Real Estate & Interesting Facts Blog by Diane Cardano-Casacio & Her Team

New housing law provides great opportunity for first-time home buyers

Wow, don't miss out on this! It is a great time to buy a home!! One of the most important provisions in the housing law is a first-time homebuyers' tax credit. Under this new law, first-time homebuyers will get a tax credit of 10 percent of the purchase price, up to $7,500 (or up to $3,750 each for two homeowners who file their taxes separately). The law defines a first-time homebuyer as someone who hasn't owned a home in three years. In the case of couples, if either spouse or partner has owned a home in the past three years, both are ineligible to take the tax credit. The credit applies to any qualifying person who buys a home from April 9, 2008 through June 30, 2009. It is important to understand that a person who buys a first home during this period will get a dollar-for-dollar credit on his/her income taxes. For those expecting a refund, that amount will be increased by the amount of the credit and result in a larger refund. If you or anyone you know is thinking of ..(read more)

Savvy Home Seller Seminar Back By Popular Demand

See What People are Talking About... read on and refer everyone you know who you care about!!! FREE Savvy Home Seller Seminar Reveals Secret Industry Information To Maximize $$$! When you leave this short but very informational seminar, you will know exactly what steps to take. This seminar is being promoted by REMAX Consultants and the Diane Cardano Team. They want to educate you — FOR FREE!Savvy Home Seller Seminar. This seminar is FREE and there is no obligation to buy anything, or to list your home. The ideas presented are simple, powerful, and yes… they are FREE. We anticipate that both dates will be overflowing, so don’t miss out! You may invite up to two adult guests to attend this special event with you. Please join us at the William Penn Inn, for the A wonderful meal will be served and seating is limited so an R.S.V.P. is required. WE WILL HAVE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON MANY TOPICS INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING: How to STAGE your home ..(read more)

Client Appreciation Party Is ON!!!

HI to All Clients scheduled to attend the party on Friday SEptember 26th... we have orderd a tent for us to tailgate... We have a DJ, great food and it will be an exciting game!! Please dress warm, we will be handing out red hats for us all to wear in the game together. For those of you coming late and picking up tickets at the will call, we will have hats for you when you get there!! STay tuned and come back to Dianes Journal for an update on the game!! Also, don't forget our next Seller seminar is either October 22nd or October 28th!! Please send your friends... dinner and great information all in one night....

What's Up With This Real Estate Market?

Everyone wants to know.... inquiry minds want to know, what is happening with today's real estate market. The truth is the lenders are cracking down and are looking for the best qualified borrowers, shoving people out of the marketplace for purchasing their first home. Lenders are requiring much higher down payments, better financial documentation and higher credit scores than they did during the boom, cutting back on the number of potential buyers. Let's talk about affordability and who is purchasing homes today. Roughly 53.8% of all new and existing homes sold nationwide during the first three months of 2008 were affordable to families earning the median household income of $61,500, according to the latest Housing Opportunity Index released Tuesday by Wells Fargo and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Personally, I feel that the media is the problem with real estate today. They make everything sound 1000 times worse!!! If we did have such negative ..(read more)

Another Date Added For The Savvy Home Seller Seminar

Free Savvy HOme Seller Seminar Reveals Secret Industry Information TO Maximze $$$ There has nveer been a more important time to attend a Real Estate Educational Seminar to learn how to sell your home for all it's worth in the fastest time, with the least amount of stress. Home sellers across the country are losing sometimes tens of thousands of dollars because they have priced the home incorrectly and marketed the home ineffectively. The FREE Savvy Home Seller Seminar has arrived! When you leave this short but very infomational seminar, you will know exactly what steps to take. This seminar is being promoted by REMAX Consultants and the Diane Cardano Team. They want to educate you----FOR FREE! Please join us a the William Penn Inn, fir the Savvy Home Seller Seminar. This seminar is FREE and there is no obligation to buy anything, or to list your home. The ideas presented are simple, powerful, and yes...they are FREE. We anticipate that both dates will be overflowing, so dont' ..(read more)

10 Tips to Sell A House Faster This Spring

Hiring the expert stager who makes your home salable for top dollar is the first shark to tackle when selling youf home. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" is never more true than when purchasing a home. No one needs to remind home sellers that today's market is a challenging one. In fact, there are on average more than 11 months of inventory on the market at any given time. So it is vitally important that you make sure your home stands out above the others that are competing for the buyer's attention. Here are some very basic pointers you can print out and share with home sellers to help get them headed in the right direction: 1. De-Clutter: This one is simple. De-clutter everywhere; inside and outside. If it's taking up space it is a potential candidate to be thrown out. The sellers need to make that all important mental conversion from "home to live in" to "house for sale." Personal things are a big distraction as you want the buyers to ..(read more)

Molokai Birthplace Of Hula Celebrates Ka Hula Piko

May 17th 2008 was the Ka Hula Piko, celebrating the birth of the Hula. Molokai is the birthplace of the Hula Dance. This is real Hawaiian Hula dancing!! Stan and I spend about 12 weeks a year at our home in Hawaii, yes working from an offsite location. We spend Monday -Friday working our businesses through our awesome staff of people and on the weekends explore this wonderful island of Molokai. We just could not miss the Ka Hula Piko this year, we are glad we came. If you are planning to go to Hawaii for vacation, don't miss coming to Molokai, it is old Hawaii.... no traffic lights, no big hotels, just back to nature!!! Check out video of hula dancers chanting, a warriror song....

Virginia Tech Graduation & Marine Commission May 2008

I spent the weekend in Virginia, my nephew graduated from Virginia Tech. What a beautiful school, in such an amazing setting! I wish I had visited the school before he graduated!! On Saturday, we went to his graduation from the School Of Business in the Coliseum and then traveled around the campus. We visited the Memorial for the students who lives were taken last year, very sad and upsetting. It was hard to believe that this could happen in such a beautiful setting. My nephew was taking an exam while the classroom below his was under attack. Tom and his classmates were not physically harmed, but no one can take away the emotional trauma that affected each and every one of the Virginia Tech students last year. On a brighter note, we ended our weekend visit witnessing my Nephew getting commissioned into the Marines as a Second Lieutenant. We are very proud of him, he is a very special guy and has now dedicated his life to protecting and serving the country. My husband and I ..(read more)

Whitemarsh Residents Get A Glimpse Of Diane's Savvy Home Seller Seminar to Save Thousands When Selling Their Home

Click here to See Savvy Seller Promotional Video at Whitemarsh Day www.youtube.com/watch Everyone deserves first class real estate consulting, not just a typical salesperson looking out for a commission check. There is a difference between choosing an Expert Realtor who sells 120 homes a year and the Average Realtor who sells only 5 homes a year. Who do you want protecting your equity? The home is the largest investment for most people, so when it comes to making money, your home becomes just as important as any other financial investment you make!! Diane & Her Team are offering on either June 17th or June 18th (Date was just changed) a Free Savvy Home Seller Dinner Seminar at the William Penn Inn. AT the seminar, Diane and Team have 3 main goals for their attendees. 1. They are more savvy then when they came into the room and the information will help them save up to 12% when selling their home. They will learn the Home Sellers ..(read more)

Home Equity Line Of Credit Freeze (HELCOs)

Dear Friends There’s a growing trend among lenders that I feel compelled to tell you about. Several major lenders are freezing withdrawals from Home Equity Lines of Credit (HELOCs) – and I don’t want you to be caught off guard by this development. Don’t Get Burned by the HELOC Freeze

HELOCs, though secured by your real estate, are treated by lenders as consumer credit. And just as a lender can revise the terms of your credit cards, or even cancel them, the same can be done with your HELOC. Previously, HELOC withdrawals were usually only frozen for reasons such as bankruptcy, declining credit and payment problems. While these events can still cause a freeze, there’s another factor that lenders are considering more often today: the value of your property. You should be aware that the lender retains the right to suspend or reduce the line of credit available if your property value falls below the appraised value used to originate the ..(read more)

FHA Loans Are Better Than Ever

Looking for A Mortgage, FHA may be the right way to go!!! Check it out and call Diane & The Team for an FHA lender referral!!! The reduction in upfront mortgage insurance (MI) fees on FHA (Federal Housing Administration) loans isn’t the only good news for your aspiring homebuyers. Mortgage companies are now offering the FHA Hybrid ARMs in addition to the traditional fully amortized fixed loan products to best meet your client’s needs. FHA loans provide many benefits; including less out-of-pocket cash required from the borrower: 2/1 buydown option – customers must qualify at Note rate Minimal cash needed – Just a 3% minimum investment that can come from a variety of sources. Alternative credit references acceptable – utility payment history, insurance premiums. Increased loan limits: FHA has increased the maximum loan limits determined by median house prices ..(read more)

Choosing A Fence

The decision to erect a fence on your property is usually made for any number of reasons: to provide a safe space for children and pets to play, to increase privacy on your property, or to protect your possessions. In certain situations you may be legally required to erect a fence, the most common one being to enclose a backyard pool. There are many different types of fences to choose from to best suit your budget and situation. Visit the fence project estimator to get an idea of cost and how to find a quality fence company in your area. Wood Fences. This type of fencing is an excellent choice for privacy fencing and cost effective. Wood fences can be made out of Western red cedar, cypress, or treated pine. When maintained properly, wood fences can endure the harshest weather and provide you with several years of serviceability. Wood fences can come in privacy, picket or rail style. If you decide to install the fence yourself, here is some tips and suggestions to ..(read more)

Create A Home Recycling Center

Everyone knows it's better to recycle an item than to throw it away. It helps the environment and recycling can help to reduce domestic waste that would otherwise be buried in landfills. However, while we know these facts and all the benefits, there are millions of homes that still do not recycle. Most people do not because it's either inconvenient or messy, but recycling does not have to be a hassle for your family. There are a variety of ways to make home recycling easy, and all it takes is changing a few small habits and attitudes, and home recycling can become easy for your family too. Contact your home trash collection service's recycling program. Most cities offer a free curbside service that makes it convenient to recycle! Place recycling bins next to your garbage can. This will make it easier to recycle if you have all waste containers in the same area. Designate separate bins for plastic and newspapers. Recycling a four-foot stack of newspapers ..(read more)

Final Walk Through Checklist

The final walk through is the last chance to see the condition of a house before taking possession. This inspection of the home is conducted by you and/or your real estate agent that takes place shortly before the closing to verify that nothing has been altered since you agreed to buy the property. The walk through will take place after the initial inspection from your home inspector. Below are some things you should look for in a pre-closing inspection, it is also a good idea to bring along a checklist so that there is nothing overlooked. • Make sure the condition of the property has not substantially changed since you agreed to buy it
• Ensure that all required repairs have been satisfactorily completed or are in the process of being done
• Have the items that the seller agreed to leave been removed?
• All items that the seller agreed to remove are gone?
• Did the seller leave "junk" or ..(read more)

Get Ready For Spring!

Spring is just around the corner, the first official day of spring is March 21st and now is the time to get outside and start spring-cleaning your yard and landscape. It won’t be long and the dreary days of winter will be replaced by the vibrant colors and smells of spring. Here are a few tips to get you started on your outdoor “to do” list. Lawn Care Start by raking any leaves and removing all the thatch (dried dead grass and weeds) with a rake. If the thatch is left in the yard it can prevent water and nutrients from reaching the roots of your lawn. If you will be planting grass seeds, this will help them to root in the soil better. It is important to prepare your mower before mowing the yard for the first time of the season. Change the oil, spark plug, put fresh gasoline in the tank and make sure the blade is sharpened. If you are concerned about using chemicals on your yard, lawns can be fertilized organically by using compost and ..(read more)