According to research conducted by The Patriot-News, the midstate’s economy is doing pretty well. In fact, better than the national average. Two key indicatores are:

Unemployment Rate Foreclosures

Harrisburg Area 4.1% Up 7% in 2007

Lebanon County 3.9%

York County 4.3%

National 4.9% Up 75% over previous year

Overall, Central Pennsylvania did not experience skyrocketing home prices or new build growth like other areas of the country. Therefore, we are not suffering from the “pounding” that other areas of the country are currently trying to endure. Living in the midstate is a great thing!

According to an article published by The Associated Press in The Sunday Patriot News (March 23, 2008), mortgage lenders are making it harder for potential borrowers - even borrower’s with good credit. Borrowers who can not afford to put the traditional 20% downpayment on a home require the backing of a mortgage insurer.

In recent weeks, mortgage insurers have flagged nearly 25% of the nation’s zip codes where they refuse to insure home loans. The following states have experienced the highest foreclosure rates and the worst price declines therefore the entire state is blackballed for some mortgage insurers: Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan, Nevada, and Ohio.

On the flip side, in central Pennsylvania, the housing market continues to fare better than most. In 2007, home prices continued to rise and foreclosure files increased only moderately.

What does this mean for new home buyers? It can mean that higher downpayments, a more thorough review of credit scores, among other requirements. In areas where the home values are declining, more restrictions are in place however regions such as central Pennsylvania are not immune although home values are rising.

It’s that time of year to beautify your lawn so you can show it off all summer long. There are five steps that need to be started now so you can reap the rewards later.

The first task is not a fun one but one that is necessary and that is raking. Raking not only removes the dead grass but if you use a deep rake then you can remove the thatch as well. A thatch build up over 1/2 inch is excessive and needs to be removed. New grass can not penetrate thatch.

Aeration is the next step. When your yard becomes compact (due to high levels of traffic) it will start to decline. To revive your lawn, it is necessary to aerate. You can rent lawn aerators at a local rental center. If you are not experiencing severe compaction, it is recommened that you wait until spring to aerate.

Grass prefers a neutral soil PH. If you have high levels of acidity, you will need to spread lime. To determine the PH level of your soil, contact a professional lawn service and they will be happy to test your soil’s acidity (for a small fee, of course).

You need to overseed all the bare spots due to high traffic, “doggie spots”, and neglect. Spring is not the best time to overseed however if you want to fill in the bare spots it’s necessary. Apply a slow release nitrogen fertilizer when you overseed and approximately five weeks later (when you start to see the grass seedlings sprout) follow up with a quick release nitrogen fertilizer.

Last but not least, don’t forget to fertilize. You can fertilize your lawn organically by using compost and/or a mulching mower. Or, if you prefer to use chemicals, there are several professional lawn care companies out there would can set you up on a monthly schedule.

This may sound like a lot of work but each step happens at a different stage so it is managable (and fun) to do. You will be amazed at what a little bit of elbow grease can accomplish!

The top three benefits of staging your home include:

1) Studies have shown that staged homes usually sell for more money than unstaged homes. Often the additional gain is many times what the cost of the staging was.

2) Staged homes usually sell much more quickly than unstaged homes. If you are being transferred, have an estate sale, doing a 1031 exchange, or want to sell quickly for any reason, staging will usually help.

3) More satisfied buyers mean less chance of a deal falling through.

Can anyone recommend a home stager in Central Pennsylvania?

Most buyers make a decision about a house within the first 15 seconds walking in the door.  Did you know that others make their decision before leaving their car?  First impressions are extremely important when selling your home so don’t forget about “staging” the exterior of your home as well.  Some helpful hints include:  remove the clutter, apply fresh paint where its needed, trim those overgrown bushes and pull those weeds.  For an added touch, place a few flower pots by your front door and buy a new welcome mat.  A few dollars can go along way…

Sometimes stagers will also help reduce the negative impact of some challenge the house may have. For example, if there is traffic noise from a nearby busy street, they might put a fountain in the yard to create a more pleasant atmosphere. One may think that buyers make logical decisions, but often emotions guide buyers to what just “feels right”. Creating a warm, inviting and attractive atmosphere can make a huge difference to the seller of a home (and put more money in their pocket).

It’s March 21 and so far this month, 920 homes have been listed on the MLS and 464 have sold. That’s not bad for 21 days. Let’s see how we end the month.