Ask Kathe
An Ongoing Column Offering News, Advice, and Observations: All About The Real Estate Market in Pittsburgh, PA.
Sounds Too Good To Be True
We would like to buy a new home soon but interest rates seem very high – we see advertisements for internet lenders offering what seem to be below market rates. Is this too good to be true? If you were simply refinancing an existing mortgage debt, you MAY be ok...
Holiday Decor When Trying To Sell
Our home is on the market – is it ok to show it decorated for the holidays? Decorating for the holidays while your home is on the market is not a bad idea – homes often look their best decorated for the holidays – as long as a few basic guidelines are followed....
Don’t Let the Interest Rates Stop You
Interest rates jumped up again. Is it time for us to just wait until spring and hope they start to come back down? If you are a buyer, the real estate market offers you a great opportunity right now! Don’t be fooled by the higher interest rates – this is an awesome...
The Value of a Deep Clean
Do we really have to have our home professionally deep cleaned before putting it on the market?The short answer is yes, but here is why! When we live in our homes, we don’t see the dirt and the grime build up. Even if you have your home cleaned every week, it is...
A Market Shift
We see recent projections forecast a housing downturn. What do you think? You are correct – Goldman Sachs recently released a paper forecasting that the US housing market will see a downturn. Their reports predicts that new home sales will drop 22%, existing home...
Understanding the Home Inspection
We find the inspection process confusing – do we have to fix everything in the inspection report before we close on our home or just the repairs the buyer requested?The home inspection report is the document from which your buyer works to make their repair requests of...
Giving Buyers Their Space
My home has so many special features. I think it would be best if I were at showings so I could explain them to prospective buyers. Is that ok? When you are selling your home, its normal to think that only you can fully convey your home’s fine qualities to a...
Online Home Searches Have Drawbacks
We’re hoping to move in 2023 and are beginning our search online – is there anything we should keep in mind?The majority of buyers will shop online during their search for a new home, and many will actually begin their search there, like yourselves! The internet has...
Timeless Updates
We aren’t ready to move but want to update our home – what are the best choices for paint colors and flooring changes, assuming we may want to move in the next few years?New paint colors must harmonize with the rest of your home, unless you plan to repaint the entire...
A Kitchen Re-Do with ROI
We are thinking of remodeling our kitchen. Any advice for us if we want to be making good choices for resale?As much as we would all like to be creative, when it comes to the “hardscapes” of your home – the things that are difficult to change – if resale is even a...
A Change for Tax Appeals
Can you explain what is going on in Allegheny with property tax assessments?It’s big news! For property tax appeals in 2023, the PA State Tax Equalization Board has set the common level ration at 63.6%. This is dramatically less than the 81.6% in effect for 2022. ...
Selling It Empty
We plan to move out of our home before we put it on the market. Any thoughts on selling an empty home?Some homes definitely sell more readily vacant – my last home was one of them – and so I definitely do not dissuade sellers from emptying their homes before selling...
Make it an Easy Walk Through
How do home sellers protect themselves from big walk through bills from a buyer? Buyers conduct a final walk through right before they close on a home. This is probably the first time they have seen your home vacant. If they find conditions they aren’t expecting,...
Going Neutral
Is it necessary to neutralize our home to sell it and what exactly does that mean?If you watch HGTV or read my weekly articles, you likely know how important it is to neutralize your home before you sell. But what exactly does that entail? Paint color is obvious. Your...
Downsizing Options
We are thinking of downsizing, but can’t find a place to go. Any ideas on how to approach this transition?If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines this spring waiting for your downsizer to come on the market, you may be feeling disappointed right now. We continue to...
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Associate Broker
HOWARD HANNA
REAL ESTATE SERVICES
401 Broad Street
Sewickley, PA 15143
Cell: 412-779-6060
Office: 412-741-2200 x238
kbarge@howardhanna.com