Lancaster Life and Home

Web Trek Online Open House for 78 Wise Avenue Lancaster, Pa 17603 – $74,900- MLS# 197848

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 19:14:30 -0700

Welcome Back! Today we are taking a look at 78 Wise Avenue Lancaster, Pa 17603. This 2 bedroom, 1 bath home on Lancaster’s West End is perfect for anyone who wants a compact home with lots of storage space! Click through to the video to take a look inside and learn more!

At 986 Square feet this move-in ready townhome in Lancaster’s West End is larger than it appears! There is fresh paint throughout the home, loads of storage on all three levels, a partially finished basement, a covered rear porch leading to a nicely manicured rear yard with the potential off-street parking! Stop by to see this home in person today!

If you want to search Lancaster County homes for sale, visit www.JasonsHomes.com and use my Easy MLS home search that shows you all the homes for sale in the Lancaster County PA Multiple Listing Service (MLS) !

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

Web Trek Online Open House for 747 East Orange Street Lancaster, Pa 17602 – For Sale – $116,900 – MLS# 195199

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 07:54:13 -0700

Welcome Back! Today we are taking a look at 747 East Orange Street Lancaster, Pa 17603. This 4 bedroom, 1.5 bath home features 1,292 Square Feet of living space on 3 levels, read on and check out the Online Video Open House to find out more!

Overlooking Reservoir Park, this spacious semi-detached home in Lancaster’s East End has a versatile floor plan with a large living room accented by a stained glass window and a first floor powder room adjoining the large bright kitchen. Upstairs there are 4 bedrooms offering plenty of space for everyone! Outside you can relax on the covered front porch or enjoy the quiet fenced rear yard.

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

Web Trek Online Open House for 70 River Corner Road Conestoga, Pa 17516 – For Sale – $175,000

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 21:01:56 -0700

Welcome Back! Today we are taking a look at 70 River Corner Road Conestoga, Pa 17512! This spacious home blends the classic and the modern, click through to the video tour and read on to learn more!

The bright and open floor plan of this 1,841 square foot home draws you into the large country kitchen perfect for entertaining friends. The large living room offers plenty of options for relaxing while the first floor bedrooms offer a quiet retreat. Upstairs, two large bedrooms could easily become three or split off into in law quarters. With a 2 car garage, loads of storage and a tiered backyard that brings the outdoors to you, this 4 bedroom, 2 bath home is perfect for anyone!

If you would like to see this Conestoga Home for Sale give me and call and we’ll set up a time that suits your schedule! You can see more details about this home (pictures, property details, tax information, printable brochures and more) at www.JasonsHomes.com!

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

Web Trek Online Video Open House 1520 Park Lancaster, Pa 17601 – $160,000 – MLS# 192630

Fri, 04 May 2012 11:44:03 -0700

Welcome Back! Today we have an Online Video Open House for 1520 Park Road Lancaster, Pa 17603! This spacious brick ranch style home offers over 1,400 square feet of living space with natural green views from all of the windows! Click through to the video and read on to learn more!

Located not far from Route 30 this well maintained home is just minutes away from shopping, restaurants and schools! The tree lined streets of the low traffic neighborhood are perfect for evening walks. As you enter through the front door of this spacious home you’ll notice how the wide open rooms flow easily together to allow for effortless entertaining. The centrally located dining room is next to the efficiently laid out kitchen and connects the living areas to the wing containing the two bedrooms. There is loads of closet space in this low maintenance home, along with a full unfinished basement and and easy access attic so you’ll have plenty of room for all of your things. With newer efficient radiant heat and cool central air you can enjoy the serene views in comfort all year long!

If you would like to see this Manheim Towship Home for Sale give me and call and we’ll set up a time that suits your schedule! You can see more details about this home (pictures, property details, tax information, printable brochures and more) at www.JasonsHomes.com!

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

Web Trek Online Open House for 1237 Trinity North Road Wrightsville, Pa 17368 – For Sale $394,000 – MLS 191375

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 06:24:40 -0700

Welcome Back! Today we have an absolutely amazing property at 1237 Trinity North Road Wrightsville, Pa 17368! This property is a certified organic farmette that features a large pole barn with a loading dock, a bank barn, solar power and energy efficient radiant floor heating! Click through to the video tour for a tour of this fantastic property and more info!

Million Dollar views highlight this solar powered, certified organic farmette just outside of Wrightsville, Pa near Lauxmont Farms! This unique property is zoned for commercial use and is perfect for a contractor, art studio, packaging/distribution operations and so much more! The pole barn has a 10 foot door with a loading dock, office space and abundant storage. The bank barn, fenced paddocks and grazing areas are perfect for keeping horses, llamas or goats.

The farmhouse itself is just waiting for you to finish blending the rustic and the modern. The home is well designed to take advantage of natural light and is laid out with a unique floor plan that blends the great room with the kitchen for easy entertaining. The upgraded insulation and thick walls work well with the wood fired radiant floor heating to keep the home heated for approximately $500 per year. The solar panels furnish the electricity for the home, significantly reduces utility costs.

If you would like to see this Wrightsville Home for Sale give me and call and we’ll set up a time that suits your schedule! You can see more details about this home (pictures, property details, tax information, printable brochures and more) at www.JasonsHomes.com!

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

Web Trek Online Open House for 909 Spruce Street Columbia, Pa 17512 – For Sale $99,900

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 18:04:46 -0800

Welcome Back Readers! Today we have an Online Web Trek Video Open House for 909 Spruce Street Columbia, Pa 17512! This home in the northern end of Columbia Borough is full of space and charm and within easy walking distance to all Columbia Borough has to offer! Click through check out the video and find out more!

From the minute you walk into the spacious first floor you’ll fee right at home! the large living room features high ceilings and adjoins the dining room with a beautiful corner mantel. the kitchen features tile floors and a 5 burner range, atttractive stained glass panels in the cabinets and walks out to the screened in porch. On the second floor the laundry room and large bathroom are easily accessed from the second floor bedrooms and the heated upper floor room provides lots of extra space or a third bedroom!

If you would like to see this Columbia Borough Home for Sale give me and call and we’ll set up a time that suits your schedule! You can see more details about this home (pictures, property details, tax information, printable brochures and more) at www.JasonsHomes.com!

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

Web Trek Online video Open House for 20 Upper Green Lancaster, Pa 17602- MillCreek - $265,000

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 18:35:47 -0800

Welcome Back Everyone! Today we have a Web Trek Online video Open House for 20 Upper Green Lancaster, Pa 17602! This spectacular home is located in the award winning Millcreek neighborhood in Lampeter Strasburg School District. With 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and over 2400 square feet this maintenance free home will wow you with all of its amenities! Click through to check out the video tour!

As you enter the home, polished hardwood floors greet you and lead you to the spacisous living room with cathedral ceilings, a cozy gas fireplace and a door to the balcony with a beautiful view! The large bright kitchen is perfect for entertaining next to the open dining room and you’ll have more space than you’ll needs with loads of cabinets. This four bedroom home features a huge master suite with private bath that features a large soaking tub and seperate shower, not to mention a huge walk in closet. the first floor also features a convenient powder room located next to the laundry room where plenty of counter space makes your chores a breeze! Upstairs you’ll find two additional bedrooms with their own large closets and a Jack and Jill bathroom. The finished lower level features a family room with bright full size windows, an additional bedroom and a third full bath along with a large unfinished storage space.

The community of Millcreek offers a care free lifestyle where the modest monthly HOA fee covers lawn and landscaping care, snow removal and exterior home maintenence. The Home Owners Association is managed by the friendly professionals at Boyd/Wilson Property Management , who maintian the communities many walking and biking trails. You can also walk to the Sugar Plums & Tea bakery for coffee, baked goods or a wonderful meal!

If you would like to see this Lancaster Home for Sale give me and call and we’ll set up a time that suits your schedule! You can see more details about this home (pictures, property details, tax information, printable brochures and more) at www.JasonsHomes.com!

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

Web Trek Online Video Open House for 2007 Stonemill Road Lancaster, Pa 17603 - MLS # 186685

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 21:03:57 -0800

Welcome Back! Today we're taking a look at 2007 Stonemill Road Lancaster, Pa 17603! This beautiful brick rancher has a new kitchen and bath, gleaming hardwood floors and tons of space! Click through to watch the video and find out more!

From the minute you walk into the spacious living room with a wood burning fireplace, this well built rancher will feel just like home! The polished hardwood floors lead to a formal
dining room and newly remodeled kitchen with new stainless steel appliances. The tastefully painted walls lead you to three large bedrooms and a remodeled tile bathroom with upgraded fixtures. Downstairs, a partially finished basement offers both storage space and fun with a family room space large enough for a pool table and a craft room. A one car garage, plenty of closets, cabinets and full attic mean you’ll have loads of space to keep all of your things neat and organized! Outside, you can enjoy the expanded deck and above ground pool. 6 off street parking spaces provide plenty of room for visitors. Stop by and see this wonderful home today!

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

Web Trek Online Video Open House 66 Blackberry Lane Ephrata, Pa 17522 – MLS#186262

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 19:45:18 -0800

Welcome Back ! Today we have a Web Trek Online Video Open House of 66 Blackberry Lane Ephrata, Pa 17522! This home is currently listed at $199,000. If you would like to buy this Ephrata PA home for sale or see it in person, or see any other Lancaster County Home for sale in person, call me direct at 717-371-0557 and we’ll set up a time that fits your schedule! Click through to watch the video!

Excellent chance to own a classic Colonial at an affordable price! The first floor features an extra large living room w/fireplace and an office/4th bedroom. Upstairs features large bedrooms and attic access for plenty of storage. There’s a woodstove in the basement and exterior access that leads to the fenced rear yard.

If you would like to see this Ephrata Home for Sale give me and call and we’ll set up a time that suits your schedule! You can see more details about this home (pictures, property details, tax information, printable brochures and more) at www.JasonsHomes.com!

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

Mafia style marketing by Realtor.com

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:49:10 -0700

I read an interesting post this morning by Chris Smith over at Inman. The post is linked HERE, check it out and then come on back.

Did you see what I saw? Realtor.com President Erroll Samuelson just walked into your "store" Paulie Walnuts style and offered you "protection". If you pay up, nothing bad will happen to you. If not, well, you know, things could happen.

Now I realize realtor.com isn't owned by NAR since they sold us out years ago and that realtor.com is a for profit entity, I realize that they, like their competition (who are beating them by the way), are in the business of using our listings to steal our generate leads so that they can then sell them back to us.

That being said, consumers have expressed a great interest in pictures for years now. They want to see them. Lots of them. Realtor.com is the only website I know of that harvests our listings via idx/data sharing agreements that limits pictures if you don't pay. You get 4. Thats it. If you pay you can have 25. Guess what? I have sometimes 50 plus pictures for some listings and zillow and trulia pull them all for me for FREE. 25? Really, you expected me to pay for that? How does that enhance the public's opinion of Realtors again, when the very site that bears our name has a standard of 4 pictures per listing? Despite the fact that buyers and seller say pictures are the most important piece of their decisions to go see a home?

I think this 4 picture issue has been hurting realtor.com and as the market turned downward, I have seen many agents stopped paying to showcase listings in favor of spending their dollars elsewhere (or not spending at all as they cut things that don't produce results). They know consumers have voted with their online "feet" and walked over to other websites with more pictures. They are losing traffic and losing traffic means losing revenue.

So, the fine folks over at realtor.com were looking for ways to stay afloat and have decided that if they can't get us to voluntarily use their ridiculous non user friendly system and pay those upcharges while they try and sell our leads back to us, then they'll to try scare us into it.

So now, if I don't pay for a showcase (which I don't), they will not only limit me to 4 lousy pictures but also put a "fill this out for more info" form next to my listing. That a consumer will think links them to the me. But instead, they will re-direct them to an agent who "bought" a zipcode. Isn't that a little dishonest? and you try and sell me on this by saying that you're giving my listing more exposure because you are putting up 25 pictures?

Here is the part that really (pardon my language) pisses me off. Consumers and Realtors deserve better than this from the site that bears our name.

Rather than find a way to make their product better, to help me see value, to create something I would actually want to spend my dollars on, something that actually helps buyers and sellers, realtor.com chose to extort us. They chose to alienate us further and siphon even more people away from us if we don't pay. The only way to "protect" my "leads" is to pay up.

I don't know how profitable an extortion based business model is for them, but I guess we'll find out.

Did you see the Opt Out policy in the article too? While an agent can individually choose to pay and opt in, only the broker can choose to opt out of this. So an agent who doesn't want to pay must now ask their broker to opt out for the entire office or allow possible "leads" to go to their competitors. Nice choice there, pit the agents against each other in the hopes that brokers won't opt out because some of their agents think this is a good idea.

Sorry realtor.com, you lost me a long time ago because your products weren't providing me or my clients value and this new policy of yours just put the final nail in your coffin. Hang on to the name NAR sold you, because the free marketing of that name is all you'll ever get from Realtors like me.

Now if you'll excuse me, I think I will go have my broker opt out entire company out of this extortion scheme.

(image courtesy of Cowboy Lucas)

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

Web Trek Online Video Open House 24 Cold Stream Drive Lancaster, Pa 17603 - $125,000 - MLS# 184659

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 23:12:56 -0700

Welcome Back Readers! Today we have a Web Trek Online video Open House of 24 Cold Stream Drive Lancaster, Pa 17603! Located in Gable Park on the edge of Lancaster Township, this 1,440 square foot contemporary townhome offers easy living with an open floor plan. Click through to the Video Open House and read on to learn more!

Welcome home to this modern townhome in Gable Park! The kitchen and living room flow together for easy entertaining, while the large lower level family room is perfect for hanging out and relaxing! 2 bedrooms and 2 full baths, worry free living with the HOA taking care of lawn maintenance and snow removal, stop by and picture yourself living here today!

If you would like to see this Lancaster Towship Home for Sale give me and call and we'll set up a time that suits your schedule! You can see more details about this home (pictures, property details, tax information, printable brochures and more) at www.JasonsHomes.com!

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

Web Trek Online Open House 1526 Ridge Road Lancaster, Pa 17603 – $669,900 – MLS# 182432

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 07:55:29 -0700

Welcome Back Readers! Today we have a Web Trek Online Open House of 1526 Ridge Road, Lancaster, Pa 17603! This School Lane Hills home on lovely mature lot combines classic charm with modern upgrades!

A hardwood floored entry foyer leads to either the formal living room, dining room or tiled kitchen featuring cherry wood cabinetry and granite counter tops. The spacious family room features a cozy wood buring fireplace to keep away the chill of winter and connects to the confortable brick patio where you can enjoy quiet mornings in the shaded back yard. Upstairs, a grand master suite has attached dressing area and private bath, along with an additional guest suite and 3 more bedrooms. There is a first floor den/office, walk-in closets all over and a completely finished basement ready for your enjoyment! At 5-6 bedrooms and 4 1/2 bathrooms, this almost 5,000 square foot home is well suited for any size gathering!

You can see more details about this home (pictures, property details, tax information, printable brochures and more) at www.JasonsHomes.com!

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

The problem with BPO’s

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:31:05 -0700

It’s simple really. You can’t do one if you are just a licensed salesperson (in Pennsylvania). According to the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors (PAR):

"Broker Price Opinion" (BPO) is not a legally defined term in Pennsylvania, as are "appraisal" and "comparative market analysis." When a fee is charged for a BPO, it will either be considered an appraisal or a CMA. If it is determined to be a CMA (i.e., provided for the purpose of determining the asking/offering price for a property for the seller or buyer), then it falls within the scope of permitted activity for a real estate licensee. If, however, the BPO is determined to be other than a CMA, it will qualify as an appraisal, which requires an appraisal license to perform. To avoid confusion, the term BPO should not be used for any written expression of value for a fee. "Appraisal" and "comparative market analysis" are the terms that should be employed, depending on the purpose and scope of the valuation.

Yes, I know some of you might do BPO’s already. Yes, I know they are the primary tool banks use to try and place a market value on short sales and foreclosures. Yes, I know half of you have a different opinion and will come up with all sorts of ways you could try and justify the “legality” of your performance of BPO’s. But the fact remains that you can’t do them for the simple fact that they don’t exist in this state and further, the service the banks are asking you to perform when they order a BPO is considered buy the regulatory boards to be an appraisal.

Don’t believe me? Then refer to these articles written by the attorneys at PAR, who are more knowledgeable on the subject than I am:

http://www.parjustlisted.com/archives/2421

http://www.parjustlisted.com/archives/142

or page 7 of this newsletter from the PA Real Estate Commission

http://www.appraisalinstitute.org/newsadvocacy/downloads/PennsylvaniaBPODocument.pdf

This presents quite a conflicting message to what you may be hearing from even our own industry. There are courses out there being sponsored by NAR that encourage you to perform BPO’s as a revenue stream. Go back and read those articles in the links again. According to the opinions stated there, if you performing BPO’s for the purpose of generating revenue you are risking prosecution by not only the Real Estate Commission but also the State Board of Certified Appraisers.

The other statement I might make is that the very definition of the term itself would preclude the majority of you from being able to perform a BROKER Price Opinion if you aren’t actually licensed as a Broker. This could lead the Real Estate Commission to charge you with not only performing unlicensed appraisals but “conducting the business or acting in the capacity of a broker or salesperson without first being licensed or registered?” Heavy stuff and nothing I’d want to risk being prosecuted for.

Yes, I know that some of you do BPO’s in order to obtain listings. According to those articles in the links up there, nothing is wrong with that if you actually get the listings (or at least some of them) and you call it a CMA and include the appropriate disclaimer. Anything less puts you right back at risk of prosecution.

For my last nail in the coffin of the BPO, I read recently that within the next year banks will require a UAD (Uniform Appraisal Dataset, a standard grading system for valuing properties) to be included in all BPO’s. The UAD is already a requirement for any BPO’s when the mortgages are backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Adding them to all BPO’s pushes them even farther toward the realm of an appraiser.

This post doesn't even begin to touch the additional undelrying problem of half the BPO's being done are just simply inaccurate. My market area is about 2 1/2 hours from Philadelphia and yet we recently had a short sale agent done by an agent from center city Philadelphia, who wasn't a member of the local MLS and had no access to the comparable property data. How again is was he qualified to perform a BPO on the local market?

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

Short Sales are the Answer! But What Was the Question Again?

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 23:59:52 -0700

I was reading an article on CNN Money.com today titled “How to rescue the housing market: Foreclosures!”. Not a great title I would say and more importantly in my opinion not a great concept at all.

The gist of the article is that the government needs to reverse the policies of the last 4 years since the housing downturn and actually encourage foreclosures as a means of “stabilizing” the housing market. They included this interesting graph (above) showing how more home owners are becoming delinquent for longer periods of time. (read on after the jump for more)

I get the idea. With the downturn across the economy, banks are suffering bigger losses than they otherwise would due to the increased time it takes to foreclose on the property. Theoretically, if the banks foreclosed “faster” on properties, they would suffer smaller losses as there would be fewer missed payments, less accrued interest and unpaid late fees, fewer legal fees, etc. While that may be true and may be better in the short term for the banks, foreclosures are not the solution to housing market woes.

In fact, foreclosures cause a large amount of “damage” to the local real estate community as banks leave properties to fall into disrepair, which affects the desirability of the entire neighborhoods. They also can, in large numbers, decimate property values as studies show that buyers expect to buy foreclosed properties on average 34% below market value. All those distressed homes sold as foreclosures/REO properties today become the “comps” appraisers use to establish value on the sale of non distressed Joe and Mary Homesellers’s property to Bobby and Sue Homebuyer, who now can’t get a mortgage for their purchase because the home won’t appraise at the price both parties agreed to.

So, if foreclosures aren’t the answer, what is? Something has to be done about that problem illustrated in the chart up there, doesn’t it?

The answer is …. the short sale! If banks want to move delinquent loan off their “balance sheets’ without the negative impact the lengthy foreclosure process brings, a short sale is the way to do it. The problem is though that banks many times are just as ill equipped to approve short sales as they are to deal with foreclosures. Whether it’s due to taking too long to respond to offers, denying a short sale based on an incorrect market value estimate or just plain screwing them up, there are many cases each day where banks miss an opportunity to avoid foreclosure by approving a short sale.

Here are 5 things I think the banks can do right now, today, to improve their short sale process and avoid foreclosures:

Hire more people. Many short sale departments are under staffed, leading to over worked negotiators who simply are too busy to handle the volumes expected of them.
Educate your people about the true cost of foreclosure and loosen up a little. I was working with a bank negotiator recently who was rejecting a very reasonable offer, one which would have resulted in a loss of about $14,000 for the bank. I told them that in the neighborhood the home was in, a foreclosure would result in a loss of at least $20,000 more (on top of the $14,000) for the bank. The negotiator’s response? “That’s not my concern, I can only approve a short sale with a net loss of X% to the Bank XYZ”.
Get the Mortgage Insurance companies out of the decision making process. These MI companies are in the business of insuring losses. They underwrote these buyers. The buyers paid the insurance premiums. Now that the bank is facing a loss, they won’t allow a short sale without a cash contribution from the seller directly to them to offset their loss. What were the mortgage insurance premiums you collected for if not to offset this loss?
Get the mythical “investor” who has to personally approve a short sale to work faster. Many of these deals are lost because the buyer gives up and walks away. Many buyers walk away after hearing for the last 3 weeks that the file was sent to the investor for approval and “I’m sorry, but they haven’t gotten to your file yet”
Understand that in this market that the current buyer, the one who submitted the reasonable (assuming it’s reasonable) offer, the one who was willing to wait 90 days for approval, if that buyer walks away, another one might not come along in time to prevent a foreclosure and a larger loss from the bank.

Short sales are the answer to improving the housing market. The question is: are the banks ready to work with the real estate industry and the real estate consumers to make them a success?

If you are interested in selling your home as a Lancaster County Short Sale, or in purchasing a Lancaster County Short Sale or Lancaster County Foreclosure give me a call. For as many times the problems I outlined above happen, I can give you just as many examples of short sale approvals I have obtained for my clients, some in as little as 30-60 days! You can find success with selling or buying short sales, call me and I will be happy to help you find it!

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

Web Trek Online Open House 113-115 North Ronks Road Ronks, Pa 17572 – $175,000 – MLS #183721

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:51:19 -0700

Welcome Back Readers! Today we have a Web Trek Online Open House of 113-115 North Ronks Road Ronks, Pa 17572! This duplex home is located in the Heart of Lancaster County’s Amish Country and presents an excellent opportunity for the home owner or investor! Click through to the tour and read on to check it out!

Rare opportunity to own both sides of a duplex home out in the country! Live in one and rent the other! Unit 113 is rented for $725 per month; Unit 115 is rented for $750 per month, both sides have 2 bedrooms and 1 bath with the possibility of a 3^rd bedroom in the attic, off street parking and 1 bay in the barn/garage per unit, this 2 unit property is full of possibilities!

You can see more details about this home (pictures, property details, tax information, printable brochures and more) at www.JasonsHomes.com under Featured Homes!

If you would like to buy this Ronks PA home for sale or see it in person, or see any other Lancaster County Home for sale in person, call me direct at 717-371-0557 and we’ll set up a time that fits your schedule!

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

APPRAISALS vs. BPOs: Can we please put an end to this insanity?

Sat, 13 Aug 2011 13:41:24 -0700

I could not agree more! In PA, BPO's are considered to be a service only an appraiser is licensed to perform, its only a matter of time before agents start gettign hauled before the disciplinary boards for this practice. Banks need to understand the simple fact that a f minute visit by an agent spending another 10 minutes completing a BPO form is not even a remotley qualified opinion of value!

Via Patty Da Silva, CDPE - Davie REALTOR® - Certified Distressed Property Expert (BROKER of Green Realty Properties® - 954-667-7253):

Today I want to address a question that I have long wondered about and have no good answer for, and that is why are BPOs ordered by lenders for short sales instead of appraisals?

Let’s think about this, and look at a few examples. When an investor, such as Fannie Mae, "invests" in a mortgage loan, they won’t accept a loan without an appraisal. Similarly, before a lender approves a loan, they don’t order a BPO, they order an appraisal. The most puzzling and irrational example is when the buyer and seller have the same lender...which is common with the larger lenders. I have seen the same lender, in the same transaction, order a BPO on the seller’s side, and then turn around and order an appraisal on the buyer’s side. Of course the BPO is always inflated, and somehow the same property has suddenly lost $50,000 in value in the weeks it took for that lender to approve the short sale. Why do BPOs even exist as the deciding factor on a short sale transaction?? Why can’t appraisals be ordered by all sides? Some can argue because they save time and money, but do they really?

For argument’s sake let’s say it costs $100 to hire a BPO agent to do a BPO, and roughly $400 to hire an appraiser to do a proper appraisal. It costs $100 to hire someone who isn’t necessarily licensed (and definitely not regulated), to spend less than 5 minutes in a house, and to not take into account all the factors an appraiser would. I have heard BPO agents say that they do 500-600 BPOs a month. That’s impossible for ONE person to do! We have all heard that some of these BPO agents hire (unlicensed) people to drive around and take pictures of the outside of the property, and I have actually seen BPO agents recruiting these drive-by photographers on Craigslist.

Now let’s juxtapose the BPO agent against the appraiser. An appraiser is a qualified professional who goes through serious training, and then is supervised for two years before being able to work on their own. Plus the appraiser’s sole objective is to appraise the property; they don’t do it in hopes of getting REO listings from the banks. Appraisers are qualified to appraise, take the time to take all factors into consideration, and generally speaking, give fair market values. They are regulated and are subject to consequences if they don’t do their job right.

Don’t get me wrong, I know that there are bad appraisers and great BPO agents, but that’s not the norm. We are in a serious mess and its being exasperated for what? Lenders think that they are saving time and $300 per property, but in reality, thousands of hours are wasted disputing BPO values and getting nowhere. There is rarely a file that I don’t have to dispute the value on, and sometimes it takes months to resolve the issue with the lender…months that the property sits on the lender’s books, the sellers and buyers are left in limbo, and the values continue to drop.

Can’t we put an end to this insanity? Please! Lenders/Investors are losing thousands and thousands of dollars on short sales and foreclosures, yet they are worried over a $400 appraisal? Am I the only one who is confused about this lack of common sense?

Lender and Investors: PLEASE…JUST ORDER AN APPRAISAL AND HELP US HELP YOU!

Help lots of people and have a great day!

Patty Da Silva, CDPE©, RESS®, AHWD®, e-PRO®, GREEN, CFS, TRC, RSPS

BROKER - REALTOR® Serving South Florida ::: 954-667-SALE - Green Realty Properties®

Visit www.PattyDaSilva.com & www.GreenRealty.net for SouthEast Florida's best properties.

Copyright © 2008 - 2011 By Patty Da Silva, CDPE©. All Rights Reserved.

Legal Stuff: This article (Contents) reflects the opinion of the author and it is not to be considered legal advice. The author is not an attorney or a CPA. If you are in need of legal or tax advice, it is recommended that you to contact a trusted professional advisor.

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

SOLD - Web Trek Online Open House of 100 Red Maple Lane Mountville, Pa 17554 – $192,500 – MLS# 182920

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 23:34:43 -0700

This property is sold - 11-14-11! Welcome Back Readers! Today we have a Web Trek Online Open House for 100 Red Maple Lane in Mountville, Pa 17554! This 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath home is just 4 years young and being offered for sale at $192,500! Close to everything just a few minutes from Lancaster, this home in Millstone Village offers you a chance to own a modern classic!

This beautiful home is better than new and move in ready, bright, open and comfortable are just a few of the words visitors use to describe the layout. As you enter, the gleaming hardwood floors draw you down the hallway to the huge open living room featuring a beautiful green view! The modern kitchen features loads of cabinet and counter space and adjoins the living and dining rooms for easy entertaining. Upstairs a HUGE master bedroom with private bath is just down the hall from 2 more spacious bedrooms and a second floor laundry. Looking for a little more space? This home also has a walkout daylight basement that can easily be finished into a family room.

You can see more details about this home (pictures, room dimensions, property details, tax information, printable brochures and more) at www.JasonsHomes.com under Featured Homes! You can visit www.MillstoneVillagePA.org for Home Owner Association information as well.

If you would like to buy this Mountville PA home for sale or see it in person, or see any other Lancaster County Home for sale in person, call me direct at 717-371-0557 and we’ll set up a time that fits your schedule!

If you want to search Lancaster County homes for sale, visit www.JasonsHomes.com and use my Easy MLS home search that shows you all the homes for sale in the Lancaster County PA Multiple Listing Service (MLS) !

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

Web Trek Online Video Open House – 514 Big Bend Road Lancaster, Pa 17603 – $184,900 – MLS #182859

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 22:55:29 -0700

Welcome Back Readers! Time for another Web Trek Online Open House! Today we are in Hamilton Park just outside the edge of Lancaster City at 514 Big Bend Road ! This spectacularly updated brick rancher is for sale at $184,900! Click through the jump to watch the video tour and get some more details about this beautiful home!

This home is truly move-in ready with a tasteful décor, recently remodeled kitchen and gleaming hardwood floors. The HUGE walkout daylight basement can easily be finished into a comfortable family room, there’s three large bedrooms, a covered porch overlooking the fenced rear yard, this home has it all! Conveniently located near the heart of Lancaster County, you can see more details about this home (pictures, room dimensions, property details, tax information, printable brochures and more) at www.JasonsHomes.com under Featured Homes !

If you would like to buy this Hamilton Park home or see it in person, or see any other Lancaster County Home for sale in person, call me direct at 717-371-0557 and we’ll set up a time that fits your schedule! If you want to search Lancaster County homes for sale, visit www.JasonsHomes.com and use my Easy MLS home search that shows you all the homes for sale in the Lancaster County PA Multiple Listing Service (MLS) !

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

Web Trek Online Open House 185 Schoolhouse Rd Kirkwood, Pa 17536 – $165,000 – MLS 182707

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 00:00:15 -0700

Welcome Back Readers! Today we are taking you to the scenic Southern End of Lancaster County! This Web Trek Online Open House features 185 Schoolhouse road in Kirkwood Pa 17536. Offered for sale at $165,000, this home sits on 1.2 acres in the heart of the rolling hills of Little Britain. Watch the video and learn a little more about this private paradise with farmland views!

This home has a ton of potential. When you first pull up to this home, you’ll notice the serenity of the birds chirping next to the bubbling stream bordering a horse pasture. Inside, you’ll notice the bright, natural light that floods through the many windows, along with the spacious rooms and loads of storage space. A huge kitchen with lots of cupboards features easy access to the rear deck or conveniently located laundry area. Outside there is a oversized garage perfect for your own workshop or storage area and a small animal stable sized just right for a goat or dog shelter. This property is located in Solanco School District and with a little fresh paint, new floors & minor repairs you could make this home shine! Stop by today!

If you would like to buy this Southern End home or see it in person, or any of the Lancaster County Homes for sale, call me direct at 717-371-0557 and we’ll set up a time that fits your schedule! If you want to search for other homes for sale, visit www.JasonsHomes.com and use my Easy MLS home search that shows you all the homes for sale in the Lancaster County PA Multiple Listing Service (MLS) !

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

Web Trek Online Open House of 617 West Vine St, Lancaster, Pa 17603 NEW PRICE - $87,900, MLS 181811

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 22:33:35 -0700

Welcome Back Readers! Today we have a Web Trek Online Open House at 617 West Vine Street in Lancaster City's historic West End! This huge detached property is 1,619 Sq ft and offers 4-5 bedrooms and loads of storage space! Check out the video for your personal tour!

On the first floor, the first thing you'll notice the large amount of space in the living room, where easy care laminate floors help make this room perfect for entertaining. The kitchen offers a retro cool decor and loads of cupboards, along with convenient layout that makes cooking a breeze. Beyond the kitchen, a spacious first floor laundry room could double as an office overlooking shady fenced rear yard. Upstairs the bedrooms offer even more possibilities, with the ability to combine bedrooms 1 and 2 into a huge master suite with a gargantuan walk in closet or have 5 bedrooms where everyone has their own space!

This home is truly move in ready, with fresh paint and loads of updates! Just a few high efficiency window units coupled with ceiling fans keep the summer heat away and in the winter the warm radiant heat will make it a pleasure to come in out of the cold. The property has undergone extensive renovations through the City of Lancaster Housing Renovation Program, documentation is available for your review, a new roof and a certification that the home is free of lead based paint are just a few of the improvements, this solid brick home will surely last for generations to come!

The owners also currently rent a lockable 1 car garage just across the street for $150 per quarter and the representative for the owner of the garages said the new owner can assume the lease and continue to take advantage of the convenience of enclosed off street parking!

If you would like to buy this Lancaster City Home or see it in person, or any of the Lancaster County Homes for sale, call me direct at 717-371-0557 and we'll set up a time that fits your schedule! If you want to search for other homes for sale, visit www.JasonsHomes.comand use my Easy MLS home search that shows you all the homes for sale in the Lancaster County PA Multiple Listing Service (MLS) !

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

Once again, Zillow ranks Lancaster PA one of the best places to buy a home right now!

Tue, 10 May 2011 22:20:42 -0700

Welcome Back Readers!

Once again Zillow.com has ranked Lancaster County as one of the best places to buy a home right now! As reported on Forbes.com yesterday, due to “affordability, as measured by home price to income ratios; the unemployment picture (both the absolute figure and how it’s trending over time); the foreclosure situation; and year-over-year housing price trends” Lancaster County PA is the 8th Best Place to buy a home in the nation!

Those of us that live here know all of the ways Lancaster is special, from the simple lifestyle of the Amish, to the vibrant downtown of Lancaster City, to the friendly small towns that dot the farm fields all over Lancaster County, the reasons to settle down here are endless. Now again a major research organizations confirms for the second time that Lancaster County PA has one of the safest and best housing markets in the nation!

Read the full article in this link and if you’re ready to call Lancaster County home, or you already live here and would like to take advantage of the historically low interest rates and wide variety of homes in the market, call me, I’m happy to help you find your next home!!

Photo courtesy of makou0629 via flickr.com

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

Web Trek of Clock Towers Unit 141 – 917 Columbia Ave Lancaster, Pa 17603 – For Sale $57,000 - MLS #178869

Mon, 09 May 2011 23:26:47 -0700

Welcome Back to The Lancaster Connection.com! Today we have a Web Trek featuring a Lancaster County PA Condo community called Clock Towers. Clock Towers is an architectural beauty, it’s the former Hamilton Watch Company (1892-1969) building that was converted to condominiums. With exposed brick, original vault doors in some units, high ceilings and lots of windows, the variety of sizes and layouts of the homes in this community will amaze you! Check out the video!

Clean and secure, the community features a fitness Center that allows you to drop the gym membership, a Club Room with comfortable chairs and pool tables where you can hang out with your friends and hidden away nooks to relax in, including a Reading Corner where the residents share books! Clock Towers condos are just a 10 minute walk to downtown Lancaster (check out www.downtownlancaster.com to see the variety of Shops, Restaurants, Night Clubs, Museums and Art Galleries in Lancaster City) or a short drive to Route 30 and major commuter routes.

Today’s Web Trek focuses specifically on Unit 141, a customizable condominium offered for sale at $57,000. Bright natural light floods this top floor unit that’s just steps from the elevator, with beautiful city skyline views from every window! It’s a blank slate with neutral paint throughout and unfinished flooring allows you to customize the look to suit your style! What kind of flooring would you install? Carpet, hardwood, tile or maybe some easy care bamboo? A few splashes of color mixed in with the neutral walls and you’ll be able to make this home shine with minimal effort! With 2 large bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, an efficient galley style kitchen and a generous amount of closet space, this 1,039 Square Foot home offers carefree condo living at its best!

If you are looking to buy a condominium in Lancaster County, Clock Towers is the community for you! To see this home, or any of the Lancaster County Homes for sale, call me direct at 717-371-0557 and we’ll set up a time that fits your schedule! If you want to search for other homes for sale, visit www.JasonsHomes.com and use my Easy MLS home search that shows you all the homes for sale in the Lancaster County PA Multiple Listing Service (MLS) !

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

Zillow Ranks Lancaster County 7th Best Place to Buy a Home!

Sun, 30 Jan 2011 23:01:37 -0800

Welcome Back Readers! Today we are bringing you some particularly awesome news, Zillow has recently ranked Lancaster County PA as one of the top places in the nation to buy a home 2011! We hit the list at Number 7, which considering we were competing with literally thousands of places across the nation is pretty spectacular!

The best thing about this ranking? It takes into account what is happening NOW. In this economy, with the current unemployment rate, interest rates, affordability levels, etc. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if it's the right time for you to buy, there are great opportunities out there right now.

One of the first things they factored in was Affordability. If you click on the link above you can read the full text on Zillow's site, but the interesting thing about affordability isnt just that homes in Lancaster County PA are affordable, it's that the study found that they have been historically affordable and predicts they will stay that way in the future.

Second, Zillow considered the Unemployment percentage. If you're currently unemployed, I guess the fact that our unemployment rate is lower than most of the rest of the nation isn't much comfort. On the other hand though, Lancaster County has always been fortunate to have a varied employment base and easy access to most of Central and Easter Pennsylvania, as well as Maryland job markets. If you want to see housing numbers across the nation improve, jobs must first improve and in Lancaster it would appear that we are improving. I'm hoping it stays that way and if you're currently looking for a new career, call me, let me tell you about the benefits of a career in real estate!

Third, they considered Foreclosures. I wrote a post on this subject recently ( here) and again, foreclosure is never a good thing but in Lancaster County PA our foreclosure rate is very low, according to Zillow only 0.438% of all of the homes in the county. This again is linked to the relatively stable employment opportunities in Central PA.

Finally, they considered Price Appreciation. Homes in Lancaster County actually experienced a marginal decline in average sales price as compared to previous years, but this was significantly better than most of the nation. Historically, while prices gain and fall on a year over year basis, over time Lancaster County homes appreciate in value and represent a solid investment. Also, I have said it before, homes aren't investments, they are homes. Anytime you buy a home with the intention of moving in the first 5-7 years, you should project a break even situation at best when it's time to sell. After you get beyond the first 5 years is when you begin to realize the benefits of appreciation.

Check out the chart to the right from Zillow for all the details of the top ten.

Kudos to Lancaster Newspapers for covering the story, I always appreciate positive press for my industry. Considering though that the negative headlines always make the front page (like for example an article in the front of the Business Section today about how the drop in Transfer Tax revenue impacts budgets of local schools and municipalities), it would have been nice if this article wasn't buried in the back of that very same Business section. I never would want to offend our friends in the local media, but stories like this deserve front page coverage just as much as the negative ones do. Sorry LNP, I still like you and am a daily subscriber, but someone needed to say it.

So there you have it. With historically low interest rates, a great selection of inventory to choose from and a nationally recognized media outlet study that demonstrates the stability of the Lancaster County Real Estate Market, it's a buyers market. If you think its the right time for you, the market is full of opportunity.

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

Help with Foreclosure in Lancaster Pa, Foreclosures Rising

Sun, 09 Jan 2011 11:59:47 -0800

Welcome Back Readers. Today we are touching on a timely topic for many. Foreclosure. Timely for many, as an article about it in today's paper was titled "Record number losing homes". Ouch. Record number.

The article cites 2010 Lancaster County Pa Foreclosure filings as setting a new record at 1,334. This is an increase over 2009 at 1,319. But who really expected differently? With the state of the economy, I look at those numbers and am surprised they aren't higher. That figure represents an increase of 1.21%.

That's the new record, up 1.21%. If all we are going to do is talk statistics, that is nothing, an anomaly, barely worth a mention in the history books. In the end, statistics, nameless, faceless statistics are what these numbers become when reported this way. And therin lies the problem.

The real problem with foreclosures isn't statistics, sure there are more this year than last year. Again, I ask who really expected differently? The problem is the people foreclosure affects. They aren't statistics, they're people.

We could go on and on about how nationwide, many foreclosures are the result of people making poor decisions, getting in over their heads, spending more money than they had to spend. Click that picture there, the one above, which by the way is courtesy of Jacob Ruff via Flickr. The one and only comment on that picture is by someone who said "..if you can not pay for the house, that you should not have bought in the first place, then RENT something you can afford a smaller place perhaps". The one and only comment is a reaction of anger, too bad for you, you should suck it up and deal with it!

I get that. Many folks are tired of bailing out others who maybe don't deserve to be bailed out. Did you know though, that according to research done this year, that in Pennsylvania the #1 and #2 reasons people end up in foreclosure are job loss and unexpected medical bills? Job loss and unexpected medical bills. Doesn't sound like people making bad decisions brought the increase in Lancaster County PA foreclosures, it sounds to me like they are unfortunate victims of chance.

Do unfortunate victims of chance deserve the scorn, the stigma, the reactions of embarrassment and anger hearing the word Foreclosure brings out in people. No, they don't. On the other hand, whether you end up facing foreclosure by chance or by poor decision making, you still have a problem on your hands. You have decisions to make. You have options to avoid foreclosure. Sitting there and doing nothing however is not an option.

I have helped many people, at many stages of this process and many times it's not fun. It's work. It's papers and forms. You will get endless letters from the bank and endless solicitations from the sharks circling, the ones who know you are in trouble and are looking to take advantage of you. It's hard to know what to do, its very confusing for most people. Thats OK though, there is help available.

You do have a chance. Your home and your credit can be saved. If you are behind on your mortgage payments, there is help available, short term loans to catch up those payments, if you qualify. You can stay in your house and avoid both foreclosure and selling. Interested in finding out what those options are? Call me at 717-371-0557, I will fill you in.

If you don't qualify for those programs, there are other solutions available to you, such as selling your home. Even if you owe more than your home is worth, there are options such as a Short Sale. You can sell your home for less than you owe and the lender will forgive (if you qualify) the rest of the debt and release you free and clear, if you qualify.

You might not like the thought of selling your home, but the words free and clear sure sound nice, don't they? No more collection calls from the mortgage company, no more certified letters, no more visits from deputies serving court papers.

Sooner or later, if you can't make the payments, the foreclosure will happen and you will be forced to move. Don't wait for the sheriff to evict you. Don't let foreclosure ruin your credit. You can take control and move on your terms, on your timeline. Want to find out how? Again, call me at 717-371-0557 and I will fill you in.

You have alot of options available to you. There will be alot of questions. You won't know what to do. Thats OK, its normal. It's a new situation for most folks. Call me, I will be happy to help you figure out how to navigate the troubled waters of foreclosure.

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!

Ask The Property Manager: What is Lancaster Pa Property Management?

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 16:36:07 -0800

Welcome Back Readers! This week we have the beginning of our guest columns from Sam Gorgone, Property Manager/Owner of Hometown Property Management Services. Sam gets alot of questions, from landlords looking for help renting to tenants looking for apartments or homes to rent in Lancaster Pa. We thought it would be helpful to you to put these questions out there one the blog, lets start with the biggest one, what exactly is property management? Read on after the jump to find out!

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More than once a week someone will ask what it is that I do. In response to my answer of "I work in Property Management", many times I receive what could only be described as the tilted-head confusion of an individual seeking a more detailed explanation.

After countless conversations like this, it was evident that there are a lot of folks out there that don't fully understand what property management is - or, just never really thought about it before.

What is a property management company and what does it do?

Property management firms are licensed real estate agencies that handle the leasing and management of residential and commercial property. They enter into a contract with a property owner and charge a fee to place tenants into vacant apartments or commercial spaces. They conduct background checks on prospective tenants and prepare leases and other documents. Especially in residential circumstances, a property management firm charges a monthly commission to serve as landlord for the property and acts as the direct contact for the tenant and the local municipality. They collect the monthly rent from the tenant, deduct expenses and send the property owner the remainder along with a monthly statement.

It is typical for a property management firm to pay bills associated with the property on behalf of the property owner such as water, sewer, trash and other utilities. Property management firms also routinely dispatch repair work to the property and coordinate the repairs as well.

What are the reasons to hire a property management company?

1) The most common reason a property management company is hired is when a property owner does not want or does not have the time or capacity to be involved in the operations of their investment. Some owners prefer to be involved in some aspects (like repair work or improvements) but don't want to handle other aspects such as advertising, showing the unit, collecting the rent, preparing the lease, enforcing the lease and interacting with the tenant. While property management companies can do all these things and more, they are also flexible to base their services on a client's specific needs.

2) At times a homeowner will relocate and choose to rent their home instead of trying to sell it. In Lancaster, if the owner does not reside in the county, it is required by ordinance for the owner to have a person or company within the county be registered as "Responsible Agent" with the municipality. In addition, Pennsylvania law prohibits anyone without a real estate license to engage in working on behalf of another in real estate transactions, such as leasing, selling and buying. All of these items are trending to be a common reason for property owners to turn to property management agencies to fill the Responsible Agent role.

How do you choose among all of the property management companies out there?

Quality is key. Hiring a reputable property management company means lower costs to the owner because quality firms hustle to fill vacancies fast - meaning less lost revenue for the owner - they also strongly vet potential tenants, which equates to fewer problems with delinquency and damages and many times results in longer tenancy. Most agencies' fees and services are relatively competitive with each other. Therefore, make sure you understand the business; ask how many properties they manage, where those properties are located, how they screen tenants, how many vacancies they currently have and how long it takes for them to place tenants. Ask how the firm communicates with its tenants and clients; by phone conversations, mail, email, text messaging? In the end, you want to find an agency that has the ability to be focused on your individual property, providing solid customer service and using current communication methods.

Hometown Property Management Services, LLC is a Pennsylvania-licensed real estate agency offering a unique consumer-based, community-focused and fresh, updated approach to the rental industry in the Lancaster area. Feel free to give a call, visit the website or send us an email for any property management or general real estate-related questions or needs.

Sam Gorgone

Hometown Property Management Services, LLC

26 Millersville Road

Lancaster, PA 17603

717-330-7770

sam@hometowmpms.com

www.hometownpms.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/hometownpms

Twitter: www.twitter.com/hometown_props

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As Sam said, when selecting a property manager quality is key and Sam is one of the best! If you need a property manager in Lancaster County Pa, call Sam Gorgone at Hometown Property Management Services.

As always, I'd like you to be part of the conversation, so if you like what you read here please comment, forward this post to your friends and subscribe!

If you have questions, need real estate advice or want to buy or sell a home, you can call or text me at 717-371-0557, email me at Jason@JasonsHomes.com or contact me at the office at 717-291-1041!

Search for Lancaster County Homes for sale at www.JasonsHomes.com by clicking here!