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Showing posts from 2012

Luxury Homes

When most people think of luxury homes , they think the beach. Big city living. International. Well, when I think of luxury I imagine the perfect house, right here in the 717 area code. Think about it. You live here. You love it here. Pamper yourself! A quick search found a boomin' house on 77 private acres . And it's only 3.225 million. Okay, that part may present an obstacle for many of us, but you get the idea.
WHY Rent to Own? We have all seen the signs or newspaper advertisements. "Rent to Own!" . My first reaction is always "Why?". There may be a situation or two where such an agreement makes sense. However, beware. And remember to keep asking yourself (as Buyer or Seller) --- " Why am I doing this? " First, let's look at some Seller's pros and cons:   - Pros: You have someone interested in the house who wants to purchase it at a later date   - Cons: The person interested in the house cannot purchase right now. Red Flag!   - Cons: The person interested in the house cannot purchase right now. Red Flag! Yes, I said it twice. Well, you say. What about the Buyer? Surely there must be an advantage to "rent to own".   - Pros: You may have an opportunity to "lock in" a house until you are able to actually purchase via a mortgage or cash.   - Cons: Read the fine print in your agreement. A

How's The Market?

How's the market? I hear it all the time. I'm glad people ask me, it means they trust my opinion. That picture over there is me smiling every time someone asks me about Real Estate ---- so keep on asking. The answer to that question, at least in the area where I live and help people buy and sell homes, is almost always "Great" . However, I don't stop there, because I want to know what people mean by "... how is the market...". If you bought a home two months ago, did nothing to it and want to sell it now ---- you'll probably think the market is "bad". Is it? The situation isn't the best, that's for sure. I can think of a few solutions to that predicament, but that's a discussion for another day. So how do you know if the housing market in your town or neighborhood is good or bad? Talk to an expert. Call a Realtor you trust and ask them about trends they are seeing. I often see stats published in newspapers claiming the mar