Cumberland County has re-assessed all properties values to reflect a property’s market value as of January 1, 2010.  The revised assessment will be used to calculate county, municipal, and school district real estate taxes for 2011.  The last assessment took place in 2004.

The first batch will be mailed to home owners in Big Spring, Shippensburg Area and South Middleton School Districts on Monday, March 1.  The remaining home owners will receive their assessments in the May/June timeframe. 

Are you looking for a home in Harrisburg?  You’re in luck.  In addition to the current tax credit and low interest rates, there’s a new home ownership incentive program that’s available. 

Announcement_of_Harrisburg_Home_Ownership_Incentive_Program

Please contact me at Michelle@HarrisburgHouses.net for more information.   

Even though the contract negotiations are over, you still can’t relax because the dreaded home inspection is right around the corner.  Below is a list of some of the most common defects that home inspectors look for during their detailed inspection.

- Improper or insufficient electrical wiring.  An inspector will be looking for potential fire hazards.  Wires need to be housed properly in a box, not hanging loose.  If you need electrical work done, make sure you hire a certified electrician who obtains the proper permits (when applicable).  This is an area where you don’t want to cut corners to save a few dollars because in the end it may cost you thousands!

- Plumbing problems such as leaky faucets, corroding pipes, improperly installed hot water heaters, and loose toilets.  Something as small as a leak can lead to mold, mildew and even structural damage when left unattended.

- Roof deterioration.  Home owners should routinely check for loose, missing or damaged shingles.  If you tend to the small repairs on a regular basis, you can stave off costly repairs (or even a full roof replacement).  Eventually, you’ll have to succumb to a roof replacement  but until then, take care of what you currently have.

- Overall neglect.  The details speak volumes as to what type of home owner you are.  If a potential buyer sees peeling paint, decayed caulking around windows and doors, broken fixtures, gutters overflowing, etc., it may lead them to the conclusion that overall “health” of the home is poor.  However, if you take care of the visual details and disclose service maintenanace records, chances are the buyer is going to go into the home inspection feeling confident about their decision and may overlook the small stuff should the inspector find anything.

Depending on the situation, a seller may want to have a pre-listing home inspection.  The benefit is that there won’t be any surprises once a willing, able buyer is identified.  However, sellers must keep in mind that what you know about your property you MUST disclose.  Therefore, if the inspector indicates that the current electrical wiring is insufficient for the current size of the home due to the family room addition, the seller has two options.  1) Upgrade the electrical service to accommodate the square footage of the home and document this upgrade in the seller’s disclosure, or 2) Do nothing and disclose the home inspector’s observation in the seller’s disclosure.  Obviously, it’s recommended for a seller to fix the problem so it’s no longer a potential issue. 

For more information, please contact me directly at Michelle@HarrisburgHouses.net. 

Homeowner’s insurance has been a hot topic lately…especially with sellers who have already vacated their current home.  In today’s market, it is not uncommon for a homeowner to buy a new home first without selling their old one. 

The problem is, most insurers will not insure a vacant home because there is a greater possibility that something will happen to it.  Some insurers will even stop coverage all together when a home has become unoccupied for over 30 days.   That’s because such occurrences as theft, vandalism, fire and water damage are far more likely to happen in vacant houses than occupied ones and the damage is more likely to be worse because no one is around to report it or stop it. 

If you find yourself in this situation, ask your current insurance company for a “vacancy permit” but you need to do this BEFORE the 30 days expire.  This type of permit will provide similar coverage but will not protect your home against malicious acts, glass breakage or water damage.  Some insurance companies do offer coverage for vacant homes but typically it’s at a higher premium. 

Bottom line is…make sure you do your due diligence before making the decision to vacate your home (if it’s going to be for an extended amount of time).   The devil is always in the details!!