Totally Renovated Chesterbrook Townhome!

Don’t miss this completely renovated end townhome in the Paddock section of Chesterbrook! Please call me at (610)-687-2900, ext. 113 to schedule a showing. Check out the Facebook album to see more photos.

The foyer steps down into great room with an updated, new full stone wall fireplace and new hardwood floors on entire main level. The renovated kitchen features wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. The step down area could be a dining area or family room, and boasts double sliders to the yard and powder room. 

There are wood stairs with new railings leading to the upper level, which features a master bathroom with access to a new bath with bowl vanity, laundry, and outdoor entrance to deck. There is another bedroom and a fully finished loft.

The heating and air conditioning system, hot water heater, front and side windows have also been replaced. 

If you are tired of looking at older townhomes you will appreciate this like new home!  Call me today to see it! (610)-687-2900, ext. 113.

For Sale in Media: Former Roosevelt School

Please call me to see this unique property: the former Roosevelt School in Media.

This former school is situated on 5.59 acres with two connected buildings totaling 36,000 rentable square feet. The frontage on Rt. 352 is 194 feet, and 168 feet on S. New Middletown Rd. The building complies with ADA certification requirements, and has an elevator and stair lift. There is window air conditioning in this newer 2-story building, and an outside ramp and central air-conditioning in the original building. Both buildings have upgraded bathrooms, and there are separate heating systems in each building.One building has a daylight walkout unfinished basement. The property includes a large 67-spot paved parking lot with 4 special spaces. One building has a daylight walkout unfinished basement.

 

I would be pleased to show you this property. Please give me a call: 610-687-2900, ext. 113.

Is Your Home Still On the Market? Find Out Why!

Several key things can keep buyers away from your home. Some of these deterrents prevent buyers from even looking at the inside of your home, meaning that all your preparations have been done in vain. Please call me to learn more: 610-687-2900, ext 113.

Consider Your Price
If few or no buyers are coming to see your home, it may be listed at a price that the market cannot support. Sometimes sellers list a home for more than they expect to sell it for, leaving them room for negotiation. They think this will guarantee that they get the price that they want for their home.
In today’s housing market, this is simply not the case. In some areas of the country, sellers benefit by pricing their home about ten percent lower than their anticipated sale price. Then buyers compete for the right to purchase the home.

Of course, your home’s worth is an important consideration. Sometimes, a lower-valued home in an area filled with high-value homes will not sell simply because it is not worth as much as the higher-priced comparable properties.

Examine Your Photo
Curb appeal is the number-one reason that people look at your home. If your MLS photo (the one that appears on your real estate agent's websites) is not appealing, clean up the exterior and request a new photo.

Good real estate agents know that a great photo increases your chances of having people visit your home. If a photo does not frame a home as it should, a real estate agent should give his or her client tips for presenting the home’s true appearance more favorably.

If you are not happy with your home’s photo, submit a new photo to your agent or request a new photography session.

Inspect Your Home
Cleanliness attracts buyers! This is a plain and simple fact. Buyers do not like dirty homes, inside or out. When you know that a potential buyer is coming over for a showing, take some time to clean up the house.

You must impress not only potential buyers, but also agents. After an agent sees several potential buyers reject your home because it is dirty, they will stop recommending it to others. Word of mouth spreads among real estate agents. And naturally, if agents do not show your home, buyers cannot buy it.

Cleaning your home means more than just doing the dishes. You need to detail your home as you would a car. Clean the floors get rid of the clutter. Make the beds. Clean out your garage and make sure the bathrooms are immaculate. If you are not willing to put forth the effort necessary to get your home seen, you cannot expect it to sell.

Does Your Home Have Curb Appeal?
Drive past your home as if you were a potential buyer. Is the lawn neatly mowed? Are the shrubs neat and tidy? Are the windows clean?

If your answer is no, this may explain why your home is not selling. Use a weekend or two to spruce up your home before you place the for-sale sign in the front lawn. Otherwise, you run the risk that people who drive by will keep driving without stopping.

Curb appeal is important, because it is the first thing a buyer sees when looking at a home. Do not miss out on a potential sale simply because you chose not to mow your lawn one week.

Periodically check your home’s curb appeal throughout the sales process, making sure that you are putting your best foot forward.

Once you have addressed these issues, you probably will find that potential buyers and agents are much more interested in your home. Your home must attract people. Otherwise, you will be stuck with a home that will not sell.

Again, I would love to speak with you about how to optimize your selling strategy. Please give me a call: 610-687-2900, ext 113.

Home Staging 101: Get Rid of Anything with Eyes

Recent changes in the real estate market have made sellers concerned about getting the most value for their homes. If you want to sell your home faster and for the best price, consider the following guidelines used by professional real estate stagers. If you have any questions as you explore these points, please call me. I'd love to sit down with you and discuss the best ways to get your house ready for sale.

Let's look at the top three questions to ask yourself about your home's appearance before you list it for sale.

• Are you selling your space or your stuff? The clutter that you collect eats up valuable space that you are trying to sell, making it hard for buyers to look beyond your personal items and see the selling features of your home. Start preparing your home for sale by packing up personal items such as awards, trophies, collections, and family photos. Not sure about a specific item? a good rule of thumb is to pack up anything with eyes, such as stuffed animals, doll collections, photos, figurines, etc.
• Is your home ready for a blind date? First impressions do matter. Just as you would not answer the door on a blind date with curlers in your hair, wearing a tattered bathrobe and slippers, you do not want your home to make a bad first impression on potential buyers, either. Consider repainting the walls and trim in your home a neutral color that will appeal to the most potential buyers. Make sure to have your home professionally cleaned, and focus on problem areas such as the grout in your bathrooms and any stains in the carpeting. Washing the windows, and edging and mulching garden beds, will also leave a positive impression on buyers.
• What is the purpose of each space? The way you currently live in your home may not be the best use of each space. Take, for example, a home with three bedrooms upstairs and a small den on the first floor. In a neighborhood where other homes boast four bedrooms, perhaps it is best to show the den as a bedroom so your home measures up to the competition. If your older home lacks a great room off the kitchen as found in new constructoin homes, consider turning your formal dining room into a more casual eat-in family room, or make the living room more family-friendly, so buyers can see this as a multi-purpose space.

The bottom line is that home staging is an important step to getting your house ready for sale. Walk through your home and think about each of the items listed above. How prepared is your home for potential buyers?

Are you overwhelmed, or in a time crunch to sell your home? Talk to me about hiring a real etstate staging professional, who can prepare your home for a faster--and more profitable--sale. You can reach me at the office: 610-687-2900, ext. 113.

The dangers of overpricing your home

One of the most important decisions you will make when you sell your home is choosing the list price. Most of us love our homes, and we take a lot of pride in the investments we have made, such as landscaping, additions, decorating, and remodeling. However, overpricing can be dangerous.  How?

• Minimizes offers: An overpriced house discourages prospective buyers from making an offer, since the difference between the asking price and the market price is substantial.
• Declining salesperson enthusiasm and response: Salespeople lose interest in a property that is overpriced. They do not spend as much time showing your house as they would if it was priced right.
• Less qualified buyer response. Overpriced homes fail to attract qualified buyers, or can attract "wrong" buyers.
• Decline in showings: Salespeople avoid showing overpriced houses in order to not lose credibility with buyers.
• Loses prospects from signs: Prospects who learn about the house from the sign get turned off if it is overpriced.
• Limits financing: Financial institutions and mortgage companies finance only a portion of the real value of the house. If the house is overpriced, they will usually finance a lower percentage, thus reducing the available financing options.
• Less for seller: Eventually market interest in the overpriced property completely declines. When this happens, the sellers become desparate, and will entertain offers at any price. Meanwhile, they must bear the maintenance and holding costs. The net result is that the sellers get much less than what they could have, if the house had been priced right!

One of the marks of a skilled real estate professional is the ability to price your home correctly. With more than 30 years of experience, I can help you find the right price for your house. Between January and June of 2013, my list price to sale price ratio was 98% -- over 10 points above the MLS average. Give me a call (610-687-2900, ext 113) and we can talk about the right price for your house.

Top 5 things that can hurt your appraisal

When you're listing your home for sale, one important thing is the appraisal. But this is an area that can be positively or negatively impacted by what you do or don't do to your home before it is appraised.

Knowing what to pay attention to can help you increase your home's value. I would be happy to sit down with you and examine how well-prepared you are for an appraisal. In today's competitive real estate market, it's critical that your appraisal is accurate, so that you can get the best price for your home.

Here are the top five things can can hurt your appraisal.

1. Exterior and interior: A lack of curb appeal not only can cause potential buyers to turn away from your home, but it can also cause an appraiser to devalue your appraisal. if the exterior has lots of overgrown bushes, peeling paint, bad roof, rotting windows, and an unkempt look, this could cause the appraiser to take "as much as three percent off," according to CNN Money.
   Curb appeal doesn't just help entice buyers to come in and see your home, it can actually increase your appraisal value. Also, if your neighbor's homes are meticulously maintained, and yours is not, this could cause your appraisal to be even more severely downgraded. A nicely landscaped yard is a sign that the home is also kept up.
2. Trendy remodels: Remodeling can certainly add value to your home, especially if you're adding storage, room additions, and other important improvements that are popular among buyers. However, if you do a costly and trendy remodel and think that the true cost will equal the value, you could likely be very disappointed.
   Some remodels add value while others can actually hurt you when an appraisal is done. To make the most of a remodel, renovations should keep in line with the historical period of the home. If they don't, then an appraiser will assess the cost of having the remodel taken out, such as a trendy, custom-built entertainement center. However, adding space to the kitchen using timeless styles will add value.
3. Unfinished projects: Don't have an appraiser inspect when your projects are incomplete. If you must get the home appraised and work is nearly complete at the time of the appraisal, be sure to give the appraiser a full description of the job and what is being done to quickly and professionally complete it.
4. List your improvements: Don't expect all improvements to help your appraisal. For example, a new roof won't count, because it is expected that a roof will be in good condition. But other improvements could add value. Instead of trying to figure out yourself what will increase your value, make a list for the appraiser including any documentation the appraiser should review.
5. Not doing your homework: It is important to understand your marketplace and what homes similar to yours have recently sold for. It is especially good to know the reason why a home similiar to yours sold for a lower price. That way you can explain tot the appraiser the difference between the two homes. Be sure to use an experienced real estate agent (like me) to provide you with market information befor eyou have your home appraised.

Taking the time to understand the areas that can positively influence your appraisal can prevent your appraisal coming in at a lower value than the asking price. Give me a call to learn more about how you can avoid these top five appraisal mistakes when you sell your house: 610-687-2900, ext 113.

Great Home for Sale in Media - Bring Your Ideas!

Media is a great town, with amazing restaurants, shops, community events, and schools. I'm proud to offer this raised ranch home, which is ready for your ideas--and a little TLC.

This house features four bedrooms and two baths, garage, and deeded private paved entrance with additional parking.

A brick fireplace warms up the living room, and the kitchen includes oak cabinets, granite tile counters, ceramic tile backsplash. The dining room has a French door to the covered deck facing a patio. The master bedroom includes a convenient laundry area.  The lower level features a family room with woodstove, entrance into garage, utility sink and storage.

Please call me to set up a showing: 610-687-2900, ext 113.