Buying and Selling Tips from the Local Pros
“ The real estate market in northwest Pennsylvania continues to be strong , thanks to low interest rates and consumer confidence . With the low inventory of homes available to qualified buyers , now is a great time to think about selling your home and moving into that perfect home you ’ ve always dreamed of . Even though good homes sell quickly , too many sellers think selling a home is easy . STOP right there . This is possibly the most expensive and important thing you own ; let a professional do the work for you , allowing you to live your life and probably end up with more money than you thought .
Selling your home properly means teaming up with a company that offers you the very best in marketing services , especially one able to reach out to today ’ s technology-savvy buyers . Interview the managers . See what their entire office and company will do for you to get your home sold quickly . Interview two or three different companies and feel good about your decision . Ask the manager or broker about the type of training agents receive to be the best in their field . Get the home ready to sell . Fix the little things and freshen up the interior , making it neutral to the eye of the buyer . Do some extra yard work , giving the home that HGTV curb appeal that is so important to today ’ s buyer . Have a home inspector come in before the buyer does , to let you know what should be repaired . It will cost much less if you do it . Most important : think like a buyer . The buyer controls the market .”
– Mark Eller , Howard Hanna Broker / Sales Manager
• • • • • • • • •
“ Buyers Beware ! The entire world has changed in mortgage lending when you are looking for a new home or refinancing your existing home . The hurdles are many and the process can seem frustrating , invasive and , at times , infuriating . But if you have people on your side who are experienced , they can navigate you through the process ( like my team at Vendetti Real Estate Services ), and a lot of the bother and stress will be explained to calm your nerves . Also , using a local lender will always help ease the process , as it is right here in your community and accessible to be of assistance when needed . A strong team on your side will make all the difference when buying your new home !”
– C . James Vendetti , Esquire , Vendetti Real Estate Services
• • • • • • • • •
“ The general rule in real estate is that buyers seek the least expensive home in the best neighborhood they can afford . In terms of improvements , this means you want a home that fits in the neighborhood but is not over-improved . For example , if most homes in your neighborhood have three bedrooms , two baths and 2,500 sq . ft . of finished space , a property with five bedrooms , more baths and far more space would likely be priced much higher and likely be more difficult to sell .
Improvements should be made so that the property shows well , is consistent with the neighborhood and does not involve capital investments , the cost of which cannot be recovered from the sale . Furthermore , improvements should reflect community preferences . Cosmetic improvements — paint , removing wallpaper and landscaping — help a home “ show ” better and often are good investments . Mechanical repairs , to ensure that all systems and appliances are in good working condition , are recommended to get a top price .”
– Natalie Washburn , Maleno Real Estate
• • • • • • • • •
“ Home sellers can create an inviting atmosphere beginning with the first things buyers see , the front of the property . Keep the lawn mowed and tidy . Keep bushes and trees trimmed . Sweep the walkway and entryway . Address any small repairs to the outside of the home . You can also plant flowers or small plants , add solar lights or add a fresh coat of paint to the front door to greatly enhance the exterior of the home .
Home buyers need to be prepared and patient . Get pre-approved and begin working with an agent who knows the area well , listens to your needs and genuinely cares about you and the process you are embarking upon . When the right home does come along , you ’ ll be a step ahead of the crowd .”
– Michele Jones , Howard Hanna Realtor
• • • • • • • • •
“ For sellers , I recommend having a realtor walk through the home before you list it to give pointers on preparing the home to sell and provide recent sales to get realistic market expectations . Decluttering and neutralizing walls / flooring make a huge difference with today ’ s buyers .
For buyers , I suggest meeting with a loan professional to get an idea of monthly payment at different price points . Discuss with your realtor if you prefer a “ movein ready ” home or want a fixer upper to make your own . Of course everyone ’ s definition of move-in ready is different , so set expectations early in the process to simplify your home search .”
– Fred Amendola , Howard Hanna Realtor
54 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | Millcreek
Buying and Selling Tips from
the Local Pros
“The real estate market in northwest Pennsylvania continues to be strong,
thanks to low interest rates and consumer confidence. With the low inventory of
homes available to qualified buyers, now is a great time to think about selling your
home and moving into that perfect home you’ve always dreamed of. Even though
good homes sell quickly, too many sellers think selling a home is easy. STOP right
there. This is possibly the most expensive and important thing you own; let a
professional do the work for you, allowing you to live your life and probably end up
with more money than you thought.
Selling your home properly means teaming up with a company that offers you
the very best in marketing services, especially one able to reach out to today’s
technology-savvy buyers. Interview the managers. See what their entire office and
company will do for you to get your home sold quickly. Interview two or three
different companies and feel good about your decision. Ask the manager or broker
about the type of training agents receive to be the best in their field. Get the home
ready to sell. Fix the little things and freshen up the interior, making it neutral to the
eye of the buyer. Do some extra yard work, giving the home that HGTV curb appeal
that is so important to today’s buyer. Have a home inspector come in before the
buyer does, to let you know what should be repaired. It will cost much less if you do
it. Most important: think like a buyer. The buyer controls the market.”
– Mark Eller, Howard Hanna Broker/Sales Manager
• • • • • • • • •
“Buyers Beware! The entire world has changed in mortgage lending when you
are looking for a new home or refinancing your existing home. The hurdles are
many and the process can seem frustrating, invasive and, at times, infuriating. But if
you have people on your side who are experienced, they can navigate you through
the process (like my team at Vendetti Real Estate Services), and a lot of the bother
and stress will be explained to calm your nerves. Also, using a local lender will
always help ease the process, as it is right here in your community and accessible to
be of assistance when needed. A strong team on your side will make all the differ-
ence when buying your new home!”
– C. James Vendetti, Esquire, Vendetti Real Estate Services
• • • • • • • • •
“The general rule in real estate is that buyers seek the least expensive home in
the best neighborhood they can afford. In terms of improvements, this means you
want a home that fits in the neighborhood but is not over-improved. For example,
if most homes in your neighborhood have three bedrooms, two baths and 2,500 sq.
ft. of finished space, a property with five bedrooms, more baths and far more space
would likely be priced much higher and likely be more difficult to sell.
Improvements should be made so that the property shows well, is consistent
with the neighborhood and does not involve capital investments, the cost of which
cannot be recovered from the sale. Furthermore, improvements should reflect
community preferences. Cosmetic improvements—paint, removing wallpaper
and landscaping—help a home “show” better and often are good investments.
Mechanical repairs, to ensure that all systems and appliances are in good working
condition, are recommended to get a ѽ���ɥ����t+�L�9�х����]�͡��ɸ��5������I�����хє+��������������������������+�q!����͕����́�����ɕ�є������٥ѥ����ѵ�����ɔ�����������ݥѠ�ѡ������Ёѡ����)����͕́���ѡ���ɽ�Ё���ѡ���ɽ����丁-����ѡ����ݸ���ݕ������ѥ�丁-������͡��)�����ɕ�́�ɥ������Mݕ���ѡ��݅��݅䁅��������݅丁��ɕ�́���͵����ɕ����́Ѽ)ѡ�����ͥ������ѡ��������e�ԁ������ͼ�����Ё���ݕ�́�ȁ͵���������̰�����ͽ��ȁ������)�ȁ�������ɕ͠����Ё�������ЁѼ�ѡ���ɽ�Ё���ȁѼ��ɕ�ѱ䁕�������ѡ����ѕɥ�ȁ���ѡ�)�����)!��������́�����Ѽ�����ɕ��ɕ��������ѥ��и��Ё�ɔ����ɽٕ�����������)ݽɭ����ݥѠ��������Ёݡ������́ѡ���ɕ��ݕ�������ѕ�́Ѽ���ȁ����́�������Դ)����䁍�ɕ́����Ё�ԁ����ѡ���ɽ���́�ԁ�ɔ�����ɭ����������]����ѡ��ɥ���)��������́�������������e���������ѕ�����������ѡ���ɽݐ��t+�L�5�������)���̰�!�݅ɐ�!�����I���ѽ�+��������������������������+�q�ȁ͕����̰�$�ɕ����������٥�����ɕ��ѽȁ݅���ѡɽ՝��ѡ�����������ɔ���)���Ё�ЁѼ���ٔ�����ѕ�́����ɕ��ɥ���ѡ�������Ѽ�͕��������ɽ٥���ɕ���Ёͅ��́Ѽ����)ɕ����ѥ����ɭ�Ё�����хѥ��̸������ѕɥ�����������Ʌ��饹��݅��̽����ɥ���������)�՝�������ɕ����ݥѠ�ѽ���é����̸)�ȁ����̰�$��՝���Ё���ѥ���ݥѠ���������ɽ���ͥ�����Ѽ���Ё��������������ѡ��)��嵕�Ё�Ё�����ɕ�Ё�ɥ��������̸��͍��́ݥѠ���ȁɕ��ѽȁ����ԁ�ɕ��ȁ���q��ٔ�)���ɕ���t�������ȁ݅�Ё�����ȁ����ȁѼ��������ȁ�ݸ��=������͔��ٕ�役��e�)������ѥ��������ٔ����ɕ��䁥́�����ɕ�а�ͼ�͕Ё�����хѥ��́��ɱ䁥��ѡ���ɽ���́Ѽ)ͥ��������ȁ�����͕�ɍ���t+�L�ɕ�����������!�݅ɐ�!�����I���ѽ�(�Ѐ��и��ȸ�����Q<�YIQ%M���5����ɕ��