Real Estate Information Archive

New Castle County DE new listings declined 5.03% in April 2016 with 52 homes less homes sold than in April 2015. The average sales price dropped 1.31% in April to $212,000 from $216,495 in April 2015.

Information courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtor Tucker Robbins.

New Castle County DE new listings declined 9.25% in January 2016 with 559 homes for sale compared to 616 in January 2015. The average sales price rose 6.73% in January to $236,667 from $222,745 in January 2015.

Information courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtor Tucker Robbins.

Many times when someone puts their house on the market they are so excited at the possibility of getting their home sold quickly that they lose their bearings a bit when they finally have a serious buyer.  You as the seller need to be sure not to say too much to your potential buyer so that you don’t end up losing the sale before you get it.  Below are a few things you shouldn’t say when selling your home. 

Things You Shouldn't Say When Selling

• Be careful not to tell your potential home buyer  that your house is in top shape and that there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.  You most likely don’t know if your house is in perfect shape and will only know for sure the shape that it is in when the inspector comes to do his or her job.  There is nothing wrong with verbally selling your home to a potential buyer but be careful not to say things unless you know for certain those things are true. 
• Another good thing to keep to yourself when it comes to talking to a potential buyer of your home is exactly how long your home has been on the market.  It is likely that the buyer already knows how long your home has been on the market and if you talk too much about that, they may try to get you to lower your price as a result.  Information about your house that is already in the system doesn’t need to be shared over and over again.  Let the house speak for itself. 
• There is also no need to talk to a potential buyer about how much you spent on remodeling different areas inside the home.  The buyer doesn’t really care how much you spent fixing “x,y,z” , they just want a good and fair price.
• If you talk to your potential buyers and you tell them that you are not willing to negotiate on the price from the start, it is likely that they buyer will shut down and won’t even make an offer.  Always be willing to negotiate and have a set lowest price in your mind and then don’t go below that price. 

Of course your number one priority when trying to sell your home is to sell it, however take a few of these  tips of what not to say to a potential buyer  to heart and you will likely end up with the result you are looking for. 

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtor Tucker Robbins.

New Castle County DE home sales declined in December 2015 with 446 homes sold compared to 456 in December 2014. The average sales price rose 2.75% in December to $229,443 from $223,303 in December 2014.

Information courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtor Tucker Robbins.

Owning a home of your very own is exciting and is the American dream.  You should know however that when you apply for a home mortgage you need to be as honest as possible so that your dreams are not crushed at the last minute. Below are a few tips on what not to say when you are applying for a home mortgage.  You may think that a little white lie won’t get you into trouble when applying for a home mortgage but what most people don’t realize is that you will likely get caught in that lie and may end up not getting approved after all.   Also the penalties for such lies can be quite severe such as a 30 year prison sentence and a million dollar fine. 

• If you don’t plan to live in the home in which you are getting a mortgage but rather you plan to rent the property out do NOT apply for a mortgage as your primary residence.  Default rates are higher on investment properties than they are on primary residences.  Down payments are larger on investment properties as well.  These are some of the reasons why folks try to lie about using the mortgage as their primary residence. 
• Lying about how much money you make  to get a home mortgage is also a no-no.  If you try to lie about your income for the purposes of getting a better home mortgage you are very likely to get caught because your lender is going to verify your income by looking at your w-2’s as well as your tax returns. 
• If you don’t have enough money for the down payment on your new home, you CAN borrow it from a family member or friend but if you do this you need to be sure to have the paperwork that supports the fact that it is a gift that you don’t have to repay otherwise it is considered a loan and the mortgage company will need to know about it.  This little white lie may seem harmless but it isn’t and it can get you into trouble with your mortgage lender. 

Basically, tell the truth about any and everything your mortgage lender asks you. If you want to have part of the American dream by owning your own home, don’t destroy the dream by lying.  Once you get your mortgage and you move into your new home you will be glad you did everything the right way and that you don’t have to worry about anything coming back on you in the future. 

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtor Tucker Robbins!

It’s that time of year again, time for all of us to wrap up in a blanket and or turn up the heat in our homes.  This time of year is called winter and it can be daunting to say the least.  Many of you may be wondering how you can stay warm inside of your home this winter without breaking the bank by turning up your heat and making your power bill skyrocket.  Below you will find a few tips to stay warm this winter without running up your power bill.

• Heated rug pads are a great way to stay warm this winter.  Yes there are things such as these and you need only to do an online search for them to find one of your very own.  Simply place a heated rug pad underneath your area rug in your den and voila you will be warm and toasty in no time!
• Heated mattress covers are also a great thing to think about purchasing to make it through the winter.  These types of things use electricity of course but they are not going to cause your power bill to go up as much as turning up that dial on your thermostat.  Heated mattress covers can be found in area local department stores. 
• Heated slippers are a fun an innovative product to add to your Christmas wish list this year.  These can be purchased at your local department store as well and will do a great job of keeping your little tootsies warm this winter.  Imagine the warmth and coziness that heated slippers will provide you during the long cold nights ahead!
• One really silly but fun and innovative invention that is now available is heated toilet seats.  These types of seats will run you about $122 online but think about all the savings you will have with your power bill by using something as silly and simple as this to stay warm.
• Of course you can always use an extra large heavy blanket to curl up in this winter to keep warm.  Use these types of blankets to make your family time more fun by piling under it with as many of your family members as you can get under one.  All you will need besides the blanket is a movie and a bucket of popcorn and you will be set! 

Don’t let the cold air of winter get you down, use some of these ideas to stay warm  and keep that electricity bill at bay. 

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtor Tucker Robbins.

Home inspectors are good at their jobs but they are not above missing some things because they are human.   There are several things that home inspectors have been known to miss during a home inspection so you might want to keep your eyes open and pay close attention during the inspection so that you don’t end up having to pay for expensive repairs once you move in to your new home.   A few things that may be missed by your home inspector  are below.

1. Inspectors do not always go over all the bells and whistles of a home and appliances are on the list of things they do not always pay a lot of attention to.  The last thing you want is to move into your new home to find out that you have a leaky dishwasher that needs to be replaced.  If you want to make sure appliances have not been overlooked you may want to check them yourself. 
    
2. Leaky faucets are also things that can be overlooked by home inspectors.  Take your time to walk through your soon to be new home and check the faucets for leaks just in case your inspector may have missed something.   It’s a good idea to check outdoor faucets as well.
    
3. Cracked sewage and drainage pipes might also be something that your inspector doesn’t take a look at and may therefore miss.  It may be worth your while to pay a bit of extra money to have an in depth look at your drainage pipes. 
    
4. Sometimes home inspectors will not pay a lot of attention to decks, porches and balconies.  There can be problems in these areas such as safety issues and cracks that may not arise until right before you make the purchase of the home.  Perhaps a second follow up inspection may be a good idea if you feel that one of these areas may be a potential problem. 

Again, home inspectors are human and they are not above missing some potential problems  with your new home.  Realize this fact before you have your home inspection so that you too can keep your eyes open for any potential problems you see in and around your prospective new home.  Once you move in you will be able to rest assured that you have not bought into a money pit. 

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtor Tucker Robbins!

New Castle County DE Real Estate Market Watch for July 2015.

Information courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtor Tucker Robbins.

 A new paint color in your home  can do wonders for your mood and it can also do wonders for helping to sell your home.  Paint colors can change your mood from happy to sad to relaxed or even make you angry.  Why not do your part to make selling your home as easy as you possibly can by choosing the right paint colors.  Below are some color ideas to get you started in the right direction.

• Blue is a nice color for a home if you are looking for a peaceful feeling.  Many people choose to paint the walls in their bedroom blue so that they will be more able to get a good night’s sleep.  Some people like to paint a spa blue in their bathrooms to make it have a spa like feel.  You can’t go wrong with blue paint when it comes to getting your home ready to sell. 
   
• Another color that gives a good tranquil feeling to everyone who enters your home is green.  Green is associated with nature and nature is typically peaceful.  You can use green in almost any room of your house where you want to feel calm and peaceful.  Some folks use light green paint in their bathrooms while others use darker earth tone greens in their family rooms. 
   
• Yellow is a good color to paint in your home if you are interested in selling it because it makes folks feel happy and joyful.  What better feeling would you want your prospective buyers to feel than joy and happiness as they enter your home.  Typically yellows are used in hallways or large foyer areas.  It is best however to stick with soft yellow colors and not get too carried away by attempting such as a mustard yellow color.  Yellow paint done in the right way will appeal to most people. 
   
• Be careful with painting grey in your home if you are trying to sell it because sometimes although you may be going for a warm inviting feel you may end up with a cold harsh feel and that is not something you want your buyers to pick up on.  Grey done right can be very relaxing and inviting.  Perhaps talking with a paint expert at your local hardware store might be a good idea before using grey.
   
• Brown is a typical staple color in a lot of homes.  If you choose to paint beige which is a light form of brown in your home, you will likely find that it can be very warm and inviting to guests or potential buyers. 

I would suggest not using orange or red in your home as a new paint color if you are going to be putting your house on the market anytime soon.  These colors tend to make people feel anxious and or angry.  Painting your home in a few new colors is a perfect way to get it ready for a great showing!  Happy selling!

Information courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtor Tucker Robbins.

New Castle County DE Real Estate Market Watch for July 2015.

Information courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtor Tucker Robbins.