Here we are at the end of 2018! Today we’ll be discussing our 2019 real estate predictions.As we all know, in 2018, the markets were very, very good. In the past few weeks, we’ve seen a shift in the market, and we expect that to remain a continuing trend moving into 2019. The driving forces behind that shift are mortgage rates, which were changed b…

Our team is so thankful for you this holiday season. We hope your season is as merry and bright as ours.Happy Holidays! In the spirit of the season, our team would like to extend our warmest thanks to all of you for the amazing year we’ve had. Your continued support means so much to us.The success we achieved in 2018 wouldn’t have been possible wit…

Today I want to talk about six home safety tips to employ if you want to keep your home safe from burglars.There are six things that house burglars don’t want you to know:1. Nighttime burglaries aren’t common. Burglars prefer to do it during the day when they will usually find the home’s occupants out of the house. Many of these crimes take place b…

Are you making any of these 10 common but costly homeownership mistakes? If so, we’ll explain how you can mitigate them.In real estate, people often talk about how much it costs to buy a home, but what about the cost associated with simply living in a home? As most homeowners already realize, owning a property can be an expensive ordeal. Today, we’…

You’ve probably been hearing a lot about the future of our market in the news lately, and today, we’re going to get to the bottom of what may lie ahead by reviewing some projections, as well as some recent market trends.On a national level, average home prices have appreciated 5.5% since this time last year. Locally, however, appreciation levels ha…

What’s going on with mortgage rates in our market?Right now, the average 30-year fixed rate is about 4.77%, which is the highest it’s been in the past seven years. Experts predict that it will continue to creep closer toward 5%, but it’s still at a historically low level.Is this really affecting our market? Not right now. I think what’s actually af…

If you’ve put your home on the market and it is not selling, there are a couple of key factors you need to examine and steps you need to take to rectify the situation.The first factor you need to look at is timing. What is the average days on market for listed homes in your area right now and where does your home fall within that average? This can …

Should you buy or sell first? This is a common question asked by sellers when they have to sell their home and also purchase a new one.The first thing you will want to do is look at your finances and get pre-qualified. You need to talk to a lender who can tell you whether you qualify for one of the following three options: You can buy first and the…

There’s a lot of conflicting information out there about open houses. Specifically, people often debate whether or not they’re effective.Well, statistically speaking, open houses do not generally work. But this may be partially due to the fact that most agents don’t know how to properly host one. If you do want to hold an open house, there are a fe…

What are the differences between individual agents and teams? Today I am going to tell you about the advantages and disadvantages of both.Most agents work individually. They work for a brokerage and run their business by themselves. The brokerage provides support for paperwork, answering phones, making appointments, and more.Teams, however, normall…

Home prices are rising and we’re in a strong seller’s market all across the country. There are signs that we’re in for a bit of a slowdown, though.Over the last six years, home prices have risen. In the last two years, they’ve risen significantly. With that, mortgage rates are starting to rise right alongside them. Right now, the average 30-year fi…

Even though temperatures aren’t quite cooperating, our spring market is in full swing.We’ve all been hearing on the news lately how great the market has been so far this year. You’ve probably also heard about the extreme shortage in inventory we’re seeing. Well, this is still definitely the case. There are too few houses right now to match the numb…

Today, I’ll be going over eight things that can make your home appear messy, as well as what you can do to fix them. Simple cleaning projects will make a big difference, especially if you’re going to list your home.1. Cluttered shelving. Make sure the shelving in your home is clean and free of clutter.2. Tangled wires and cords. Cleaning up tangled…

Today I want to give you some insider tips on what you should demand of your real estate agent. These tips can save you tens of thousands when buying or selling a home, so it’s something you’re going to want to pay attention to.1. Make sure your agent is truthful about the price of your home. Having an agent come in and give you a price just becaus…

How will the new tax laws impact homeownership in 2018?There have been some significant changes to the tax reform bill since it was originally proposed. For this reason, we highly recommend you speak with your accountant about how you may be personally affected.On a wider scale, though, there are some things we should all be aware of.“We highly rec…

Did you know that there are five things you can do to reduce your energy costs this winter?We’ve seen some record-low temperatures these past couple of weeks, and these tips can help you save money on your bills for the rest of the season.1. Reverse the direction of your ceiling fans.This will draw the cool air upwards and push the hot air down. Ma…

Today I’m going to give you a market update of where we’ve been in 2017 and where we’re headed in 2018. As we all know, the real estate market and the financial market have been doing very well over the past 12 months. The numbers continue to back this up.In Bucks County alone, we’ve seen a 5% increase in median home prices in the last year. When i…

Today, I just want to take a moment to wish you a happy holiday season. Thank you for the tremendous success we’ve had in 2017. It was a record-breaking year here at The Scott Irvin Team, and we couldn’t have done it without you. We look forward to seeing you in 2018, and wish you a safe, healthy, and happy New Year. For my full holiday message, wa…

The moving process can be very stressful. Thankfully, you can simplify it using these four tips.1. Get ready now. Whether you’re moving in six months or six years, get started as soon as possible. Taking some time to prepare will mean you aren’t stressing out about getting things done at the last minute. The first thing you’re going to want to do i…

In a real estate transaction there are many types of agency, but today we’re going to focus on buyer agency.When you first meet with a real estate agent, you will be provided with a consumer notice. This consumer notice will help explain the different agencies in Pennsylvania.Next, the agent will go over any questions you may have and will eventual…

When selling your home, it is very important that you price it properly.The success of many other facets of your home sale boils down to whether you price your home properly or not. Studies show time and time again that if you overprice your property, you’ll likely sell it for below its market value.“Overpricing your home will cause it to sit on th…

A lot of homebuyers fail to realize that their home expenses don’t start and stop with their mortgage payment. There’s much more to being a homeowner than that. Here are five expenses that all homeowners have in addition to their mortgage:1. Closing costs. When you decide on a home, you’ll get an estimate of the closing costs. The estimate will bre…

If you’ve sold your house, how can you have a stress-free move and be prepared on the day of the actual settlement? There are a few things you need to remember.First, you have to find the right moving company. When looking for a moving company, you want to make sure you protect yourself. You can follow one of your Realtor’s recommendations, but you…

A recent study found that 4.5 million homeowners are still eligible to refinance their mortgage.With that amount of homeowners, they’ve estimated that about $1 billion in total savings have been left on the table that homeowners aren’t taking advantage of.Many homeowners are saying the reason they haven’t is that they’re not sure if the value of th…

What is the difference between a pre-qualification letter and a pre-approval? As a buyer, which one is stronger? As a seller, which one will make you more comfortable about your home sale?If you get pre-qualified, the lender simply looks through your finances for things like your credit score, assets, income, and liabilities. Then, based on whateve…

As we head into the summer months and the third quarter, it’s a good time to look back and see how the market is doing so far this year, as well as look at what is driving the market now.Demand is incredibly strong right now, as is demonstrated by the low inventory in certain price points. Interest rates are still at historic lows, which is driving…

One of the questions I get asked quite often by sellers when giving their home a valuation is why their real estate taxes are different from their neighbor’s when their neighbor’s home is similar to theirs or is located in the same development.Your real estate taxes can affect the value of your home when you sell it because they’re added to the buy…

The number one question I’m asked by home sellers is about the kind of taxes they’re going to have to pay to close their transaction. First off, I’m not an accountant, and you should consult with yours before you make any financial decisions. However, I do want to talk to you a little bit about capital gains taxes.Capital gains refers to the differ…

When you get a home inspection, your first step is to make sure you properly pick a home inspector by checking that they’re a member of the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors, or NACHI. They have standards for practice as well as a code of ethics that members must follow.Inspectors only have to be licensed in the state, so there’s no…