Springtime is a busy time because plenty of buyers are searching the market for their dream home in homes of moving in before school starts back in the fall for their children.

And according to a recent article from the Associated Press, this spring’s conditions are just right for an even busier home buying season than years past.

Continue reading to learn more about why this may be the case and how it will affect you as a home seller.

Home Buying in Pittsburgh Expected to Increase This Spring

According to the recent article I read, reduced prices, exceptionally low mortgage rates and higher rent values are driving more and more buyers to invest in local homes for sale.

This crowd is only growing as home buyers are concluding that prices will not likely drop much further before they start to increase again.

What’s more, an uncommonly warm winter throughout the country has encouraged many home buyers to continue browsing the real estate market throughout January and February when they may not have done so before.

Here are some other trends that the AP recently reported about the national housing market, which are reflected in the Pittsburgh housing market as well:

• Home sales prices throughout the country increased by 0.7 percent in February.
• Locally, home sales prices have done even better. The Pittsburgh average home sales price has increased 9 percent in the last year.
• Banks are issuing more and more mortgages. For instance, JPMorgan Chase approved 6 percent more mortgages during the first quarter of 2012 than it did during that same period in 2011. Meanwhile, Wells Fargo issued 54 percent more mortgages. The bank also received 84 percent more mortgage application.

Experts said that the housing market is still a long way from a full recovery. They pointed to the fact that foreclosures still make up half of the national housing market when they would likely only make up about 10 percent in a healthy market.

Still, there is undoubtedly more confidence about the housing market among buyers and sellers alike.

One thing that may help the market recover even faster, experts noted, is a more robust jobs market.

Fortunately, recent data suggests that the jobs market is making a comeback as well. For instance, unemployment has fallen from 9.1 percent to 8.2 percent. Plus, there were 212,000 jobs added in each of the months of January, February and March.

Experts said that this increase in job creation will lead to more home buyer confidence because individuals will feel more financially secure.

This, in turn, will encourage more and more people to invest in a home for sale instead of simply renting.

Selling Your Pittsburgh PA Property

While the market still has a ways to go before it returns to where it used to be, there are still great opportunities for Pittsburgh home sellers out there – especially considering the high volume of buyers that is expected to be entering the market this spring.

The keys to successfully selling your home are pricing it right, staging it right and working with a qualified Pittsburgh real estate agent.

To learn more about how you can maximize your outcome on the Pittsburgh real estate market as a home seller, contact me, Jim Dolanch.

As an experienced Western Pennsylvania REALTOR, I’ll be more than happy to help you at every stage of the home selling process.

Until next time,

Jim

From our beautiful and affordable homes to our strong sense of community, this really is a fantastic place to live and raise a family.

And now Pittsburgh residents can add one more reason to their long list of reasons for living here: job creation.

According to a recent article, our city has the third-best record in the country for employment growth in the last four years.

Continue reading to learn more about this recent recognition!

Our Beautiful City is Getting Recognition for Creating A Lot of New Jobs!

According to the recent article I read, Pittsburgh is third only to Houston and Austin Texas when it comes to employment growth.

Here’s how that growth breaks down:

• The city added 10,500 private-sector jobs since early 2008.
• Broken down further, Pittsburgh had 999,300 private sector jobs in February 2008.
• In February 2012, Pittsburgh had 1,009,800 private sector jobs.
• That signals a 1.05 percent change during those four years.
• Comparatively, Houston added 49,500 jobs, which is a 2.24 percent increase in that market.
• And Austin added 29,600 jobs during that time period, which is a 4.87 percent increase in that market.

Experts believe that there were several factors that contributed to Pittsburgh’s job growth.

For one thing, the financial services industry in the city has held fairly strong over the last few years, especially compared to other cities of similar size.

What’s more, its educational and health care industries have continued to thrive, as have professional and business services.

Another two areas are also doing relatively well: energy and real estate.

As one expert noted, part of the secret to Pittsburgh’s success is its diversified jobs base.

And since the most recent recession was largely driven by falling real estate values, Pittsburgh was largely protected because it didn’t have the highs that other markets (such as Florida and California) had before the bubble burst.

Living in Pittsburgh, PA

As you can see, our lovely city really is doing remarkably well in a number of areas when compared to other communities around the country.

No wonder so many people are proud to call Pittsburgh their permanent home.

If you’ve been considering investing in a home for sale in the Greater Pittsburgh area, contact me, Jim Dolanch.

As an experienced Western Pennsylvania REALTOR, I’ll be more than happy to assist you in all of your home-buying needs.

I’ll also provide you with such helpful relocation resources as:

• Free relocation package
• School information
• Moving with kids

Until next time,

Jim

This means that experts believe home prices are expected to start climbing soon and that the market will become more balanced and less skewed toward a buyer’s market.

This is, of course, great news for Pittsburgh home sellers who have been wanting more leverage in setting the price they want for their home.

Continue reading to learn more about this recent news about the Pittsburgh real estate market.

Home Sales on the Rise on the Pittsburgh Housing Market

According to recent housing market data, the housing slide that has characterized the Pittsburgh area for the last seven years may be over.

Based on the data released by RealSTATS, home sales increased by 7 percent year-over-year during the last three months.

Here’s what else the real estate site found:

• 4,756 homers sold in the Pittsburgh area during the first quarter of 2012.
• Those homes sold brought in about $698 million.
• In the third quarter of 2011, home sales increased by 5.7 percent year-over-year.
• In the fourth quarter of 2011, home sales increased by 8.7 percent year-over-year.
• The last time the area saw three consecutive positive quarters was from October 2009 to June 2010. This increase in activity was largely credited to the federal homebuyer tax credit program.
• Before the period from 2009 to 2010, the last time the area saw three consecutive positive quarters was from January to September 2004.

While all of this is great news for home sellers, it should be noted that Pittsburgh is still considered a buyer’s market.

Still, with results like the ones above on the Pittsburgh real estate market, experts are saying that the market is beginning to turn toward a seller’s market.

In fact, researches at RealSTATS believe the seven-year slide in the metropolitan area will finally come to an end this year.

Sell Your Allegheny County Area Home Now!

Western Pennsylvania home sellers should definitely view the latest real estate data as a vote of confidence for them.

After all, home sales are on a distinct incline in the area.

For more information on the current state of the Pittsburgh area real estate market and how it may affect you as a home seller, contact me, Jim Dolanch, today!

When you call, I’ll provide you with expert advice on the best way to navigate the market as well as offer you such helpful home selling tools as:

• Home evaluation
• Moving kit
• What we do for you

Until next time,

Jim

If so, then I recommend you check out some of the amazing community events going on in Pittsburgh this month.

These activities will not only give you and your family something fun to do in your spare time but will also give you a feel for the personality of our beautiful community and its people.

Fun Community Events Going on in Pittsburgh This Month

Here is just a sampling of some of the fun community events that you and your family could be participating year-round if you were permanent Pittsburgh residents:

“A Wrinkle in Time” Performance: Come enjoy a performance of “A Wrinkle in Time” by Prime Stage Theatre. Which follows the Murry children as they use time travel to rescue their genius father Charles Wallace, who has recently disappeared. This play is sure to capture the enthusiasm of the entire family!

• When: May 11 to May 20
• Where: Prime Stage Theatre, 6 Allegheny Square in Pittsburgh, PA
• Admission: $20 for adults, $10 for children and $15 for seniors
• More Info: Call (412) 687-8777

Pittsburgh Playhouse Performance: Here’s another play coming to the Pittsburgh area this month. “13 Bells of Boglewood” follows Casey Smith and a teenager named Brian as they dig for gold in a magical forest. Brian has a change of heart about taking gold from the land after he meets the fairies who live there. The play is a great opportunity to teach children about the difference between doing what’s right and being greedy.

• When: May 26
• Where: Pittsburgh Playhouse, 222 Craft Avenue in Pittsburgh
• Admission: Prices Vary
• More Info: Call 412- 621-4445

After Hours at the Library: Come help support your local library while meeting other residents in the area! This fundraising event at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will feature live music from the Mon River Ramblers, a library furniture auction, a DJ and dancing and so much more! Patrons will also get a chance to check out the newly renovated library space.

• When: May 18
• Where: Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, 130 S. Whitfield Street in Pittsburgh
• Admission: Prices vary. Reservations required
• More Info: Call 412-422-9650

America’s Best Weekly Exhibit: Come learn about the history of The Pittsburgh Courier by visiting this exhibit at the Senator John Heinz History Center. For more than 100 years, the Pittsburgh Courier has been the largest and most influential African American newspaper. The exhibit features photos, artifacts, videos and more!

• When: Now through June 2
• Where: Senator John Heinz History Center, 1212 Smallman St. in Pittsburgh
• Admission: Prices Vary
• More Info: Call 412-454-6000

Invest in an Allegheny County Home for Sale Today!

If you and you family end up going to one of these events, please let me know what you think of it!

And if and when you decide that Pittsburgh, PA really is the best place to live and want to relocate here, then contact me, Jim Dolanch.

With my years of experience on the Western Pennsylvania housing market as well as my numerous home buying resources, I will help you find you dream home for a great price!

Until next time,

Jim

In fact, both home sale prices and the average price per square foot have increased markedly since the same time last year.

Continue reading to learn just how much – as well as how Pittsburgh home sale prices compare to other communities in the Western Pennsylvania area.

Properties for Sale in Pittsburgh, PA

Here’s a brief overview of recent market activity in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, based on the real estate website Trulia.

• Currently there are 3,274 homes for sale on the market, including 1,520 in some stage of the foreclosure process.
• Between January and March, the average price per square foot for Pittsburgh residential homes was $89, up 4.7 percent when compared to the same period last year.
• Also during that period, the median sales price for homes was $130,000, which was based on about 850 home sales.
• When compared to the same period a year ago, the median home sales price has increased by 10 percent.
• Last year, that price was $118,200.
• During the week ending on April 11, the average listing price for Pittsburgh homes for sale was $222,643, up 1 percent when compared to the week before.
• During that previous week, the average listing price was $220,392.
• Here’s how nearby Pennsylvania communities compared when it came to average listing price:

o West Mifflin: $99,707
o Dravosburg: $67,006
o Glassport: $51,810
o West Homestead: $84,578
o Munhall: $90,053
o Homestead: $103,605

• Here’s how nearby Pennsylvania communities compared when it came to median sales price:

o West Mifflin: $71,250
o Dravosburg: $53,750
o Glassport: $27,500
o West Homestead: $29,700
o Munhall: $52,000
o Homestead: $55,000

• During the week ending on April 11, the median sales price for a 1-bedroom Pittsburgh home was $76,750.
• The median sales price for a 2-bedroom home was $101,000.
• And the median sales price for 3- and 4- bedroom homes were $125,135 and $195,000 respectively.

Enter the Pittsburgh Real Estate Market as a Home Seller Today!

As you can see, Pittsburgh’s housing market is doing considerably better than some of the communities in the surrounding area.

And Pittsburgh’s market itself seems to be improving when compared to the kind of housing market we saw in the city a year ago.

If you’re thinking about listing your home on the market and want to ensure that you get a great price for your home, contact me, Jim Dolanch.

As a Pittsburgh REALTOR with years of experience, I will work hard to get you the outcome you desire on the local housing market.

Until next time,

Jim

If you set it too low, you’re going to sell yourself short when it comes to making a profit off of your home.

If you set it too high, you may find that your home remains on the market for far longer than it should be because buyers know that the home is overpriced.

There are some ways you can determine whether your home is in the right price range.

Continue reading to learn more.

Listing Your Allegheny County Home on the Market

As a Pittsburgh real estate expert with years of experience, I can tell you that the most common mistake home sellers make is setting their list price too high.

They may do this for any number of reasons, including:

• The sellers overestimate the value of the many upgrades they’ve made on their home over the years.
• They may regret their original purchase price and they overprice their home when it comes time to sell to recoup their losses.
• They think they need to set their list price high so they can have some wiggle room during the negotiation process.

Here’s the thing: Home buyers can easily recognize when a home on the market is overpriced.

And they’re more likely to pursue a home in a lower price range than try to haggle with you over the price of the home.

Here’s how you know when you’ve set your home’s list price too high:

• You don’t get as much home buyer traffic because you’re missing those buyers who are searching in the price bracket below your home’s list price, even though that price bracket is where your home belongs.
• You don’t get an offer for several weeks, if you get an offer at all.
• If your home stays on the market for an extended period of time, you may find that fewer and fewer prospective buyers come to see your home. That’s because buyers are wary of those homes that have been on the market for a while because they feel like something must be wrong with the home.
• To attract more home buyers, you reduce the price of your home but then are disappointed when ever that doesn’t attract many home buyers. That’s because, as a general rule, home buyers are much more drawn to “New Listing” alerts than “Recently Reduced” alerts.
• You find that all of your neighbors are selling their homes while yours remains on the market. That may be because you’re actually helping your neighbors sell their homes because next to your overpriced, similar style home, theirs looks like a bargain!

The above points are what may happen if you overprice your home. It’s worst case scenario.

Now let’s take a look at what happens when you price your home just right – the best case scenario.

• You sell your Pittsburgh home quickly and with little effort on your part.
• You see a steady traffic of prospective home buyers coming to see your house.
• You receive plenty of calls from area REALTORS inquiring about your home for their clients.
• Your list price and sales price are very close to each other, if not identical.

Selling Your Pittsburgh Home is Easy When You Work With An Experienced REALTOR

If you’re considering listing your home on the Pittsburgh real estate market, then contact me, Jim Dolanch.

I’ll be more than happy to provide you with expert advice during every stage of the home selling process, including

• How to stage your home
• How to give your home curb appeal
• How to set the right list price on your home
• How to prepare for the home inspection process
• And more!

Until next time,

Jim

Interested Pittsburgh home buyers will frequently pay for an independent home inspection before they decide to close on a house.

They’re looking for costly and dangerous problems with your home. And if they find one, it could mean the end of a possible real estate deal.

Thus, it’s crucial that home sellers prepare for that home inspection before they ever find an interested home buyer.

Continue reading to learn how to ace a home inspection as a home seller.

Selling Your Home on the Pittsburgh Real Estate Market

I recommend to all of my home sellers that they pay for an inspection before they ever find an interested home buyer.

While this may cost some money upfront, the benefits definitely outweigh the costs.

After all, a preemptive home inspection will allow you as the home seller to identify potentially deal-breaking problems with you home before a home buyer does.

Here are some of the problems that home buyers will be looking for:

• Roof Issues: This is perhaps one of the biggest areas of concern for buyers. That’s because a problematic roof can be both costly and extremely damaging. More often than not, home buyers are looking for deteriorated shingles as well as rotting material underneath those shingles. Pay to have these issues replaced before a buyer makes an offer on your home.
• Plumbing problems: Home inspectors employ a variety of strategies to locate potential leaks, such as running the dishwasher and checking bathroom water pressure. They’re also likely to inspect the septic system. Such plumbing issues can scare away home buyers because everyone knows how much damage leakage issues can cause a home. So get these problems addressed promptly.
• Mold and Mildew: This is another major area of concern for residents, mostly because of the health issues associated with mold and mildew. Fix this issue early.
• Overly moist basements and crawlspaces. The smell of mildew in one of these parts of the house is usually a dead giveaway that your home has water control issues. You may consider covering any areas of exposed ground with plastic in order to lower moisture levels in the air. Faulty drainage systems can also contribute to this issue.
• Electrical Issues: Make sure all electrical panels and circuit breaker configurations are in proper working order and fully functioning.
• Heating and Air Conditioning Systems: No buyer wants to deal with heater problems during Pittsburgh’s cold winters or no AC during the city’s hot summers. And they certainly don’t want to have to pay to replace these appliances if they’re no longer working. So make sure to address any issues associated with the heating and are conditioning systems before a buyer finds these problems.

Your Pittsburgh, PA Real Estate Expert

Here’s one final piece of advice for home sellers regarding home inspections: Make sure you check your contract before you hire a home inspector.

Here’s why: The contract will typically tell you which systems the buyer expects to be in good condition at closing time.

This will help you feel even more confident about acing a home buyer inspection when the time comes!

For more tips on the best way to navigate the Pittsburgh real estate market as a home seller, contact me, Jim Dolanch.

You may also want to check out my Western Pennsylvania real estate website, which is full of helpful (and FREE) home selling resources, such as:

• MOVA assessment
• Free moving kit
• What we do for you

Until next time,

Jim

As a Pittsburgh real estate expert with years of experience, I understand this dichotomy.

That’s why I work hard everyday to provide first-time home buyers with easy-to-understand resources and advice for each stage of the home buying process.

Today, I’d like to tell all of you first-time home buyers about home loans. Specifically, I’m going to tell you about the advantages and disadvantages of first-time home buyer loans.

Continue reading to learn more!

Purchasing Your First Pittsburgh, PA Home for Sale

First-time home buyers enjoy some unique perks. For one thing, they have first-time home buyer loans available to them, which offer financial assistance to qualified borrowers.

Banks offer this assistance in a variety of ways, including:

• Low to no down payments
• Grants
• Defer payments
• Forgive loans
• Subsidized interest loans

While first time home-buyers are most often associated with these loans, those who have not owned a home in more than 3 years may also qualify.

It’s important to note, however, that many of these first-time home buyer loans come with some strings attached.

In addition to income restrictions, these loans may also come with a number of other stipulations, such as:

• The borrower is not allowed to buy homes in higher price ranges than the range identified in the loan.
• The borrower is not allowed to use the new home as a rental home for others
• The borrower must make the new home their primary residence
• The new home must meet certain architectural standards and safety requirements.

Let me be clear, first-time home buyer loans are incredible for people who would not be able to buy a home otherwise.

However, these types of loans do have their drawbacks:

• The buyer may be limited to the type of home they can buy within a designated price range
• The buyer may waive certain program benefits if they sell their home too quickly.
• The buyer may only be eligible for a limited number of loan types
• The buyer may have to pay for recapture taxes in order to receive some of the benefits associated with the loan.

If you believe that you can afford a home without the benefits associated with a first-time home buyer loan, it may be best to pursue a traditional loan – especially considering the strings attached to these kinds of first-time home buyer loans.

In order to achieve the best possible outcome on the Pittsburgh real estate market, I recommend you talk with an experienced Pittsburgh REALTOR to determine which type of loan is best for you.

Let Me Help You Find Your Dream Home on the Pittsburgh Real Estate Market

As I mentioned before, I understand that being a first-time home buyer can be both an exciting and daunting experience.

To ensure that your first-time home buying experience is as seamless as possible, contact me, Jim Dolanch.

As a Pittsburgh REALTOR with years of experience, I’ll provide you with easy-to-understand advice on the best way to navigate the market.

I’ll also offer you a number of home buying resources who have proven quite helpful to first-time home buyers just like you. These include:

• Useful contracts
• Successful home buying
• Pittsburgh buying guide

Until next time,

Jim

Evidently, three large-scale projects are coming to Pittsburgh that are guaranteed to change the face of the skyline and to improve quality of life for everyone who lives in the surrounding area.

Continue reading to learn more about these three high-profile projects.

Calling Pittsburgh, PA Home

According to the article I recently read, the following three large scale projects are in various stages of development around the city:

• PNC’s Financial’s headquarters. This 33-story building will be located on Wood Street, between Fifth and Forbes. I wrote about the details of this development in a previous Pittsburgh Real Estate blog. The $400 million project is expected to be completed by 2015.
• New Mixed Use Development on Forbes. The 17-story building will include a hotel, office and retail space. Designed by Millcraft Industries, the $77 million project will be located on Forbes near Market Square. Known as the “Gardens at Market Square,” the main entrance of this complex will be on Forbes.
• New Hotel/Condo Project. Designed by Desmone & Associates, the 25-story building will have a distinctive sail shape and will be located next to the Monongahela Incline. It will be called One Grandview Avenue. The $80 million project will likely consist of 160 hotel rooms and 6 to 8 luxury condos. The developer is also suggesting about 50 more condos around the edges of the plaza in the complex.

The three new developments are guaranteed to have an impact on all Pittsburgh area home owners.

After all, they’re providing residents with new opportunities to live, work and play.

That’s bound to improve quality of life in our beautiful city, which already boasts an extremely high standard of living.

Relocating to Pittsburgh, PA

If you’ve been thinking about making Pittsburgh your permanent home, I don’t blame you.

With developments like the three mentioned above coming to the area, life is about to get even sweeter here in Allegheny County.

Contact me, Jim Dolanch, today to inquire about available listings on the Pittsburgh real estate market.

As your Western Pennsylvania real estate expert, I’ll be more than happy to discuss with you the various residential communities in the area as well as answer any questions you may have.

In the meantime, you may also consider checking out some of these helpful Pittsburgh relocation resources:

• Free relocation package
• School information
• Help me find a home

Until next time,

Jim

And now, this beautiful city has another accolade to boast about!

Site Selection Magazine recently ranked Pittsburgh as one of the Top 5 Sites for Corporate Real Estate Projects.

Continue reading to learn more about this recent honor and what it means for Pittsburgh home sellers.

Living In Pittsburgh, PA

Our beautiful city recently came in at Number 3 on Site Selection magazine’s ranking for exceptional sites for corporate real estate projects.

Here are some of the reasons why Site Selection put Pittsburgh so close to the top of the list:

• Number of recent corporate real estate developments
• Size and scope of recent corporate real estate developments
• Upcoming corporate real estate project planned for the area

Here’s how the top five list ended up looking:

1. Houston, TX
2. Chicago, Illinois
3. Pittsburgh, PA
4. Dallas/Fort Worth
5. the New York region

The recent award is outstanding for interested Pittsburgh area home sellers.

After all, this distinction highlights the fact that Pittsburgh is friendly to coporate development projects.

With those projects comes more jobs, which in turn leads to more people relocating to the area.

Thus, not only will these corporate projects improve quality of life in the area, but they will also expand the pool of prospective Western Pennsylvania home buyers.

List Your Western Pennsylvania Home on the Market Today!

If you’re ready to take the next step toward selling your current Pittsburgh area home, then contact me, Jim Dolanch.

As your Western Pennyslvania real estate expert, I’ll be more than happy to answer any and all questions you have as well as explain to you the exclusive marketing plan I offer to sellers.

In the meantime, you may consider checking out some of my free online home selling resources, such as:

• 10 Common Seller Mistakes
• Free home evaluation
• For sale by owner

Until next time,

Jim