Success in selling Delaware Beach homes can depend on being able to distinguish what is important to buyers from what is not.  Proactive homeowners know that one room usually gets more attention than does any other: the kitchen.

There are many good reasons why this is so (we have discussed them before) -- but one kitchen detail in particular can have a disproportionate impact. It’s a detail that is all too easy to overlook: the condition of the appliances.

Realty Times declares, “Sellers should update their appliances." I don’t think I would go quite that far, but the gist is right. When the appliances look like they deserve their starring role in the main act -- the kitchen -- it indicates a homeowner who has taken pride in their property. To a…

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Everyone brings their own priorities to the table when checking out the Lewes homes for sale. Some folks drive street-by-street through their favored neighborhoods, eliminating or accepting through that first curb-appeal impression. Others trawl through the web listings, prioritizing by price, or lot size, or by number of bedrooms. Regardless of how they determine which Delaware resort homes for sale get a second look, savvy buyers eventually compare the amount of repair work each will need. They try to think like an inspector. 

This is not to suggest that anyone except an experienced professional will be able to complete a thorough inspection – you need a pro for that. Nevertheless, while you are first comparing properties, putting on your inspector’s…

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Whether you are in the process of buying an income property this fall or are already an owner, your decision about whether to work with a Rehoboth Beach property manager is pivotal. When you lack the time or capacity to effectively manage your investment, hiring a professional property manager is certainly the right business move. But suppose you have already decided that you will use a pro – does that solve all management issues for your investment? If you have chosen well, the answer may be almost ‘yes’ – but not quite. As you would with any service provider, keeping tabs on their performance is simply prudent.

The happy truth is that managing your Rehoboth Beach property manager will not command a large amount of your attention: a little will go a…

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One of the key factors serious buyers eye when appraising foreclosed homes for sale in the Rehoboth Beach real estate market is condition – the shape those properties have been left in. The Federal Housing Administration has weighed in with a program that can materially affect how that condition – good or bad – will finally affect the bottom line: it’s known as the FHA 203 (k).

If you are among those currently looking at Rehoboth Beach foreclosed homes for sale, the 203(k) can make a big difference.  Here are some points that might influence your decision:

First in line is whether the program is applicable. HUD tells us that for a local property to be eligible, it must be a one- to four-family dwelling that has been completed for at least one year.…

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Getting a mortgage refinance has seldom looked more attractive than it does this October. Ads for seemingly ridiculously low teaser rates are popping up all over the place -- and even if the closing costs are hefty (many aren’t), the underlying rates make them all but irresistible.

But do you qualify?  Some folks don’t realize that a refi can be just as tough as getting a mortgage in Rehoboth Beach in the first place. Or tougher. One client has a stunning property, top credit, and a guaranteed income stream that was more than adequate to fund the refi. She put together all the required paperwork, hosted an inspection (the inspector told her, ‘this is the finest property in the area’), and then waited a week before being told she had failed to qualify.…

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How about this for a stunner: each and every day for the next 17 years, more than 10,000 American "baby boomers" will hit retirement age. That is based on 65 being considered retirement age (although many 65-year-olds I know haven’t the slightest intention of abandoning their careers anytime soon). Nevertheless, the impact that this demographic wave will have on everybody is bound to be substantial.

In the housing industry, even seniors who are anything but retired will be gravitating toward newer, smaller homes that better fit the lifestyle of adults whose children are now out on their own. So some fine-tuning of property listings will be in order. I expect more Rehoboth Beach property listings to start emphasizing smaller footprints and some other…

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In August, the number of new foreclosures listed nationally barely crept upward -- even as average sale prices leapt dramatically. Realtytrac compiles the numbers, and they show a sizeable 10%+ jump in foreclosure sales prices from July to August. Of course, homes listed as foreclosures and short sales still close at prices markedly lower than homes sold in traditional transactions, but that rise in price seems to say that more buyers are feeling confident that a home purchased now will look like a wise move in the future.

If you have been looking at the distressed property market in the Delaware Resort area, these numbers suggest that the short sale and foreclosure possibilities are still being created -- and that the value they represent is getting a…

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