Ask Kathe
An Ongoing Column Offering News, Advice, and Observations: All About The Real Estate Market in Pittsburgh, PA.
Avoiding the “Hot Buttons” of Inspections
What kinds of items would be viewed as “hot buttons” for home buyers on inspections? If you are a home seller, there is an ever increasing list of items that you will be expected to address if any are discovered on your home inspection. Given that, if you...
read moreFinding the Sweet Spot
Dear Kathe:You often write about making sure to price our home correctly for a better chance of a successful sale. How do we do that? We all know the story of Goldilocks – be it the porridge being too hot, too cold or just right, or the beds being too...
read moreKnowing Your Home’s Worth
It seems prices are all over the board these days. How do we figure out what our home is worth? There are many factors that go into determining a home’s value. The first, most important thing to keep in mind, however, is that it’s not what you think. To...
read moreAsking the Right Price
How long should a seller wait to reduce the price of their home? Is it ok to start at a higher price and reduce the price later? There are many “rules of thumb” in real estate that provide suggestions as to when a price reduction is appropriate. One of...
read moreBe the “Squeaky Wheel”
My friend’s closing on her existing home was delayed and she ended up having to delay her closing on her new home, and was stuck with all of her stuff on a moving van and unable to move in to her new home. How can these major inconveniences be...
read moreTo Remodel Or Not
We’ve lived in our current home for 16 years and have kept up with maintenance but haven’t done much else – how much remodeling do we really have to do before putting it on the market?You’ve lived in your home long enough that you have probably “used up” a...
read moreGiving the Buyer 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...
read moreNeutral is the Way to Go!
Everyone says we need to “neutralize” our home before we try to sell it, but what 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?...
read moreAvoiding Mortgage Pitfalls
I have a friend who just had a terrible time closing on his mortgage loan because he moved some money into his checking account right before closing. Any tips om making sure the mortgage process is a smooth one? Mortgage rates remain low, but the process...
read moreSelling Made Easy
Selling our homes seems like it will be a very stressful endeavor. Is there any way to make it any easier on us? Once you have lived long enough, you realize that if there is something to be done, there is usually an easy way and a hard way. When it...
read moreQUICK PROPERTY SEARCH
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