5 Super Spring Decorating Ideas To Spruce Up Your Home   With spring just around the corner, now is a good time to begin decorating your home for the upcoming season. Whether you enjoy chic decorations that are budget-friendly or easy changes to create a fresh look, below are five quick ideas to brighten up your home for the season. Add a Pop of Color Spring is a good time to add color to your décor. Switch your tablecloth in the dining room for one with lighter colors. Cover decorative pillows with pastel pillowcases to lighten a room. Adding decorative centerpieces to tables that contain a pop of spring colors is also a simple way to get your home ready for spring. Find A Spring Wreath Wreaths are usually hung during the Christmas holiday, but other seasonal wreaths are becoming a pop... 05/31/2013

Existing Home Sales Numbers Highest Since 2009   The National Association of REALTORS reported that sales of existing homes in April reached 4.97 million on a seasonally-adjusted annual basis. Although this reading fell short of Wall Street's expectations of 5.00 million existing homes sold, it surpassed the March 2013 upwardly revised reading of 4.94 million existing home sales. This represents a 0.60 percent increase from March to April, and a 9.70 increase year-over-year. Low Mortgage Rates Contribute To High Sales Levels  Low mortgage rates and pent-up demand for homes are driving sales of existing homes, which reached their highest level since November 2009.  Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of REALTORS, indicated that housing market momentum is overcoming... 05/28/2013

Home Builder Future Sales Confidence Rises To New Highs   Home builders are gaining confidence in current and future market conditions for new homes, but continue to see below-average foot traffic in new homes. The reading for May's National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) /Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) increased by three points to a reading of 44 as compared to April's revised reading of 41. The HMI measures builder confidence in current sales conditions for newly built homes, buyer foot traffic in new homes and builder expectations for future sales conditions. Builder Confidence In Future New Home Sales Highest Since February 2007 The HMI reading for current sales conditions for newly built homes rose from 44 to 48. The reading for buyer foot traffic in new homes rose fro... 05/15/2013

What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week - May 13, 2013   Mortgage rates rose last week with average rates a 30-year fixed rate mortgage rising from last week's 3.35 percent to 3.42 percent with buyers paying all closing costs and 0.7 percent in discount points. Average rates for a 15-year fixed rate mortgage rose from 2.56 percent to 2.61 percent with buyers paying their closing costs and 0.7 percent in discount points. Freddie Mac also reports that average rates for a 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage rose from 2.56 percent last week to 2.58 percent with buyers paying their closing costs and 0.5 percent in discount points.  Here are noteworthy points from last week's economic news: Monday:  In spite of improving economic conditions, a majority of participants in the Senior Loan Officer Op... 05/13/2013

3 Ways Clean Floors Can Help Sell Your Home Faster   Have you ever walked into a home for sale and looked down to see stained carpet or scratched and worn flooring? If so, you would probably agree that it doesn't leave a positive first impression. Imagine if you were a buyer looking at the same floor. The right type of flooring and whether it is well taken care of can make a big difference to buyers. If your floor is questionably clean, here are a few fixes to help remedy the issue to help your home sell quickly. Does your home have hardwood floors? You're in luck. Buyers love hardwood floors and some will pay extra to get them. If your hardwood floors are covered by carpet, painted over or showing anything but the natural wood grain, it's time for an overhaul. With the ability to rent ... 04/16/2013

What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week - April 15, 2013     Mortgage rates saw little change last week amidst mixed economic news. Treasury auctions held on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday saw weak demand; this could have been caused by the FOMC minutes that were released on Wednesday. The minutes indicated that some FOMC members supported ending the current quantitative easing (QE) program within a few months. The Fed is currently purchasing $85 billion monthly in bonds and Mortgage Backed Securities. If the QE program is ended, demands for bonds and MBS will decline, which usually raises mortgage rates. Employment Numbers Show Promise For Housing Market Thursday's jobless claims offered some positive news for the Phoenixville real estate market. Jobless claims fell to 346,000, whic... 04/14/2013

7 Quick And Inexpensive Ways You Can Improve Your Home's Curb Appeal   Have you ever heard the saying, "You never get a second chance for a first impression?" If you have a Phoenixville home for sale, it is important to appreciate the significance a first impression has on your potential buyer. When buyers drive up to your property and take their first look at your home, they will instantly be forming ideas about your house and how it might fit for their family. When you are trying to entice a buyer to make an offer on your house, you must consider the curb appeal - how your house looks from the outside, or while standing on the curb - of your home for sale. In fact, some surveys show that curb appeal can affect a buyer's decision even more than price or square footage. Below are seven ... 03/28/2013

What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week: February 25th, 2013   A quiet past week in economic news caused mortgage rates to worsen slightly. This week, however, will be packed with economic reports which may have an impact on interest rates going forward. Freddie Mac reported that the average rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage rose by 3 basis points from 3.53 percent to 3.56 percent with borrowers paying 0.8 in discount points and all of their closing costs. The average rate for a 15-year fixed rate mortgage was unchanged from last week at 2.77 percent with borrowers paying 0.8 in discount points and all of their closing costs. In other economic news, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for January fell slightly to 0.0 percent as compared to Wall Street expectations of 0.1 percent and D... 02/24/2013

Fillmore Village - New Townhomes Phoenixville PAWhy Do People Live Here?When completed, Fillmore Village Subdivision Phoenixville PA will be a pleasing new neighborhood of 141 townhomes conveniently located in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.  Located at the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Fillmore Street, Fillmore Village is only a few blocks from all of the convenient shops, businesses and restaurants along Bridge Street in downtown Phoenixville.  Fillmore Village offers a variety of new, low-maintenance luxury townhomes to fit any lifestyle.  The developer has broken ground and already has some improvements in place.Looking for a Townhome in Fillmore Village?Interested in homes for sale in Fillmore Village?  Click that link to find out what is available.What’s the Neighborhood Like?Th... 01/17/2013

Photo taken on the shore of the Schuylkill River on the outskirts of Phoenixville, PA last summer.We kayaked down the Schuylkill River then pulled our kayaks across some land to the canal where we kayaked some more right back to our starting point!  Kayaking is such a great way to see the scenery and to get a different impression of an area. 06/12/2012

Do I Really Need a Home Inspection (Phoenixville)?If you are in the market to purchase a home, the answer is probably - YES! Some buyers get stressed out by all the money involved in buying a home and think saving $360 by skipping the home inspection is a good place to save money. The house "looks" OK and surely the sellers would tell them if there were any issues!  That's not always the case.  It doesn't mean the sellers are being dishonest- they might not realize there is a serious issue with the home they are selling.  And just because the house "looks" OK- clean, well-maintained, etc.. doesn't mean there isn't an expensive repair lurking around the corner.  I met a guy named Jeff at a networking meeting in Phoenixville a few weeks ago.  Jeff was telling me his story of how he had re... 02/06/2012

First time Open!! 2-4 PM Sunday 1/29/2012  Come Check out the Beautiful Natural Cherry Wood floors in the living room, dining room,powder room. The floors will WOW you. Side Entrance facing Open Space with trees. Spacious End unit in Kimberton Greens with a Garage. Open Floor plan. Bright, Sunny, Spacious Two Story Great Room with Gas fireplace for those cold winter nights. Great room is open to the Kitchen. Kitchen features a Breakfast bar and Breakfast room. Sliding glass doors to Patio. Perfect Place for Grilling in the warmer months. Open Staircase to Second floor. Master Bedroom Suite with walk in closet, additional closet,large bathroom with soaking tub and separate shower and double vanities. Second floor Full Laundry room not just a closet. Ceramic tiled hall bath. Two more spa... 01/25/2012

If you've visited any major city in our great country I would gather to say you have had a taste of the exciting vibe, pride, history, entertainment and opportunity that is yours to explore and experience. I've been lucky enough to have lived in Center City Philadelphia. For the past 15 years my husband and I have made our home turf the old steel town of Phoenixville PA.  What we've experienced in our short time here has been remarkable, and every day there is something old or new to explore.  We've learned that the Phoenix Iron and Steel Company played a role in the Civil War, Washington Monument, Manhattan and Broolyn Bridges, the Eiffel Tower and more. Here's a short article; http://bit.ly/tRZCaf The Schuylkill River (how do you say that?) http://bit.ly/rw3ZcO provides countless outd... 11/17/2011

Why use an ASHI Home Inspector (Phoenixville)?   Buying a home may be one of the most important purchases you'll ever make.  Fortunately, you can protect yourself by using a professional home inspector.  You want as much knowledge about the home before purchasing so you can rest assured that the roof will be fine for the next several years or that the crack in the foundation wall is harmless and won't be splitting your house in two someday.    So how do you find the best phoenixville home inspector for you?  Should you use an ASHI home inspector?   First, know that your home inspector in Phoenixville (or anywhere in Pennsylvania) is required to be compliant with the Home Inspector Law in PA.  This law was setup to protect consumers.  One of the requirements is that the home inspector mu... 10/04/2011

Mutts Making Money For Melaina 1286 Black Rock Rd, Phoenixville, PA, FREE Sept 25, 2011 11:00AM The 2nd Annual Mutts Making Money For Melaina will include a large basket raffle, judged dog competition and moonbounce. All Proceeds Benefit 5 year old Melaina’s Children’s Alopecia Project.   40.1611 -75.48875 primary Mutts Making Money For Melaina September 25, 2011, 11:00am–2:00pm 1286 Black Rock Rd, Phoenixville, PA /events/mutts-making-money-for-melaina-7f0140a0   /locations/5444339               09/25/2011

Photo taken while kayaking the Schuylkill River near Phoenixville, PA.Summer 2011. 08/07/2011

 Why Contact a Home Inspector? (Phoenixville)              As a Home Inspector in Phoenixville, PA and surrounding, my typical client is a homebuyer and I always recommend that once you have a signed Agreement of Sale, Contact a Home Inspector right away to schedule the home inspection.   Why?     Peace-of-Mind!  Why wait?  Buying a home could be the largest single investment you'll ever make and after the inspection, you'll know more about the house which will allow you to make decisions with confidence.  A home inspector will identify the need for major repairs, as well as the need for maintenance to keep your home in good shape.  Before you sign your Agreement, be sure there is an inspection clause included.  This makes your final purchase obligation contingent on the findings of a p... 05/17/2011

Phoenixville Home Inspector: Prepare for Emergencies!     I have 24 water shutoff valves in my home and know where each of them are.  Do you know where all of yours are and how to operate them?  As a Home Inspector in Phoenixville, I hear stories of how small home emergencies soon become huge disasters because the homeowner didn't know what to do when the unexpected happened. Prepare for emergencies ahead of time!     If you are relatively new to homeownership, one of the things I like to do when I'm performing a home inspection in the Phoenixville area for a buyer is to have them walk around the property with me so I can teach them about the house, point out maintenance issues, and educate them about the systems.  It is not required that you be there for the home inspection, but I cert... 04/13/2011

There is a word that I hold close to my heart, heck, it's at the core of my profession, I'm a Realtor. And Real-tor is the word. When you're sick, you don't go to see your Doc-ah-tor, you see your Doctor. Same with my profession; I'm not a Real-ah-tor, I'm a Realtor. Real Estate is my business, people are the glue that makes it all come together and I love using my skills to bring the results to fruition. For some reason, the circuitry in my brain focuses-in on the mis-pronounced word Real-ah-tor, and I'm amazed how many people use this Malapropism; they could be in the business or not. So, next time you are in need of a REALTOR, call me. And remember there is not a Doc-ah-tor in this house! 04/05/2011

 FREE Do-It-Yourself Hardscaping Seminar in Phoenixville   A you a big Do-It-Yourselfer?  Like working on the outside of your home? Well, if you don't already have plans on March 19th and happen to live near Phoenixville, PA, there is a FREE Do-It-Yourself Hardscaping Seminar.  It runs from 11am to 3pm at Woodward Landscape Supply of Phoenixville. What is hardscaping?  Hardscape is in the practice of landscaping and includes the paved or "hard" areas like patios, walkways, walls, etc.  Hardscaping is a registered trademark of EP Henry Company.   The seminar is being taught by a Techno-Bloc representative as well as local professional contractors.  They plan to cover basic techniques in installing sidewalks, patios, and garden walls. Topics range from material selection, base preparation... 03/13/2011