House Talk

How many times have you driven by streamers flying on a sign that says : “Brand New Construction! Models Open Today!” Of course you want to see the model homes--they are always so beautifully decorated and you can get some great ideas. Plus, it is good to know what the home values are doing in your area. Why not stop in?

Older homes have plenty of charm, but they also have their inconveniences: drafts, slanting floors, closed-in kitchens, and tiny bathrooms. The way we live now is just different. So if you're considering updating an older home to incorporate modern comforts, there's something appealing about just doing a gut renovation and starting with a clean slate.

One happy day your agent emails you that the perfect house has come on and she can get you in to see it that very day. You go, you love, you WANT this house! It is just renovated enough to be move-in but not too much to be out of your price range. Seems to be in good condition—the seller is a fastidious engineer. But your buyer’s agent knows that you don’t want to overpay. Homes recently listed are not likely to go for a huge discount. The sellers want to see what interest they get and will seldom accept an offer much below asking price in the first week or so. How to navigate all of that?

As a Main Line Realtor®, I am often asked not just about buying or selling a home, but about the best way to add value to a home.

There is no doubt about it – there’s a comfort in staying in a home you’ve lived in for many years instead of moving to a totally new or unfamiliar environment. There is, however, new information that suggests this might not be the best option for everyone. The familiarity of your current home is the pro of aging in place, but the potential financial drawbacks to remodeling or renovating might actually be more costly than the long-term benefits

Which month do you think most people who are considering buying a home actually start their search? If you’re like most of us, you probably think the surge happens in the spring, likely in April. Not anymore. According to new research, January 2019 was only 1% behind February for the most monthly views per listing on realtor.com.

I recently closed four deals involving 2 sets of clients—each couple sold their existing home and bought a new one on the same day. You would think that is the norm in my business here on the Main Line, but there are often reasons why this does not happen.

Questions continue to rise around where home prices will head in 2020. The latest forecast from CoreLogic shows continued appreciation at 5.4% over the next year.

Studies have shown that, in many cases, the largest asset a family owns is the house they live in. Over the last twelve months, that asset has gained substantial value. CoreLogic just released their 2019 3rd Quarter Homeowner Equity Insights Report. The report revealed that:“U.S. homeowners with mortgages (roughly 64% of all properties) have seen their equity increase by a total of nearly $457 billion since the third quarter 2018, an increase of 5.1%, year over year.”

A Main Line Realtor®, at least a good one, has to wear many hats. It is truly a disparate bevy of skills that makes this job go well. For example, in the last couple of days I had to diagnose a water heater’s problem, find a good plumber, landscaper, mason and floor refinisher, counsel a couple who is unable to decide which area of the country they want to downsize in, and create a marketing giveaway for a sponsorship of an event.