Cherry Hill Orchards Outlet - Lancaster PA - 05/31/12 07:46 AM
Just a few minutes outside of Lancaster City is a great place to find fresh fruits, and pick your own apples, pumpkins, cherries, or peaches. Cherry Hill Orchards Outlet at 400 Long Lane is open year round Monday - Saturday 9-6. Shop in their retail store for over 40 varieties of apples, baked goods, veggies, sweet treats, and loads of flowers. They have a huge assortment of annuals, perennials, herbs, and hanging baskets. Look around and you will find: milk, eggs, cheese, apple smoked bologna, bacon, butter, pies, cakes, cookies and breads! Try different varieties of Apple Cider (Cherry is a … (1 comments)

Make Moving Less Stressful - 05/29/12 06:50 AM
Moving can be a very stressful event. Leaving the home you know for one that’s new to you can be emotional as well as a logistical nightmare. The key to a low-stress move is to be prepared and organized. Here are some tips to help you stay sane in the midst of the chaos:
Label,  label, label! Label every box with the room name and the contents. All the boxes will look alike on moving day and you will want to know where everything is.
Use newspaper to wrap breakables. You can also use placemats, extra towels and sheets to … (8 comments)

Lancaster County Summer Sale! - 05/24/12 07:22 AM
Green Hills Estates in Beautiful Conestoga PA is having a Summer Sale; all 1-2 acre lots are on sale from Memorial Day to Labor Day! Close to the Susquehanna River and bordering a wildlife preserve; this is the perfect place to build the home of your dreams. Get away from the hustle and bustle but stay close enough to downtown Lancaster to enjoy the vibrant arts and culture scene.

Model Home open every Sunday 1-4pm. Custom built homes by Paul Lantz. Your plans or ours.
 
"LIKE" and follow us @ https://www.facebook.com/GreenHillEstates

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Lancaster PA Weekend Events - 05/23/12 10:25 AM
This Weekend In Lancaster...
 

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Renting vs. Buying in 2012 - 05/22/12 05:47 AM
If the media has you confused as to whether you should buy or rent you may want to read Liz Davidson’s Forbes article about the subject. The Next Mortgage Crisis. Davidson, the CEO of financial education company Financial Finesse, argues that renters set themselves up for financial failure in retirement:
“Today, there’s another mortgage crisis in the works — that is, NOT having one — choosing to rent when you can afford to buy; choosing to forgo building equity in a home as a major source of retirement security — something that may be more necessary now than ever before with … (3 comments)

Fix These 5 Things Before Listing Your House - 05/21/12 07:16 AM
In this market, buyers have plenty of inventory to choose from. Don’t scare them away from your home by not fixing these things before you list. Your goal is to make showings a pleasant experience and your home feel inviting.
1. Make A Great First Impression - A new coat of paint on the front door and no squeaky hinges. Weed flower beds and plant some brightly colored flowers in the flowerbeds. Mow the yard weekly.2. Check Up On The Roof - make sure there are no missing or mossy shingles, this signals neglect to potential buyers. 3. Clear The Clutter … (24 comments)

Lancaster PA Has A New Short Sale Solution - 05/17/12 06:35 AM
Keller Williams Realty in Lancaster PA has a new solution for homeowners who may be facing a Short Sale of their home!
We are now working with Significa Short Sale Solutions based in Bethlehem, PA.  Significa “has developed a proprietary system that helps buyers, sellers, agents, and banks work successfully to complete short sale transactions.”
 
 About Significa:
“The Significa Model of Closing a Short Sale: Significa’s short sale closing system allows the agent to list the property for their client while Significa processes the short sale. The agent does what they do best – procure a buyer. Significa … (3 comments)

First Time Home Buyers Stats - 05/15/12 09:14 AM
The crew over at “Keeping Current Matters” published this infographic about first time home buyers. As you can see most first time home buyers:
Are married Have zero children Are between 25-34 years ago Earn around $40,000 per year
So it makes me wonder - At what age did you buy your first home?
What percentage of your clients are first time home buyers?


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Getting Ready To Buy A Home - Improving Your Credit Score - 05/14/12 09:49 AM
Having a low credit score can hurt you in many ways: higher auto insurance premiums, higher interest rates on credit cards and loans, and maybe being turned down on a home rental application. No one wants to pay higher interest or be turned down for a mortgage...
  Buying a home is the biggest purchase a consumer makes. You need your credit score to be the best it can be. New Beginnings Financial Services is a company that can help.

Here is what their website has to say:

 "Have the financial challenges of your past endangered your future?
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This Weekend In Lancaster - 05/10/12 06:26 AM
It's Mothers Day weekend and it looks like it's going to be nice weather here in Lancaster PA. Here are a few things going on:

(photo credit: Landis Valley Village)
-The 25th Annual Herb & Garden Faire at Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum - 2451 Kissel Hill Road, Lancaster Saturday and Sunday 9-5pm - Treat the Mom in your life to plants and flowers, more then 80 vendors will be there selling plants, seeds, gardening tools, books, and more. When you get hungry enjoy food on site from Rachels Creperie, Hess's Barbecue, and Saladworks. $10 adults, Children 5 and under free. … (4 comments)

HUD's Good Neighbor Next Door Program - Teachers, Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters/Emergency Personnel - 05/07/12 07:22 PM
If you are a full time teacher, law enforcement officer, fire fighter/emergency personnel, do you know that HUD has a special home buying program that my benefit you? HUD Good Neighbor Next Door Program helps you buy homes in specific areas at a significantly discounted price. Here is the description from the website:
"Law enforcement officers, pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade teachers and firefighters/emergency medical technicians can contribute to community revitalization while becoming homeowners through HUD's Good Neighbor Next Door Sales Program. HUD offers a substantial incentive in the form of a discount of 50% from the list price of the home. … (4 comments)

The Big Red Team - New Short Sale in Lampeter-Strasburg School District - 05/07/12 05:57 AM
Short Sale in Lampeter-Strasburg School District … (2 comments)

FHA Mortgages: Documenting the Transfer of Gift Funds - 05/05/12 06:15 AM
FHA has a very attractive minimum down payment requirement of 3.5% of the purchasers own money. Mortgage lender Keith Landis shares with us how the use of GIFT FUNDS actually could make it possible to purchase a home using very little financing ! If you are currently involved in the HomeSearch process, this is a MUST Read !!!
 
 
 
 
Via Keith Landis - Pennsylvania Mortgages (NMLS#137243 Keystone Home Finance, Pittsburgh PA):
FHA Mortgages and Gift Funds
 
FHA Mortgages allow borrowers to use Gift Funds to meet the 3.5% down payment requirement.  When using Gift Funds to purchase a … (5 comments)

Buying a Home - Making your offer stand out with a love letter? - 05/03/12 01:04 PM

MSN real estate recently had an article about buyers in multiple offer situations writing “love letters” to sellers. This is more effective if the seller has lived in the home for many years and may have an emotional attachment to the house. They suggested that buyers write a bit about themselves, what they love about the house, and that they are devoted to taking good care of it.
In this age of electronic everything, a hand written letter can be a rarity and add a personal touch to an offer. It won’t, however, make the seller bridge a $30,000 price gap, … (4 comments)

Homeowner Resources - Things Every Homeowner Should Know - 05/02/12 07:08 AM
With maintenance, repairs, and mortgages Homeownership is a big responsibility . It is also one of the most enjoyable investments you can own. Turning your house into a home is part of the fun. Here are three articles from Home Logic’s website that may help:

  1.    5 Easy and Cheap Green Things to Do by Lara Edge– We all want to do our part for the environment, sometimes you have to start small. Number 3 on the list just may surprise you: “Use your crockpot - An electric oven at 350 degrees burns 2.0 kWh in just one hour. But … (0 comments)

Places To Eat in Lancaster PA - Isaac's Downtown - 05/01/12 07:21 AM

One of Lancaster County’s favorite sandwich places is Isaac’s Restaurant and Deli.  Started in 1983 by two college friends (Phil Wenger and Issac Williams) this eatery now has 20 locations in 6 counties. They have some very creative sandwiches and soups.  Isaac’s is known for:
-Delicious sandwiches named after birds (their mascot is a pink flamingo). Whether you choose one that’s on French bread, pumpernickel, or a pretzel roll, there really aren’t any bad choices here!
-Great homemade soups – Creamy Pepperjack Tomato is one of the best and available year round. They have other seasonal creations to keep you … (0 comments)