Moving Fido: 5 Useful Tips to Remember - 03/30/12 03:56 AM
At the Move Advocate we think of our pets as an extension of our family. Chances are many of your clients think the same way. So when they are preparing to move cross country it is only natural that Fefe or Fido would be joining them. We need to remember that moving isn’t just stressful for us; it is stressful for our pets too. So where do our furry friends fit in the mix of all the mayhem of moving? When it comes to moving pets, pre-planning is very important as animals can be very sensitive to changes in their surroundings. … (4 comments)

5 reasons it's smarter to buy than rent - 03/29/12 04:36 AM
 
One of the biggest myths in the real estate industry is that it is cheaper to rent than to buy. In 71 percent of the cities in the U.S., owning is now currently cheaper than renting.
 
In 2011, 1.4 million new households entered the rental market due to foreclosures and demographics -- i.e., the 80 million members of Gen Y are at their prime time for starting new careers, getting married and having kids. At the same time, the number of new homes being built has dropped substantially. As a result, the demand for rental properties has skyrocketed.
 
… (4 comments)

NAR: 2012 home sales will be strongest in past 5 years - 03/29/12 04:33 AM
 
The National Association of REALTORS® is predicting existing-home sales will jump 7 to 10 percent in 2012 to the highest level in five years, based on an "uneven but higher sales pattern" so far this year.
Pending home sales fell a seasonally adjusted 0.5 percent from January to February, which was up 9.2 percent from the same time a year ago, NAR said today in releasing its latest Pending Home Sales Index.
Last week, NAR reported a similar trend for existing-home sales, which were down 0.9 percent from January to February, but up 8.8 percent from a year ago.
The … (0 comments)

Buying beats renting in 98 of 100 metros - 03/27/12 04:14 AM
 
Thanks to nationwide price declines and rising rents, buying a home is now cheaper than renting one in 98 of the nation's 100 major metropolitan areas, according to a rent vs. buy index from real estate search and marketing site Trulia.
 
In the two remaining metros, San Francisco and Honolulu, renting often beat buying, but buying could be a better deal for those who plan to stay in their home for at least five years and take advantage of the mortgage interest tax deduction, Trulia said.
 
The rent vs. buy index is based on a price-to-rent ratio of … (2 comments)

Brilliant City Renovation - 03/23/12 03:34 PM
Fabulous Wilmington Renovation … (1 comments)

10 Easy Mistakes Home Owners Make on Their Taxes - 03/14/12 04:44 AM
Watch out for the common tax-filing errors, and you'll get a maximum return without raising any red flags with the IRS. Image: David Sacks/Lifesize/Getty Images
 
As you calculate your tax returns, consider each home tax deduction and credit you are — and are not — entitled to. Running afoul of any of these 10 home-related tax mistakes — which tax pros say are especially common — can cost you money or draw the IRS to your doorstep.
 
Sin #1: Deducting the wrong year for property taxes
You take a tax deduction for property taxes in the year you (or … (4 comments)

4 things to consider before converting basement - 03/14/12 04:43 AM
 
If you're fortunate enough to have a basement in your home, you may have the potential for a substantial amount of additional living space right below your feet. But if you're thinking of converting that cold and unappealing area to a warm and cozy new space, there are several things you'll want to take into consideration first.
 
Is it safe?
 
One of the very first things you want to look at with any basement conversion is safety, and that can take a lot of different forms.
Is there convenient and safe access from inside the house in the … (2 comments)

Mortgage rates still hovering around record lows - 03/06/12 08:21 AM
 
Mortgage rates eased this week, remaining at or near record lows as the spring homebuying season approaches, Freddie Mac said in releasing the results of its weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey.
While low rates boost affordability, many would-be buyers are still unable -- or unwilling -- to finance a home purchase.
"Fixed mortgage rates bottomed out in January and February of this year, which is helping spur the housing market," said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac chief economist, in a statement. Pending sales of existing home rose in January to the strongest pace since April 2010, and sales figures for December … (0 comments)

6 truths about no-cost mortgages - 03/01/12 04:15 AM
 
"Is shopping for a no-cost mortgage a good strategy in today's market?"
 
No-cost mortgages are relatively easy to shop because of their simplicity, and this is as true today as it was when I last visited the question in 2004. Greater simplicity increases the likelihood of finding a better deal or avoiding a worse one. Yet borrowers who expect to have their mortgage for a long time may be ill-served by a no-cost mortgage and would do well to consider an alternative strategy.
 
What are no-cost mortgages?
 
A no-cost mortgage is one on which the lender pays … (1 comments)

NAR: Pending real estate sales jump in January - 03/01/12 04:09 AM
 
More homes went under contract in January compared to December and a year ago, according to an index released today from the National Association of REALTORS® that tracks pending sales of existing U.S. homes.
 
NAR's Pending Home Sales Index, which is based on purchase contracts signed but not yet closed, rose 8 percent from January 2011 and 2 percent from a downwardly revised 95.1 percent in December, to 97. According to revised figures, that's the highest index score since April 2010, just before the deadline for a federal homebuyer tax credit program, when the index was at 111.3.
 
… (0 comments)

 
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Christopher Pataki Hockessin Delaware Real Estate

Hockessin, DE

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RE/MAX Associates

Address: 1302 Old Lancaster Pike, Hockessin, DE, 19707

Office Phone: (302) 234-3800

Cell Phone: (302) 562-0628

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