Are you selling Pittsburgh real estate? Has your home been on the market for awhile? Don’t feel despair, instead, take the opportunity to really showcase your home this spring. To begin with, get your yard in order.

Pittsburgh Homes For Sale

Increase your curb appeal. What is the first thing a Pittsburgh area home buyer will see? The outside of your house.

Power wash the siding and driveway, put fresh paint if needed, wash the windows, and get rid of all the cobwebs or fall debris that might still be hanging around. The best way to showcase a yard is to plant flowers and bushes to show off the yard’s best assets. Have a nice sunny patch? Get some bright flowers to draw attention to it. Have a large shady area? Get some great shade loving ferns and plants-show potential home buyers that the shade is a good thing, and show them what can be done.

Getting your Pittsburgh Home Ready To Sell

If you don’t have a green thumb, or don’t know the first thing about plants that will work in your yard, you are in luck. The 29th Annual Home and Garden Show starts today at the Pittsburgh Convention Center, and there are over 9 acres of everything and anything you ever wanted to learn about gardening.

You will also find great ideas for showcasing the inside of you home to its best advantage. If you take care of getting a great yard going and spruce up the inside with some quick cleaning and lighting tricks, you are sure to finally get an offer.

Relocating to Pittsburgh

If you are ready to move, but don’t know much about the Pittsburgh area, be sure to request my Pittsburgh Relocation Guide and my Pittsburgh Home Buying Guide, both are full of the important information that will make your real estate journey smooth and easy. Any other questions? Feel free to contact me, Jim Dolanch, your expert Pittsburgh real estate agent-I am here to serve you.

Until next time,
Jim

When you start the journey to Pittsburgh, PA home ownership, you have many options and choices to make-and sometimes it can be hard to tell which decisions are the best for you, your finances and your situation.

Pittsburgh Homes For Sale

First off, when you start browsing the Pittsburgh MLS home search through www.jimdolanch.com, you have the choice of also browsing Pittsburgh real estate for sale by area or zip code, so if there are certain community or area amenities and aspects you would like to enjoy, be sure to learn more about Pittsburgh area communities. By spending a little bit of time researching the areas, you can narrow down your home search by seeing homes that are only in the communities that interest you.

Pittsburgh Real Estate Financing

Second off, you must think about what kind of financing you will be using. If you are an “empty nester” you may be coming to the home buying table with a full cash offer, or if you are a first time home buyer, you may have 10% down. If you are a Pittsburgh first time home buyer, you may not have much credit history on your side; however, if what you have is in fantastic order, you can still get a great rate. As a second or third (or fourth) time home buyer, you do come to the bale with a boost up on the credit, as you have already proven yourself as a responsible home owner, capable of making reliable Pittsburgh real estate mortgage payments.

All of these aspects change the way your lender or bank will set up or mortgage, what interest rate you have, and  how much you can borrow.However, if your credit is questionable, now is the time to get it in order. A good year (or more!) of solid, reliable credit can do wonders to your home buying power, approval with lenders, and your mortgage rates. The longer you have a positive credit score, the more power you have to pick and choose your mortgage, your lender, and your rates.For even more guidance, you can request my Pittsburgh Home Buying Guide or contact me.

Selling Pittsburgh Real Estate

Lastly, For most home buyers, selling Pittsburgh property is the very first step that must be done before getting serious about buying a new home. How do you work out this process? What if a home you love comes on the market, but you  haven’t gotten an offer on yours yet, or the offer isn’t settled yet? With the help of an expert Pittsburgh real estate agent, you can easily make and offer that is contingent on the selling of your current home.

Pittsburgh Real Estate Questions and Answers

Do you have other Pittsburgh real estate questions? Feel free to contact me, Jim Dolanch, your expert Pittsburgh Realtor, to learn everything and anything about the Pittsburgh area.

Until next time,

Jim

Peters Township Real Estate has seen the same slump a lot of the nation is facing right now; however, we are starting to come out of that slump, which is great news for Pittsburgh home buyers and sellers! Even with with the good news, there is a group that still needs some assistance and your expert Pittsburgh and Peters Township REALTORS are here to help!

Pittsburgh Short Sales

When you are trying to sell your home, but can not sell it for what you owe on it, then you are caught in a short sale. Short sales can be maddeningly frustrating for all involved, because each one has to be approved by the mortgage lenders and that whole process can take a very long time.

Lenders can often take weeks or, in worst cases, months, to respond to a short sale offer. Why? Because they are getting overloaded with requests AND in a short sale, they are getting paid less than what was originally promised. So even though someone may be able to prove hardship in making their Peters Township home payments, the lenders still aren’t super excited to lose the money, even though in the long run they could up getting less if it goes to foreclosure.

So what is a home owner to do? Make sure you work with an Expert Peters Township Realtor, who understands the short sale process for your area inside and out.

Because even when things do go smoothly and your short sale is approved, there can still be mistakes in how long it takes the paperwork to get back to you, making it impossible to close in time and forcing you to start over. Unless you contact an expert Pittsburgh REALTOR and let me help with every step of the process.

Short sales can be frustrating, but don’t worry; the real estate team at JimDolanch.com is here to help you every step of the way.

Are you thinking about how to start the short sale process, or what to see if a short sale might be an option so you can avoid foreclosure? Then contact us, your expert Peters Township, PA real estate agents, with all of your questions and concerns.

Until next time,
Jim

Well, it has been very busy around here with celebrations for our Penguins! They broke the 38 year old game 7 road jinx to beat Detriot 2-1 on Friday. They overcame Crosby being injured and being down until the third period to come back with a wonderful win; it was quite the game to see!



Who got the hold the cup first? Sidney Crosby, who despite his knee injury, came out and held the cup over his ear to ear smile. It was a wonderful moment to watch, for us Penguin fans!



Celebration is still in the air and there is rumor the Stanley Cup will be making some more appearances around town-it already came by the PNC Park this past Sunday, and if you were in the Pittsburgh area yesterday, then you know we had a HUGE parade for our Stanley Cup winners over the weekend that rivaled the Steelers Super Bowl celebration, with 375,000 people attending!



And in true Pittsburgh fashion, the parade was family friendly and a great time for family and friends to gather and enjoy the Stanley Cup victory. Only 2 people in 375,000 were arrested for behaving badly.



Impressive, eh?



Would you like to learn about living in an area where that many people can gather, have fun, and you don’t have to worry about what or who your family might be around? Then feel free to take a look around the Pittsburgh Real Estate and search the Pittsburgh MLS.  I also represent the Peters Township Real Estate area and offer home searches for the Peters Township MLS, so feel free to look around these two neighboring, lovely areas and contact me, Jim Dolanch, your Pittsburgh and Peters Township Realtor for questions about everything and anything about Real Estate.



Until next time,

Jim

Selling your Pittsburgh Real Estate can be a great experience, if you know what to do or have the help of an expert Pittsburgh Real Estate team; however, there are still some very common mistakes you should avoid (no matter what area you live in) when you try to sell your home.

Since I have been in the Peters Township area and Real Estate industry for many years, I see these mistakes made time after time, and not just by people doing the “For Sale By Owner” road; I see people paying for a realtor’s help commiting these very drastic mistakes.

Avoid these 10 Common Mistakes, and you will have taken a huge step towards marketing your Pittsburgh Real Estate to potential buyers.

1. Over pricing your home

2. Not allowing your home to be shown.

3. Not keeping your home clean and in good showing condition.

4. Not leaving your home during a showing. Leaving allows the potential buyers to imagine it as their home and to not see it as yours.

5. Talking to the buyer or buyer’s agent and giving wrong information or wrong impressions.

6. Panic selling, I’ve got to sell my home now!

7. Not seeing your home through buyer’s eyes. “My home is the best in the area” syndrome. Try to pretend you are out buying and realize the purple ceilings your love may not be in everyone’s taste. De-cluttering, removing dust, and modernizing a bit with more neutral looks-like painting the purple ceiling white again-can drastically change a buyer’s opinion of your home.

8. Believing an open house will sell their home.

9. Demanding their realtor change how they market their home instead of relying on the realtor’s experience and expertise.

10. Choosing the wrong realtor.

First and foremost? Don’t over price your home-rely on your Realtor’s expertise in the matter AND take a look at comparable homes in your area. Should you happen to feel your Realtor has over priced your home, look into getting an appraisal.

Also, don’t tell your Pittsburgh Realtor how to do their job, BUT remember that they ARE working for you-they make money from selling your home! So if there are things you desire-like having the Realtor check the info tube at least once a week to put new flyers in-then by all means talk to your Realtor about what type of service you demand. Realtors aren’t miricle workers; however, there are many little things we can do to really market your Pittsburgh home well to buyers.

And should you feel your Realtor just is not up to par with what you are needing, or if you have not yet found a Pittsburgh Area Realtor, then take a look around my Peters Township and Pittsburgh Real Estate Site and contact me if you ever have any questions about real estate, Peters Township, Pittsburgh, or even just where you can find a great hoggie sandwich. I’m here to help you settle to our lovely Peters Township area anyway I can.

Until next time,

Jim

A huge heartfelt thank you from my family to all of the brave men and women serving in our military. I stumbled upon this video that so wonderful reminds us all about the true meaning of Memorial Day:

Again, thank you, for keeping the entire United States (and my lovely home town of Pittsburgh) safe.

Until next time,

Jim

1. Over pricing your home

2. Not allowing your home to be shown.

3. Not keeping your home clean and in good showing condition.

4. Not leaving your home during a showing.

5. Talking to the buyer or buyer’s agent and giving wrong information or wrong impressions.

6. Panic selling, I’ve got to sell my home now!

7. Not seeing your home through buyer’s eyes. “My home is the best in the area” syndrome.

8. Believing an open house will sell your home.

9. Demanding your realtor change how they market your home instead of relying on the realtor’s experience and expertise.

10. Choosing the wrong realtor.

Feel free to ask me all  your Pittsburgh Real Estate questions and to get advice on selling your Pittsburgh real estate quickly and for a fair value.

Until next time,

Jim

When selling your Pittsburgh Area home, one of the hardest things to do is to see it as a buyer does. Your home is where you brought your babies home from the hospital, where you and your friends had that great 4th of July cookout, where all the neighbors hung out during the snowstorm and it is difficult to not have all those wonderful, warm feelings color the way you view your home. But when trying to sell your home, one of the most important things you can do is to forget the fun times you had in your Pittsburgh Area home and really lookat it with fresh eyes. Here is an exercise that might help:

The next time you come home, park across the street, where you have the greatest view of you home, then stand back and critique your home as though you were house hunting. Would you want you buy your home as is, or would you be looking for some trimmed bushes and flowers around the mail box? What is your first impression of the house and yard area? What is the best exterior features? How can you enhance them? What are the worst? How can you minimize or improve it? Follow these Pittsburgh Real Estate Moving tips, and you will dramatically improve your curb appeal to potential Pittsburgh Home Buyers:

*Kill mold and mildew on the house, sidewalks, roof or driveway.

*Stow away unnecessary garden implements and tools

*Clean windows and gutters

*Pressure wash dirty siding and dingy decks

*Edge sidewalks and remove vegetation growing between concrete or bricks

*Mow the lawn and get rid of weeds

*Rake and dispose of leaves, even if your lot is wooded

*Trim tree limbs that are near or touchign the home’s roof.

A mistake many home sellers make? DON’T FORGET THE BACKYARD/REAR VIEW OF YOUR HOME. Potential buyers will be going into your backyard; tidy it up and make it appealing. Plant colorful flowers and sweep your deck or patio area so it is nice and clean. Tidy up the kid’s toys, too. Home buyers with kids will understand the mess toys cause, but with kid clutter everywhere you can alienate home buyers that don’t have children by making areas look smaller and dirtier, so clean up before open houses or home viewings as much as possible.

More questions or concerns about how to add curb appeal and value to your Pittsburgh Real Estate? Then contact me, your Pittsburgh Real Estate Agent.

As the trees and flowers begin to show some green it is time to think NEW and RENEW!  

Time to get out into the yard and clean out the dead grass and leaves; and time to plant so we can enjoy the “fruits of our labor”!   I know that getting outside and cleaning away the “dead of winter” renews my spirits and planting and uncovering flowers helps me to look forward and brings on hope and color.   

Easy Ways to Boost Property Value

Even if you aren’t selling your home, you can do these things to maintain your value. 

Ø      Paint the exterior - A fresh coat of paint can give even a relatively new home a much needed facelift, and can often be done for as low as a few thousand dollars. Select a neutral tone that is consistent with other residences in the neighborhood. Also be sure to pay close attention to eaves, gutters and drains that may also need painting.

Ø      Complete all needed repairs - To maximize a home’s worth, it should be in good condition both inside and out. Hire an inspector now, and fix any and all problems, such as roof deficiencies, leaky plumbing and electrical concerns.

Ø      Upgrade front yard landscaping - Curb appeal is important if you are selling but it is also nice to feel welcome and a sense of pride when you come home!   Add new foliage, plants, flowers, color.  Add landscape lighting! 

Ø      Create a quick kitchen makeover - Kitchens are one of the number one room in the home where you’ll get the most bang for your remodeling buck. Countertops and appliances are the quickest fix, as are faucets, fixtures, door knobs and other easily changed items that can have a large impact on the space.

Ø      Think spa, not bathroom - Think spa, or private sanctuary, where the master bath is concerned. A space meant to be relaxing, rejuvenating and more. Upgrade the faucets, fixtures, lighting, cabinetry, mirrors and the like. Then dress it up with plants, candles and other inexpensive, high impact décor.

Ø      Install soft and hard window treatments - There’s nothing more boring than a plain window. Take advantage of this easy opportunity to give the home’s interior design more impact!   In addition to “hard” treatments such as blinds and shutters that offer privacy, also add soft treatments hung from decorative fixtures, which can alter the appeal of a room entirely. Look to a professional to ensure the best outcome.

Ø      Replace carpet or give it a good cleaning – Steam cleaning your carpet can make it look new but sometimes it is just time to replace it.   Remember fresh, neutral-toned carpet with an upgraded pad will provide an extra luxurious feel.

Ø      Don’t overlook your closets - The better organized a closet, the larger it appears and less clutter makes us all feel more organized.  Plus if you box up those unwanted clothes and shoes and donate them to charity it’s a 2 for 1 good feeling!  Consider a closet organization system – either by a professional or self-installed. 

We all know that Pittsburgh winters can be long and sometimes brutal; it always feels good when spring starts to peek through.  Be sure to get outside and enjoy the sunshine!    

Until next time,

Jim

Time to Spring Ahead!  As we move our clocks ahead one hour this weekend and we begin to see the signs of spring we naturally think of renewal and beginning again!  

Are you thinking it is time to move?  A larger home; or time to downsize; or maybe it’s time for your first home!   This really is a GREAT time to buy a home in the Pittsburgh Area.  If you are a first time homebuyer the government has just presented you with 8,000 reasons to move forward with your plans.  The supply of Pittsburgh Area Homes For Sale is plentiful so there are lots of choices for every price range and area of Pittsburgh. 

The Jim Dolanch Team can help you sell your current home too! 

We believe family should come first and the family atmosphere in the Jim Dolanch Team is evident in everything we do!  Jim Dolanch and Team are experts in their fields and this means we will help you make the best decisions for your Pittsburgh Area Real Estate transactions.  Contact us and let’s see what Spring blooms bring your way. 

Until next time,

Jim