Just announced today, the home at 110 Hilltop Court in the borough of Camp Hill, will be offered at $289,900.

Also this Sunday (5/23) from 1-3 you can stop by to see this wonderful home in the borough.  Hardwood floors, quartz counters, beautiful finish work that you have to see, and a great open floor plan.

This home has been getting a lot of attention lately…DO NOT WAIT to see this home!!

Whether you have decided to sell your home or you are at least considering it you have to get your home ready for sale before you do anything else.

So many homes get listed prior to the sellers actually getting the home ready to sell and the home ends up sitting for months and sometimes needs to be listed over and over due to no offers coming in.

Before you put your home on the market make sure you do these key things:

Start Thinking of Your Home as a Commodity

You surely have an attachment to your home.  You have probably spent at least a few years there and have invested time, money, effort, and love into making it a place where YOU are comfortable and where YOU are happy.  But now you are trying to make other people feel comfortable and happy and sometimes the same things that worked for you don’t work for someone else.

In other words…remove all personal artifacts.  Things such as photographs, books, and other personal items.  These items force buyers to see YOU in this home instead of themselves.

If you are having trouble letting go of the personal aspects of your home just remember that the buyers are looking at dozens of homes.  They are basically shopping at the store, if your home doesn’t stand out….they won’t want it.

Straighten Up and Clean Up

Start outside and make sure the lawn is cut, landscaping is neat, and the driveway is clean.  If the mailbox is falling down and broken, buy a new one and install it correctly.  If the doors, window trim, and shutters need painted, DO IT.  Haven’t laid new tanbark or trimmed the shrubs in a few years….now is the time.

Curb appeal is CRITICAL when selling a home.  The statistic goes something like this…buyers will have made up their mind about your home within the first 30 seconds of arrival.  You need to give them some WOW factor as soon as they pull up.

Now move inside the home.  Take your time and make sure you cover at least these important areas:

• Counters – get any and all appliances OFF the counter and stored someplace else.  Counter space is critical when comparing kitchens…don’t keep yours cluttered.
• Neutral Colors – is your living room orange?  Now is the time to change it.  Sure it isn’t something a new home owner can’t do themselves but the problem is that they will be looking at and comparing homes based on what they see NOW not what they see later.  Plus…would you want to paint a home right after you move in?
• Furniture – if you have a lot of extra furniture in your home now is the time to remove it.  Nothing hurts a room more than over crowding it with furniture.  People are looking for space.  Rent a storage unit if you must but get the excess furniture out of the room.

There are plenty of other features to clean or tidy up but these will get you started.  And please don’t forget to vacuum!

Fix Problems Now

Does the roof leak?  If it does then hire a roofer.  Sure you could just offer an amount to the buyers so they can do it themselves but if you are looking at dozens of homes wouldn’t you prefer to buy one that was READY to live in?

Is the carpet old and stained?  Have you considered replacing it?  Now is the time to do so.  Head to Lowe’s or a local carpet store and see what they charge.  If it is more than you can afford that is fine but at least get it cleaned PROFESSIONALLY.  A couple hundred dollars should be able to get all the carpet in your home cleaned.

I understand you might not want to fix everything because you are moving and why should you put more money into a home that you won’t be living in soon.  I get it.  But if you don’t do some things than you might be staying longer than you think.

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The thing you have to keep in mind is, there are lots of homes on the market and people are viewing many different homes.  If yours does not stand out then no one is going to buy it.  You want to get as much money as possible, right?  Then make some improvements and make your home the best in the price range and you will sell the home!

Front of Home

Another well constructed new home in the Borough of New Cumberland.  If you are looking to be within walking distance of restaurants, shops, schools and other amenities AND want to be in a new house this is the place for you.

Construction continues on this great new home.  Flooring is being installed as I write this with the cabinets set to go in either next week or the week after.  If you would like a private showing of this home please give me a call (717-421-0547) today.

3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, over 1700 square feet in this New Cumberland home currently being constructed.  A large eat in kitchen, hardwood floors throughout first floor, second floor laundry, ceramic tile in bathrooms, large master bedroom, and a wonderful entry highlight this amazing home.  Priced generously at $239,900 this home will be constructed in time to take advantage of the home buyer tax credits.

This is what you call a centrally located home.  Within minutes to all the major highways including the PA Turnpike and walking distance (if you are up for a 30-45 minute walk) to City Island and downtown Harrisburg.  Or you can hope in the car and be downtown in 5 minutes, in Hershey within 15-20, or even York or Carlisle within 30 minutes.

Property Details

Property Images

Check back for more images as the construction progresses.

Property Map

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Truthfully the market is solid right now.  Buyers are getting houses for what they are worth and sellers are selling homes for what they are worth.  It shouldn’t be classified as either a buyers or sellers market at this time though.

So why are so many houses sitting for so long if the market is okay??

Price.

It really is as simple as that right now.  The homes that are priced right are selling and the ones that aren’t priced right are sitting for extended periods of time and many times not selling at all.  I actually heard a stat the other day that almost 50% of the homes listed now fail to sell.  I would be willing to bet that many of those homes are overpriced.

Unfortunately most of us still remember what the market was like back 3+ years ago.  Personally I wasn’t in real estate yet but was in construction and things were looking very good.  I actually sold my personal home without a Realtor for a very favorable price.

And then the bubble burst and it all came crashing down.  Now that same home would probably go for almost $50,000 less than what I got for it.

So how do you get your home sold in this market?

For sellers the question you have to ask yourself is, “how much do I really want or need to sell?”

If you truly want to sell then you better price your home right or you will be waiting a while.  The longer a home sits on the market the more people wonder what is wrong with it.  And the longer it sits the less likely people will see it.  So to avoid having the home sit on the market too long price it right at the start.

Now, if you are listing your home with the only intention of seeing how much you can get AND you are willing to stay in the home if it doesn’t sell then price it where you want because it won’t matter how long it sits.

Buyers make sure your Realtor does their job and finds out how much a home is truly worth.  In this market there is absolutely no reason to pay more than fair market value.  Have your agent do a market analysis and have them suggest what the home is worth.  Do not base your offer price on solely the asking price.  Just because a seller is asking for a certain amount does not mean the home is worth near that amount.

The hardest part of this equation is sellers understanding what their home is truly worth.  They love their home and find its qualities more valuable than other people would.  So they price their homes to high, buyers don’t buy and the market slows down.

So if you are selling make sure that you seriously consider what your agent is telling you and price your home correctly.

If you are heading out to any open houses this Sunday please stop by and see me at 110 Hilltop Court in Camp Hill or stop to see Renee Jackson at 409 Linwood St in New Cumberland.

Both homes were constructed by Manning Homes, LLC within the current year.  The New Cumberland home is currently under construction but will be completed prior to June 30th so taking advantage of the tax credit is possible.

Speaking of the tax credit…

The Builder has announced a limited time incentive. They will MATCH the tax credit if the home is purchased before May 1.  That means if you are a first time home buyer you could receive $16,000 just for buying a new home!!  Definitely something to consider if you are currently looking for a home.

Directions to 110 Hilltop Court, Camp Hill

Click on image for more detailed directions.

Directions to 409 Linwood St, New Cumberland

Unfortunately 409 Linwood Street is not recognized by Bing just yet so these directions are to 1650 Elm St. After turning onto Elm Street you will want to turn right onto Linwood to home on left.

Builder will match the tax credit if you buy one of the two homes shown below!

If you are a first time home buyer that means you will get the $8,000 from the government next year AND $8,000 from the builder this year! $16,000 just for buying a house!

If you are taking advantage of the current homeowner credit that would mean $6,500 from the government next year AND $6,500 from the builder this year! $13,000 just for buying a house!

Either way you can’t go wrong.  Give me a call today () so we can get you into these homes tomorrow!

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110 Hilltop Court, Camp Hill, PA

This home is recently finished and is just waiting for you!  The 2nd floor will be carpeted once you buy it and choose the color.  You can actually see the capital building from just down the street so you are extremely close to downtown Harrisburg.  Routes 11/15 are just a few hundred yards from your home.  Multiple restaurants, parks, library, and everything in Camp Hill is just a short walk away!

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$293,900

• 3 Bedroom
• 2.5 Baths
• Hardwood Floors
• Quartz Counter tops in Kitchen
• Formal Dining Room
• Large Great Room
• Huge Master Closet
• Large Master Bedroom
• Extra space in Garage for storage
• Great Location in the Borough- only minutes from downtown Harrisburg and all major highways

Front of Home

Dining Room

Living Room/Great Room

Kitchen

Master Bedroom

409 Linwood Street, New Cumberland, PA

Great home in the Borough of New Cumberland being constructed right now.  The sooner you buy the more finishing touches you can choose.  From paint colors, carpet, cabinetry, light fixtures, and plenty of other items that you can choose if you buy soon!  The home will be completed by June 30th so taking advantage of the tax credit will not be a problem.

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$239,900

• 3 Bedroom
• 2.5 Bath
• Great Location – just minutes from downtown Harrisburg
• Open First Floor floor plan
• Large Great Room
• Eat in Kitchen
• Large Master Suite
• 2nd Floor Laundry

Front of Home

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Front of Home

This just completed home in highly desirable Camp Hill Borough has 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, hardwood floors throughout the first floor, quartz countertops in the kitchen, a formal dining room, large family room, large master bedroom with huge walk in closet, and a first floor laundry.

With such a great location you can’t go wrong.  You are literally a few hundred yards from the Camp Hill bypass and routes 11/15.  And if you work in or just like visiting Harrisburg you can’t get much closer.  If you are so inclined you can honestly walk to Harrisburg in 15-30 minutes from the home and you can even see the Capital dome from the other end of the street.

In addition to all that shopping, restaurants, and plenty of amenities such as golf courses, libraries, post office, health clubs, and plenty more are either within walking distance or a 5 minute drive.

If you are looking for a quality build home, centrally located, good schools, and priced right then look no further than this Camp Hill gem.

Property Details

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Front of Home

Beautiful 3 bedroom townhouse in Olde Orchard Hill. Features a 1st floor master suite with vaulted ceiling, a great room with hardwood floors and vaulted ceiling, formal dining room, screened deck/porch, and a great 2nd floor loft area in addition to the 2 upstairs bedrooms.  Wonderfully maintained home also includes 1 car garage, private walkout basement, and private wooded area behind home.  Visit www.178redhaven.com for more information, photos, and more.

Property Details

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Then you have only 30 days left to take advantage of the home buyer tax credits.

First time buyers can get up to $8,000 for just buying a home.

Current home owners can get up to $6,500 for buying a new home.

If you were waiting it is time to start looking.  You have to be under contract by May 1st and settlement needs to occur before July 1st.

Interested in looking and getting free money?  Call either myself, Greg Manning, at (717) 421-0547 or Renee Jackson at (717) 574-8384 today!

So do you really need to do an open house?

Some home owners would rather not be bothered and don’t want them done.  Others want open houses done all the time because it allows people to see the home.

Most people I think fall into the middle of that, which is probably where they should be.  Having one open house or maybe two each month is probably ideal.  Not that there is anything wrong with doing open houses every week but for the most part you won’t be getting interested people every week.

But there is one thing you must keep in mind when thinking or discussing open houses.

IT ONLY TAKES ONE PERSON TO BUY A HOME!!

One complaint or worry you hear often from home owners is that open houses only bring in snooping neighbors.  I am not here to tell you that this fact is not true…it is.  I did an open house this past weekend and I had 6 people or couples through the home and 4 of them were neighbors.  (I am doing another open house this upcoming Sunday, 110 Hilltop Court, Camp Hill.  I will be there from 1-4pm)

But one of the other two seems legitimately interested so it might all have been worth it.

It only takes one person to buy a home.  If they see it and love it and want to buy it then the inconvenience of leaving your home for 3-4 hours then it was definitely worth it.

And even if you do only get neighbors it still might work out.  A stat I heard recently said that 30% of homes sell through neighbors.  They surely know someone that likes their neighborhood and maybe they have a friend or family member in mind who is looking there.

Who sees the homes more than anyone else?  The neighbors.  And they have friends and family that come and go and have more than likely noticed the surrounding homes.  Maybe they thought yours was the perfect house.  Maybe they were just hoping that it would someday be available.   Or maybe your neighbor’s brother has been looking to relocate to that neighborhood.  Well who better to get first look at your home and tell their family than your neighbor.

So homeowners, don’t ignore open houses just because neighbors will be the majority of the visitors.  That might be exactly what you want!