Real Estate Information Archive

Everyone these days is talking about “going green” and making the world a cleaner place for our children and grandchildren.  You may not think that you can do much towards this green movement but the truth is in fact you can.  There are many ways that are simple and easy to go green inside your own home.   Below is a list of a few of the ways in which you can make your home green, and I don’t mean in color. 

1. Most homemakers don’t love doing laundry and this little tidbit is going to be music to your ears!  By letting your clothes pile up a bit you are doing the environment a favor.  Running small loads of laundry through your washing machine and dryer is a waste of energy and a waste of water.  In fact one load of laundry used 25 gallons of water regardless of how full the load is.  Why not do your part in going green by only run your washing machine when you absolutely have to.  
2. Do you enjoy raking up grass cuttings after you mow?  My guess is that you just answered with a loud “no”!  There is great news for you then my friend; leave the trimmings on your lawn and let them do their job of being a natural fertilizer!  This is a great way to go green that doesn’t cost you a dime! 
3. By adding a lot of live plants around your home you are doing your part towards helping the world be a cleaner place.  Live plants help get rid of some of the pollutants in the air and therefore make the air cleaner for everyone to breathe.  Adding some live plants on the inside of your home is also a great way to help the air be more fresh and appealing. 
4. Microwave ovens use 50% less energy than your oven.  The next time your family asks for a meal to be prepared, why not zap a meal into the microwave to help save energy.  If your family objects, tell them you are doing your part to make the world a better place for everyone by “going green” and saving as much energy as you can. 
5. Whenever you purchase sprays and soaps for the house, buy unscented.  This will not only make a difference in the environment but will also be beneficial to your own health as well. 

Hopefully these few easy ways of going green have got you thinking in the right mindset so that you can begin to make your own home a bit greener.

Courtesy of Chester County PA Realtor Scott Darling.

Being a homeowner means that your home is yours – even the things that need fixing. Is a faucet leaking? Are floor boards squeaky? Is a light-switch not working? Those issues are all yours to tackle. But what projects can you do yourself and what ones require the help of a trained professional? Taking on projects yourself can save you time and money. But taking on the wrong projects can lead to unending amounts of stress or end up costing you more money than if you had hired someone in the first place. NAR’s consumer website, HouseLogic.com, lets you know which projects need a seasoned hand and a beginner can undertake.  

Take a look at how many families decided to become homeowners in our local market in August…

Chester County PA Real Estate Market Trends for August 2016

2,641 Chester County PA single family homes were for sale in August 2016 which is an 8.42% decrease from August 2015. 687 homes sold in August with a median sales price of $351,000, a 8.00% increase from August 2015.

The supply of inventory was 5.0 compared to 5.6 in August 2015 and the Sales vs List Price was 96.3%.

Curious about the value of your home? Get your home's value here!

There are many reasons why you might have to leave a home that you have lived in for several years.  You may have had to leave do to not being able to pay the mortgage because it was too high for you or you may have outgrown your home as your family has become larger over the years.  Still another reason you may have to say goodbye to your home is due to a job change that takes you from your home and places you into another area or even another state.  Below are a few ways in which you can say farewell to the place you have come to know and love as your home. 

1. One way that you can say goodbye to your home that may help everyone feel a bit better about a move is to go around the house room by room and have each family member say aloud why that particular room was important to them and what if anything it meant to them personally. 
2. Another way you can say goodbye to a home  or rather feel like you are still connected to it years after moving out is by planting a few trees around the house.  If you and your family are blessed enough to be able to come back and visit the home after some time you can watch as the trees begin to grow and see how they change year after year and perhaps still feel a connection to the house.
3. Yet another clever way to bid farewell to your home is to have someone paint a picture of your home before you leave it.  You can then carry that home with you to your next home and place the picture in a prominent place for all to see.  This is a great way to keep the memory of a beloved home alive for years to come. 
4. Making a movie of yourself and your family inside of your home before you leave it to travel to your new home is another great way to remember the good times you had there.  If you ever feel like you are missing your “old” home place you can always get the video out and feel connected to it once again.

Homes are not just walls and plaster, they are where we raise our families, where we love and are loved.  Leaving a home is never easy but hopefully these ideas about how to bid farewell to your home  will make it a bit easier for you.  

Courtesy of Chester County PA Realtor Scott Darling.

If you have pets you know all too well just what a mess they can make, what you may not be aware of however is that they have a smell all their own that others who walk into your house may be able to smell more than you can.  If you have your house on the market you may need to do your best to eliminate the pet odor before you home starts showing so that you will be better able to sell your home.  Below are a few ideas and tips to help you get a head start on eliminating pet odor.

• If your pet has an accident inside of your home douse it with baking soda as quickly as you possibly can after you soak up the urine with a towel.  Allow the baking soda to dry and then pat the area with a dry towel.  Once you have done all of this, be sure to vacuum the area.  The smell that once would have lingered behind after cleaning the soiled area will no longer exist.   
• Another great way to rid your home of pet smell so that your home may have a better chance of selling is to make a fabric spray out of white vinegar and baking soda.  1 teaspoon of baking soda mixed with 1 tablespoon of vinegar will do the trick.  Put these ingredients together in a spray bottle and you will have a great way to get pet smell out of your furniture and other fabrics.  Spraying this concoction over your furniture before a showing is a great way to know that your potential buyers will not be able to smell that you have pets living inside of the house with you. 
• A  HEPA  air filtration system is also a good thing to have if you have pets and you are planning to try to sell your home.  These types of systems cost as little as $100 and can make all the difference when it comes to the sale of your home.  One hundred dollars may sound like a lot of money but when you think that it may make or break the sale of your home it is nothing.  Be sure to always clean you’re air conditioning filtration system as well so that you will have clean air flowing throughout the house at all times just in case you have someone who wants to take a tour of your home at the last minute.  

​​Courtesy of Chester County PA Realtor Scott Darling.

When buying a home there are several things you should avoid saying in front of the owners of the home and their Realtor.  Of course you want to be upfront and honest as possible with your Realtor when buying a home but you need to remember that some things are taboo and may  come back to haunt you if they are spoken before making an offer on a house, especially to the seller's agent.  Let’s take a look at what NOT to say when buying a new home.

• When thinking about making an offer on a new home, never ever say “this is my dream home and I can’t live without it”.  This statement makes the Realtor, the seller and all those involved in the sale of the home know that you are set on having that particular house and that you may be willing to pay whatever is asked without question.  Be careful with your words when you are in front of the sellers and their agent.    
• Be careful not to let it be known exactly how much money you have to spend on a new home when you are in the process of buying one.  This will safeguard you from letting too much information out and perhaps spending more than you might have.  The last thing you want to do is to end up in a house that is more than you can really afford on a monthly basis. 
• When walking through a home on a home tour be careful not to share your distaste for decorations or colors that are used in the home and especially don’t mention how you want to renovate or remodel the house because the sellers may decide against your offer simple because they do not want their home changed into something they don’t recognize.  Even though folks sell their home it doesn’t mean they will no longer have an attachment to that home. 
• It’s also a good idea not to ask the sellers of a home why they are selling.  It may be a very personal reason why they have decided to sell their home and they may not want to share that reason with you. 

These are just a few ideas of what not to say during the process of buying a house.  Hopefully, if you keep these ideas in mind you may be able to make a fair offer on a home and become the new owners of the home of your dreams. 

Courtesy of Chester County PA Realtor Scott Darling.

If you're thinking about investing in a rental property, experts say low home prices combined with low interest rates make this the best time in years to become a real-estate investor.  Couple this with the increase in potential renters due to foreclosures and the recent shaky economy, and you may well decide to become a first-time investor in Chester County PA real estate. 

It isn’t difficult to get into the real estate investing world. In fact, it’s rather easy. But it does require being smart and dedicated—and avoiding easy-to-make mistakes. These tips for a first time real estate investor should be beneficial in helping you become more knowledgeable and competent in sidestepping common pitfalls.

• Tip 1:  Educate yourself:  Visit numerous online sites, consult with seasoned investors of Chester County PA real estate, become familiar with terms and jargon, investigate lending procedures, explore possible locations, and analyze your personal financial situation.  Carefully researched knowledge will keep unpleasant surprises at bay.
   
• Tip 2:  Formulate a plan:  Most experts advise first-timers to limit their initial investments to residential Chester County PA real estate (many recommend concentrating on foreclosures) and to know in advance how much of a “fixer-upper” they want to take on.  Predetermining preferred locations (think in terms of schools, insurance rates, job availability, taxes, amenities, etc.) is also essential, as is deciding whether you will manage the property yourself.
   
• Tip 3:  Get your ducks in a row:  Speak to potential lenders or even a financial planner about whether you have enough assets to handle the ups and downs that could come with investing. Even if you plan to rent out the property, count on paying the mortgage whenever there's a vacancy.  It’s certainly a good idea to get pre-approved for an investment property loan.  It’s also useful to line up individuals/companies who can take care of various maintenance needs before you need their services for your Chester County PA investment real estate.
   
• Tip 4:  Be patient, but persevere:  As the market recovers, finding the “perfect” property is becoming more difficult, but it is not impossible.  Once you figure out where to look, you’ll be able to find them more easily, and you’ll start making money!  Be forewarned: there will be numerous high and low points in your stint as an investor, but if you are confident about your plan and are determined to work towards it, odds are you’ll succeed!

Yes, you realize that the economy is tough, and, yes, you’re well aware that it is a buyers’ market in the real estate world.  But your Chester County PA home has been for sale for a long time now, and similar houses in the area have been selling.  You’re asking what you consider a fair price for the property, and you allow your Realtor to have periodic open house showings, so what is going on?

Generally the problem lies in one of four areas:  price, condition, availability, and location.

• Price:  In today’s economy everyone is looking for a bargain. With access to so much information on the internet, buyers cannot be fooled because it is very easy for them to compare prices. Many people won’t even bother looking at a house if they believe it is overpriced. Therefore, you should make sure your Chester County PA home is not priced higher than similar homes on the market. However, if you are looking to sell your home quickly, you should set the price even lower than the competition.  For more help with pricing, visit RIS Media and Realtor.com
   
• Condition:  The condition of your home inside and out is critically important to making a sale. If your home doesn’t show well, a potential buyer is going to head elsewhere. Because most buyers are looking for a house they can move into without a ton of small repairs and cleanup, you should make any interior or exterior repairs on your Chester County PA home that may be noticeable. While some buyers may be willing to negotiate on the price when there are repairs that need to be done, there are many who are looking for a home with a “move in worry free” condition. Clean and de-clutter thoroughly, and eliminate all odors  For staging suggestions, go to About.Com
   
• Availability:   Getting as many people as possible to view your home is important. Too much restriction on viewing times will naturally lessen the chance of selling the house quickly. Also, restrictions on viewing times may make a buyer may feel that the seller is not flexible and would not be willing to negotiate on anything else.
   
• Location:  When it comes to buying a house location is everything. No matter how beautiful a home is, if it is in a bad location, it will be hard to sell.  To compensate for a bad location, you may reduce the price of your Chester County PA home substantially if it needs to be sold quickly. Click here for possible solutions to a location concern.