Get a Home Inspection When Buying a Home

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Get a Home Inspection When Buying a Home

Hire a professional home inspector before you buy a home. The time to discover expensive defects is before you buy the home. Even brand new homes often have major construction flaws. The $350-$500 is worth the money, especially if they find a $1,000+ defect.

Typically, a home inspector is contacted immediately after the contract or purchase agreement has been signed. Before you sign, be sure there is an inspection clause in the sales contract, making your final purchase obligation contingent on the findings of a professional home inspection. This clause should specify the terms and conditions to which both the buyer and seller are obligated.

The home inspection report will cover the condition of the home’s heating system; central air conditioning system; interior plumbing and electrical systems; the roof, attic and visible insulation; walls, ceilings, floors, windows and doors; the foundation, basement and structural components. Included with your home inspection report are usually digital pictures, a cost range guide, and general report summary of major defects.

Central Bucks School District Attempts Appeals Again

For three years, Central Bucks School District has not been able to collect the tax revenue because of the property assessments being too low. Throughout the county in 2009, thousands of assessment appeals were filed by property owners who were successful in their appeals. 46 percent of the 5,200 filed, were granted a total of $4 million in tax relief, which the schools no longer receive.

The school district has spent $20,000 the past years trying to reclaim some of that revenue; the effort was a complete failure. In 2011, the appeals didn’t even make it to the board because of a technical problem. Trying again, this year the school district is hoping to get an additional $772,000 in taxes by challenging the assessments of 37 homes and eight commercial properties.

At Thursday night’s assessment appeal hearings, it’s not looking good for Central Bucks School Distrcit. Attorneys, real estate agents, appraisers and residents all spoke at the hearings, pointing out all the problems with the appeals. Representing 25 of the 37 property owners, an attorney said the school district had failed to meet its burden of proof in every single appraisal he looked at. Is Central Bucks looking at failure again?

To read more…

Four Questions to ask before Buying a Home

I’m sure you have heard that it’s a good time to buy a home right now. Interest rates are at historic lows and the prices of homes in many areas of the U.S. are low and some major metropolitan areas are seeing an increase. Although buyers are eager to buy, don’t make the mistake of buying now just because everyone else is. Before even considering looking, ask yourself these questions.

Am I prepared for the responsibilities and risks of homeownership? Can I afford to buy a home with amenities I need in a location where I want to live? Am I willing to compromise? Am I willing to take the time and make the effort to carry out due diligence investigations in order to ensure that you make a wise purchase decision?

To read more…

Warrington Residents to Vote on Open Space Spending

Does it seem that every time you drive down a street you see a new development of houses being built? This is why Warrington, Located in Bucks County, PA, is looking to borrow up to $3 million to preserve open space, improve township parks and link community trails. Township officials think that with the current real estate prices and interest rates at historic lows, it’s the right time for residents to support an open-space referendum.

Voters will see the question in the Nov. 6^th ballot, asking if they want to spend not only to buy and protect open space but also to improve the parking at Barness Park and “facelifts” for lesser known parks. Also, with the township growing, athletic fields for a wide variety of sports are in demand. This bond money could help pay for more space. In 1995, Warrington borrowed $2.1 million for open space preservation and has about 700 acres already protected from development. To read more…

Electrical Wiring When Renovating Your House

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Have you ever asked we when estimating your rehab costs on a home: How much does it cost to rewire an entire house? What is knob and tube wiring? How do I properly wire (new electrical) my house up to code?
Watch this video for electrical wiring tips and installation

DIY : Make your own Cabinet Drawers

I know everyone is trying to save money one way or another. There are many projects we can do ourselves, but then there are other projects that we won’t even think twice about doing.

For example, you have a rental property and one cabinet drawer is broken. Buying cabinet drawers can be expensive and hiring someone to install them can be costly and unreliable. So do it yourself projects may be your only option. This project could cost as low as $100-$250, take up half a day and the difficulty level is easy to moderate so anyone can do it.

To see step by step directions…

Plan on Moving?

If you’re planning on moving locally from where you are now, you probably have a good idea of what town or even the street you would want to live on. Knowing your local neighborhoods, schools, shopping and others can really help in your search, but we still encourage doing as much research as possible. There are many websites that can give you plenty of information to make sure your move is a success. These resources can help people moving to the next town over but can be the most help to people moving to unfamiliar areas. If you are getting relocated for a job or even just a new start in a new state or city, these websites will definitely come in handy. The websites consist of NabeWise, Nextdoor, WalkScore, Street Advisor, Trulia Local, and National Clandestine Laboratory Locator.

To read more….

Should we be questioning the Actions of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority?

The Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority has a plan to condemn and seize forty-three properties via eminent domain in the Point Breeze neighborhood. With a budget of 1.7M, the PRA finalized its list in their July meeting. Twelve out of the forty-three are already owned by city agencies, leaving the other thirty-one owned privately by individuals and developers. With several of these purchased within the last few months, the PRA have no concrete plans for the next steps. According to a quote from Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, 40% of the properties will be new construction for affordable housing and the other 60% will be for market- rate housing. The belief is that all of these lots are tabbed for affordable housing development which is a huge problem. Does it really make sense for the Philadelphia Redevelop Authority to seize privately owned lots only to resell them back to private developers? To read more…

Recycling Your Old Kitchen

Recently, have you looked around your kitchen and said, “It needs some updating”? Like you, many homeowners are saying the same thing and with the recent economy everyone is looking for ways to save a little cash. The most budget friendly way to update your kitchen is to use your old kitchen in the new one. Some items to consider would be; nice old cabinet doors, an old pastry slab, a piece of a butcher block, lighting, windows, doors, flooring (if its wood and can be refinished) and cabinet hardware.

Also, if your own kitchen isn’t offering intriguing possibilities for recycling materials, hit the salvage circuit. You can find cool items to incorporate without spending big bucks. An example would be to browse your local stone supplier’s collection of remnants, which are often discounted and can be used as island toppers, butcher blocks or pastry slab.

Read more about this DIY project…