Real Estate Information Archive

We don’t want to get all mushy or anything, but you’re one-of-a-kind! And that means you have unique wants and needs.

There are a lot of mobile apps out there focusing on personalization, and some do a better job than others. We pulled together seven of our favorites – each one will help you customize a different facet of your daily life. Here they are!

Sworkit (Your Fitness)

Sworkit can help you get fit, regardless of how much time you have or where you are. After downloading the app, you can choose what type of training you’re after (strength, cardio, yoga), your workout (full body, core, lower body) and the amount of time you have (anywhere from 5 to 60 minutes). That’s it! Sworkit will curate a set of exercises just for you.

Available in: iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Apps

BrightNest (Your Home)

The latest version of BrightNest takes home customization to a new level with the Interactive Home Quiz. The app serves up a series of simple “yes or no” questions about your home and delivers a personalized tip based on each response.

BrightNest also allows you to create custom to-dos and set recurring reminders, so whether you want to reorganize your tool shed twice a year or clean your fish tank once a week, BrightNest will help you get it done.

Available in: iTunes

Mint (Your Finances)

Mint helps you understand exactly where your money is going. Once securely synced with your bank accounts, Mint creates a customized budget based on personal spending. Then, the app gives you the freedom to choose your own budget limits.

Whether you need to adjust your spending to include a new hobby (hello, new pottery wheel) or simply track your meals out, Mint makes it easy.

Available in: iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Apps, Windows Store

mySkin (Your Skincare)

The mySkin app demystifies skincare by creating a personalized routine based on your skin. When you sign up for mySkin, you’re prompted to answer questions about your skin type (dry or oily), skin color, hair color and past skin problems (like acne, blackheads or scars). The app then serves up a skincare routine that’s right for you and recommends products.

Available in: iTunes, Windows Store

Ness (Your Food)

When you sign up for Ness, they’ll prompt you to select the types of foods you like and the types you hate. After that, Ness will serve up restaurant recommendations, and allow you to rate places you’ve already tried. Every time you rate a place you’ve eaten (it’s kind of like Netflix for restaurants), their recommendations for you will improve.

Available in: iTunes

Lumosity (Your Brain)

Do you have trouble remembering people’s names? What about doing quick math in your head or switching between different tasks? Lumosity can help you get better at each of these things (or all three!).

When you create an account, Lumosity prompts you to select the different aspects of your brain that you’d like to train. Then, they send you a customized workout routine every day. Then, you can set training reminders at a time that works for you.

Available in: iTunes

Keep (Your Closet)

Love to shop but hate the mall? Keep personalizes the shopping experience by bringing styles you’ll actually wear into one app. To customize your experience, choose brands, stores and looks that fit your personal style. Then, under the MyFeed tab, you’ll see curated shoes, bags, clothes and home items for sale. When you scroll over an item you like, you can “Buy” or “Keep,” making sure you never miss a deal.

Available in: iTunes, Google Play

Information provided by BrightNest.com.

Search all Harrisburg PA homes for sale.

When you are buying or selling property in today's Harrisburg PA real estate market, it's important to have confidence in your real estate professional. Don’s commitment as your Harrisburg PA REALTOR® is to provide you with the specialized real estate service you deserve.

When you are an informed buyer or seller, you'll make the best decisions for the most important purchase or sale in your lifetime. That's why Don’s goal is to keep you informed on trends in Harrisburg PA real estate. With property values continuing to rise, real estate is a sound investment for now and for the future.

As a local area expert with knowledge of Harrisburg PA area communities, Don’s objective is to work diligently to assist you in meeting your real estate goals.

If you are considering buying or selling a home or would just like to have additional information about real estate in your area, please don't hesitate to call me at (717) 657-8700, complete my online form, or e-mail me at don@donroth.com.

We'll venture to guess that nearly everyone is eager for spring and summer. Winter has been lousy in many regions of the country. Lousy weather, in turn, has been reflected in lousy home sales and construction data.

Weather was surely an influential variable in February, where existing home sales again disappointed. Indeed, sales slipped for the sixth time in seven months, with annualized sales posting at 4.6 million units. Year over year, sales are down 7.1%, the steepest decline in nearly three years.

Fortunately, there are signs that existing home sales will improve in coming months: Prices remain firm, with the median price rising to $189,00. As we've noted many times in the past, rising prices call forth more supply. Indeed, more homes are coming to market, with two million homes for sale in February compared to 1.88 million in January, according to the NAR's data . This bodes well for future sales.

On the construction front, housing starts slipped 0.2% to a 907,000-annualized rate in February. The good news is permits jumped 7.7% to a 1.018-million-unit pace after decreasing 4.6% in January. Once the weather warms, the bulldozers should return in force, as should the buyers.

 Courtesy of Jessica Regan.

Search all Harrisburg PA homes for sale.

When you are buying or selling property in today's Harrisburg PA real estate market, it's important to have confidence in your real estate professional. Don’s commitment as your Harrisburg PA REALTOR® is to provide you with the specialized real estate service you deserve.

When you are an informed buyer or seller, you'll make the best decisions for the most important purchase or sale in your lifetime. That's why Don’s goal is to keep you informed on trends in Harrisburg PA real estate. With property values continuing to rise, real estate is a sound investment for now and for the future.

As a local area expert with knowledge of Harrisburg PA area communities, Don’s objective is to work diligently to assist you in meeting your real estate goals.

If you are considering buying or selling a home or would just like to have additional information about real estate in your area, please don't hesitate to call me at (717) 657-8700, complete my online form, or e-mail me at don@donroth.com.

The Fed Giveth; Will It Taketh Away?

More than 200 years ago, Mayer Rothschild, founder of the Rothschild banking dynasty, uttered one of the more profound observations on finance and power. “Permit me to issue and control the money of a nation,” said Rothschild, “and I care not who makes its laws.”

Rothschild recognized that money matters, and it matters a lot. Money is, after all, 50% of every transaction. The importance of how much money is in an economy and the interest to be charged on that money cannot be understated.

Because the quantity of money and the interest charged are so important, much time and attention are extended to the Federal Reserve. The Fed is, after all, our central bank and manages our money supply and the interest to be charged on that supply. When Fed officials speak, markets always listen.

Fed Chair Janet Yellen spoke to Congress this past Wednesday, and markets listened, and for good reason: Ms Yellen offered more insight on quantitative easing (QE) – the Fed's purchases of Treasury notes and bonds and mortgage-backed securities (MBS) – and the direction of interest rates. In short, QE is going down and interest rates are going up.

As for QE, it's likely to end by December. The Fed has already reduced its monthly purchases of Treasury notes and bonds and MBS to $55 billion per month effective in April. Should the Fed continue to reduce its purchases at the rate of $10 billion per month, as it has for the past three months, there will be no QE by January 2015.

As for interest rates, Ms Yellen hinted that they could commence rising within six months after QE ends. This means the fed funds rate, in particular, would likely begin to ratcheted up sometime in July 2015. The fed funds rate is currently near zero, and many market participants doubt it will stay there. Futures markets are now pricing a 0.50% fed funds rate by August 2015.

In short, we should expect meaningfully higher mortgage rates this time next year.

As for the here and now, Bankrate.com's and Freddic Mac's most recent weekly surveys actually showed the rate on the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage down week over week. But we need to note that these surveys were winding down just as Ms Yellen was winding up. On Wednesday, rates on most mortgage products moved higher, though not disconcertingly so.

We're even more convinced that we'll likely see 5% on the 30-year fixed-rate loan by this time next year. Note that we say “likely,” not “guaranteed.” Ms Yellen offered her projections with many caveats and hedges based on growth prospects. As it now stands, though, the Fed expects economic growth could run as high as 3.5% annually in 2015, with the unemployment rate falling to as low as 5.4%.

If the Feds more bullish forecasts come to fruition, rising mortgage rates shouldn't be feared. But that means it becomes more urgent to act sooner on locking in a loan rate. The window on the rates that prevail today will close sooner than many borrowers anticipate.

 Courtesy of Jessica Regan.

Search all Harrisburg PA homes for sale.

When you are buying or selling property in today's Harrisburg PA real estate market, it's important to have confidence in your real estate professional. Don’s commitment as your Harrisburg PA REALTOR® is to provide you with the specialized real estate service you deserve.

When you are an informed buyer or seller, you'll make the best decisions for the most important purchase or sale in your lifetime. That's why Don’s goal is to keep you informed on trends in Harrisburg PA real estate. With property values continuing to rise, real estate is a sound investment for now and for the future.

As a local area expert with knowledge of Harrisburg PA area communities, Don’s objective is to work diligently to assist you in meeting your real estate goals.

If you are considering buying or selling a home or would just like to have additional information about real estate in your area, please don't hesitate to call me at (717) 657-8700, complete my online form, or e-mail me at don@donroth.com.

Heads up – this year, allergy season is coming early! For many of us, the start of spring will mean warmer weather, outdoor activities and an appetite for all things grilled. But for the 40 million allergy sufferers in the United States, March will also bring wheezing, itchy eyes and painful sinus pressure.

Believe it or not, tree pollen is already on the rise in most parts of the United States. If you’re suffering from any hay fever symptoms, blame your favorite trees – their pollen is king during the spring allergy season, followed closely by grass and ragweed.

If you’re feeling the pain every time you inhale, make your house an allergy-free zone. By doing a few chores before allergy season is in full swing, you’ll be able to avoid a lot of the uncomfortable symptoms! 

1. Shut Your Doors and Windows

Tree pollen frequently comes right through your front door, so keep your doors and windows shut! Inspect your windows and make sure there aren’t any cracks. If you spot a few, a quick caulk mission will fix the problem.

2. Change Your Air Filters

Think of your air filter as the bouncer at an exclusive club – it’s crucial if you want to keep pesky allergens off the dance floor (the dance floor is the air in your house). It takes less than two minutes to change your air filter, and they’re usually less than $30, so this one is a cinch!

3. Inspect Your Air Ducts 

Your air ducts pump air around your house like Arnold pumps iron, and all of that moving air can make your air ducts dirty. Clean ductwork translates to better indoor air quality and less dust and allergens floating around, so take 30 minutes out of your day and inspect your ducts before allergy season arrives in full force:

Information provided by BrightNest.com.

Search all Harrisburg PA homes for sale.

When you are buying or selling property in today's Harrisburg PA real estate market, it's important to have confidence in your real estate professional. Don’s commitment as your Harrisburg PA REALTOR® is to provide you with the specialized real estate service you deserve.

When you are an informed buyer or seller, you'll make the best decisions for the most important purchase or sale in your lifetime. That's why Don’s goal is to keep you informed on trends in Harrisburg PA real estate. With property values continuing to rise, real estate is a sound investment for now and for the future.

As a local area expert with knowledge of Harrisburg PA area communities, Don’s objective is to work diligently to assist you in meeting your real estate goals.

If you are considering buying or selling a home or would just like to have additional information about real estate in your area, please don't hesitate to call me at (717) 657-8700, complete my online form, or e-mail me at don@donroth.com.

Ownership is the way to go in many local markets. Trulia's Winter 2014 Rent vs. Buy Report shows that home ownership is 38% cheaper than renting on a national basis. The advantage also holds in most local markets. In the 100 largest metro markets, ownership trumps renting, according to Trulia.

We don't believe the 38% advantage will persist into 2015. The advantage will have been whittled away by higher lending rates and higher home prices. Both will be spurred along by job growth, which, in turn, will lead to more household formation – specifically formation in home ownership. In other words, we see more demand.

We've discussed in the past how the home-rental market has changed, with large institutional money pouring into to purchase single-family homes to rent. We've been somewhat skeptical of the business model. Single-family homes don't offer the economy of scale that a building of rentals does. Fixing a plumbing problem in two homes 10 miles apart is different from fixing a plumbing problem in two units 10 yards apart.

In other words, we see a move to more occupied ownership. This is a good thing and a virtuous circle: As more people own a home more people will be inspired to own one too. After all, most of us prefer to live in a neighborhood of owners. We prefer to own.

This is a point worth emphasizing to our clients, as is the point that they can become a part of the virtuous circle at a 38% discount to renting.

 Courtesy of Jessica Regan.

Search all Harrisburg PA homes for sale.

When you are buying or selling property in today's Harrisburg PA real estate market, it's important to have confidence in your real estate professional. Don’s commitment as your Harrisburg PA REALTOR® is to provide you with the specialized real estate service you deserve.

When you are an informed buyer or seller, you'll make the best decisions for the most important purchase or sale in your lifetime. That's why Don’s goal is to keep you informed on trends in Harrisburg PA real estate. With property values continuing to rise, real estate is a sound investment for now and for the future.

As a local area expert with knowledge of Harrisburg PA area communities, Don’s objective is to work diligently to assist you in meeting your real estate goals.

If you are considering buying or selling a home or would just like to have additional information about real estate in your area, please don't hesitate to call me at (717) 657-8700, complete my online form, or e-mail me at don@donroth.com.

How the Unexpected Leads to the Expected

Lending rates were up this past week, though not discerningly so.

When we parse the national averages, we see the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was up five basis points to 4.5%, according to Bankrate.com . Freddie Mac's data show a slightly frothier gain, with the 30-year loan up nine basis points to 4.37%.

A rate increase was inevitable after the February employment report, which showed an unexpected lift in payrolls. Specifically, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported the economy added 175,000 jobs last month – 26,000 more than the consensus estimate. In addition, net revisions for the prior two months show 25,000 more jobs than initially reported.

The natural reaction (or the expected reaction) in the mortgage market was for rates to rise. We say that because the expected isn't what moves markets; it's the unexpected. What's expected is already baked into current market prices. When something unexpected occurs – such as the robust payroll numbers last week – markets move. In the case of interest rates, they moved up.

We expect job growth to pick up pace. Recent growth has been hampered by atypically inclement weather. People simply weren't getting out and about. More telling, though, is the number of job openings, which is trending higher. The BLS reports that the number of job openings rose to 3.974 million in January compared to 3.914 million in December. Year over year, openings are up 7.6% and are at 2005 levels.

The trend in job openings isn't a surprise when you look at the trend in capacity utilization rates , which reflects the extend to which factories, mines, and utilities are being used. The utilization rate is above 79%, the highest it has been in years. What's more, it has been trending higher since the second half of 2013.

More employees are needed to support higher utilization rates. In addition, the rise in utilization rates points to more robust growth all around. After all, factories, mines, and utilities support other businesses.

Our best estimate is for payroll growth to ratchet up to 200,000 by summer. Should that happen, and as it becomes apparent, higher payroll growth will get priced into interest rates.

In short, we stick to our prediction that the 30-year fixed-rate loan will approach 5% by December. In the meantime, borrowers can capture a 30-year loan with a rate in the mid-fours, which is still darn good from a long-term historical perspective.

 Courtesy of Jessica Regan.

Search all Harrisburg PA homes for sale.

When you are buying or selling property in today's Harrisburg PA real estate market, it's important to have confidence in your real estate professional. Don’s commitment as your Harrisburg PA REALTOR® is to provide you with the specialized real estate service you deserve.

When you are an informed buyer or seller, you'll make the best decisions for the most important purchase or sale in your lifetime. That's why Don’s goal is to keep you informed on trends in Harrisburg PA real estate. With property values continuing to rise, real estate is a sound investment for now and for the future.

As a local area expert with knowledge of Harrisburg PA area communities, Don’s objective is to work diligently to assist you in meeting your real estate goals.

If you are considering buying or selling a home or would just like to have additional information about real estate in your area, please don't hesitate to call me at (717) 657-8700, complete my online form, or e-mail me at don@donroth.com.

A new home is an exciting fresh start. Actually moving into that new home, however, can be a huge pain.

To add to the stress of shuffling houses, it’s hard to keep your carbon footprint low when you’re dealing with cardboard boxes, tape, bubble wrap and Styrofoam.

Keep your move “green” with these tips:

Look for Green Peanuts

Yes, we literally mean green-colored packing peanuts. The moving industry got together and decided to be really obvious with their packaging, so the green-colored items are often biodegradable, recycled or derived from renewable resources like vegetable oils.

Always read the label to make sure, but grabbing green packing peanuts is typically going to be a safe bet!

Rent Boxes

Cardboard boxes are a pain for several reasons:

1. If you can’t find them for free, you have to pay for them.
2. There’s a high probability that the bottom of your box will break if you move anything heavy. And there goes your stuff!
3. They take at least two months to decompose in a landfill, which isn’t great on the conscience.

Instead, go plastic! Services like ZippGo.com will deliver plastic boxes to your house, then pick them up when you’re done moving for as little as $99. You’ll save time hunting down boxes and avoid broken-bottom situations during the move.  

Give Best Buy Your Old TV

Often times, moving means you get to upgrade your things. If you’re considering new electronics or appliances for your new home, give Best Buy a call. Through their recycling program, they’ll take nearly “all electronics and large appliances” off of your hands at no charge. Staples also has a similar program.

Donate Used Boxes

If you decide to use cardboard boxes during your move, no worries! You can lower your carbon footprint after the move by donating your gently used boxes.

Most moving companies will gladly take those boxes off of your hands. You can also post them on Craigslist – most recipients will probably come to you to grab the boxes, so you can avoid a trip to the dump. 

Information provided by BrightNest.com.

Search all Harrisburg PA homes for sale.

When you are buying or selling property in today's Harrisburg PA real estate market, it's important to have confidence in your real estate professional. Don’s commitment as your Harrisburg PA REALTOR® is to provide you with the specialized real estate service you deserve.

When you are an informed buyer or seller, you'll make the best decisions for the most important purchase or sale in your lifetime. That's why Don’s goal is to keep you informed on trends in Harrisburg PA real estate. With property values continuing to rise, real estate is a sound investment for now and for the future.

As a local area expert with knowledge of Harrisburg PA area communities, Don’s objective is to work diligently to assist you in meeting your real estate goals.

If you are considering buying or selling a home or would just like to have additional information about real estate in your area, please don't hesitate to call me at (717) 657-8700, complete my online form, or e-mail me at don@donroth.com.

This just in from the Central Penn Business Journal:

Manor Township-based Prudential Homesale Services Group has joined Warren Buffett's international real estate network, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices.

The midstate's largest residential brokerage, according to Business Journal records, will change its name in early June to Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Homesale Realty, the company said today.

"They're demonstrating to us all their belief in a healthy real estate industry. We're fortunate to be part of that," said Doug Rebert, Prudential Homesale's co-founder and managing director. "The world's most respected company believes in real estate, believes in our company, and wants to invest in our company."

Buffett's worldwide holding company, Berkshire Hathaway Inc., controls the broker network. Its first offices opened in September 2013. Since then, more than 600 offices with more than 24,000 real estate agents have joined or are in the process of joining.

It's a network of the top real estate brokers in the country.

The change for Rebert's group will affect about 700 agents in Central Pennsylvania and about 1,150 in total. He said June 4 is the target date for the transition.

The Lancaster County-based company is the only network member in this region.

"It's fresh and it's new. It's a franchise for today and in the future," Rebert said, citing state-of-the-art mobile technologies and an enhanced social media process.

The company closed more than 13,000 transactions and more than $2.5 billion in closed-sale volume last year, he said. Prudential Homesale has 28 offices that serve 11 counties in Pennsylvania, plus Maryland's Baltimore city and county as well as Carroll County.

Berkshire Hathaway employs nearly 300,000 people and owns more than 35 companies.

Berkshire's HomeServices of America unit is the majority owner of Prudential Real Estate.

If you’re gearing up for an annual spring cleaning session, we bet that the ‘ole oven is on your list. Cleaning your oven is one of those tasks that a lot of people dread doing, but there are ways to feel better about it! For example, getting the job done:

1. Without toxic chemicals.

2. Without scrubbing your arm out of its socket.

This is not a spring-cleaning myth! It can be done.

Here’s what you need:

• 2 cups baking soda
• ½ cup white vinegar
• ½ cup liquid dish soap
• Sponge
• Large-bristled paintbrush

Here’s what you do:

1. Mix all of your ingredients into a bowl. Then, slowly add water, stirring until everything forms a thick paste.

2. Remove all the racks from your oven (those, you have to clean separately).

3. Using your paintbrush, spread the paste over the entire interior surface of the oven.

4. Close the oven door and let the paste sit overnight (at least 8-10 hours).

5. Wipe the paste away with a wet sponge. It’s helpful to keep a bowl or bucket of water handy so you can dip frequently – the key to removing the paste is lots of water. Tip: If you run into any tough spots, try using a scrub brush instead of a sponge. You’ll get more leverage that way.

6. Clean off your paintbrush and admire your sparkly-clean oven. 

Information provided by BrightNest.com.

Search all Harrisburg PA homes for sale.

When you are buying or selling property in today's Harrisburg PA real estate market, it's important to have confidence in your real estate professional. Don’s commitment as your Harrisburg PA REALTOR® is to provide you with the specialized real estate service you deserve.

When you are an informed buyer or seller, you'll make the best decisions for the most important purchase or sale in your lifetime. That's why Don’s goal is to keep you informed on trends in Harrisburg PA real estate. With property values continuing to rise, real estate is a sound investment for now and for the future.

As a local area expert with knowledge of Harrisburg PA area communities, Don’s objective is to work diligently to assist you in meeting your real estate goals.

If you are considering buying or selling a home or would just like to have additional information about real estate in your area, please don't hesitate to call me at (717) 657-8700, complete my online form, or e-mail me at don@donroth.com.

We recently stumbled across a revealing report published by the Redfin Research Center . Redfin surveyed 1,909 home buyers in 22 major metropolitan markets and found that 39% of them prefer to rent their last home rather than sell. This is an astonishingly high number.

We also find it a somewhat disconcerting number. We've long been advocates of normalized housing markets – markets driven by occupied owners. These markets tend to be more stable, and less prone to speculative fervor.

To be sure, we have nothing against single-family rental properties. They satisfy a very real need. That so many people want to be rental landlords these days isn't necessary a good thing, though: For one, it withholds inventory that could benefit those who wish to own and occupy. Second, the rental market isn't what it used to be: Large institutional single-home landlords like American Homes 4Rent and Invitation Homes have entered the market. This is a recent phenomenon and one difficult to gauge on home prices and future rents.

Selling and financing these rentals is obviously good for business, but only if were not sacrificing the future for the present. After all, another housing bubble (and were not saying we're currently in a bubble) is the last thing we would want to again endure.

 Courtesy of Jessica Regan.

Search all Harrisburg PA homes for sale.

When you are buying or selling property in today's Harrisburg PA real estate market, it's important to have confidence in your real estate professional. Don’s commitment as your Harrisburg PA REALTOR® is to provide you with the specialized real estate service you deserve.

When you are an informed buyer or seller, you'll make the best decisions for the most important purchase or sale in your lifetime. That's why Don’s goal is to keep you informed on trends in Harrisburg PA real estate. With property values continuing to rise, real estate is a sound investment for now and for the future.

As a local area expert with knowledge of Harrisburg PA area communities, Don’s objective is to work diligently to assist you in meeting your real estate goals.

If you are considering buying or selling a home or would just like to have additional information about real estate in your area, please don't hesitate to call me at (717) 657-8700, complete my online form, or e-mail me at don@donroth.com.