Happy Friday!

 If you follow my page on Instagram or Facebook (if you don't, you are missing out! Check out @MegSeibertRealtor), you will know that every Friday I do a #FactFriday. Just a real quick post to start your weekend off with some cool information. It may real estate-related, it may be something random! I decided to bring this over to LancasterHomesFinder. So without further ado.. 

#FactFriday!

Today's Fact : 30-year mortgage rates have hit the lowest point in their history (almost 50 years)!

So, what?

This is great for homebuyers because:

1. Lower interest means that you’ll pay less over the life of the loan

2. Your purchasing power increases and you may be able to afford a home that you wouldn’t have qualified for with a higher…

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For those of you who are bike enthusiasts you will be happy to know that the Lancaster Public Works is in the process, with the city's traffic commission, to begin a pilot program to put a protected 2 way bike lane in Lancaster City.  The pilot would last for a year and would go along W Chestnut St from College Ave to Mulbery St. 

The project is in response to a growing biking community in cities across the globe.  Public meetings have been held to discuss this and with good attendance the meetings have been productive, according to Mayor Gray.  With continued support and a successful pilot Lancaster City could see accessibility and safety for bikers increase significantly in the years to come.  Residents on W Chestnut St should be aware of the program…

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The Suburban Pa Spring Home Show is designed for homeowners - such as yourself - who are in all stages of remodeling, landscaping and decorating their homes. The event includes home improvement and remodeling exhibits with product demonstrations and sample interior and exterior vignettes. Many of the exhibitors go to great lengths to provide you with visual, interactive experiences designed to stimulate your creativity and dreams for your home improvement plans. Plus with the exhibitors' special, show-only deep discounts, you have a fantastic opportunity to shop, compare and save all under one roof - in a fun, interactive environment!

Think about that for a moment: you could spend days searching the internet for contractors, then setting up…

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The top 10 things you need to know when buying a home.

1. Don't buy if you can't stay put.

If you can't commit to remaining in one place for at least three to five years, then owning is probably not for you, at least not yet. With the transaction costs of buying and selling a home, you may end up losing money if you sell any sooner - even in a rising market. When prices are falling, it's an even worse proposition.

2. Start by shoring up your credit.

Since you most likely will need to get a mortgage to buy a house, you must make sure your credit history is as clean as possible. A few months before you start house hunting, get copies of your credit report. Make sure the facts are correct, and fix any problems you discover.  A good lender will…

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Ikea was curious about what Americans want from their homes. Surprisingly, it has nothing to do with expensive upgrades.

The Swedish retailer’s first annual “US Life at Home Report” uncovered that, above all else, 95% of Americans consider comfort a top home feature. We’re not talking about cushy furniture or other features that makes life at home physically more comfortable. It’s an emotional thing. Ikea found that American consumers want their homes to have a feel-good environment so they can let their hair down and connect with loved ones.

Here are more insights from the report:

1. We aren’t show-offs.  In fact, we’re modest. Ikea says, “… home in the U.S. is not so much about status or wealth as it maybe once was or about keeping up with the…

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The home buying process has so many different aspects that it’s hard to think about everything thoroughly without a qualified real estate agent to represent your best interests.  One aspect that is often over looked has to do with perhaps the most important part of buying a home; financing.  Many home buyers are not aware that there are two types of lenders.  In today’s market there are mortgage brokers and there are lenders.  So which is better and who should you work with for your upcoming home purchase?  Let’s start with the major difference between brokers and lenders.

A mortgage broker is someone who works with a variety of lenders to find a loan that fits your needs.

A lender works for a financial institution that offers mortgage loans…

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In a recent Forbes blog post, multimillionaire hedge fund manager John Paulson declared that today’s record-low interest rates made this the best time to buy homes in fifty years. “If you don’t own a home, buy one,” Paulson said. “If you own one home, buy another one, and if you own two homes, buy a third and lend your relatives the money to buy a home.”  Why should we care what Paulson thinks? Well, he was among the few to accurately predict the subprime collapse and, while no one has a crystal ball, a closer look at the numbers supports his call to action.

Historically low interest rates are the key…and they aren’t likely to hang around for long.

According to Gary Keller in his book, SHIFT, buyers who “choose to wait until prices come down…

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Selling a home is stressful enough for home owners, but selling a home with pets can be even more stressful. In addition to the usual concerns home owners have, sellers with pets also have to consider if they should move their animals out while the home is for sale, how much it will cost to repair any pet-related damage and if pet odor will deter potential buyers.

Unfortunately for pet owners, the truth is that pets can turn away potential buyers and even lower the perceived value of their home if they are not addressed prior to listing. However, when properly prepared, homes with pets can be cleaned and staged in a way that makes the existence of the pets almost undetectable.

The first step is to discuss the issues of selling a home with pets.…

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I'll begin by saying that I'm not typically a "Soup and Salad" kind of a guy.  I must say though when I checked out Zoup! for the first time I was both surprised and impressed.  Soup just seems to have so many variations and styles that I feel like it's a food that most of us are easily dissapointed in unless it's Grandma's original recipe.  

Zoup! first impressed me with the way the restaurant operates.  You get in line in the "decision and taste testing" section where guests can see the 12-15 soups that are available right in front of them.  You can ask for as many samples of any type of soup as you want so that you know you actually like the soup before committing to purchase.  The employees in my experience have been happy to answer questions and…

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Shoppes at Belmont is an upcoming high-quality, unique mixed-use development proposed for the Southeast corner of Fruitville Pike and Route 30. The Shoppes will be located in an existing, vibrant commercial corridor of Manheim Township in Lancaster County.  The developer is Manbel Devco, whose partners are Phil and Nick Frey.  Manbel Devco is partnering with R.J. Waters & Associates and Charter Homes & Neighborhoods to complete the project.

Shoppes at Belmont will transform a commercial-zoned tract of land into a dynamic community featuring retail and residential housing. Smart lifestyle features such as bike and walking trails will connect the community to downtown Lancaster.  In addition, many of the historic attributes of the Mayer-Hess farmstead…

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