developed with an independent insurance agent or broker who has experience working with high net-worth families. Learn more at www.aceprs.com.

Three important risk assessment areas to discuss include:

1. Physical and financial assets

Make a list of all properties, cars and recreational vehicles that need coverage. High-value jewelry or art collections should be assessed as well. Additionally, reviewing financial assets is important so the agent can determine net worth and recommend the correct liability coverage.

2. Occupation, activities and family status

Communicate your career and where you work to your insurance agent. Do you work from home? Do you serve on any boards of charities? Do you employ a nanny or other household staff? Additionally, discuss the needs of your family, including safety concerns or age-related issues.

3. Tolerance for risk

Think about your personal viewpoint on insurance. Do you have it mainly to serve as protection against catastrophic loss or would you prefer it to cover small losses as well?

In many cases, families discover they need more liability coverage and better protection for their home and valuable collections, while cost-savings found elsewhere in the program keep total premium about the same. In fact, 51 percent of the agents from the ACE survey said that the cost of a newly structured program with a high net-worth carrier was usually 5 percent less than the cost of the previous mass-market carrier.

Williamson notes these top ways to save:

1. Increase deductible

Agents report 81 percent of families likely have homeowners and auto insurance deductibles that are too low. You will pay substantially more for smaller deductibles, yet oftentimes wealthier families are able to cover higher deductibles in the event of an incident. For example, the ACE Platinum Portfolio policy that insures a $1 million home with a $2,500 deductible versus a $500 deductible saves about $900 a year.

2. Package discounts

The survey found 62 percent of families likely do not take full advantage of discounts earned by placing multiple policies with one carrier. Lesson: Resist the temptation to have your auto, home and liability insurance with separate carriers. Spreading policies across carriers can cause insurance gaps and eliminates opportunities to save by packaging policies together. Packaging discounts can be as high as 10 percent.

3. Loss prevention credits

Half of the agents surveyed believe that families overlook credits available for safety systems. Safety systems such as burglar alarms, water leak detection and power backup systems can reduce the cost of insurance coverage by 30 percent or more. Rehabilitating plumbing, electrical and heating systems in older homes can result in additional premium credits.

"The best way to get the right coverage is to work with an experienced agent who can provide expert counsel based on your unique situation," says Williamson. "They will be able to recommend the right options and investigate discounts so you can get more for your insurance dollar." (BPT)

Information courtesy of Chester County PA Realtor Scott Darling.