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Helpful Tips

This is the place where I've gathered information I believe would be helpful to home buyers and home sellers alike. Since we'll be working as a team it's important you have as much information as possible. As I find more information for you to access, I'll put it here, so check back from time to time to see what's new.

One of the questions I get often is whether putting an addition on the house, or putting in a pool will make a difference at resale time. Sometimes the answer is yes, and sometimes no. Check out "Will Improving Your Home Increase its Value?." There you will find out if that pool the kids have been asking for will really make a difference when you want to sell.

Questions such as "Can I afford a new home", "What would my mortgage payments be", "What is the current rate" are questions I hear all the time. To get you started I've put together some information on finance and a couple sites where you can find mortgage calculators to help you crunch those numbers.

Are you planning to relocate? Then check out my relocation page filled with moving information and downloadable relocation packages, hotels and B and B's in our area, utility info and much more.

Is your home a technologically advanced home? Someone wanting to buy your home may be interested if your house has a security system or home theater. Get more information about the Consumer Electronics Association's TechHome Rating System.

I find that most real estate newsletters have at least some good information. I found one that is packed with lots of helpful information and includes on-going updates of homes recently sold in your area. You can subscribe to it and it will be delivered bi-monthly to your email box.

Also, if you are a cyber-geek you may want to check out my ReCyber's Newsletter for the latest real estate cyperspace tips. You'll find some great websites to help you with your home. Benjamin Moore has a cool download on their site that allows you to 'paint' the walls on your own digital shots of a room or home you'd like to transform. It's just $10 to download.

If you find yourself too busy to spend every night on the Internet searching for a new home, then you should fill out the form for a Personalized Home Search. As a Realtor®, I have faster access to listings and can provide them to you through a Personalized Home Search. Giving me some details about what you're looking for will allow me to tailor my search and email the results to you.

If you're planning on selling your home you may want me to do a free Comparative Market Analysis of your home. I can compare your home to similar ones in the area and let you know how you compare. It's a good starting off point as you decide whether to put your house on the market or not.

If you need to do repairs or improvements to your home there are two resources I've found that you may want to check out. One is a non-profit that rates local services and the other is a site that offers ratings of service firms provided by its dues paying subscribers. Both are relatively new to the area, so their list may be limited for the time being, but give them time. They are Consumers Checkbook and Angie's List.

And if you are in the process of cleaning your house as you get it ready for sale or just looking for an item, but don't want to buy new, there is a new resource in the area that is long overdue. SECCRA Swap is an online place where people meet to get rid of their things of value. This a great way to save precious space in our local landfill. Check it out. You may find that item you've been longing for.

The EPA's website is a great resource for both the home buyer and seller. They have information on radon gas, asbestos, and lead-based paint. So if you are moving to a new home or want to get yours checked take a look at the EPA's website.

As always, please contact me with any particular questions you may have. That's what I am here for.