Ask Kathe
An Ongoing Column Offering News, Advice, and Observations: All About The Real Estate Market in Pittsburgh, PA.
Using an Appraisal Contingency
With all of the bidding wars happening in this hot market, should we put an appraisal contingency in our offers? Appraisal contingencies are added to agreements when buyers are concerned that their offer may be over market value. If you are getting a mortgage, they...
Understanding the High-End Market
It seems that high end home sales continue to lag as compared to the rest of the market. Thoughts? Our high-end market in the Quaker Valley School District is moving more slowly than the rest of the market, and this is particularly apparent when homes under $1...
Protecting Against Overpaying
How do you guard against overpaying in this competitive market? You have a good reason to worry about prices in the market that we are in. Currently it seems that prices have risen at least 10% in some price brackets since the new year. That’s an incredible amount...
Impact of Interest Rates
How are rising interest rates impacting home sales? Rising interest rates are definitely impacting buyers. Many buyers are having to step down their affordability levels and focus on homes that are less expensive homes than those they might have considered three...
Waiving a Home Inspection
The market is so hot right now and we aren’t having any luck getting a home – should we waive home inspections? You are correct –the market under $1million is very fast paced right now, and in many instances, the winning bidder has waived home inspections. That does...
Don’t Make a Stink About Sewer Inspections
Our neighbor just had to replace their sewer line – is that a common home inspection repair? Sewer lines have become as radon was 20 years ago – today’s hot button for home buyers. In some boroughs (Mt Lebanon, for example) the borough now requires that before a home...
Security Camera Do’s & Don’ts
We have security cameras in our home – is it ok to leave them on when we show our home?Video recording is permitted, except in areas where people have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as a bathroom. In those areas, you may not record. Audio recording is much...
The Effects of Rising Interest Rates
What impact do you think rising interest rates will have on the real estate market? I can’t tell you how many years the Fed has been warning us that they are going to raise the interest rates, and then nothing happened. But now, it looks like it is finally happening....
Sensible Repairs
Sometimes it seems like everything is breaking around our house and we get behind on repairs. Isn't there some level of wear and tear buyers of “previously enjoyed” homes are expecting to have to accept? The process of selling and buying a home involves many fine...
Investment Properties
We are interested in diversifying our portfolio and purchasing rental properties – any thoughts? The first thing to keep in mind when considering a rental property is how you intend to pay for it. Rental properties are investment properties and subject to different...
Buyer Trends to Consider When Remodeling
We are in the middle of remodeling and want to make sure we create a home the market will embrace on resale. Any suggestions? The number one requested item from buyers nationally is a dedicated laundry room – a place where they can spread out and get laundry done...
Finding An Affordable Home
We would like to move to Sewickley. Are there any affordable homes anymore? Of course there are! But Sewickley, particularly in affordable price ranges, has become a very competitive market. It seems the secret is out – many people know about our very unique...
Home For The Holidays!
455 Backbone Road Everything you could ever need, in one home, to live an exclusive life of leisure, luxury, convenience and privacy. This spectacular 11 acre Sewickley Heights estate is less than 1 mile from the heart of Sewickley Village and yet here, you will feel...
Choosing the Right Home
We are eager to buy a new home but worry that we may not make a good choice. Any advice? Surveys have shown that 33% of baby boomer and 64% of millennial home buyers have some level of regret when buying a home, and given the fast-paced market we have been in this...
Mortgages and Retirements
We are planning for retirement and thinking of paying off our mortgage – is this a good idea? When it comes to personal finances, there is never a one size fits all answer. Financial advisors will often tell you that investing in the market will, over the long run,...
QUICK 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