homes for sale: Woodhaven Hills Mortgage Information - 10/21/07 03:35 AM
Interest RatesPrepared Exclusively for:Woodhaven HillsBy
Special 6 month Rate Lock with an Option for a lower Rate when they fall.6.875%  (7.047%APR)Chris MacFarland267-525-0334Peter E. Buchsbaum 267-525-0368
… (0 comments)

homes for sale: Woodhaven Hills - FLOOR PLANS - 10/21/07 03:28 AM
Tony CasmirriPrudential Fox RoachNewtown677 S. State StreetNewtown, PA 18940215-630-0672 
Starting at $245,900
Sales Office Open 12-5PMSaturday thru Wednesday
The Moser Group and Tony Casmirri proudly present Woodhaven Hills. An adult 55+ community. Unparralled value: Stone Front Twin home boasting 2 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths; full basement; 1 car attached garage;elevator. Main bedroom suite with sitting room and main bathroom, and a walk-in closet. Center island kitchen with walk-in pantry. All of this coupled with gas heat, central air, and double hung windows. … (1 comments)

homes for sale: Be prepared to act fast! - 10/21/07 03:18 AM
Be prepared to act fast!
The biggest mistake I see home buyers make is they find something they really like, ask to see other homes, and by the time they decide their first choice was right, the home is gone. In a seller's market, there aren't enough homes to satisfy every homebuyer. Prices are usually sky high because of the low inventory. Homebuyers typically make a fast offer - often for more than the list price - or risk losing the home to a more agile homebuyer. There isn't much room to negotiate in a seller's market unless the property is … (3 comments)

homes for sale: Don't Be Pushed Into Any House - 10/21/07 03:16 AM
Don't Be Pushed Into Any House
Your agent should show you everything available that meets your requirements. Don't make a decision on a house until you feel that you've seen enough to pick the best one. A decade ago, homes were selling quickly, usually a few days after listing. In that kind of market, agents advised their clients to make an offer ON THE SPOT if they liked the house. That was good advice at the time. Today there isn't always this urgency, unless a home is drastically underpriced, and you'll know if it is.
Don't forget to check into the SCHOOL … (4 comments)

homes for sale: Play the Game of Nines - 10/21/07 03:15 AM
Play the Game of Nines
Play the Game of Nines Before house hunting, make a list of things you want in the new place. Then make a list of the things you don't want. You can use this list as a guide to rate each property that you see. The one with the biggest score wins! This helps avoid confusion and keeps things in perspective when you're comparing dozens of homes. When house hunting, keep in mind the difference between "STYLE AND SUBSTANCE". The SUBSTANCE are things that cannot be changed such as the location, view, size of lot, noise in … (3 comments)

homes for sale: Sell Your Property First, Then Buy the House - 10/21/07 03:11 AM
Sell Your Property First, Then Buy the House
If you have a house to sell, sell it before selecting a house to buy! Contingency sales aren't nearly as strong as one that comes in with a ready, willing and able buyer. Consider this scenario You've found the perfect house - now you have to go make an offer to the seller.
You want the seller to reduce the price and wait until you sell your house. The seller figures that this is a risky deal, since he might pass up a buyer who DOESN'T have to sell a house while he's waiting … (1 comments)

homes for sale: Get "Pre-Approved" - Not "Pre-Qualified!" - 10/21/07 03:09 AM
Get "Pre-Approved" - Not "Pre-Qualified!" Do you want to get the best property you can for the least amount of money? Then make sure you are in the strongest negotiating position possible. Price is only one element in the negotiations, and not necessarily the most important one. Often other terms, such as the strength of the buyer or the length of escrow, are critical to a seller.
In years past, I always recommended that buyers get "pre-qualified" by a lender. This means that you spend a few minutes on the phone with a lender who asks you a few questions. Based on … (2 comments)

homes for sale: Now Is The Perfect Time? Why Now Is The Perfect Time? - 10/21/07 03:07 AM
Now Is The Perfect Time? Why Now Is The Perfect Time? Are you afraid it's the top of the market? With interest rates the lowest in 30 years, I think the risk is greater that the interest rates will go up, not that home prices will go down. But even if prices do go down a little, if interest rates tick up, the monthly payment on that house will be higher, even if the price is less. So your risk in trying to "pick the bottom" is that you'll miss out on today's very low interest rates. And besides, I don't … (2 comments)

homes for sale: How To Get That First House - 10/21/07 03:06 AM
How To Get That First House
So if you're convinced that you should own a home, how do you actually go about it? What if it's just too darn expensive in Honolulu? Well, there are a number of special first time buyer programs to make it easier, and we'll definitely explore those together. But what if it's still too expensive?
In that case, "you gotta do what you gotta do". You could get a 4 bedroom place and rent out a couple of the bedrooms to roommates to help pay for it. You could go where real estate is cheaper, like … (2 comments)

homes for sale: The Amazing Power Of Leverage - 10/21/07 03:04 AM
The Amazing Power Of Leverage
That reminds me of one of the best advantages to buying real estate, the benefit of leverage. As I said, if you buy a house for $300,000 in ten years it'll be worth $600,000 so you doubled your money in 10 years. In fact, we own a house in Carlsbad that we bought for $300,000 five years ago, and now it's worth $450,000, a 50% increase, right on schedule.
But here's my point - you didn't have to come up with the whole $300,000 for the house, you only put 10% down. You only invested $30,000! … (0 comments)

homes for sale: Look At These Numbers - 10/21/07 02:59 AM
Look At These Numbers!
In practice, it works like this. Let's say your family income is $70,000 and you pay $1200 in rent. If you buy a home for $240,000 with 20% down, your payment might be $1558 a month. Don't get upset about the 20% for now, just follow me here for the sake of discussion.
The $1558 comes from a home loan at 7%, real estate taxes, and insurance.
I know $1558 per month is more than $1200, but wait! $1479 of that is a tax deduction, meaning in the first full year of homeownership, you would pay taxes … (0 comments)

homes for sale: But I Can't Afford A Home! - 10/21/07 02:57 AM
But I Can't Afford A Home!
Let's say you'd like to buy a home of your own, but think you can't afford to do it. I would say just the opposite - that you can't afford not to do it. Let's see if I can make it easier for you to swallow.
The government doesn't want you to pay rent your whole life and end up being dependent on the state, and so Uncle Sam is willing to subsidize your home purchase! Your mortgage interest and real estate taxes are tax-deductible. I'll explain.
Before you get your paycheck, your employer takes out the taxes, and … (1 comments)

homes for sale: Become A Millionaire - 10/21/07 02:56 AM
… (1 comments)

homes for sale: The Rule Of 72 - 10/21/07 02:53 AM
The Rule of 72
The Rule Of 72
Now might be a good time to bring up the "rule of 72". This rule tells you how long it takes your money to double at a given interest rate. For example, if the interest rate were 5%, it would take 72/5, or 14.4 years for your money to double.
Did you know that home prices have gone up 7% a year on average for the last 30 years? Now I'm not talking about Hawaii, I'm talking about the entire country, in good times and bad, the average was 7% a year, according … (1 comments)

homes for sale: How To Stop Paying Rent - 10/21/07 02:52 AM
How To Stop Paying Rent
As you know, renting has two big problems - the rent can go up, and you don't have anything to show for it except a pile of rent receipts. Me, I like knowing that every month I'm $50 or $100 richer, no matter what. That doesn't sound like much, but if you saw a $100 bill lying on the ground, you'd sure as heck pick it up, wouldn't you? Owning a home is like that - Uncle Sam gives you such incredible incentives, they're just lying there on the ground, and yet some people step right over … (0 comments)

homes for sale: Why Do You Need an Inspection? - 10/21/07 02:50 AM
Why Do You Need an Inspection?
Why Do You Need an Inspection? An inspection is an opportunity to have an expert give you an oral and written report as to the condition of the property you are purchasing.
After researching recent sales in the area, you decide that 30 year old home for $180,000 is worth the money. You make an offer which is accepted. The next step would be to hire an inspector. The report shows that the concrete foundation is cracked. The roof and plumbing need to be replaced. The cost for repairs adds up to $40,000. Your inspection … (0 comments)

homes for sale: Counter-Offer Strategies - 10/07/07 06:30 PM
Counter-Offer Strategies with Tony Casmirri.
The art of the deal is negotiating. The goal, when you're countering a buyer's offer, is to get the highest price and best terms possible. Once you reject the initial offer, you must decide how much to counter. The answer is easy when the market is hot. You will counter at full price or more.
If the market is normal, you may receive less than full price for your property. In this case, one strategy would be to set your asking price higher than normal. How much lower than your asking price will you counter-offer?
Beware of … (5 comments)

homes for sale: Limit the Deadline to Your Advantage - 10/07/07 06:27 PM
Limit the Deadline to Your Advantage with Tony Casmirri.
When it comes to real estate contracts, time is of the essence. In many cases, placing time constraints on your offer can often work to your advantage.
If you've ever seen a telethon fund-raiser, you would notice that over 90 percent of the donations are generated in the last half hour. Even if the telethon has been running for weeks; it doesn't matter. In the last few moments, just before the telethon goes off the air, the money starts rolling in.
In many sports, the game is often decided within the last few … (0 comments)

homes for sale: FEW POINTS ABOUT INTEREST RATES! - 10/07/07 06:22 PM
FEW POINTS ABOUT INTEREST RATES!
Let Tony Casmirri advise you on interest rates.
Less is more
If you're new to investing or real estate and don't know the first thing about interest rates, here's a good tip: the higher the interest rate, the more expensive it's going to be. High interest rates mean you will have to pay back more on the money you borrow. Another good rule of thumb is that affordability increases if you use an adjustable rate mortgage (it's easier to qualify this way). Of course, there will be a wide range of prices that you can choose from, … (1 comments)

homes for sale: 5 Secrets to Buying the Best House for Your Money - 10/07/07 06:19 PM
5 Secrets to Buying the Best House for Your Money
1. Get "Pre-Approved" - Not "Pre-Qualified!"
Do you want to get the best property you can for the least amount of money? Then make sure you are in the strongest negotiating position possible. Price is only one element in the negotiations, and not necessarily the most important one. Often other terms, such as the strength of the buyer or the length of escrow, are critical to a seller.
In years past, I always recommended that buyers get "pre-qualified" by a lender. This means that you spend a few minutes on the … (3 comments)

 

Tony Casmirri

Newtown, PA

More about me…

Prudential Fox & Roach Realtors

Office Phone: (215) 860-4048

Cell Phone: (215) 630-0672

Email Me



Links

Archives

RSS 2.0 Feed for this blog

Find PA real estate agents and Newtown real estate on ActiveRain.