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

All of us at Jim Dolanch Real Estate Team want to extend a heartfelt “Happy Thanksgiving” to everyone. The Pittsburgh and Peters Township areas have come alive with preparation for the holiday-and I am even starting to see Christmas excitement build and decorations appear.

The Pittsburgh area has some great shopping to offer any and all of you who will be partaking in the “Black Friday” madness.

Pittsburgh Homes for Sale

The last thing Peters Township home buyers need to add to the holiday is a stressful home buying experience. If you are ready to search the Pittsburgh MLS for your dream home, be sure you request our Pittsburgh home buying guide or inquire about our personalized Peters Township relocation guide; our tips, advice, help and information will make home buying simple, easy and smooth. You can learn more about our amazing area by simply contacting me, Jim Dolanch, your expert Pittsburgh REALTOR.

I hope your Thanksgiving is filled with joy!

Until next time,
Jim

If you are moving to Pittsburgh, or getting ready to start your Pittsburgh relocation journey, you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed. Pittsburgh is a LARGE city, with a lot of different lifestyle options, as well as, many neighboring communities to choose from. All are fantastic and offer many excellent home styles and sites; however, if you are not from the Pittsburgh area already, finding your dream home can be a huge undertaking.

Pittsburgh Expert REALTOR

That is where we step in. At the Jim Dolanch Real Estate Team, we are here to help you find the perfect Pittsburgh area homes for sale for you. Let us do all the leg work so you can find the Pittsburgh property of your dreams without breaking a sweat.

Pittsburgh Home Finder Assistant and Home Watch

Simply go to our Pittsburgh and Peters Township real estate site at www.jimdolanch.com and fill out the Pittsburgh Home Finder Assistant form. Once you submit your information, we will send you alerts when homes fitting your desired criteria go on the market so you have the first chance to view them before someone else puts in a bid. Go here so you can fill out our Pittsburgh  Home Watch form now.

Search the Pittsburgh MLS

Ready to start your Pittsburgh home search? Simply contact me, Jim Dolanch, your expert Pittsburgh real estate agent. Happy house hunting!

Until next time,

Jim

Moving to the Pittsburgh, PA area is a joyful time, but it can still be very difficult on kids- especially if they are of school age, with friends, favorite teachers, and class activities that they are having to move away from.

Make Your Move To Peters Township With Children Easier

Though the move may be hard for kids in general, the part most parents dread is the drive to your new home. Unless you are staying in the same city, or an area close by, you will probably end up with more than a few hours of driving to reach your new Pittsburgh area real estate all the while dealing with a grumpy child in the backseat. What are parents to do? Never fear, I have a few tricks I have learned over the years as an expert Peters Township real estate agent:

• Brush up on your traditional car games. Even the alphabet game and licence plate game can be modified for younger children. Travel size board games, like battle ship, can be fantastic ways to pass the time.
• Have a basket of entertainment at easy reach. For younger children, keep the basket full of their favorite toys, books, and snacks. Hand out one item at a time, so younger children will get some good entertainment out of each one before they get bored. For older children, perhaps take them to a books store to buy a book they would enjoy reading, let them pick out an age appropriate magazine. Highlights, Zoo Books American Girl, are great for the tween years.
• Have snacks on hand. Even the grumpiest child will cheer up when given his favorite snacks. If the move is particularly hard on your child, perhaps splurge and get some items he or she has always wanted -like those double stuff oreos-but you never deemed as appropriate lunch food.
• Get the addresses of all your children’s best friends, and let your children pick out their own stationary so they can write their friends about the trip to your new home. If your children are upset about losing friends, this can be a great opportunity to help them realize they can still keep their friends. There are lots of great car travel trays you can find at Walmart,Target and other such stores, that will provide a great flat surface for your children to write on. This also provides a great way for your children to realize they can still stay in touch with their friends, and provides a great way to work on their writing skills. Even if you children are older and in the texting/twitter/facebook way of communicating with all their friends, they may still enjoy the novelty of writing a letter to pass the time.
• If your drive will be more than 6-8 hours, it might be a good idea to invest in a portable DVD play for the car. As much as I myself dislike entertaining children with the tv for hours at a time, on a very long drive, a short movie or cartoon might be just the trick to help ease squirmy passangers, and give you parents some downtime from entertaining.

Learn More About Relocating To Pittsburgh

Are you Relocating to the Peters Township area? Be sure to ask for our FREE personalized Pittsburgh and Peters Township Relocation Guide to get all the businesses, Peters Township area schools and other local Pittsburgh activity informaiton make the areas of Pittsburgh and Peters Township one of the greatest places to raise a family. All our tips will help you get settled quickly and to prepare even more for your move, read up on our Peters Township moving tips.

If you are ready to search Pittsburgh homes for sale, or would like to browse the Pittsburgh MLS, then contact me, Jim Dolanch, your expert Pittsburgh Realtor.

Until next time,

Jim

Start Your Free Pittsburgh Home Search

now, and you will quickly see why Pittsburgh and the surrounding Peters Township area are in such high demand. Pittsburgh is a leading city, with unlimited day and night entertainment, a growing “green” lifestyle offerings, amazing schools, and luxurious homes.

Pittsburgh Areas
You should consider when buying a home are listed on our Pittsburgh Real Estate Site, broken down by area and community. You can also contact us, your Pittsburgh real estate experts, to learn about specific neighborhoods with the amenities and location you desire and need.

Pittsburgh Real Estate

and the neighboring communities have become very closely associated with the outstanding schools your children will attend. Homes for sale here offer amenities, are not overpriced, and provide the educational benefits you desire for your children without the hassle of driving them long distances to private schools. Our Pittsburgh area school system has consistently won awards and recognition year after year and graduates of our system have gone on to win numerous amounts of scholarship for colleges around the nation.

Learn more about buying Pittsburgh Real Estate

by contacting me, Jim Dolanch, your expert Pittsburgh area Realtor.

Until next time,
Jim

Searching for that perfect Pittsburgh Area Home For Sale

Well, you don’t have to look any further! This Sunday, July 12th, from 1pm to 4pm you can have the chance to personally view one of The Jim Dolanch Team’s Featured Pittsburgh Properties for sale.

The Pittsburgh MLS Home Search is amazing; however, hours of searching through numerous pictures can be daunting. That is why the Century 21 Jim Dolanch team of expert Pittsburgh Realtors holds multiple open houses for all of our featured Peters Township area homes.

Featured Peters Township Area Open House

This week’s is for 93 Little John Drive Peters Township, PA 15317 with 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms,2 -1/2 bathrooms, and 3590 square feet of living space!

Amazing Kitchen in your dream Peters Township Home

If there is one room that should really shine in your home, it is your kitchen. Your kitchen will be the “hub” of your home, especially if you have children, and you will really enjoy the spaciousness of the kitchen 93 Little John Drive offers.

Would you like to learn more? Feel Free to contact us with any questions, or to even set up a different home tour time if you are unable to make it to our open house on Sunday.

We hope to see you at 93 Little John Drive!
Until next time,
Jim

Living In Peters Township

Living in Peters Township, I have the best of both worlds. I have the big city amenities of Pittsburgh-the action, the shopping (which my wife adores), the night life, and the museums (which I greatly enjoy). And I have the beauty and simplicity of a small town, which is worth more than its weight in gold!

Nature Trails Near Peters Township

But right in my backyard, I don’t have the big city bustle, hustle, or noise. I have a wonderful yard, wonderful neighbors, and tons upon tons of walking/hiking/jogging trails to enjoy!

There are all kinds of wonderful recreational activities to enjoy as a resident of Peters Township, that you usually can’t get when you live in a big city.

Would you like to learn more about why Peters Township is such a wonderful place to raise a family? Feel free to contact me any time with any and all questions about Peters Township Real Estate or browse through our Pittsburgh Area MLS Home Search to start your journey towards living an amazing life in an amazing town.

Until next time,
Jim

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays-cook outs, outdoor fun, warm weather-and, of course, fireworks! There is nothing that gets my children as excited as getting ready for the local fireworks! Residents of Pittsburgh and Peters Township have a lot of options for firework viewing venues, and you can find the schedules below:

Washington County firework shows:

California

Fireworks
WHEN: Dusk, July 4
WHERE: Roadman Park
MORE: Entertainment begins at 7pm

Canonsburg

Festival
WHEN: 12:30pm, July 4
WHERE: Canonsburg Town Park

Fireworks
WHEN: 9:30pm, July 4
WHERE: Canon-McMillan Stadium
MORE: Skydivers and music begin at 8pm at the stadium

Parade
WHEN: 10am, July 4
WHERE: Pike Street
MORE: The mayor will give a speech at 9:05am at the reviewing stand on Pike Street; 5K race at 8am

Charleroi

Fireworks
WHEN: 9pm, July 3rd
MORE: Community Day 11am – 11pm, June 30 at Charleroi’s Magic City Square
Parade at 7pm on June 30
Check out www.shopcharleroi.com for more information

McDonald

Fireworks
WHEN: These Fireworks have been canceled.

Monongahela

Fireworks
WHEN: 9:45pm July 4
RAIN DATE: July 5
WHERE: The fireworks will be shot over the river, and the suggested viewing area is the riverbank
MORE: Entertainment and food booths will begin at 6pm, June 4, at the Aquatorium city park

Peters Township

Fireworks
WHEN: 9:30pm, June 28
WHERE: Peterswood Park

I hope we see you there! Starting this weekend we will have the Pittsburgh Regatta and Fourth Of July Celebration to enjoy as well!

Check back here Monday to learn all the details of the local Pittsburgh fun! And as always, if you are interested in learning how to buy your own Peters Township Real Estate, never hesitate to contact me with any and all questions!
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

“Mortgage rates expected to slide with Fed’s new moves” was the headline of the L.A. Times late in the afternoon on March 18th. Then, this morning on Good Morning America, the possibility of interest rates as low as 4% were discussed. Finally, Bloomberg reported today that U.S. mortgage rates may fall to the lowest since World War II…” Indeed, rates are already moving lower. The L.A. Times reported that “some mortgage brokers were already quoting rates in the 4.5% to 4.75% range today, not including upfront fees…”

So what does this all mean to you? It has almost become cliché, but this is truly likely to be the best opportunity for you to purchase the Pittsburgh Area home of your dreams at an affordable fixed monthly payment. A change of even .25% in a mortgage rate can save you thousands of dollars over the life of the loan – as well as make the monthly payment more affordable each month.

What’s the catch?

There really isn’t one!

However rates are constantly changing and will not stay at these lows forever. If you’ve already been looking for a new home for a while, it may be time to wrap up your search. Just beginning your new home search? Then turn off the TV and hop in your car or better yet – contact us, the Jim Dolanch Team and put us to work for you!   We can make your search easier and quicker! 
You can be planting spring flowers in your new yard very soon!   You don’t want to miss this chance!

Until next time,

Jim