Everyone with a web site just assumes that you will know how to use it. “Publish it and they will come!” But every site is different and I thought it might be helpful to introduce you to ActiveAdultsDelaware.com and all the ways you can use this site to find the house you are looking for.

First, you can search all properties for sale in Sussex County, Delaware that are listed in the Multiple Listing Service. It doesn’t matter with whom the home is listed; you do not need to go to Realtor.com or Trulia.com or Zillow.com – every listed property can be found right here.

Resale homes as well as many of the model homes to-be-built in new home communities can all be found by searching right here.

Look at the home page and notice right at the top it says Search Coastal Delaware Homes. (more…)

2011 Ended with a flurry of activity and the opening of our own Brokerage – Active Adults Realty. After years of planning, education, finding just the right location, renovating that building, hiring the right team – an experienced Office Manager and a couple of great agents, we are ready to start 2012 with enthusiasm and lots of positive energy. This Tuesday, the Lewes Chamber of Commerce and representatives of the local business community will be here with the “Ribbon”, the big scissors and the local press to officially open our doors for business. I’ll be sure to post the photos to share this experience with all of you.

If you have opened your own business or been a part of a new venture, you know that it is exciting and scary all at the same time. As the Broker-Owner, the buck now stops with me!

So, here are my personal resolutions

• Stay Focused and continue to work with the people we know and understand – Boomers and Beyond or what the real estate world calls “Active Adults”. I firmly believe it is not possible to be all things to all people. (more…)

Today is the 1st of December. Where did the year go? In Coastal Delaware it went quickly because we were BUSY! I know you all watch the news like I do and get depressed by the reports of “depressed housing sales”. Well, I find myself talking to the TV and asking “Why don’t you come to Lewes or Rehoboth Beach and see how well the real estate market is doing here?

They’re evacuating New Jersey

So many of our Buyer Clients are coming here from New Jersey I joke that it feels like a “Permanent Class Reunion”. (more…)

There is so much new technology introduced every day to help you find your next home. Sometimes I wonder – what technology do you use? For example:

• Do you use a Smartphone?
• Is your Smartphone a Blackberry or an iPhone or Android device?
• Have you ever scanned a QR Code? If you saw one on a For Sale sign, would you scan it to get more information?
• Have you upgraded to an iPad or other tablet with all the bells and whistles? (more…)

Let’s get to know each other. Read more about me and why I became a REALTOR.

Check out my about.me profile!

Delaware is a small state of less than a million people! We have only 3 counties in Delaware! If you are trying to decide where you might want to find that perfect retirement community in  Delaware, start here:

• New Castle County is the northernmost county and includes Wilmington, Newark and  Middletown to name a few of the largest cities and towns. This is the most developed part of the state and has the fewest new home communities to offer. The existing active adult communities tend to be smaller and a bit more expensive but they are convenient to Philadelphia, to the airport, the Amtrak station and more of a city lifestyle. There is one new active adult community that has yet to build a model home, but they have begun to sell from floor plans. Preconstruction pricing ranges from $219,990 to $309,990 for the BASE MODELS with a host of options. Typically, you should estimate an additional $40,000 or more in options and upgrades.
• Kent County takes up the central part of Delaware and Dover, the State Capital, is the major city in Kent County. Several new home communities, including several popular active adult communities are being built in and around Dover. Home prices tend to more moderate in Central Delaware and communities here are close to the Dover Mall, Dover Downs and the State House. Being centrally located makes it easy to get to the Wilmington area and the beach resorts. It is possible to find a 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch home in one or two popular active adult communities between $200,000 and $250,000.
• Sussex County is the lower part of Delaware or what we call Coastal Delaware. From the Atlantic Ocean to the western part of the county which borders the Eastern Shore of Maryland, this is the fastest growing county in Delaware. It is home to several of Delaware’s most luxurious and best known active adult communities. There is also a wide range of other housing choices, from elegant beach homes selling for Millions to affordable homes, townhouses and condos.

The lower taxes in Delaware do make it possible for many retirees to buy the home of their dreams. Can you find yours? It all depends on what you have pictured in your mind when you think about retiring to Delaware and living the good life. To start, you can preview some of the most popular active adult communities, starting here.

What makes a chef?

It takes more than a list of ingredients to make me a chef! When asked if I can cook, I often say “I can follow a recipe”. I can do the simple things pretty well. I don’t undercook or overcook and I know what I like. When I watch a chef put together a meal, however, I realize there’s a big difference.

What about a good builder?

I used that analogy recently with a client of mine who asked me how to tell the difference between the builders because they all say “we are green” and “we are the best”. A list of ingredients, I replied, does not mean that the builder is committed to building you a quality home. It takes more than advertising and a good sales pitch. It takes a commitment to quality, a reputation built over time and the respect of other professionals. The builders I recommend are the ones that consistently deliver on their promise, build a good home and have a company culture that prioritizes customer service. Something can always go wrong with any builder, but the difference is how they handle the problems and do the right thing.

The excitement is building as we wait to learn which family has been selected for an Extreme Makeover here in Sussex County, Delaware. Schell Brothers has been selected as the builder for an upcoming episode of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”. The build will take place between August 22 and 29, 2011, somewhere in Sussex County. Read More

“Building Happiness Extreme Performance”
Cape Henlopen High School Auditorium
Time: 8PM – 9:30PM (immediately following pep rally)
Tickets: $30 (Donation)*
*All proceeds from tickets go to “Sussex County Family Fund”.
“Glee” star, Telly Leung to perform and host the show. Variety show with performances by Blue Moon favorite, Pamela Stanley; Delaware Choral Society; Miss Delaware – Maria Cahill; Pianist Melanie Bradley and vocalist Leigh Nordley; First State Ballet Theatre; Pianist and singer Jerry Birl; Vineland Regional Dance Company; Rob and Jen Barbarita jazz ensemble; Shenandoah graduate, singer/dancer Erika Conaway; Delaware Arts Conservatory tap dancers & AMDA dancers Alexa DeBarr and Christine Slato.

Bill Bell, owner Gotcha Covered, has signed up to help build and I expect there will be lots of volunteers lining up to make this a special moment.

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…)