Buying a Home in PA: What to Look for in Neighborhoods and Communities
By Kevin Mihm | September 26, 2009
Most prospective homebuyers in the Pittsburgh, Wexford, Pine Township Pennsylvania areas already know that when it comes to purchasing real estate, location is key. It doesn’t matter whether you’re looking to make a profit on your new home or if you simply want a place that will help you raise your family – the neighborhood you choose to call your own is just as important as those details of square footage, number of bathrooms, and central air.
Topics: Pine Township PA Homes for Sale, Pittsburgh PA Real Estate, Wexford Pennsylvania Real Estate | No Comments »
Get the Most Out of Your Square Footage
By Kevin Mihm | August 20, 2009
If you’re getting ready to sell your Pittsburgh, Wexford or Pine Township home, you know that one of the most important things you can do to increase your sale price is to spend some time staging. After all, the better your home looks, the better the chances are that someone else will love it enough to buy it, too. However, many of the homes for sale in the Pennsylvania area are smaller in size than what’s currently hot on the market. While this doesn’t mean you can’t sell your home, it does mean that it might take a little extra work before you get that figure you’re aiming for.
Topics: Pine Township PA Homes for Sale, Pittsburgh PA Real Estate, Wexford Pennsylvania Real Estate | No Comments »
U.S. News & World Report Rates Pittsburgh PA In Top 10 Cities Primed for Recovery
By kevinmihm | August 18, 2009
Pittsburgh (17.3 percent, up 2.4 points). This once industrial city wriggled out of the Rust Belt years ago, and the economy now revolves around medicine, technology, and higher ed. At 7.7 percent, the unemployment rate is nearly 2 percentage points lower than the national average. Few people got rich in Pittsburgh during the real estate boom, which seemed to pass the city by. But the bust has spared Pittsburgh as well, with home prices remaining more stable than in most other markets. That leaves the Steel City primed for a recovery.
Topics: Pine Township PA Homes for Sale, Pittsburgh PA Real Estate, Wexford Pennsylvania Real Estate | No Comments »
Buying a Home as an Investment
By Kevin Mihm | July 15, 2009
These days, most of the listed homes for sale in Pittsburgh, Wexford, or Pine Township are all about building a family future. Savvy buyers know that the market is theirs, and they can bargain for things like better school districts, home improvements, and other amenities that make owning real estate in Pennsylvania great. However, when the Pittsburgh real estate market boasts more homes than there are buyers, there’s another advantage: homes for investment opportunities are cheaper and have greater potential than ever before.
Topics: Pine Township PA Homes for Sale, Pittsburgh PA Real Estate, Wexford Pennsylvania Real Estate | No Comments »
Ways to Increase your Home’s Value
By Kevin Mihm | June 23, 2009
When you first purchase a house in Pittsburgh, Wexford or Pine Township, you’re most likely thinking of ways to build a home for you and your family. A big yard means plenty of room for the children to play. A newly renovated kitchen means you can finally throw the types of dinner parties you’ve always wanted. A master suite, well, that’s just icing on the cake. However, when it comes to sell your Pennsylvania home, it’s important to remember that all those little (and big) changes can also mean big little (and big) changes in your sale price.
While most homeowners should make changes to their houses that suit their lifestyle rather than the eventual sale price of their home five, ten, or even twenty years down the road, there are a few things to keep in mind. After all, if you will someday be selling your Pittsburgh house, you want to be sure you’re maximizing your profit.
- Repair all the little things – now. Most of the time, homeowners are willing to overlook the little idiosyncrasies like a broken step on the porch or chipping paint on the kitchen cabinets while they live in their house. These small repair needs are a bit like a knee that acts up in the rain or a car that always requires you to turn the key three times to the right before starting; they just become part of the everyday backdrop of your life. However, for someone buying a home in Pittsburgh, Wexford or considering real estate in Pine Township, these things can become glaring problems. By fixing issues as they arise (rather than waiting until you’re ready to sell your PA home), you not only avoid making major repairs all at once, but you actually get to enjoy the repairs while you live there.
- Know your neighborhood. If you live in one of Pittsburgh’s family-friendly neighborhoods, chances are things like well-maintained yards, large family rooms, and spacious kitchens will be worth more in the long run. If you live in a Wexford condo, you might find that built-in bookshelves and jacuzzi bathtubs are more appropriate. While you don’t have to tailor every change to your eventual sales audience, you can choose to make the types of changes that will translate into the highest returns.
- Don’t ignore the less visible changes. Almost all of the houses for sale in Pittsburgh go through cosmetic changes before they hit the market. Fresh paint, new kitchen appliances, and good landscaping are fairly common. Less common are things like a new roof, updated plumbing, or even a newly-installed automatic sprinkler system. However, these things show up in a home inspection evaluation, and when you put your trust in a PA real estate agent like Kevin Mihm, these types of changes will always get the focus and attention they deserve.
The most important thing you can do to your Pittsburgh home is enjoy the time you’re going to spend there. However, by keeping its eventual sale at the back of your mind, you’ll be able to get the most out of your life – and your investment.
Topics: Pine Township PA Homes for Sale, Pittsburgh PA Real Estate, Wexford Pennsylvania Real Estate | No Comments »
Guide to Buying a Fixer-Upper in Pennsylvania
By Kevin Mihm | May 23, 2009
In the Pittsburgh, Wexford, Pine Township Pennsylvania real estate market, buying a home with the intent to fix it up is one of the best investments you can make. There’s no better way to take control over your home ownership than to customize the design, floorplan, and landscaping of everything from a single story rancher to a charming Victorian – especially if you’re looking to use the current Pennsylvania real estate economic climate as a way to get the home of your dreams without breaking the bank.
Topics: Pine Township PA Homes for Sale, Pittsburgh PA Real Estate, Wexford Pennsylvania Real Estate | No Comments »
The Importance of Curb Appeal
By Kevin Mihm | April 24, 2009
Most real estate agents will tell you that the best time to sell a home in the Pittsburgh, Wexford, Pine Township Pennsylvania areas is during the late spring and early summer months. When the weather turns warm, the vibrant growing season commences, and children can be seen playing happily in the yard, potential homebuyers really begin to connect with a house – even before they set foot across the threshold.
In real estate lingo, this is known as curb appeal.
Topics: Pine Township PA Homes for Sale, Pittsburgh PA Real Estate, Wexford Pennsylvania Real Estate | No Comments »
Staging Your Home
By Kevin Mihm | March 23, 2009
Staging your home is a great way to prepare your home to sale and to make it look alluring to buyers in the Pittsburgh, Wexford, Gibsonia Pennsylvania areas. Staging your home has become popular during the last decade. Read this article to find out some great ideas on how to get your home ready for potential buyers and get it sold sooner, rather than later.
Within the first minute, people decide if they could live in your home. The problem is that there are so many homes on the market right now, that if yours doesn’t catch their eye immediately, then they have other choices. The struggling housing market is forcing people to take more drastic measures to sell their homes. Many homeowners say they need all the help they can get. With the market not being so good, there are ways you can make your house stand out. Staging your home is the way to make your house stand out in the Pittsburgh, Wexford, Gibsonia Pennsylvania areas.
The idea of home staging is to highlight your home’s best attributes and positively affect potential buyers. Staging your home isn’t about your own tastes. It is about making the home appealing to the general population. Whether you go at it alone or use a stager, you need to have the attitude that your home is no longer your home.
Following are some tips to consider:
Topics: Pine Township PA Homes for Sale, Pittsburgh PA Real Estate, Wexford Pennsylvania Real Estate | No Comments »
What buyers look for, or look out for when purchasing a home.
By Kevin Mihm | February 12, 2009
What should buyers look for, or look out for when purchasing a home in the Pittsburgh, Wexford, Gibsonia Pennsylvania areas? This article will help sellers look into some important aspects of selling their home and what potential buyers look out for as well.
The way you live in your house is not the way to sell your house. So, what makes a house a home for sale on the market, and one that soon has a “SOLD” sign out on the front lawn? And what aspects are important to look at because potential buyers will ask the question, “How much work are we going to need to do prior to moving in and beyond?” The appearance and cleanliness of the home are significant. Always have your home ready to be shown at a moment’s notice with me, your agent, Kevin Mihm because this is what buyers are looking for. And a tip- burned out lights need to be replaced; classy lighting and upgraded fixtures can ameliorate the value of a home. Also, buyers said they would be willing to pay more for a home with a renovated kitchen.
Here are some things a buyer will look out for when dealing with the purchase of a home. The buyer will consider the following:
Topics: Pine Township PA Homes for Sale, Pittsburgh PA Real Estate, Wexford Pennsylvania Real Estate | No Comments »
New Year brings optimism for the 2009 Real Estate Market
By Kevin Mihm | January 28, 2009
What better way to start the New Year, then to bring confidence to our 2009 Real Estate Market. Ringing in the New Year being hopeful and optimistic will allow us to decide what we can do to improve our way of thinking about what is currently going on in the market. The New Year begins with us having a positive outlook and is a promising time for those of us looking to buy a home in the Pittsburgh, Wexford, Gibsonia Pennsylvania areas.
Here are a few reasons to make a real estate investment in 2009:
Topics: Pine Township PA Homes for Sale, Pittsburgh PA Real Estate, Wexford Pennsylvania Real Estate | No Comments »