Real Estate Information Archive

If you’ve ever longed for the futuristic closet in Clueless – or just dreamed of easily locating your shoes before work – look no further than your smart phone! While we can’t promise the supercharged conveyor-belt in Cher’s closet, we can set you up with a virtual way to manage your wardrobe like a boss. That way, you’ll stay organized, keep track of what you own and always be able to find that missing saddleback shoe.

Here are five of our favorite closet-organization apps:

Stylitics
iPhone, Android (free)

If you’re interested in coordinating your closet by color, style or pattern, this app makes that easy. Stylitics basically takes the thought out of getting dressed (which can help make mornings less stressful). This app sends push notifications or “style alerts” giving you trend and weather updates. Bonus: Make sure you check out the outfit suggestion feature! Because the app keeps track of when a piece of clothing was last worn, it can actually suggests outfits for you based off how often you wear certain items.

Good Housekeeping @Home

Android, iOS (free)

If you’re looking to free up some room in your closet, this app is for you. Created by Good Housekeeping magazine, this app includes step-by-step guides to help you clear clutter and advice on staying organized.

BrightNest

iPhone, Android (free)

BrightNest is more than a site full of helpful advice and how-tos. It’s also an app where you have the ability to save, favorite and schedule tasks (like organizing your closet!). Download the free app for easy guides on topics like de-cluttering your wardrobe, storing seasonal clothes and donating unwanted items.

Closet

iPhone (free)

Pick out an outfit or plan your vacation wardrobe without getting out of bed with this brand-new app! With Closet, you can organize your clothes into categories (like winter, spring or dry-clean only), tag pieces as favorites, track how often you wear certain pieces and even estimate a cost-per-wear of each item.  Our favorite part? You can create multiple closets in the same account, so you can keep the whole house organized!

StyleBook

iOS ($3.99)

This app is closet organizer, wardrobe planner, packing list and inspiration library rolled into one. While StyleBook boasts over 90 features, we think its most valuable feature (MVF?) is the personalized Style Stats. You can see what pieces you wear the most and least, so when it’s time to audit your closet, you’ll know what items you should toss or donate.

When pundits discuss mortgage financing, they frequently tout the money saved in interest when paying cash. But is that worth touting?

Let's say we have two home buyers: each has $100,000 and each buys a $100,000 home. One pays cash; the other puts $10,000 down and finances the remaining $90,000 with a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 4.25%. Both stay put, and 30 years later the 30-year mortgage is paid in full. Over the 30 years, the cash buyer obviously incurred no interest charges. The financed buyer, on the other hand, pays over $69,300 in interest over the life of the loan.

It appears the cash buyer comes out ahead, but does he?

Keep in mind that the cash buyer did not have use of the $90,000 like the financed buyer did. Let's say the financed buyer took his $90,000 and bought 5,000 shares – $18 a share – of a real estate investment trust (REIT) that pays $0.125 in dividends each month. We'll assume there is no dividend increases (which would be unlikely in the real world).

Each month, the REIT pays the financed buyer $625 in dividends. In a year, the REIT owner collects $7,500 in dividend income. Over 30 years, the REIT owner will collect $225,000 in dividend income.

In other words, opportunity costs must be factored into the equation. By financing his home with a low-rate loan, the intelligent investor/home buyer was able to use his money to buy a cash-generating investment that far exceeded his interest payments.

This example shows that opportunities and opportunity costs must always be factored into a financial equation. When this occurs, the cheaper option can frequently be shown to be the less financially profitable option.

Information provided by Jessica Regan.

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When you are buying or selling property in today's Harrisburg PA real estate market, it's important to have confidence in your real estate professional. Don’s commitment as your Harrisburg PA REALTOR® is to provide you with the specialized real estate service you deserve.

When you are an informed buyer or seller, you'll make the best decisions for the most important purchase or sale in your lifetime. That's why Don’s goal is to keep you informed on trends in Harrisburg PA real estate. With property values continuing to rise, real estate is a sound investment for now and for the future.

As a local area expert with knowledge of Harrisburg PA area communities, Don’s objective is to work diligently to assist you in meeting your real estate goals.

If you are considering buying or selling a home or would just like to have additional information about real estate in your area, please don't hesitate to call me at (717) 657-8700, complete my online form, or e-mail me at don@donroth.com.

These days, "hipster" or "up-and-coming" neighborhoods are basically buzzwords for a good investment, but there can be another side to the story. We asked one woman to share her tale. Her identity, the neighborhood and the city she bought in are left out of the story to respect her privacy and the privacy of the neighborhood residents. 

“You’re going to love this neighborhood. It’s really up and coming!”

You know how they say “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is?” Well, I learned that hard way when I bought a house in a neighborhood with uncertain prospects.

I did love the house, but I knew for sure I’d never set foot in that neighborhood before. That should have been my first warning sign.

From there, things just went too smoothly. I easily got the financing. I looked at a map and realized this house in the “up-and-coming neighborhood” bordered a section of town I loved and knew well. And the price was unbeatable.

So, I moved in.  What I didn’t realize at the time was that I was essentially gambling with my home equity. If the neighborhood didn’t improve, neither would the value of my home.

My realtor made a lot of claims. “A florist!” “A coffee shop!” “Health care across the street!” “A new gym!” Her insiders had told her all these things were in the works, and if I moved in now, I could be the lucky investor in a newly refurbished neighborhood.

As you may have guessed by now, this isn’t exactly how it turned out.

The six years I spent in that house were actually pretty good. I loved the layout of the house and the fact that I could see the city skyline out the kitchen windows. Eventually, I got to know a few of my neighbors and even count them as friends. There were spots in this “up-and-coming” location that I did grow to enjoy, but they were all things that were already there before I bought the house.

The awesome shops that the realtor said were “just about to go up” never went up. The gym never opened its doors. And the clinic we were told bought the land across the street never closed on the property. Oh, and the coffee… I had to bike two miles to the closest one.

So while I was up in the neighborhood, nothing was definitely coming anytime soon. When I needed to move, I realized I gambled with this home and lost. I was easily $20,000 under water and prices in my neighborhood had gone down since I moved in, despite the fact that I had spent thousands on improving the place while I was there.

Blame the recession. Blame tough financing for new construction or the city council. It doesn’t really matter. Ultimately, I blame myself. I bought the house because I thought I was investing in a neighborhood that was about to be my dream “place” in my city of choice. I bought into a dream that was never going to happen.

It’s fun to dream of living in the perfect neighborhood before anyone else. It’s even better to imagine the payday you may get from selling a home in said neighborhood. But beware of rhetoric. Most awesome neighborhoods don’t happen in a year or two. It takes decades for that kind of cultural evolution. Next time, I’m buying a house in the neighborhood I love instead of waiting for the fantasy to come true.

I’ll do the following things before signing on the bottom line. Lessons learned:

1. I wish I’d had more frank conversations with my realtor about the likelihood of these new establishments. I didn’t question the “insider information” at all. I wish I pushed my realtor a little more to find out exactly who these sources were and how likely the change would be.

2. If I were to do it again, I’d think more about the neighborhood as it is today rather than how it may be in five years. If I knew the neighborhood wouldn’t change, I probably wouldn’t have moved in. Always weight your options and ask yourself, if the neighborhood didn’t change, would you be okay with it?

First things first: We LUV pets. But, it’s not really a secret that owning one can be expensive. Monthly bags of food, unexpected vet bills, new toys and boarding costs add up quickly – but that’s only part of the price of pet ownership.

It turns out the estimated value of your home can plummet (potentially to the tune of $30,000!) when a potential buyer finds out the home was shared with a pet.

Why? Sometimes, pets stink. And they scratch. And they pee on stuff.

Here are three pet-related issues to watch out for if you want to retain your home’s pre-pet value:

Scratches, Scratches Everywhere

Scratches from pets aren’t limited to hardwood floors – although they should definitely get some attention.  Other commonly scratched spots include doors, windowsills, window screens, wall molding, cabinets, porches … and pretty much anything else your pet can get their claws on.

Even a well-trained pet gets bored, and boredom leads to scratching, which leads to reduced home values. To fight the problem before it starts, make sure your pet gets plenty of exercise and has toys and treats to occupy their time while you’re away. We recommend checking out BarkBox for a constant supply of new, awesome toys.

Or, if your pet really needs some extra supervision, look into a doggie daycare or pet-sitter while you’re away. The upfront cost of daycare (about $25 a day) isn’t exactly cheap, but it can help you recoup serious cash when you’re ready to sell your home. 

Lingering Odors

This is a biggy. An accident here, a litter box there, and your home never smells the same. And one whiff of a bad odor is really difficult to recover from when trying to sell your home.

You know how they say love is blind? Pet smells work like that, too. The issue here is that many homeowners get used to the smells associated with having a live-in pet, so it’s commonly overlooked. Don’t do that! Instead, take the time to deep clean any mess that happens and use these stink-fighting tricks when an appraiser or potential buyer is visiting your home. Tip: Ask an honest friend to rate your home’s stink from 0 – 10. If it’s anything over a 3, you may want to consider hiring a professional to handle the smell.

Ugly Yard = Bad First Impression

Let’s be straightforward: Poop and pee kills grass. Dogs love to dig holes, and to some animals, plants look delicious. All of these issues can make a once well-manicured lawn look messy. When you’re selling your home, curb appeal can make or break a deal, so pay attention to your lawn. Fix issues like dead grass from a favorite pee spot immediately. We’re not saying Lassie shouldn’t enjoy your lawn! Just clean up after her and keep the digging to a minimum.

From important checkups of major systems to repairing your front door, sometimes it can feel like your to-do list is more of a cash drain than anything else. Give your wallet a break and try these free ways to improve and maintain your home.

1. Inspect important areas of your home. Regularly inspecting parts of your home that are prone to damage or infestation is one of the easiest ways to prevent expensive repairs. If it’s been awhile, start with your attic and your basement.

2. Relocate a spare dresser. Is there a dresser in your guest bedroom that’s never been used? Move it into your kitchen or dining room! Spare dressers are perfect for storing things like plates and cookware, plus it’s a great opportunity to freshen up a room.
3. Block drafts. A leaky door might not seem like a big deal, but drafts can consume up to 30 percent of your home’s energy usage. For a quick, no-cost solution, roll up an old bath towel and place it at the base of drafty doors or windows. (For a more permanent fix, reach into your wallet and purchase a $4 tube of caulk.)
    
4. Go minimalist. Nothing costs less than getting rid of stuff. If you’re feeling industrious, you could even try to sell unused items on Ebay or at an old-fashioned garage sale. If you’re not sure where to start, brush up on the minimalist lifestyle with these tips: Save Money and Space: Furniture You Don’t Really Need.
    
5. Clean your dryer ducts. This is an important, free task that a lot of people forget! Dryer lint can ignite if it’s allowed to build up in the exhaust duct. Clean your dryer ducts twice a year to prevent this fire hazard.
    
6. Test for hard water. It’s harmless to drink, but hard water (which contains high levels of minerals like calcium and magnesium) can damage your boiler and clog your pipes. Those issues can be expensive to repair – like, $10,000 expensive – but testing for hard water is free! All you need is a plastic water bottle and a little bit of dish soap.

How much sun does your home receive? Is your roof south facing? And does your state offer tax incentives? These are just a few of the questions to consider before installing solar panels on your home.

Solar energy comes with a lot of benefits, including lower energy bills and a reduced carbon footprint, but these benefits can vary a lot from one house to the next.

So, should you install or not? Well, that depends. Before making a final decision, always contact a clean energy professional to discuss the specifics of your home and your needs, including the amount of sunlight your area typically receives.

Additionally, consider the following frequently asked questions before deciding if solar energy is right for you:

Can I afford the upfront cost?

The price breakdown of solar panels is typically about $5 per watt with installation. So, the average cost of solar panels on a 3kW system in a residential home is $15,000 with installation.

Can my home properly accommodate solar panels?

The exact same solar system on different homes can produce vastly different results. Energy production depends on factors like trees, roof angle, roof size, temperature, latitude, degradation of panels and orientation. To get a more exact estimate of what you should expect from a system on your home, contact a local professional.

Will I get a tax credit?

Until December 31^st, 2016, there is a residential federal tax credit of 30 percent when a solar panel system is installed. There are also various state-specific tax credits available. To find out if there are any tax credits offered by your state, visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency.

How much money will I save each year?

Again, the amount of energy produced by your particular solar system can vary greatly. But, Nerd Wallet estimates that the approximate yearly savings on your energy bill from solar panels is about $600. So if you pay $15,000 to install a solar panel system, it would take 25 years to recoup your entire investment.

If I sell my house, will I recoup my investment?

Given the ever-changing nature of solar panel technology, you should not assume that you would recoup the cost of solar panels when selling your home. Think of it like this: When you first bought a flat screen television, it was fancy, new and expensive. But, as time goes by, the cost of flat screen televisions goes down. So, if you were to sell the television with your home, you’d have to lower the price from the amount you originally paid for it. Solar panels work the exact same way.

Bottom line: Unless you live in an extremely sunny climate and expect to live in your home for at least 25 years, you may not receive a high return on your investment. Cost of Solar has outlined which states and climates may be best for solar, which is a good first hand glance at the cost benefit of solar. But, solar panels will undoubtedly lower your carbon footprint, which should also be considered when deciding if solar panels are right for you. 

As a homeowner, there are countless tweaks and additions you can make to your abode. If you’re enthusiastic, Home Depot can eventually start to feel like an all-you-can-eat home improvement buffet of fun. But before you go into project-planning overdrive, slow down! It’s important to be selective with your add-ons because some changes can actually devalue your home. Here are six things to double-check.

1. Removing a bedroom. If you’re an empty nester, it can be tempting to convert that unused boudoir into the home gym you’ve always dreamed about. But the number of bedrooms in your home directly affects its value, so ask yourself: do you really need the new room? If the answer is “yes,” just make sure the changes continue to meet building codes for a bedroom (these can vary, so it’s best to check with a professional). That way, you can still market the space as a bedroom. Note: Even if the room meets bedroom building codes, its perceived value will drop if it’s being used for something else. So if you’re planning to sell in the near future, it may be best to leave the bed!

2. Mediocre renovations. A quality, well-installed kitchen island is a great way to boost your home’s value. But imperfect work is easy for potential buyers to spot, and if they feel like your renovations will need to be tweaked (or redone entirely), they may lower their offer. To avoid this problem, carefully weigh the pros and cons of doing a project by yourself before you begin. If you decide to hire help, make sure you vet your contractor thoroughly!
    
3. Showcasing a satellite dish. Let’s be clear: there is absolutely nothing wrong with 1,000 premium channels of HD entertainment. The more the merrier! But if a prospective buyer can see your satellite dish as soon as they turn onto your block, your curb appeal is going to take a hit. If you get a dish installed, work with the technicians to place it in an out-of-the-way spot.
    
4. Sporadic home maintenance. Big renovations tend to take the spotlight when it comes to increasing your home's value, but regular maintenance can be just as important! In fact, without proactive maintenance – like cleaning lint from the dryer or changing your furnace filter – your home could lose up to 10 percent of its value. Routine maintenance not only protects the value of your property – it can also enhance curb appeal, ensure safety and prevent simple problems from turning into costly repairs. If you’ve fallen a little behind, that’s not a problem. It only takes one hour to get back on top of things.
    
5. Smoking inside. The whole “post-intimacy” cigarette looks cool in movies, but it’s not as suave when it comes to your home’s value. In fact, one survey revealed that some buyers believe smoking inside of a house can lower its value by as much as 29 percent! When you combine this with the fact that fires caused by still-burning cigarette butts are the leading cause of home-fire fatalities, smoking outside becomes a no-brainer.
    
6. An above-ground pool. Depending on where you live, an in-ground pool can bolster your home’s value by as much as 11 percent. However, the above-ground counterpart isn’t as popular. Since they aren’t as visually appealing, buyers will tend to focus on the negatives of the pool (maintenance costs and safety hazards), and your home’s purchase price may take about a two percent hit. Note: If you and your family simply can’t live without some pool-side fun, don’t let this deter you! You can’t put a price on epic water-basketball matches or fun Marco Polo sessions.

Do you treat your home like your ATM card?

Many Americans apparently do, according to recently released housing data. The Wall Street Journal reports that in the first quarter this year, homeowners took out more than 230,000 home-equity lines of credit, also known as HELOCs, giving them access to some $23.4 billion—the highest quarterly figure since 2008.

What’s behind the peak in borrowing? Lenders are offering more attractive interest rates (the average HELOC rate was 5.01% in June, down from 5.16% a year ago) and allowing people to borrow a greater percentage of their home’s value. Homeowners are taking advantage of the lower rates and greater access to help pay for renovations or even to buy new homes, as well as to pay off non-housing-related costs like emergency expenses and higher-interest credit card balances or personal loans.

While it might be tempting to take on new debt in order to pay off old ones, there’s a hidden danger in doing so: Defaulting on a HELOC could carry far worse consequences than defaulting on a credit card or other type of loan. Because you’re putting up your home as collateral, a lender can foreclose if they don’t get their money back.

And homeowners who use their lines of credit to buy a new home put themselves at risk because a drop in home prices could mean that, with your mortgage and what you’ve borrowed from your HELOC combined, you end up owing more for your property than you could sell it for.

Still, there are some benefits to HELOCs over conventional loans. For starters, unlike with a home-equity loan, you’re not receiving a lump sum of cash; you’re only borrowing the amount you need, which may or may not be up to the full line of credit. And if you draw down only a small amount at a time, you only have to pay interest on that amount—just make sure you’re aware of changing interest rates, as HELOCs typically have adjustable rates rather than fixed ones.

Spiders.

If that word sends shivers down your spine, you’re not alone. According to a recent BrightNest poll, 85 percent of people Hate spiders with a capital H. But just because the eight-legged arachnids aren’t welcome in your home doesn’t mean they’ll always stay away.

To keep spiders out of sight and out of mind, try one of these natural deterrents before reaching for the chemical spray.

Here are five chemical-free methods to rid your home of spiders:

1. Essential Oils

Essential oils in scents like eucalyptus and peppermint are basically spiders’ worst enemy, because they find the intense smells overwhelming. Fill up an 8 oz. spray bottle with water and add about 15 drops of the oil of your choice. Spray the solution in doorframes, floorboards, bookshelves and any other small crevices. See ya, spiders!

2. Chestnuts

Believe it or not, chestnuts secrete a chemical that spiders can’t stand, so place chestnuts along your windowsills, under the fridge, in dark cabinets and wherever else you frequently see eight-legged enemies. Tip: This only works if the chestnuts are fresh, so it’s best if you store chestnuts in the fridge. Switch out your chestnuts on a weekly basis.

3. Vinegar

In addition to keeping colors fresh in the laundry and elminating mold, white vinegar is a spider-fighter, too! To fight arachnids, combine water and a dash of white vinegar in a spray bottle. Then, spritz doorframes, windowsills, under cabinets and anywhere else you think spiders could enter your home (like a doggie door).

4. Citrus

Spiders hate citrus: lemons, oranges, limes – you name it. To spread citrus throughout your house, rub orange peels on any surface where spiders could creep around or fill a spray bottle with water and citrus juice for a natural-deterrent spray. For more ways to clean with citrus, read: Power to the Lemon: 10 Amazing Household Uses.

5. Keep It Neat

Spiders love to camp out and spin their webs in cozy crevices. To prevent this, dust often and keep clutter to a minimum, especially in small spaces like cabinets and drawers. Flatten and recycle cardboard boxes and empty paper bags. Use the hose of your vacuum to clean floorboards by running the hose along where the floor meets the wall and along the edges of furniture.