HOMES FOR SALE HARRISBURG
HARRISBURG REAL ESTATE – EVERYTHING

Your Hot Water Heater isn’t that OLD
So why is the water not HOT?

Don’t Replace Until you read OUR Example in Harrisburg Below!

This is our example in Susquehanna Township, Harrisburg Pa. We just sold one of our rehab projects the end of January 2012, and got the following email from our agent the day after closing, OH NO!

“Got a call form the buyers agent and the new owners had to take cold showers. Can
you have your plumber stop out and take a look?”

These types of calls/emails are never fun because you never know if and how much you will have to come out of pocket in order to take care of the situation.

Now, this was an electric hot water heater, was installed about 3 years ago and the house sat
vacant for about 2 of those years. The hot water heater worked prior to listing the property.
So why in the heck would the hot water heater not work now?

We met our plumber out at the the property and he did the following
1. Checked to make sure all breakers were on
2. Reset the unit using the reset button
3. Checked all electrical components to make sure all was good there
4. Then several more tests that I know nothing about!

So what was the conclusion?

The upper heating element was bad which is what
heats the water. There were an upper and lower elements, and its normally the upper which goes bad first. However we replaced both.

See the picture below

No wonder the upper element did not work, guess which one it is!

In our case it looks as though the element burned out due to sediment build up.

So Our plumber replaced both elements and guess what the parts cost?

$10.97 each !

As you can see quite inexpensive when compared to replacing the unit! This total process took about 1 hour and most of the time was spent draining the hot water heater!

As I said this was a fairly simple process, but ALWAYS have a plumber or electrician handle these types of problems!

So there you have it, an easy fix in order to save yourself $$$ on your next rehab project, rental,
or personal Home.

Thanks and stay tuned for more great properties and tips.

Please remember all information contained in these emails has been
gathered through public resources. We do not guarantee its accuracy
and our company, its employees, independent contractors, and affiliates
represent themselves only. All parties are encouraged to take necessary
precautions to protect their own interests.

So the Home Inspection came back and….we have problems?

Well this is exactly what we were just saying to ourselves this morning
why, because the “drinking water” report has come back and guess what, the
total Coliform result is “14″ and the acceptable limit is “0″.

This is a property in Harrisburg that we have rehabbed and are
scheduled to sell the end of this month, so as you can see we
were a little bit concerned, but it’s normally an EASY fix.

Just for a little bit of background these tests are completed on
homes which have private water/wells.  They test for bacteria and several
other things which may be present in the water.

For our reading of “14″ that is fairly low, so they suggest what is called
“shock” treatment.  This is the process of adding chlorine to the well and in
order to remove the bacteria from the water.  Its a fairly simple process which in
simple terms goes as follows.

1. add chlorine to the well – normally 1 gallon for every 100ft in depth
a.  Our property’s well was 200 feet deep.
2. chlorine sits over night in order to remove bacteria
3. following day the chlorine is removed, but “pumping”
4. Take sample and send to lab for results
5. Wait for results, normally come back in 3 days.

As I said this is a very generalized explanation, but if you would
like detailed info please see this link on shock chlorination.

So, its now a waiting game and hopefully all will be well to close on
time!  We will keep you posted on the results and to let you know what
works and what does work.

Thanks again and enjoy your day!

PS. join our email list to the right for helpful tips that can help cut
your learning curve in half!

precautions to protect their own interests.

Can you sell that Flip Project …. To an FHA Borrower?

The answer is Yes!

This is important to us rehabbers or even wholesalers, why?
Because for the second straight year the Federal Housing Administration
has waived its “anti-flip” rule.

This was definitely a hindrance for those of you who could pick up
properties for great prices through your marketing efforts.  Then selling
to FHA buyers.

As an example we can pick up a property which needs a “light” rehab,
have a cosmetic rehab completed in 2 weeks, price it aggressively, and have
it under contract fairly quickly.  So we could purchase, rehab, resell in under 60
days!

When looking at the big picture, that is less holding time, which means less
holding costs, and if you are doing several rehabs a year that can
really increase your bottom line.

Well as stated above this “anti-flip” rule has once again been waived and
has been extended through December 31st 2012.

Check out the link from  HUD.GOV for the complete story.

I know what some of you are probably saying, well what about the deed
restrictions Fannie Mae has imposed on properties they sell.  Well
that’s a whole other story.  For those of you who are not familiar with that,
Fannie Mae imposes a deed restrictions which states (in easy terms) that
you can not sell the property for more than 120% of purchase price within
the first 90 days.  So if you purchase a property for 100k you can not resell
for more than 120k for the first 90 days you own the property.

There are also a lot of these restrictions in short sale approvals as well, but
they do vary.  It really depends on the lender who holds the mortgage, and also
depends on how the short sale is negotiated.

But as I stated that is a whole other topic that I can revisit in
another email.

Enjoy your week and lets make 2012 a great year!

This color combo will help sell your rehab project in
record time

How do we know, because this is what we use and have
tested different color combos.

The color combo below has worked well for us and has
gotten the most comments from home buyers who have
viewed or purchased our properties.

Ready?…..

Walls: Softer Tan – Egg Shell – SW6141
Sherwin Williams

Trim-Doors: Dover White – Semi gloss – SW6385
Sherwin Williams

Ceilings: Brilliance High Performance Ceiling Paint
Sherwin Williams

As you can we use Sherwin Williams as our paint supplier and
have had good success.

These combos will be sure to help you with achieving a
higher-end look, warm feel, and neutral colors that most
home buyers prefer.

I will send updated photos of a rehab project that we are working on
now with this combo.  Its looks incredible!

Thanks for visiting.  For more great tips please fill in your email to the left.

HIGHLY DISCOUNTED HOUSES FOR SALE IN CENTRAL PA

We have highly discounted properties for sale.  You will NOT see these properties on the MLS.  So you can rest assured you are getting properties that NOBODY else is seeing!

We use many techniques to find incredible deals that you most investors/home owners cannot find on their own.

OUR GOAL is to help YOU, the buyer find a property that fits their needs.

We have investment properties, properties that need rehabbed, home owner dream properties, and commercial properties as well.

WE HAVE HOUSES IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES:

Dauphin

Lancaster

Cumberland

Northampton

Lehigh

Others upon request.

So use the opt-in box to your right and lets get started!

How To Find The Best Mortgage Brokers In PA

There is no question that getting a home loan can be a little more challenging today. If you are out there shopping for a home you are going to need the best mortgage brokers in PA on your side. So how do you figure out who that is?

Obviously you want to make sure that you are getting the best possible deal on your home loan when making a short list of the mortgage brokers in PA that you would like to work with. However, you need to keep in mind that this means more than just the promise of low interest rates. When calculating the true cost of your mortgage loan you must look at the actual APR which takes into account the rate and fees you will incur.

Of course you should also be wary of mortgage brokers lending in PA who are advertising rates a lot lower than anyone else. This might be a warning sign that signals a company who engages in bait and switch tactics that could you land you with a much higher rate at the closing table. If you are ever concerned about the reputation of someone you are considering doing business with it is wise to check them out online. Using the National Mortgage Licensing System you can instantly search and confirm the license status of any mortgage brokers in PA.

It is also important to know how to shop for a home loan. Just calling around to get quotes and asking “what is your rate?” will only do you a disservice. Mortgage brokers and lenders serving PA do not have rates that are set in stone, rather the exact rate and terms you get depend on your individual application. This takes into account how much money you are putting down, the purpose of your purchase, your credit score and even the type of property you are financing. So if you want an accurate quote, take the time to give specifics and inquire about alternate loan options and programs so that you get the best loan for your personal needs and goals.

However the bottom line is that it doesn’t matter how attractive a loan offer may be if it doesn’t get closed. With your deposit money on the line and your housing situation possibly up in the air if you don’t meet your closing date you should perhaps be most concerned with seeking out mortgage brokers in PA that have the right experience and attitude which will ensure a successful transaction. You need someone who not only has been in the business long enough to know the ropes and really understands the programs themselves but who has built good relationships with the underwriters and who isn’t afraid to go to bat for you to get the deal done.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions in your search for the best mortgage brokers in PA. A good loan officer should be more than happy to answer any questions you have and will want to make sure that you fully understand the process and loan you are getting.

So get out there and interview a few PA mortgage brokers before you make a decision and then go scoop up your dream home before prices go up.

Ask any realtor and they are likely to inform you: houses that sell within the first five weeks from the listing will probably fetch their value. The longer your house lingers concerning the property listings, the higher pressure you’ll feel to knock the price down – as well as the more unlikely it’s to promote without some incentives within you, the home seller. While you don’t have to sell your house fast, it’s the simplest way of getting the price you would like with this. Put your home sale concerning the steps for achievement with your tips and tricks from professional Realtors.

Locate a Realtor

The best option for selling quickly is always to supply the job with a professional, and let their experience demonstrate. A real estate agent knows all the inner workings, along with what selling strategies perform most optimally in your neighborhood. They could allow you to set the very best value for that property, offer concrete strategies for helping the probability of a sale, hook your home towards the MLs, and demonstrate through all of the selling process.

Choose your Realtor carefully, and accept their advice. They knows what is going to sell your house. An excellent Realtor will suggest most of the house sell tips the next – tips you could follow with or with no assistance of the agent.

Set Reasonable Price

Every Realtor asked asserted the most important aspect in selling a home quickly would have been to price it right. Further, the most frequent mistake sellers make is pricing excessive. Experienced realtors strongly suggest you start with the normal price in your neighborhood and dealing next, rather than you start with your desired net gain. Your better gauge to consider the best value for that home is the recent prices of similar homes within your neighborhood. Your realtor is the foremost way to obtain those prices – they’ve insider access, ultimately.

If you’re not employing a realtor, you’ll be able to still check recent sales listings through online home valuation service, the neighborhood registry of deeds, as well as other sources. Estimate the healthiness of your house, additions or special circumstances, but you shouldn’t be ready to be expensive more when compared with average price within your neighborhood.

Ready Your Home BEFORE Listing It

There are a number of things you can do to produce your house more desirable, and so they needs to be done before beginning showing it – which is called home staging. ‘Staging’ remains proven to make home sell faster. The bottom line is making certain the home looks its most from the start. It is now time to produce needed repairs. Whether or not this needs beautifying, have so now first. Color, trimmed bushes, mowed lawns and immaculate cleanliness are important elements to make your home attractive and saleable.

After Listing, Keep the House Immaculate

Get ready showing the house inside a moment’s notice. Make sure to cleanup the junk and rent a storage unit as clutter and junk will erode the chance equity your house brings. For a moment find excessive ‘junk’ in the room it will help result in the room look smaller and distracts the buyer’s attention. Perform thorough home cleaning. Increase the risk for windows shine and wipe down the baseboards. Keep the sink empty and wiped, and be sure the way the bathroom and kitchen are spotless. Make sure to eradicate unpleasant odors. It is necessary how the house may need to look as close to move-in condition as you can – constantly!

Fade Towards The Background

When the house is being shown, be as unobtrusive as you can. For those who have contracted using a Realtor let them do the selling. If you’re doing the selling yourself, be around to deal to questions and conduct a brief tour – and still provide the mark buyers plenty of ‘alone time’ to comprehend much more about and kick the tires.

Offer Incentives.

Got a buyer that merely loves the house, but takes a little extra boost to produce the commitment? There are a number of incentives you’ll be able to offer rather than cutting your value. That is another place how the good realtor might make valuable suggestions based on their unique experience. An offer to cover buyer settlement costs, for instance, would bring the up-front expenses of buying your home into range for just about any first-time buyer struggling to fulfill a payment ahead of time, points and settlement costs.

Other common incentives add a ‘decorating allowance’ or including things for that home and appliances inside the cost.

Take Employer’s Help If it’s Available

If you’re relocating for work, review your company’s relocation assistance plan. Some may cover the buying price of long-distance selling, in addition to purchase the home and resell it, with regards to the circumstances.

That’s all. Apply these strategy to sell house anywhere fast because the peak real estate and selling months are here.

Determine what features or existing finishes in the room you would consider permanent. Consider the cabinets, tile or a brick fireplace. For example, if the wood of your kitchen cabinets has a red undertone, make sure the paint color you choose works well with that hue.
Create a Focal Point

Emphasize your home’s attractive architectural features, such as crown molding or arched window treatments, with contrasting paint — lighter or darker than the wall — or by painting them with a glossy finish. You can also make one wall an accent wall by painting it a different color, giving it a faux finish, adding wallpaper or a border.
Unify the Color Flow

You can unify rooms by using a common color palette. Create distinct spaces by altering the shade and hue within the common palette.
Emphasize or Minimize

Color can emphasize certain features – and minimize others. A long narrow room will look wider if you use a slightly darker color on the shorter walls and a lighter color on the longer walls. You can make a ceiling appear higher by applying a lighter color, or lower with a darker color. To give a big room a more intimate feel, paint the walls in colors that advance toward you, such as red, gold, orange and brown. To help a small room seem larger, paint the walls in colors that make them appear to recede, such as blue, green or violet.
Reflect on Light Sources

Remember that the color you choose may look different at various times of the day and night. The warm tones of incandescent lights will have a different influence on the color than the natural light of day. Once you’re aware of how different light sources can affect your color choices, you can change your room’s “mood” to match the pace of your day.