My daughter has a new litter of puppies for sale.  Check out her website at http://pinebarrenslabs.com/.  Contact Angela for more information and for pricing.

Compliments of Peggy Tracy, CSP™
Piermont Staging, LLC

Staging for the holidays is an excellent way to showcase your property if you just give it some thought and take reasonable precautions.  Keep decorations to a minimum; they should be simple and non-denominational to provide the widest appeal.

1.  Give special attention to the house entry.  Forego the roofline lights in favor of spotlights on the door or any outdoor features of the house, and especially the house number.  If lighting shrubbery or trees, use mini white lights with green cords that don’t stand out in the daytime.  An easier method is to sink a spiked spotlight into the ground, shining light straight up attractive leafless branches….again, green extension cords.
2. If there is a nice large walkway, a front porch, or a deck or patio, consider adding a bird feeder, an old fashioned sled, or a wreath on anAdirondackchair or decorative bench.
3. A live wreath on or near the front door has the added benefit of emitting a pleasant fragrance as people enter the property.  Our sense of smell stays with us longest of all the senses.
4. Provide a basket or absorbent mat inside the entry for buyers’ outer shoes and boots.
5. Keep the temperature at a comfortable 68 degrees so buyers are not distracted by being cold.
6. Since the house needs to appeal to the largest number of potential buyers, keep religious and cultural icons to a minimum and tuck them away during showings.
7. Christmas trees should be small in scale and have mini white lights and a few carefully chosen ornaments, preferably in one color, or subtle, blended colors.  Focus needs to be on the house, not the tree.
8. Where you add holiday decorations, remove other accessories to avoid a cluttered look.
9. Spread the holiday throughout the house by using greens in appropriate containers, adding a sparkly touch (ACMoore, Michaels) to the greenery or a soft, casual bow and berries.
10. Be sure that all extension cords are placed to avoid tripping and do not run under rugs.
11. Be sensible about security.  A few color-coordinated wrapped empty boxes under the tree or a tree skirt will complete the picture.
12. Winter is an excellent time to highlight a fireplace in any room.  If you choose to light a fire, be sure there is a screen or glass doors to keep small fingers away.  Check your liability insurance for coverage as well as your Realtor’s® comfort level.  Same is true of candles:  don’t light them for showings because even protected, accidents happen.  Battery-operated flicker candles are a good alternative.
13. Show your holiday hospitality by leaving a plate of cookies or holiday nibbles (without nuts) on the dining room table or kitchen counter or table.

Special thanks to Christine Rae, founder of Certified Staging Professionals™(CSP™) and author of “Staging for Dummies” for these holiday tips!

Happy holidays!

www.piermontstaging.com
302.668.5579

Here is a great article written by Christopher Reale and shared by The KCM Blog.  It really explains the difference between a Short Sale and Foreclosure and why the Short Sale Always Wins.  If you are upside down on your mortgage and need to sell, consider these two scenarios to see why a Short Sale should be your first consideration.  If you want to discuss this further, give me a call.  I would be happy to assist you.

What’s the Difference?

Getting pre-qualified helps you determine how much home you can afford, based on specific financial information you share with a lender. The lender does not verify this information, and consequently there is no guarantee you will qualify for the loan amount. Getting pre-approved requires that the lender verify your financial information, and does serve as a commitment to lend a specified amount based on that verified information. There is normally no cost involved in obtaining a pre-qualification however a lender may charge a fee to provide a pre-approval letter. A pre-approval does provide you significant buying power with a seller who recognizes you will be approved for a loan. Talk to your Patterson-Schwartz Sales Associate if you are in doubt about which way to go.   Read the rest of the article here.

Did you know that my company and I make sure we maximize every opportunity to attract qualified buyers to your property listing?  Since 90% of home buyers use the Internet to search for a new home, we utilize this to YOUR advantage.  Each month, 38 million home buyers search the Internet for real estate information.  One in three buyers finds the home they end up purchasing on the Internet.  Look at all the ways we give your property exposure on the Internet when you list with us:

• Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate
• REALTOR.com
• trulia
• Zillow.com
• AOL Real Estate
• HGTV’s FRONTDOOR
• YAHOO! REAL ESTATE
• HomeFinder.com
• delawareonline
• RELOHOMESEARCH.COM
• HOMES.COM
• DIRECTHOMES.COM
• CYBERHOMES.COM
• MSN.COM
• HOTPADS.COM
• OODLE.COM
• PROPBOT.COM
• VAST.COM
• OVERSTOCK.COM
• OPENHOUSE.COM
• MILITARY.COM
• MYREALTY.COM
• WALMART.COM
• PROPERTYPURSUIT.COM
• LYCOS.COM
• LOCAL.COM
• FORECLOSURE.COM
• REALTYTRAC.COM
• ENORMO.COM
• RELOCATION.COM
• USHUD.COM
• HOMEWINKS.COM
• HOMEONTHETUBE.COM
• HOMESBYLENDER.COM
• DELAWARETODAY.COM
• HOMESDATABASE.COM
• BERGENHOMETEAM.COM
• JANANSELLSREALESTATE.COM

Open House Sunday, October 2, 2011 at 202 Elderfield Rd.

Move-in ready 2 story with 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, full basement, wood-burning stove, sliding doors to patio and back yard.  Driveway parking.  Super clean and ready for YOU!

Stop by and say hello!

Looking for a quaint, historic town to visit or possibly move to?  Take a stroll downtown in Port Deposit, MD.  Thought to have been settled around the year 1720 with the name Creswell’s Landing, the town was renamed Port Deposit in December 1812.  The original name, Creswell’s Landing, was given to this town because of the ferry service north of the present site.

There is a good bit of history in Port Deposit, recognized by signs telling of the battles and events that took place there many years ago.  You can stop to read these as you stroll through town.  There are some local restaurants to enjoy a bite to eat, as well as a museum you can tour.

Situated along the steep slopes of the northern bank of the Susquehanna River, Port Deposit was formerly a place to earn a living in the shipping business.  Bulky goods such as lumber, coal, flour and whiskey were transported from up the river to the town via arks and rafts.  The nearby granite quarry flourished in 1865 and employed 300 stone cutters.  You can still see this quarry when boating down the river.

Fisherman still search the Susquehanna for shad and rock fish.  Boaters abound throughout the spring, summer and fall boating seasons.  The Susquehanna connects to the Chesapeake Bay, and you can also travel down the other rivers that run through Cecil County, MD.  There are actually five rivers in Cecil County: the Susquehanna, the Sassafrass, the Bohemia, the North East River, and the Elk River.

Looking to buy a home? Wanting to tour some Open Houses? Great idea! Here are some tips of what to look for and what questions to ask.

Open Houses-What to Look for, What to Ask

Referred to as Ginnie Mae – Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA) GNMA is a government-owned corporation overseen by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  

Ginnie Mae pools FHA-insured and VA-guaranteed loans to back securities for private investment.

As With Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the investment income provides funding that may then be lent to eligible borrowers by lenders.