One Floor Living : An Investment

Housing styles in South Central PA make it easy to guess an age of a home. If it's a ranch, my bet would be on 1960's to 1970's. Bi-level or Split level? Go with the 80's. Traditional two-story? 90's to present day. The good news if you are the owner of an older ranch home your house may be in demand. Many home buyers, from young to old, are considering one-floor living. The benefits may include heating and cooling costs, access, and upkeep.

Some advice: If you have a ranch house, keep it in shape. For starters, fix that old roof. Tear up the worn out carpet and finish those wood floors. Don't forget the kitchen and bathrooms. Every home and situation is different, so ask me or your local Realtor what they suggest before jumping into a bunch of projects.

Looking for a home or to sell the one you have? I'd be happy to talk to you about it.

The Reluctant Real Estate Recruiter: Me?

The phone rings and it is the daughter of a friend. Or maybe an old highschool acquaintance. Neighbor. Past client. They are interested in doing what I do. Full of energy. Almost all of them tell me they watch most of the HGTV house buying/selling/flipping/designing shows. They love looking at houses. I have to pause and remember what I promised myself a few years ago. When I first got into this business it wasn't long until my old brokerage asked me to mentor new real estate agents. The same demeanor that helps me form successful working relationships with clients today led to a thought that I would be a great ambassador for new Realtors 20+ years ago. Think again. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) announced that in 2023 they lost over 26,000* members. How does that happen? While there are some other factors (ie, selling real estate without being under the NAR umbrella, retirement, etc .. ) a reasonable assumption is an overwhelming majority of Realtors left the business...

Let's Go For A Walk: Meet the Wurbles

When's the last time you opened your front door and walked down the street for a cup of joe or to hit the gym? A number of people, especially those in the "717", can't do that. We live in the suburbs. The country. We drive to work, shop, and play. Some stats and news reports the last two years would have you believe that everyone is moving to the sticks. The truth is, I've never had so many people tell me they want to live in a community where they can walk or bike for shopping, exercise, work, school, etc ... Some things to consider if you find it appealing to be using your car less. This goes for both buying a home or renting. - Flirt with living in town . A novel idea! Take your pick, almost all of them have housing options that allow you to do a number of things on foot or two wheels. If sustainability is important to you, this is a homerun - Live near public transportation . The "717" doesn't have a subway, but options include the CAT bus, ...

92 Months

It has been 92+ months in a row that the median price of homes in the 717 area code have increased. The difference in median sales price from just one year ago is +8%. On the flipside, buyers in the 717 area do have *more* choices than they did last year. There are more homes available. Prices going up, but more homes available. This is not the same in other areas in the Mid-Atlantic region. What does all this mean? I started helping people buy and sell real estate over 20 years ago. There have been highs and lows for buyers and sellers - but generally speaking they haven't been as high or low in Central Pennsylvania as they are in many other parts of the country and even within our own state. Make a move when you want to, not when the talking heads on the TV tell you it is time. *statistics courtesy of BrightMLS report Nov 13, 2023

717 Real Estate

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