Military who served overseas between January 2009 and May 2010 are still eligible for the tax credit.  Service members have until April 30, 2011 to sign an Agreement of Sale and must close by June 30, 2011.  Both the $8,000 first time hombuyer and $6,500 repeat buyer tax credits apply.  

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

Sellers ask me all the time “What can we do to make our home more attractive so it sells quicker?”.  Here’s a few ideas to consider:

- Remodel your Kitchen.  If you want to increase the value of your home, add modern appliances, clean or reface cabinets, consider adding a solid surface countertop and new fixtures.

- Remodel your Bathrooms.  Buyers today are looking for modern conveniences.  Do you need an updated vanity, countertop and fixtures?  If you have wallpaper, it’s a MUST for you to remove and replace with a fresh coat of neutral colored paint.

- Replace flooring where applicable.  Hardwood and ceramic tile are very popular among today’s buyers.  Carpet is passe! 

- Remove “unnecessary belonging” (i.e. clutter).  If you’re selling your home, you can get a head start with packing by boxing up all your knick-knacks, photographs, etc.  Clutter makes rooms feel small and dirty.  Open up your floor space and rearrange the furniture to take advantage of the floor plan.

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

Exceptional at $189,900!

Adorable Colonial Cape Cod in Northern School District with over 1,650 square feet of living space, and two detached garages.  If you’re looking for “room” in a quiet country setting, this is the property for you!   Highlights include:

- Spacious eat-in Kitchen with beautiful millwork and generous countertop space.

- Formal Living Room with stone wood fireplace.

- Formal Dining Room centrally located from Kitchen, Living Room and First Floor Master.

- 3 Bedrooms (First Floor Master)

- First Floor Master would also make a great home office or den.

- 1.5 Baths

- Full basement with laundry

- One single bay garage with additional storage

- One 2-car garage with additional storage

- 2 Bedroom mobile home resides in back of lot (rental opportunity?)

- New roof over main house in 2009

The possibilities are endless with this property.  Schedule a showing today or give me a call for more information.

If you’re looking for privacy and acreage but want to be close to shopping and restaurants, this is the property for you!  Come see this private oasis with a stream, mature landscaping and trees, horseshoe pits and a new (2007) 27′ round above ground pool with deck surround. 

There’s plenty of room to spread out in the 2,100+ home with 3 Bedrooms, 3 full Baths, formal Living Room and Dining Room, spacious lower level Family Room with fireplace (propane).  The generous Country Kitchen can accommodate large gatherings and offers all modern amenities for the family chef.   Between the Garage and Family Room, you’ll find a space that offers endless possibilities, such as:  home office, playroom, hobby room, etc. 

Storage is abundant throughout the home and in the oversized 2-car Garage.  The outside shed (14′ x 16′) can easily store all your outdoor equipment. 

For more information or to schedule a private showing,  please contact me at 717-623-8508. 

Effective June 1, Fannie Mae announced that a new credit report will be pulled prior to closing.  Mortgage underwriters will be looking to see if new credit was opened or applied for from the date of your mortgage application.  If the Buyer’s credit score changes or if new credit lines are established, the file could be sent back to underwriting for further review and possiblity delay settlement.  Or, worst case scenario is that your mortgage application can be denied.   

After you enter an Agreement of Sale, do NOT apply for  new credit or make any “significant purchases”.  By doing so, you will put your mortgage loan at risk.  There will be plenty of time AFTER your loan closes to make those purchases.

If you have any questions, please contact me at Michelle@HarrisburgHouses.net.   

Financial guru, Warren Buffett is predicting that the residential real estate market will start to rebound in 2011.  The combination of a high supply of unsold properties and record foreclosures flooding our markets caused property values to decline throughout the US.  Once demand (for homes) and supply (inventory) meet, the market will start to improve. 

Warren_Buffett_Predicts_Rebound_in_2011

For information on our local real estate market, contact me at Michelle@HarrisburgHouses.net.  

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!!