How's the market?  How's the market?  How's the market? This is the most common question, by far, that we Realtors hear on a daily basis - more frequently than ever it seems. We hear this in formal and informal settings, from the line in the supermarket to a detailed discussion of real estate with prospective buyers and sellers.  So I thought I’d give an update on the activity in our local area, especially considering that we just had a month end. Here’s the latest information from the past two months, June and July 2011.  These figures are for Lansdale and North Wales Boroughs and Montgomery and Towamencin Townships combined. They include all types of homes/units.  Averages don't always give a clear picture as outliers can skew the data, but it does help give a picture of trends and th... 08/16/2011

The Townhomes at Cannon Square are underway and under construction.  W.B. Homes is building 28 new townhomes at the corner of N Cannon Ave and Mill Street in Lansdale Borough.  Setback one block from Main Street, N Towamencin Ave and West 2nd Street also border the development. All units will have three bedrooms, a full basement and a 1-car garage.  Depending upon the model, a buyer can get one or two full bathrooms in addition to a 1st floor powder room. There are five models to choose from, and the pre-construction base prices range from $238,900 to $269,900.  Additionally, the builder is offering buyers an incentive of one of the following: a kitchen island, stainless steel appliance upgrade, a washer/dryer set or a refrigerator. The initial units will be ready by mid to late October... 08/16/2011

LANSDALE REAL ESTATE MARKET UPDATE   What’s the latest news in the local Lansdale housing market?  SLOW improvement.  Now that we can compare month to month, non-stimulus data, we are seeing an improvement in the numbers.  The number of new listings in July dropped to its lowest level in more than a decade.   Fewer listings translate to lower inventory and the sooner inventory recedes to a reasonable level – the healthier the Lansdale area market will be. STATISTICS Month-over-month comparisons are better, and should stay better through the rest of 2011.   ·         Closed units (4,000+) in July 2011 were 21% above July 2010 ·         Closed dollar volume (slightly above $1.1 billion) was up 14% compared July 2010 ·         Pending properties increased 16% in July 2011 compared to July ... 08/16/2011

Some Reasons Why I Won't Show You The HomeYou aren't approved.You refuse to get approved because it is unnecessary and only your business.You say you are paying cash but refuse to provide proof of funds.You are unemployed, broke & admit you have really poor credit.You refuse to meet me in the office first, to discuss the home buying process.You refuse to sign any paperwork, including a buyers rep agreement.You are a friend, or relative or anyone other than the actual buyer.Customers and clients, what is the difference?  In Websters' Dictionary. the definition of these two words that may seem identical to you is:   Customer:  one who purchases a commodity or service Client: One who is under the protection of another. Become a client.  We have a fiduciary responsibility to 'OUR CLIENTS'. ... 08/12/2011

SHOW ME THE MONEY AND I WILL SHOW YOU THE HOME     Deciding whether it's the right time to buy - You can't "time" the housing market.   Yes it is the right time to buy.  That is if you can.  This is the second in a series of how to purchase a home.  The market is the least important factor you should consider when deciding whether and when to buy a home.  Everyone knows that affordability is at an all-time high.  Home prices are low and so are interest rates. But trying to time the market is a fool's game. Many who get caught up in the game of trying to make sure they buy at the absolute bottom will end up losing out on very, very favorable conditions.   The most important considerations when deciding whether and when you should buy a home are personal, not market driven. Do you have th... 08/04/2011

Show Me The Money and I Will Show You The Home*     Unless you are a cash buyer, you are going to need a loan, or mortgage, to buy a home.  The first step in the home buying process, other than determining whether it is the right time to buy, which is the next in this series, you will need to be pre-approved for a mortgage.  You should work with a mortgage lender referred to you by your real estate agent, because it may save you money.   When you work with a mortgage lender who has a strong tack record of helping your real estate agent's clients out, you end up in a best of all worlds situation. .   First of all, we realtors will take you seriously.  I do not show houses to buyers that have not been pre-approved.  Why would I spend my precious time and gas money (and time is money by th... 08/02/2011

CAN I BUY A HOUSE?  HOW CAN I FIND OUT IF I CAN? Here are the answers in response to that question. Yes - You will need money$$$ - but don't get scared - you may be surprised that you have enough To buy the house, that is the largest amount of money needed.   You will fill out a buyers financial questionnaire and we will have you talk to a mortgage lender to see what type of loan you qualify for and for how much. That will determine the sale price of the home, what price range you should be looking at.  We will learn what the down payment amount that is required will be and what the closing costs are based on the sale amount of the home. Down payment will vary with the type of loan and closing costs are usually 3% of the sale price of the home. There is also: Earnest money - what you of... 07/20/2011

IF IT WAS RAINING IN LANSDALE, WOULD YOU CARRY AN UMBRELLA IN CHICAGO? THERE IS NO NATIONAL HOUSING MARKET say it out loud THERE IS NO NATIONAL HOUSING MARKET FACT: There are low home loan rates and, in most areas, very affordable housing. There are tightening credit standards, but there is money available to credit worthy borrowers.  So what is going on in the housing market? FACT:  It's the news, and the perception the media is presenting about the housing market. It has created wide spread fear, and lack of confidence.  It's a buyers market still in most areas but many buyers are not pulling the trigger to purchase.  The media speak is, "home prices to continue to drop". It has buyers confused and concerned.  This is an irrational fear.  No one can predict home prices, and whether th... 07/12/2011

Freddy Hill Farm in Lansdale PA is offering FREE ice cream to ALL kids 12 and under who can recite the Pledge of Allegiance by heart.  The "I Pledge" event takes place this Friday, July 1st from 4-7pm.  What better way to kickoff the 4th of July weekend than instilling a little patriotism in your children?   Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County of Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here. "I Pledge" FREE Ice Cream at Freddy Hill Farm, Lansdale PA - Copyright © 2011, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved. 06/28/2011

There is No Need to Freak Out Over a Less Than Favorable Home Inspection You’ve found your dream home and have started packing all your belongings and then, the home inspection report reveals some bad inspection results. Time to freak out! It’s a deal breaker, oh no! Actually, many times it’s not a deal breaker, but rather a time to collect as much information as possible to get answers to questions you’d never thought you’d be asking. Often the home and pest (termite, etc) inspections are pass-fail evaluated by many buyers. If the results come back with flying colors or are terribly tragic, its normal to think move on or get out of the home sale contract. But when the problems found with the home are somewhere in between, what path do you take next? First, if you need more time becaus... 06/25/2011

Tennis Anyone? Lansdale Parks and Recreation is offering tennis lessons for teens and adults this summer. Session 1—July 11-14 Session 2—July 18-21 Teens (12-17)* 9am—11am Adults (15+)* 7pm—9pm     *The TEEN program is designed for the middle school and high school player.  The ADULT program is designed for tournament and match play. $55/session or $100 for both—residents $65/session or $120 for both—non-residents Lessons will be held in Memorial Park, Lansdale at Penn St and Park Dr. To sign up or get more information: 215-361-8353 or www.lansdale.org   Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Mont... 06/24/2011

   Towamencin Township Montgomerty County One of the premiere Townships in Montgomery County! The Community Is: Situated within the North Penn School District Situated minutes from the Turnpike (Northeast Extension) route 476 The Community Has: Beautiful residential neighborhoods and historic farmhouses   Outdoors in The Community Has: First-class recreational facilities, and wide-open spaces   Township Map Where Towamencin Township Is Situated in Montgomery County Click here to view current homes for sale in Towamencin Township or contact us for more information.   Jeff Rickert Team, Realtor®, SRES, RSPS New Home Construction SalesResale Home SalesInvestment Properties    Keller Williams Real Estate601 Bethlehem PikeBuilding B, Suite 100Montgomeryville, PA 18936Main Office: 215-631-190... 06/22/2011

Are you wondering what the spring real estate market has been doing? This snapshot analysis of the home sale market activity is designed to help both sellers and buyers in our area. For Sellers, it should help you determine a listing price of your home if you are thinking of selling anytime soon. For Buyers, it can benefit you to know what is a realistic offer on a home here in the Lansdale area. These statistics are for homes in Towamencin Township, Hatfield Township and Montgomery Township, based on 3 to 4 bedroom, single family homes that sold between $300,000. and $400,000. during the last 3 months. Let’s examine the results. In Towamencin Township, there were 9 homes sold and only one listing that expired (did not sell). The average number of days the home was on the market for the... 06/11/2011

In my last article, 'Interest'ing Tips - Where To Start When Buying a Home in Lansdale, PA, I outlined how to determine how much house you can afford by getting pre-qualified for a loan, examined local tax assessments, and stressed looking for neighborhoods that are appealing to you. The next part is what most people feel is “the fun part”! Finding the house you will call “home”. There is really no perfect home on the market. What may be almost perfect for one buyer would not even be considered by another buyer. Even the million dollar homebuyers have to compromise and distinguish between their wants and needs. It’s best to follow this set of criteria: Price Range – minimum to maximum Geographic Area – search by township or borough or school district Type of Home – single family, twin, ... 05/26/2011

With locations in Lansdale and Phoenixville and a new location coming to Downingtown PA, Molly Maguire's Irish Pub and Restaurant is a great place for food, drinks and fun.  Molly Maguire's Irish Pub is open 7 days a week from 11am to 2am with an outdoor patio, live music, and events/activities depending upon the evening. The Lansdale Molly Maguire's is located at 329 West Main Street, walking distance to the Lansdale train station.  They offer a terrific lunch special for $10 which includes an appetizer, entree and dessert. Molly Maguire's is a fun restaurant for the kids too! Kids eat FREE on family night every Monday and on Saturdays & Sundays from 11:30am to 3pm. Weekly specials at the Lansdale Molly Maguire's Pub include: Happy Hour Weekdays 5-7pm Half Price Appetizers at the Bar M... 05/24/2011

The 2nd Annual Lansdale Beer Tasting Festival will be held on Saturday, June 25, 2011 from 1:30 - 4:30pm near the Madison Avenue parking lot at W. 3rd Street and N. Richardson Avenue.  Premier ticket holders* can start at 12:30pm. For tickets and information, go to Lansdale Beer Tasting Festival 2011.  Proceeds benefit the Lansdale Public Library, Manna on Main Street, and the Lansdale Farmers Market. This is a great event and supports great causes that really help our local community! Advance tickets:  $35 or $45 at the door Premier tickets:  $70 (must be purchased in advance) *Not only do premier ticket holders get to start early, but they get to meet the brewers, sample select beers not available to regular ticket holders, have complimentary food pairings, and receive a mug and bottl... 05/23/2011

Congratulations go to Scott Loper for winning the primary elections this past Tuesday for Auditor in Towamencin Township.  Please be sure to vote for Scott Loper for Towamencin Auditor in November if you want someone with integrity and common sense working to keep Towamencin Township financially sound. It is a small role in the big picture, but that is what every community needs.  Good people willing to take on some responsibilities to keep our local governments running smoothly. Being that is a non-paid position, Scott will be keeping his day job selling real estate! ~Lisa   Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the sur... 05/19/2011

'Tis the season for the North Penn High School's spring concerts.  All concerts are free to the public and held in the auditorium of North Penn High School at 1340 South Valley Forge Road in Lansdale, PA. The performances all begin at 7:30pm and last approximately one hour: Orchestra - May 16th All Bands Concert - May 19th Chorus - May 26th Band Ensembles - May 31st   These performances are truly impressive as some of these musicians have been studying their instruments since Kindergarten. It is a true testament to the value of arts education in our schools.  North Penn School District is a strong supporter of music in education. Why Is Music Important to Education?* ·  According to a study done by neurologist Frank Wilson, when a musician plays, he/she uses ~90% of their brain. Wilson ... 05/16/2011

Buying your first home can seem like a complex experience, because well, it is. In a two part series, you’ll get a check list and tips on buying your first home and comments. With interest where they are – can you say 4.75% to 5%, you can afford more house now than when interest rates go up, as they are expected to do so this year. Let’s start at the beginning. 1. Figure out how much you can afford. Subtract your debt from your monthly income. Then get your FICO score and credit report. (A mortgage broker can assist you with this) 2. Think about how much you have for a down payment. With FHA financing you will need at least 3.5% down on the purchase. 3. Get pre-approved for a mortgage. Shop for not only interest rate, but ask about mortgage fees. An estimate of real estate taxes and hom... 05/12/2011

Besides a general home inspection and a termite inspection, the next most common test performed by homebuyers is a radon test. It is a simple test where the air quality is measured for the span of 2-3 days (longer term tests are available). The cost typically runs between $100 and $125 and it is money well spent. Radon is a radioactive gas that has been found in homes all over the United States. It comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water and gets into the air. Radon typically moves up through the ground to the air above and can get into your home through cracks or other holes in the foundation (even if you don’t have a basement). Your home can trap and accumulate radon causing the levels to be elevated within your home. The average outdoor air has a radon le... 05/06/2011