by Active Adults Realty
We have just added new virtual tours on some great homes for sale in Coastal Delaware. Take a look and let us know if you would like to see any of these properties in person. This is a great time to buy a home at today’s prices and the current low interest rates. Watch the Virtual tours!
Wow, look at that model with the gourmet kitchen, the hardwood floors, the luxury owner’s bath and that outdoor kitchen! That’s the house I want … but that costs what? Why do builders put so many options and upgrades into their model homes? If they built a base model home and just let it speak for itself, then you would know what is really included, right? But would you be enticed to buy a home in that community?
What’s included in the base model pricing of that new home? That depends. Don’t assume that all new homes come standard with the elegant finishes and details you find in the model homes. Everything you see is available but much of it will require upgrades and option selections. What should you expect the final price of your home to be? Since we are talking about the home itself, this is true regardless of the type of community. If the community is an active adult community or a planned community with lots of amenities, that will have an impact on HOA or Condo fees and closing costs which we’ll talk about in a future article.
That used to be easy in Coastal Delaware – NO! But now there are some builders that are including an unfinished basement in the base model price like Blenheim at Bay Crossing and KHovnanian at Nassau Grove. Other builders like Schell Brothers at Independence offer a basement on certain lots as an upgrade. At Heritage Creek however, an unfinished basement is standard on all of the Schell Homes. So the answer to that question varies by builder and community, especially in the Coastal areas of Delaware. (more…)
Jamie Hudson
This year Schell Brothers awarded me the “BFF Award”! I think this might be the best award I have ever received. When Jamie Hudson, Director of Sales, announced the award at the Schell Annual Realtor Event, she said it was because “Kathy is a good friend to Schell Brothers and brings many of her clients to our communities. BUT, she is a better friend to her Buyer clients, even if that means bending Chris Schell’s arm behind his back!” That was the ultimate compliment and it tells you a lot about Schell Brothers.
What do I mean? A lot of builders say they cooperate with Realtors, but what they really want is for us to drop you off at their doorstep and then leave. A serious Buyer Agent will never do that. Our job doesn’t end when we find you a home you might like. It continues throughout the selection process, the actual building and periodic inspections right up to and including settlement. That is true whether it is a to-be-built home, an inventory home, a quick delivery home or a Resale.
The BFF Award
Do I like Schell Brothers? Absolutely, because they build a quality home that is both elegant and energy efficient. They also understand Customer Service and they respect the fact that I represent my client. No matter how hard you work, things can go wrong. I have always found that it is not the problem but how the problem is resolved that people always remember. I have to say that everyone at Schell Brothers, regardless of position or community is a real pleasure to work with.
What I’m trying to say is – get to know Delaware and then you can decide what kind of community is right for you. I finally understand why so many people from New Jersey are sure they want to live in a 55+ community. They don’t want to be outnumbered by families with lots of young children and they think the only way to accomplish that is to live in an age-restricted community. What they don’t know yet is that here in Coastal Delaware at least, those of us 55+ are becoming the majority. This is a resort area and now it is also a desirable place to retire. It is not a place where an aspiring corporate executive moves the family to begin a career climbing the ladder. When they become successful enough, it certainly is a place they may purchase a second home at the beach, but that still isn’t the majority of our new home buyers. (more…)
Gail Alm
National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) annualized numbers from the Existing Sales Report says 14,000 homes sell every day in this country. That means 14,000 yesterday, 14,000 today and 14,000 tomorrow!
Most of the country is still showing sales below last year. This year’s sales are compared against the expiring home buyer tax credit last year which pulled sales from later in the year into the first quarter. But guess what? Here in Sussex County Delaware for the 1st Quarter of 2011 we are up 8% in units against last year in the sales of single family homes. And that too is up against numbers where people were buying early in the year to take advantage of the tax credit. (more…)
Reality sets in and you realize that $250,000 is a quarter of a million dollars! That’s a lot of money but can it buy you the dream home you’ve worked so hard for all your life? Maybe. Defining your dream home is all about how you want to live and what you are willing to sacrifice to get what you really want – freedom and life without stress!
I have noticed a real change in what my buyer clients are telling me this year compared to 2 or 3 years ago. They’re saying they want to downsize now and they really mean it. Who really needs a 3,000 sq. ft. home with 11′ ceilings when you retire and the kids are gone? How many times are all the kids and grandkids going to visit at the same time and how luxurious do the guest rooms need to be? Seriously, don’t you want to spend your time doing the things you never had time to do before? Are you staying home to watch TV in your new media room or traveling to Europe this summer?
All I’m saying is there are some options worth considering that are in good neighborhoods and you won’t end up with a mortgage that keeps you from enjoying retirement. Maybe your dream home is in this group of -
How’s the real estate market in 2011 here in Coastal Delaware? I had a great conversation this afternoon with Gail Alm at Fairway Independent Mortgage and she shared the following news with me:
Sussex County, Delaware, is up significantly while the other two counties in Delaware – Kent and New Castle – both decreased. Most of the rest of the country is down. This despite the fact that there is no tax credit like there was in the 1st quarter of 2010.
At least now I know why we’ve been so busy! The market here is happening.
It’s so easy to find everything about homes for sale on the Internet isn’t it? All of the details that were previously only available to real estate professionals can now be found on Zillow and Trulia and a multitude of other sites. Some even proclaim that they know the value of any home in any town, based on public information pulled from tax records and recent sales transactions.
Let’s Search for a homeYou are looking for a 3+ bedroom, 2+ bath, one-level home with a 2-car garage priced between $300,000 and $350,000 in Coastal Delaware. So you enter that search criteria into your favorite online site, perhaps this one, and you come up with – Search Results
Many of my clients have found a great way to reserve their place in Coastal Delaware. You can purchase a lot now in several communities and build when you are ready. Why is this such a good idea? Land is what will appreciate as the real estate market continues to improve and the market here in Coastal Delaware is improving fast. Lots in the most desirable communities are disappearing – I wrote contracts myself on 4 lots in the past two weeks just for my buyer clients!
View of the Indian River
The lot pictured above is one of two lots on River Road with a view across the street of the Indian River. Each lot is over an acre, with public water and sewer available. The List Price is $179,900 per lot. (more…)
Many of you reading this still live in New York or New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, DC or even Connecticut or Maine. Your home is listed for sale so that you can move to Coastal Delaware. Right now we are working 24/7 and still having trouble keeping up. There are so many people looking to relocate to Coastal Delaware and eventually retire in Tax Free Delaware that we are swamped! I remind myself of that old saying
“If you need something done, ask a busy person to do it!”
but I need your cooperation. Do you need my attention right now? Please raise your hand and wave it wildly. In Internet terms, that means please send me an email and say –
I NEED HELP NOW!
There are two of us and both Bill and I work weekends, especially during the spring and summer season. We are busy with prospective buyers looking at properties or just getting to know the area if it’s their first trip. This is a good sign. It means this market is once again HOT. This is the best 1st Quarter I have had in 8 years; people are buying. (more…)
