Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays

Happy holidays and a safe and happy New Year to you and yours!

10 Tips for Winterizing your Home

It is December, and while we haven't had too much cold yet, I wanted to share these tips for winterizing your home!

1. Insulate your attic

2. Turn off exterior water lines

3. Insulate your water heater

4. Open the blinds in sunny rooms

5. Get a programmable thermostat

6. Consider lowering the temperature setting on your thermostat

7. Replace your HVAC air filter

8. Flip the switch on your ceiling fan

9. Install window insulators

Thanks to Bargaineering.com for the advice! Follow this link for the full article! 

New House Market is Slowly Moving Up

According to a recent CNNMoney article, new home sales were higher in October than September. While sales are still down compared to a year ago, there was a 1.3% rise in sales from month to month. The raise in sales is generally attributed to the large number of homes on the market. The recession has caused a surplus of houses, leading to lower prices. The report also says that the sale of existing homes are up.

The surplus of homes make it a great time to buy a house. Contact me for more information on buying or selling your home! 


Click here for the full CNNMoney article!

Affordable Kitchen Makeovers, Great for Houses on the Market

If you're selling your home then you should know that one of the popular rooms that tops buyers' favorites list is the kitchen. So it makes sense to spend time, energy, and even a little money to make it shine. That thought can make some sellers cringe. The thought of spending money to fix up a kitchen in a home that they're about ready to sell is unpalatable. However, it could make the difference between a buyer making a higher offer or even any offer at all.

Making upgrades can be simple and easy. Start simple, and you'll find these upgrades are really not too bad!

- Deep cleaning
-Scrub down appliances
-Add molding to cabinets

For more ideas, and more on the ideas above, visit Phoebe Chongchua's article that is quoted above!

Happy Thanksgiving!

10 Tips for Prepping Your Home for Sale

Getting your house ready for sale can be difficult. It can be extremely difficult if it is your first time selling a house, so here are ten tips for prepping your house for sale.

1. Distance yourself from your home.
It is hard to emotional get over the fact that this house is not going to be your home. Try to start referring to it as the house, not my house. This will make it easier to consider offers realistically.

2. De-personalize your house
Get rid of personal pictures and important family items from the house. A buyer will be more likely to see themselves in a house that doesn't look like it belongs to a different person.

3. Clean up
Get rid of anything that isn't necessary in the house. Pull books from the bookshelves, pack up clothes that aren't seasonal instead of them hanging in the closet. This helps in the de-personalization of the house.

4. Rearrange closets and cabinets
We know it sounds hard, but try to make your house look like a catalog. Stack your dishes neatly, stack your spices neatly, arrange closets by color or in some system. A buyer seeing a well-organized kitchen will assume you take care of the rest of the house just as well.

5. Rent a storage unit
When pulling your books and clothes together, you're going to need somewhere to put them! 

6. Remove/Replace favorite items
Remove and replace any permanent fixtures or appliances you plan to take with you. If you really love your fridge, replace it. If your chandelier this is an heirloom, remove it before you show the house. You don't want a potential buyer to be excited about an item you are going to remove later.

7. Make minor repairs
There is no reason to have holes in a wall or a leaky sink when you show the house. Take care of the small things that often are ignored because they are small. The buyer won't ignore them!

8. Make the house sparkle
The house should be the cleanest it has ever been when you are attempting to sell it. Don't just sweep, mop too. Don't just clean the toilet, clean the showers and sinks. There is no excuse for trying to sell a dirty house.

9. Nitpick
Go into every room in the house and examine everything. Twice.

10. Check the exterior
Be sure to keep the lawn kept, paint anything that needs touched up, and clear the sidewalk/front yard of any debris. A buyer won't buy the house if they don't like the exterior appearance.


For more details for ideas on prepping a house for sale, check out Elizabeth Weintraub's article!

5 Real Estate Tips from Warren Buffet

I found this article about billionaire Warren Buffet and some of his wisdom when it comes to real estate. He had these tips when it comes to real estate.

1. The Basic Premise of Home Ownership - That Homes Increase In Value Over Time - Is Sound

2. Buy Low

3. Don't Wait Too Long To Take Advantage of Low Prices

4. The Smart Way to Own a Home Has 3 Elements: Fixed Mortgage, Affordable Payments, and Long-Term Hold

5. Buying Your "Dream Home" May Lead to Nightmares

For more on these tips visit this link for the whole article!

Dealing with a Foreclosure in your Neighborhood

A foreclosure in your neighborhood can not only be an eyesore, but can hurt the financial status of your home and neighborhood. Fortunately, there are things you can do to keep your property value up with foreclosures and blighted properties in your area. MSN Real Estate has some tips for you!

Be a good neighbor. If you know a property is being foreclosed and the owner will be moving, try to maintain the property's exterior. Always check with your local government to make sure you are not violating laws by keeping the outside of the home clean and aesthetically pleasing.

Speak up before it is too late. If you see a broken window or trash in the yard, alert your local municipality or housing association before it gets out of control.

Try to help sell the property. Let your friends know that the property is available. While some people aren't interested in foreclosures, most just take minor work to look brand new!

For more info or ideas on dealing with a foreclosure in your neighborhood check out the MSN Real Estate article!

Welcome to My New Social Media Sites!

I want to welcome everyone to my new Blog, Facebook page, and Twitter account! If you’re reading this I appreciate you taking the time to get to know me. This should be a great way for me to interact with my returning clients, and a way for people who need help with Pittsburgh real estate to get to know me.

I am the President of Westmoreland West Board of Realtors for 2011.  I was the President Elect of Westmoreland West Board of Realtors for 2009 and was the President of Westmoreland West Board of Realtors for 2010 and 2008.

When selecting a realtor to work with, one may look at year's experience, whether or not the company is a "big name" company or they might ask a friend or relative for a referral. I am the broker of record for Walnut Capital Real Estate Inc. I have been in Real Estate for thirteen years. My experience makes me knowledgeable, my compassion makes me unique and my devotion gets you into your dream home.

Visit me online at my Walnut Capital Real Estate page!