Thinking Of Selling? Now May Be The Time

York County Home Sellers this Article is for YOU!



Thinking Of Selling? Now May Be The Time

York PA 2012 Real Estate Forecast

Looks like things are starting to stabilize here in York County after nearly four years of depreciation in the housing market locally. Looks like on average a 12% drop in prices have hit is this year. The silver lining in this cloud isthat prices have come down enough the the locally employed population can now afford to buy a home, especially with interest rates as low as 4%. For years as people from Maryland migrated here along with the higher wages they earned in Maryland they continued to push up the prices of homes. That trend has all but come to a halt. Maryland buyers use to make up nearly 80% of purchasers back in the pre-bubble days. It appears they are now around 12%.


Now is the time as a buyer to have a broad choice of homes to choose from at very reasonable prices and low mortgage payments. Lenders are loaning out money with as little as no money down with a USDA mortgage, or 3.5% total down paymentfor a FHA mortgage with help coming form the home seller in the form of a cash contribution. There are plenty of programs out there to choose from.

I expect 2012 to provide us with home price stabilization and even possible a slight tick up on prices. If you have been on the fence about buying a home now is the time to jump into the market.

Call the Pilgrim Team of Professional Realty Associates will we will help you to either buy or sell a home in a stress free way.

What is a Realtor Worth?

In today’s market what you need to be the most concerned about is what level of marketing you can expect from a Realtor. Secondly the Realtor must have the ability to negotiate not just with the buyers on your property to get the highest price for you, but also there is a high incidence of properties not appraising for the sales price on the contracts. When that happens I then must negotiate with the appraiser to prove to them that the value they came up with is incorrect and that they must change the appraisal. I have made and saved my home sellers thousands of dollars due to my experience and knowledge of the market. Please don’t get caught up on a difference of 1% broker fee when actually a fulltime agent such as me can save you thousands of dollars particularly in today’s market. If you want a fulltime professionals real estate agent in York, PA call me Jerry Pilgrim of the Pilgrim Team of Professional Realty Associates.

Staging Tips To Help Sell Your Home Fast

In this difficult economy, selling your home can be a challenge. Sellers are looking for help to sell their home faster and for top dollar. Staging a home for sale is one of the best marketing strategies in residential real estate.

If you are not familair with staging, it is the process of showcasing your home in its absolute best light. By doing this, you draw buyers’ attention to your home’s most appealing features and helps to not draw attention to the features that are not as appealing.

By staging your home you can emphasize on your home’s positives. It’s part art, part science--and all marketing. It can involve everything from fresh paint to clever carpentry, new lighting to new window treatments. And don’t forget the borrowed (or rented) furniture to define and enhance each room!

To see staging in action, watch an episode or two of HGTV’s Designed To Sell for some amazing tips. Also see Top 10 Home-Staging Dos and Top 10 Home-Staging Don’ts by Designed To Sell’s Donna and Shannon Freeman.

Below are some tips that you can follow to help make your home shine:

* Clear it out. You have stuff--lots of stuff. And your house is overloaded with all that stuff. Go through each room and get rid of the clutter everywhere you see it. Your rooms will look bigger, more restful, and more inviting. And all you did was pick up!

* Clean it up. Make sure everything shines inside and out, from windows, floors and countertops inside to the deck, garage and yard outside. Pay particular attention to the kitchen and bath. A little well-applied elbow grease will go a long way in selling your home. And it’s free!

Do these two simple things, and you’re already ahead in the staging game.

But should you keep going and stage other aspects of your own home? That depends on whether you have the eye, the skill--and the objectivity. Can you put yourself in the buyer’s shoes and see your home as the buyer will see it--positive points and negative points? Are you prepared to tackle those negatives? Do you have the “designer’s eye” for color and other design elements? Do you have the technical skills to complete improvements?

Staging can definitely help sell your house for more if it’s done right, whether you do it on your own or you hire a professional stager.

Home Sellers In York PA Here are some Tips

Home Sellers

Selling a home can be overwhelming but it should always be a smooth process. Clients who list their homes with The Pilgrim Team receive truly personalized service with unmatched results. Jerry and his Team have extensive knowledge and experience in York real estate, and they can market your home to the right buyer. By constantly adapting to market trends and using first-rate marketing techniques, The Pilgrim Team can target specific buyers who would be interested in purchasing your home.

So Why List With The Pilgrim Team?

Unmatched Experience with Record Results
Exceptional Negotiation Skills to Maximize Price
Large Buyer Client Base including Business from Area Corporations
Unmatched Internet Exposure
Cutting-Edge Marketing Techniques and Strategies
First-Class Support Team – We Are Always There for You!
State of the Art Technology Integration
A True Passion for Selling
Honest, Trustworthy and Sensitive
An Exceptional Closer who Keeps Your Sale Together and Gets It Done Quickly.
*Sellers Check Out our Guaranteed Sales Program*

We understand that you may be in the information gathering stage and may not be ready to open up about who you are or your real estate needs at this time. If you are not comfortable providing all your contact information that is perfectly okay. Just enter your name, phone number, and email address so we can send you the material you requested.

We hate spam as much as you, so the only person who sees your info is your Realtor.

Wyndham Hills Real Estate Activity Report for 2009

Wyndham Hills Real Estate Activity Report

Real Estate activity for Wyndham Hills, York, PA for the peiod of January 1st through November 30, 2009

Active Listings - Total currently listed 10

Least expensive home on the market is located at 1290 Grantley Rd at $269,900. The most expensive is $1,185,000 located at 900 Oakdale Rd. The median price is $507,450 and the average days a property has been on the market is 116.

Sold Listings - 8 sold

The least expensive was located at 850 Grantley Court, York at the price of $432,000. The most expensive home located at 1780 S Wyndham Dr, York sold for $1,050,000. The median price for those homes sold was $580,000, and the average days the homes were on the market was 136 days.

If you have an area anywhere in York County you would like to have a market update on a regular basis don't hesitate to contact us at Professional Realty Associates and the Pilgrim Team. We are here to serve you.

Stewartstown Station Real Estate Statistics

is this the housing statistic actiivity since Jan 1st 2009 in the sub-division known as Stewartstown Station in York County PA. It is located just outside of Stewartstown, PA and located within the Southeatern School District.

Current "active listings" as of November 23rd - 4 homes are listed begiining at $244,900 and the top price os $289,900.

Homes that have sold as of th 1st of 2009:

14 homes have had the deeds transferred, sold prices ranged from $169,900 to $300,000.

If you compare this year statistics to the same time period in 2008 you will find that 7 homes sold that year from $229,900 to a high of $305,000.

Learn the Truth about Short Sales

Thursday, October 29, 2009
by The Pilgrim Team, York, PA

Short Sale Myths

A short sale can be an excellent solution for homeowners who must sell and owe more on their Homes for sale in york pa than they are worth. Unfortunately, a number of myths about short sales have developed, and it is important to understand the reality of this process should you find it meets your current needs.

Myth #1 - The Bank Would Rather Foreclose than Bother with a Short Sale

The qualifications for a short sale include:This is one of the most common misconceptions. The reality is that banks do not want to foreclose on your property because the foreclosure process is incredibly costly. Banks, investors, and even the federal government have all publicly stated that if a person is qualified for a short sale, the deal needs to be considered. Overwhelmingly, banks receive more on their investment through a short sale than a foreclosure.

1. Financial hardship- There is a situation causing you to have trouble affording your mortgage.
2. Monthly Income Shortfall - "You have more month than money." A lender will want to see thatyou cannot afford, or soon will not be able to afford your mortgage.
3. Insolvency - The lender will want to see that you do not have significant liquid assets that would allow you to pay down your mortgage.

Myth #2 -You Must Be Behind on Your Mortgage to Negotiate a Short Sale

While this may have previously been the case, today lenders are looking for verifiable hardship, monthly cash flow shortfall, or pending shortfall and insolvency.

If you meet these three requirements and believe that you soon may be unable to afford your mortgage, act immediately. Any delay could limit your options. Do not wait until the countdown clock to foreclosure has started and you have even less time left.

Myth #3 - There,is Not Enough Time to Negotiate a Short Sale Before My Foreclosure

This is a myth that probably hurts homeowners the most. Many do not realize that foreclosure is a process, and that there is time to make decisions that may result in better outcomes.

The foreclosing party-in most cases a lender--can stall a foreclosure up to the final day of the process. Today, many lenders will stall a foreclosure with as little as a phone call from you explaining that you are trying to sell, and almost all lenders will stall a foreclosure with a legitimate contract. For real estate professionals who understand foreclosures and short sales, there is time available until the foreclosure process is complete.

Myth #4 - Listing My Home as a Short Sale is an Embarrassment

It is understandable to have reservations about letting the world know that you owe more on your home than it is worth. However, according to recent estimates, one out of five homeowners in theU.S. is in the same situation. You are to be congratulated for admitting you need help, taking action, and finding a professional who can work with you toward a solution.

With recent estimates showing 40-60% of U.S. sales will be short sales or foreclosures, you are not alone.

Myth #5 - Short Sales are Impossible and Never Get Approved

This is a complete falsehood. Are short sales more difficult to execute? Yes. Do you, as a homeowner, need to learn about a new process? Yes. Are they impossible? Absolutely not.

For example, agents with the Certified Distressed Property Expert(CDPE) Designation receive thousands of short sale approvals on a monthly basis. These professionals have undergone extensive training in methods to help homeowners in distress and process short sales. While there are no guarantees in any transaction, more and more short sales are being approved regularly. This is far from an impossible process.

Myth #6 - Banks are Waiting on a Bailout and Not Accepting Short Sales

You may have heard this, but the reality is that banks (and the U.S. government) are trying to do anything they can, within reason, to avoid foreclosing on properties. It is preposterous to believe they would deny a short sale in hopes that some future legislation would pass and pay them for losses.

Today, more banks are aggressively pursuing short sales and working with agents who understand how how to process them. Freddie Mac recently hosted a national training webinar for real estate agents where they expressly stated the organizational goal of "eliminating distressed assets through loan modifications or short sales."

Myth #7 - Buyers are Not Interested in Short Sale Properties


This is a myth that potential sellers hear all the time. Thankfully, this is just not true. In fact, many agents are getting calls from buyers who say they only want to look at foreclosure and short sales.

For buyers, short sales and foreclosures have become synonymous with "good deals." More specifically, international buyers are targeting these properties. Listing with an experienced agent who is educated in the short sale process will provide you with a great chance of quickly seeing a contract on your property.

In conclusion, Agents with the CDPE Designation have been trained in all aspects of the short sale process, and know how to deal with the parties involved in foreclosures. Finding a CDPE can explain what options you have, and get you on the path to recovery.

Is Now The Time To Sell My House?

Is now the time to sell my house or should I wait? That is probably the question most people who want to sell are asking themselves these days. It all comes down to do you need to sell right now or just do want to make a change? Sometimes because of a job relocation it is not a decision you have any choice to make. But if you want to sell because you have outgrown your present house due to family size or maybe you want to downsize because the kids have moved out, what do you do? With the dramatic drop in home values do you wait for the market to recover to the norm or do you sell now? Let's take a look at where the market is and where it may be going. If your house has dropped around 20% in value over the last 3 years and the market rebounds to what is considered normal which is an average of 2-3% appreciation a year it could take over 10 years for the market to make up the difference in what you lost. Most people don't and can't wait that long. What you do have going for you is that you can possibly save thousands of dollars on the house you will buy and at a very low interest rate if you need to finance it. So is it a good time to sell...you bet.

What is most important if you decide to sell you house keep in mind that all Realtors are not alike. As far a what company do you hire, that really has no bearing on your decision, remember the company does not sell your house the agent does. So be sure you choose an experienced agent who has an excellent marketing plan, has excellent negotiating skills and has the experience to help you all the way until you get a successful sale. Please feel free to check me out at my web page or call me for a interview. You'll be glad you did.

House Flipping

Beware of House Flippers! Sellers beware of the come on advertising to "buy your house for cash". Remember it is an investor looking to steal your house at a low price, put as few dollars in it and turn around and make a tidy sum. Who loses? The house Seller. Who wins the investor. Unless you are desperate for a quick sale don't talk to these people!