Helpful Advice

Now is the time to start looking for a Rehoboth Beach home...mortgage rates are low, and homes are being added to the market daily. If you are looking to buy a new home, you need to be prepared before going out in search of the perfect property. Here are some things that every prepared house hunter should have when they go.

How much do you want to spend? — Calculate the amount you can spend on a monthly mortgage payment. Make sure you take the cost of insurance and taxes into consideration. Then, go to the bank and get yourself pre-approved for a loan. The bank may tell you that you can afford more than you want to spend, so be aware that you restrict your search to what you are comfortable with. If the bank says you can afford more than you want to

In part one of our blog on Tips for Picking a Great Real Estate Agent, we looked at Experience, Education, Market Knowledge, and Honesty and Integrity. In part two we will look at Work Ethic, Resources and Attention to Detail.

Work Ethic: Real estate is a 7 day a week job. Sometimes it involves very early hours and very late nights to meet the needs of buyers, sellers, rental property owners and renters. It is just a fact of life that sometimes people are only available early in the morning, late at night and weekends. Bear this in mind because you will want to work with a real estate agent who is able and willing to meet with you on any day, at virtually any time to get you the property that is best for you. So before you agree to work with any one

Once you are ready to either rent or buy a piece of property you will most likely need to work with a real estate agent. Like in any industry there are great real estate agents and not so great agents. Here are some tips on what to look for to find a great real estate agent for Rehoboth Beach real estate and Lewes real estate.

Experience: You’ve heard the phrase when it comes to real estate, “Location, location, location”? Well when it comes to real estate agents the phrase becomes, “Experience, experience, experience”. A real estate agent with experience will make your search for your new home or rental property much easier for the simple reason that he or she has done it so many times in the past. This gives you, as the buyer or renter, a real

After you have taken a look at some of our property listings for Coastal Delaware real estate, we thought you might enjoy a little bit of real estate trivia – just for fun.

Question: What is the most expensive private residence ever built in the United States?

Answer: When it was built, Hearst Ranch in San Simeon, California cost over $30 million, which in today’s dollars is about $277,883,320.

Question: The world’s largest residential palace belongs to whom?

Answer: The Sultan of Brunei. The Istana Nurul Iman palace has 2,152,782 square feet, 1,788 rooms, 257 bathrooms, and a 110-car garage.

Question: The United States Government paid $7.2 million for what piece of land?

Answer: The state of Alaska. In 1867 the United States bought Alaska

It is vacation time! You have worked hard all year and are really looking forward to those one or two weeks this summer when you can escape your everyday grind and spend some time sitting on a gorgeous beach, sipping a cool drink and baking in the sun. If this is what you’re looking for, then a beach rental property that will act as your home away from home, can offer you a great beach vacation at a very reasonable price. So what are some of the things you should look for when searching for a beach rental property?

Amenities: Make sure you know ahead of time which amenities you just can’t do without. Beach rentals can come with a myriad of different options, (e.g., full kitchens, outdoor showers, access to swimming pools or private beaches, etc.), and

When you are looking for a Lewes Delaware home, there are a lot of thing to consider. Sometimes, you find a great house, but it has a few flaws. Some flaws are the type you don’t want to have anything to do with, but other ones are minor and can be corrected with minimal effort or expense. For example, if the décor of a home is not something you like, you can paint with little effort. But if you are looking for a home with three bathrooms, and there is only one, it would be a more difficult fix. Work with your REALTOR® and a home inspector on specific issues, but here are some examples of items that can or cannot be worked out with the owner:

Water in the basement

If you visit a home and there is water in the basement, that may or may not be a deal

Last year, vacation home sales rose over ten percent. The U.S. Census Bureau reports there are almost eight million vacation homes in America today! That means nearly a tenth of citizens own a vacation home. The overall price of a second home is down a whopping 25% (and that’s being conservative) since 2006! Interest rates are at historic lows. A strong stock market return combined with discounted foreclosures has really brought smart buyers out of the woodwork. And the smartest buyers look to Mann & Sons when buying a vacation home in Rehoboth Beach.

There are many reasons why vacation homes are a good idea. First and foremost, purchasing a vacation home gives you a permanent place to take the family that you can fix up just the way you like. If you

If you own a home in Rehoboth Beach, you are probably beginning to think about rental season. With it now being April, renters will start to come usually in June and rotate through for the summer. Now is the time to prepare your house so you can have happy renters all summer long. Happy renters are recurring renters, which is always a good thing. Sure, you will have to do cleanings throughout the summer, but the bigger projects should be done now while you have time. And so it won’t take away from your summer plans! Below are some ideas of what to run through, update, clean and prepare before rental season is upon us:

• Clean those areas that usually get missed during routine cleanings. These things include curtains, corners of rooms and edges of

Many communities in Coastal Delaware and around the US are seeing their energy costs increase; sometimes dramatically. Whether you are energy conscious or just trying to save money, there are many steps you can take to lower your Lewes home bills while helping the environment at the same time

Below are several energy-saving measures to help you save money either in your current house or future residence. 

• Keeping your home at a comfortable temperature uses more energy than anything else.
• Seal windows and doors to prevent air leaks, and close doors and air vents to rooms that are not often used.
• Changing filters in your heating system monthly can also help it run more efficiently, with the added bonus of increasing the air

Real estate agents in Rehoboth Beach will tell you that it can be harder to sell a home in the winter. The days are colder and shorter, leaving less time to show a home to potential buyers.

The good news, though, is that most buyers looking at houses in the winter aren't just killing time. They're serious enough about finding a new home to house hunt at a time when most people might rather stay inside.

There are a several steps you can take to make a good impression on home buyers this winter.

First, if there's snow or ice on the ground, make sure walkways are safe. Spread out ice melt or sand to provide traction during snowy weather. Shovel the snow on the driveway and sidewalks to make your home more inviting. Be sure to place a mat on which for