Real Estate Information Archive

WHY DO THIS?

A coat draped over the couch may not be a big deal, but a coat strewn on the couch, a few pairs of shoes on the floor and jewelry on the table adds up to something big: C-L-U-T-T-E-R. Instead of attacking clutter room-by-room, it can be helpful to attack a single type of item that contributes to clutter in a bunch of places. Clothes, in this case. Let’s organize!

HOW TO:

1. Bedroom Closet

If your bedroom closet looks like something out of American Horror Story right now, then you should do a full audit and revamp. If it’s messy but not disastrous, you may just need to change your closet mindset. Try embracing this idea: Closets aren’t meant for storage. Yup. To actually keep your closet clean, you must think of your closet as a functional space. In other words, give your closet a job. Need more details? Here’s the secret to keeping your closet functional.

2. Closet Shelves

Closet shelves are the Bermuda Triangle of storage spaces – items get put up there, and are never seen again. To keep your closet shelves from effing up your wardrobe, invest in some baskets. Give each basket a job (same as with your entire closet), like tie holder or scarf storage. Label ‘em up and don’t mix up the jobs! You’ll never lose a headband or tie again.

3. Drawers

Throwing items in a drawer is a quick way to make a mess. Enter: Dividers, dividers, dividers. Measure your drawers and give them each a specific job (seeing a pattern yet?) like shirts, pants, lingerie and socks. Then, install something like these spring-loaded dividers so the drawers will stay organized with minimal effort.

4. Shoes

Shoes count as clothes, right?! Plus, disorganized shoes can feel like they have a life of their own, and easily become strewn about the house. Keep ‘em controlled by playing the no-floor game. Once shoes hit the floor they tend to stay there and clutter up every room in your house. Instead, use tools like door organizers, plastic bins and cloth vertical hanging organizers. When you take your shoes off, keep them off of the floors and put them back in their allotted place. For more shoe organization tips, read: Organize Your Shoes.

5. Jewelry

It’s easy to store your jewelry out of sight, and then forget about your favorites and never wear them! To display your jewelry without making a mess, set up some old teacups, hooks and pushpins in your bedroom. Now you'll be able to keep track of your jewelry, instead of taking off your rings and leaving them in any ol' room in your house.

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

COMING SOON!

2313 ABBEY LANE HARRISBURG, PA 17112
 

Truth time: thousands of fires every year are sparked by a home fire hazard that is often overlooked… resulting in an estimated millions of dollars in property loss! What is this frightening fire hazard, you ask?

Lint in your dryer vent!

That's right, dryer lint seems pretty harmless, but it catches on fire really easily (there are 15,000 dryer fires every year in the U.S.). So, what can you do to make your house safer than it was before you started reading this post? Simple. Follow these four tips:

1. Always Keep the Lint Trap Clean

Don't ever run a load of laundry without removing dryer lint from the trap or screen. Large amounts of lint can always accumulate during a regular cycle.

2. Inspect Your Dryer Duct and Vent

Look for kinks, holes or other damage. Over time, dryer lint can build up and clog your dryer vent, reducing the airflow, backing up gases and creating a big fire hazard.

3. Clean Your Dryer Vent!

You can clean your dryer vent duct by vacuuming the back of the dryer, the dryer duct and the wall duct, but we recommend hiring a professional once a year to clean your dryer vent (prices vary by location, but generally it costs about $50). This will ensure you don't miss any spots overtime that create a dangerous buildup.

4. Practice Gentle Drying Habits

To reduce buildup from general usage, limit your use of dryer sheets, and try to avoid running a dryer for longer than 45 minutes.

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.

Given the popularity of rehabbing and flipping houses on cable television, it's important to understand what is actually occurring. It might seem straightforward, but it's less straightforward than many people (novices, in particular) think.

When someone buys a house to rehab and flip for a profit, or to rent, he or she is undertaking a business proposition. In this regard, the house is really an investment. The goal is to increase cash flow: Buy now at one price and hopefully sell at a higher price in the near future. If the house is bought to rehab and rent, this too, makes it an investment.

But when a house is bought to rehab and owner occupy, it's not an investment. The house's primary purpose isn't to create cash flow, it's to provide shelter. In this regard, a house is an asset. Of course, over time an asset can appreciate in price and be sold in the future for more than it cost. Still, it's not an investment.

Noting the distinction between an asset and an investment might seem like an exercise in splitting hairs, but it's more than that. A house as an investment can be used to meet everyday living expenses, but a house as an asset can't. This distinction matters because it properly sets expectations on the economic purpose of that house.

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.

Prices Heat Up… And So Do Sales

Home prices appear to have caught a second wind. Through the second half of 2014, the rate of price appreciation was slowing in many metropolitan markets. Lately, though, the rate has picked up pace.

The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index posted another month of uplifting prices. Specifically, Case-Shiller's 20-city index rose a strong 0.9% in February, posting its best monthly performance since late 2013. February's strong showing lifts the year-over-year rate to 5%. More impressive, the index wasn't lead by a few outliers.

To be sure, San Francisco and Denver lead the way with 3.3% and 2.2% price increases, respectively, but none of the 20 cities in Case-Shiller showed a monthly decline. Given the dearth of existing-home inventory, no one should be terribly surprised that home prices are on the upswing.

Today, housing appears to be the key economic driver. Residential investment increased at a 1.3% annual rate in the first quarter of 2015. This is despite the lousy weather, which took a bite out of overall economic growth. New revised numbers on first-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) show the economy grew a mere 0.2% in the first quarter – a full two percentage points less than the fourth quarter of 2014.

But it's not just investment driving housing forward. Sales on the retail end have picked-up pace. The Pending Home Sales Index was up a third-straight month in March. Month over month, the index was up a stout 1.1%. Sales of existing homes appear to have finally established an uptrend. Strength in existing home sales will hopefully portend strength in new home sales, which have been weak the past couple months. 

Given the weakness in the GDP numbers, the Federal Reserve is less likely to move to raise the federal funds rates. In the latest meeting of Fed officials, economic weakness was the overarching theme. The minutes of the meeting were peppered with words like “moderated” and “slowed.” That said, Fed officials stopped short of scotching any possibility of a rate hike in June.

If we were forced to place a bet, though, we'd bet against the Fed raising the fed funds rate in June. In fact, we've stated in the past that we wouldn't be surprised if the Fed didn't move to raise rates this year. The Fed continues to hang its hat on low inflation and further improvement in the labor market (even though the official unemployment rate is down to 5.5%).

In short, we remain in the low-interest-rate camp, but it's worth remembering that the Fed isn't omnipotent. It can influence interest rates; it can't dictate them. Therefore, it's dangerous to take the current low-rate environment for granted. Things can change, and they can change in a hurry.

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.