Real Estate Information Archive

We don’t suggest using mayo in every meal, but it’s a crucial ingredient to deviled eggs, and what would spring be without deviled eggs? Whether you’re partial to eggs with avocado, bacon or paprika, these recipes are devilishly good and deserve a spot at your table.

Once you’ve finished preparing this springtime classic, use the leftover mayo to erase drink rings from a wooden table! To do this, dip a soft cloth into a jar of real mayonnaise. Lightly rub the drink ring with the cloth until it’s completely coated with mayo. Allow the condiment to sit for several hours (or overnight if the ring is extra stubborn). Then, wipe the mayonnaise away with a clean cloth. If mayo doesn’t do the trick, try white vinegar!

More great egg recipes:

Classic Deviled Eggs | bell'alimento

Deviled Eggs that Wow | MomDot

Middle Eastern Deviled Egg Baskets | A Spicy Perspective

Spinach Artichoke Deviled Eggs | Ari's Menu

Avocado Deviled Eggs | Heather's Dish

Deviled Eggs | Jehan Can Cook

Easter Colored Deviled Eggs | FOODjimoto

Cream Cheese and Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs | The Curvy Carrot

Ham & Cheese Melt Deviled Eggs | Lauren's Latest

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.

WHY DO THIS?

If your living room receives cave-like natural light, you’re going to be flicking those light switches a lot. When you turn on the lights, you use electricity – and that costs money! Save a little cash and reduce your energy usage by increasing your home’s natural light. Plus, you’ll get a mood boost from all of that vitamin D!

HOW TO:

Need a hand? If you're interested in hiring a professional to add a skylight to your home, visit Angie's List to find a professional in your area. 

1. Use mirrors. Mirrors reflect light, so the more mirrors you have in a room, the more light will bounce from wall to wall! Hang mirrors opposite windows or glass doors to maximize the natural light in your room. Tip: Buy furniture with glass panels or mirrored accents.
2. Paint with light colors. Light colors reflect sunlight better than dark ones, so a wall painted in cool tones (like gray, cream or eggshell blue) will boost the natural light in the room.
3. Move furniture. Unless you have some kind of translucent plastic theme going on, your furniture is blocking natural light! Move furniture at least a few feet away from any windows or glass doors so you can let the light shine in.
4. Ditch the heavy fabric curtains. It’s important to have drapes and curtains, but they don’t need to be made from heavy fabrics like velvet or brocade (which will make the room feel darker and smaller). Try linen or cotton, instead!
5. Change the door. If you have a solid, exterior door in your dark room, replace it with a door that has a window. If you’re worried about burglary, you can find glass doors at your local hardware store that have high-security glass.
6. Choose the right shades. Some shades, like Roman shades, block sunlight even when they’re open! Unless you’re trying to keep glare off of a TV, this isn’t a great choice for darker rooms. Instead, opt for blinds that let you better control the amount of light that comes in.
7. Add a skylight. This is a pricey option up-front, but because a skylight can help naturally heat a room, it could save you boatloads on your electricity bill over time! If you’re ready to take the plunge and add a skylight to a room, hire a contractor for the job – don’t try this one yourself!

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.

You’ve no doubt noticed that mortgage rates have been on the rise. This has been the trend over the past 30 days.  We shouldn’t be surprised. The 10-year U.S. Treasury note yields 2% these days. That’s a yield it hasn’t offered in nearly two months. As the 10-year note goes, so go mortgage rates.

The good news is that conventional 30-year fixed-rate quotes are still mostly below 4%. As long as the economy continues to grow and businesses continue to create new jobs, we don’t see rising rates derailing housing’s multi-year upward trajectory.

But again, rates have been rising. We wouldn’t be surprised if they continue to rise.

Given recent upward trends in stock and commodity prices, along with a general sense the global economy is less likely to enter a recession, mortgages rates could easily move higher. What’s more, odds favor the Federal Reserve raising the federal funds rate again sooner than later. A month ago, traders in fed funds rate futures contracts were pricing a 30% chance of another rate hike in December. Today, they’re pricing for a 41% chance of another hike by June.

To be sure, trader sentiment can wax and wane with market sentiment. But it’s looking more likely that higher, not lower, mortgage rates reside in our future.

Information provided by 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.

Housing Leads the Economy

Housing matters to the economy, and it matters in a big way. National Association of Home Builder (NAHB) data tell us that residential investment – new construction and remodeling – averages roughly 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) annually. To put a dollar amount to the percentage, we’re talking roughly $875 billion annually.

Housing continues to pull its economic weight. Housing starts came in strong for February, rising 5.2% month over month to 1.178 million units when annualized. Single-family starts were especially robust, rising 7.2%.

That said, at least a few commentators were down on permits, a useful gauge for estimating future activity.  Permits were down 3.1% in February. The loss, though, was concentrated on multi-family starts. Single-family starts were actually up 0.4%. Year over year, growth in single-family permits has been healthy, up 6.3%. This suggests that new-home activity should remain elevated heading into the spring season.

So the news on new-home activity is good, but it’s not great. If we had one complaint, it would be the dearth of new-home construction for the starter end of market.

NAR data show that inventory for homes priced below $250,000 dropped 8.2% in January compared to a year earlier. When supply falls, prices usually rise, such are the laws of economics. Trulia data show that starter-home buyers on average need to devote 38%, up from 32% four years ago, of income to housing costs. These first-time buyers, mostly millennials, are housing’s largest segment.

If we could make one wish for this year, it would be a ramp-up in housing starts. Even at the current level, annual starts still run roughly 300,000 below historical norms. More starts all around would be nice, but more starts geared toward the starter-home market would be even nicer.

Who knows, maybe we will get our wish. Builders remain optimistic, particularly with regards to present and future sales. The Wells Fargo/NAHB Sentiment Index posted at 65 for present sales and 61 for future sales this month. A reading above 50 is positive. Sentiment on buyer traffic, which has been weak, is finally picking up, posting at 43, four points higher than the previous month. More buyer traffic could be what’s needed to kick-start lower-priced home construction.

Mortgage activity also continues to point to elevated housing activity. Despite mortgage rates rising in recent weeks, the Mortgage Bankers Association’s unadjusted Purchase Index was up 1% for the week. It’s up 33% compared to the same year-ago period.

Recent housing data, combined with recent positive economic data and financial market activity, suggest there’s good reason for optimism heading into the spring and summer months.

Information provided by 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.

WHY DO THIS?

Hold on to the remote, this news may shock you: the average cable bill is $75, and that number is expected to rise about 5 percent every year. That’s a pretty steep price increase for your favorite shows! If you can’t imagine cancelling your cable, there are a few tricks of the trade that can help you reduce your bill by up to 20 percent. That can amount to $180 or more saved each year!

HOW TO:

1. Do your homework. Unless you live in a one-horse town, there should be more than one cable company operating in your area. Do your research and find out what deals are being offered to you. This isn’t necessarily because you want to switch – you want the information to use as leverage when you call your cable company! You also want to make sure that you know the deals that your company is offering to their new customers. Note: You may need to do some digging online to find this information.
2. Compare and contrast. Your cable bill is like an airline ticket – people pay very different prices for the exact same results! Ask your neighbors, friends and family members what they’re paying. Again, this can be used as leverage when chatting with the cable company. If you can establish that other people are paying less than you, they’ll often match a lower price or add promotions to your account that lower your bill.
3. Have a goal. To stay focused, it helps to set a specific price goal before you call the cable company. Make sure it’s realistic – a 15 percent reduction is still a major win.
4. Be calm. We’re not saying that you shouldn’t be a little irked that you pay twice as much as your friend for the same service – just don’t show the cable company that. Make sure you’re in a calm state of mind before you call the cable company. In this situation, flattery is the name of the game. You want the customer service representative to know that you love their service – you just can’t afford to pay such a high price every month.
5. Provide a little background. You wouldn’t ask out a date without flirting a little first, would you? (Don’t answer that.) Before you jump right to the big ask, give the customer service representative a little background. Say you’re going through your yearly budget and realized that you just can’t afford their service, or even play the blame game and say your spouse wants a lower bill. If they realize whyyou’re asking, they’ll be more willing to work with you to solve the problem.
6. Bring out the big guns. Once you’ve established what you need and schmoozed a little, it’s time to mention a competitor. Make it clear (without being overtly hostile) that you’re thinking about cancelling unless they can lower the bill. Don’t actually say you will cancel, or the call may end with you losing access to your favorite shows. Instead, just say you might be forced to quit since you’ve found a better option.
7. Try again. If your first call isn’t fruitful, it may just be that the specific agent you talked to wouldn’t play ball. Cable companies have a lot of employees. If you’re not getting anywhere, ask to talk to their loyalty department – they’ll have access to deals that the customer service department doesn’t. If you still don’t get a lower bill, try again on a different night of the week. Think of each call as a first date – you’ll eventually get lucky and meet the perfect customer service rep for you!

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’re becoming a nation of renters, so we’ve been told since the housing bubble burst in 2008.

We never bought the narrative. Surveys, most notably those produced by Fannie Mae, continually show that the vast majority of people prefer to own than rent. We’re not surprised. If given the choice between owning or renting a home, most people will choose owning. That’s human nature.

The good news is that more people are moving into a key home-buying age demography – those age 30 to 39.  Data aggregated by CalculatedRiskBlog show that people embrace and pursue home buying with more conviction when they hit their 30s. This age demography is expected to grow significantly over the next decade.

Given current trends, the long-term outlook on housing remains positive, particularly for new-home construction. This market niche has yet to return to historical norms. Starts have historically averaged 1.5 million per year. Today, that number is around one million. Rising demand driven by millennials hitting their 30s will help lift annual starts back to historical norms. This is a key reason we expect starts – single-family starts, in particular – to grow in coming years.

 Information provided by 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.

Back on Pace Again

After a respite in January, payrolls returned to form in February: Job growth was again in excess of 200,000 for the month. Specifically, payrolls rose by 242,000, which held the unemployment rate at 4.9%. What’s more, another 30,000 was added to the payroll tally for the prior two months.

Markets have certainly turned more optimistic in recent weeks. Stocks are again on the rise; commodity prices continue to trend higher.  Oil, in particular, is up $9 a barrel over the past three weeks. This isn’t great news for us at the pump, but it is good news for the U.S. oil-and-gas sector, which has struggled with $30-a-barrel oil. (The sector swims in debt, estimated at $2 trillion, that needs to be serviced.) Nevertheless, gasoline remains below $2 a gallon in many parts of the country. Higher energy prices are unlikely to send the economy into a tailspin.

More good news is found in the U.S. dollar, which has loosened its grip on the world economy. The dollar has depreciated against many currencies. This makes it less expensive for foreign countries to import commodities, because most international transactions are settled in dollars. A falling dollar is also indicative of a rising risk appetite. The dollar and dollar-denominated investments – e.g., U.S. Treasury securities – are viewed as havens. Fewer investors are seeking havens these days.

Things are looking pretty good. When things are looking pretty good, lending rates tend to rise. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note hovers around 1.9% – 20 basis points higher than where it was two weeks ago. As the 10-year note goes, so, too, go mortgage rates. Not surprisingly, mortgage rates have been on the rise. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, though still priced well below 4% for best execution, is at a one-month high.

Odds are rising that another interest-rate increase could come sooner than later. Last week, traders in federal funds rate futures contracts were placing a 30% chance of another rate increase by June. The odds of a June rate hike have increased to 35%.

Of course, just because the Federal Reserve raises the federal funds rate doesn’t mean all rates will rise. Market interest rates have remained staid since the Fed implemented its first rate increase this past December.  That said, additional rate increases would be a sign that Fed officials are convinced the economy is on strong footing and that consumer-price inflation has taken hold. This paradigm points to rising market rates, and market rates that are unlikely to backtrack.

Yes, we’ve been down this road before: What goes up can, and has, come down.  But if we’ve got a Fed committed to raising interest rates, there’s less of a chance rates will come down.  We’ve got good lending rates today; odds are falling that they’ll be better tomorrow.

 Information provided by 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.

Valuable information from Jessica Regan, Senior Mortgage Consultant, GMH Mortgage Services:

While it's an illegal breach of privacy for real estate agents or mortgage originators to sell your credit information, it is perfectly legal for credit companies to do so. For a price ranging anywhere from $25 to $100, your name and certain specifics about your credit report - including your address, phone number, mortgage history, and even your FICO score range - are sold by the credit bureaus to mortgage companies. The result is an onslaught of unsolicited phone calls and junk mail as soon as you apply for a home loan.

Unfortunately, no legislation exists to prevent credit bureaus from profiting at your expense. As a "trigger lead", you are simply at the mercy of any number of marketing campaigns designed specifically to discredit the mortgage professional you've come to know and trust.

That's why, prior to applying for any loan program, I suggest that you visit www.optoutprescreen.com to opt-out of future credit bureau solicitations and avoid this problem altogether. Not only will you avoid the hassle of telemarketers, but by opting out you could potentially add 10 to 15 points to your credit score!

In addition, if you do happen to receive phone calls from solicitors, ask them to place your name and number on their Do Not Call list. All telemarketing companies have their own internal Do Not Call list that they must abide by. Be sure to take down the name of both the company and the individual who made the call, and to let the solicitor know that you're doing so. This way, you will have grounds to seek action against them, should they call again.

As you embark on what is likely the largest financial transaction of your life, you should place yourself in the hands of a professional - not some transactional loan officer who purchased your information from the credit bureaus. Remember, only a limited number of sources exist for lenders to obtain mortgage money, so it's extremely unlikely that a borrower will find an unbelievably low rate without an unbelievably high cost.

If, however, you are curious about the programs these mortgage companies have to offer, then listen to what they have to say. Once they've offered you a rate that seems too good to be true, ask them a question or two from the following list.

If you have any questions about this, or any other part of the mortgage process, please call me.
I'll be happy to assist you in any way I can.

Jessica Regan
License:141150
Senior Mortgage Consultant
GMH Mortgage Services
Phone: (717) 798-3123
Fax: (717) 798-3143
jregan@gmhmortgage.com
www.jessicareganmortgage.com

What do pillows and Chinese food have in common? 

They can go bad! Just like kung pao chicken, your pillows have an expiration date. And while using a pillow after it has gone “bad” won’t make you sick, it can increase your chances of neck pain, back pain and general discomfort. 

As a rule of thumb, your pillows should be replaced every 1-2 years. Not sure how old yours are? That’s okay! There’s a simple three-step test you can do to determine if it’s time to buy a new one:

1. Fold your pillow in half.

2. Press down on the cushion so that the air is squeezed out and the pillow becomes flat.

3. Let go. If the pillow doesn't spring back into its original shape within a few seconds, you need a new pillow!

Good news: Pillows aren’t very expensive! So if your pillow failed the test, or has stains or discoloration that can't be cleaned, it’s time to go shopping. 

If your pillows pass the pillow test and are stink- and stain-free, you can rest easy! Tip: To prolong your pillow’s life, be sure to clean them regularly.

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.

A month ago, the augments against another round of Federal Reserve rate increases were formidable: Slow economic growth in China, negative interest rates in Europe, a soaring U.S. dollar, weak commodity prices, and falling global stock prices.

Odds of another federal funds rate increase were low. Indeed, traders were giving no more than single-digits odds for another rate increase before June.

After a couple weeks of strong performance in the global financial markets, the odds for a June increase are on the rise. Today, traders are betting for a 30% chance of another rate increase by June. Those arguments that seemed so impenetrable a month ago seem less impenetrable today. This means the Fed will be less hesitant to raise the fed funds rate.

Of course, the Fed can raise the fed funds rates and mortgage rates could fall, which we saw after the Fed raised the fed funds rate in December. But when the Fed raises rates again, it will likely be backed by firmer financial-asset prices and stronger economic growth. Inflation will also likely be more prevalent. The market will be less inclined to move against the Fed.

To be sure, a couple weeks of solid financial-market performance and firming asset prices doesn't make a trend. It's worth highlighting, though, that if current advances hold, then there's a good chance we could see 4% on the 30-year loan sooner than later.  Yes, everything occurring today could be gone tomorrow, but it can be risky to bet that way.

 Information provided by 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.