What is Happening in Patriots Ridge in March 2010

March 2010 Newsletter Here’s What’s Happening in Patriots Ridge
ACTIVE: 3927 Captain Molly, 2 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath, finished bsmt. Was $218,500 Reduced to $212,000 for 175 days.
5473 Rinker, A Mifflin, End Unit, 2 bdrm, 1 1/2 bath, mstr w/sitting area. Was $222,500 Reduced $214,000, 235 days.
3926 Captain Molly, 2 bdrm, 1 1/2 bath, fin. Bsmt, $219,900. reduced to $214,000 for 60 days.
3921 Captain Molly, 2bdms 1 /1/2 bath, Finished Loft, finished basement Listed for $214,900 for 6 days
5536 Rinker Cir 2 bdms 1 1/2 baths, finished basement, remodeled bath Listed at $216,000 for 4 days
3965 Captain Molly, 2 bdrm, 1 1/2 bath, fin. Bsmt. $225,000, Reduced to $219,900 for 122 days on the market.
3631 Nancy Ward, A Reed, 2 bdrm, 1 1/2 bath, loft, hrdwds, fin bsmt. Was $237,500, now $225,000 for 270 days.
5402 Simpson, 2 bdrm, 1 1/2 bath, $226,000 62 days on the market.
5484 Rinker Cir 2 bdms 1 1/2 baths Harwoods, Finished basement Listed at $229,900 for 9 days
4506 Lousie Saint Claire 3 bdms 2 1/2 baths End unit, wood floors, deck, fin. bsmt 1 car garage $263,500 for 34 days.
3758 Swetland, 3 bdrm, 2 1/2 bath, end unit w/garage. $283,900 reducet to $267,000 for 206 days.
3756 Swetland Dr 3 bdms 2 1/2 baths extra room in basement listed at $274,900 for 21 days
PENDING: 5040 Rebecca Fell, End Unit, 2 bdrm, 1 1/2 bath, new carpet. Listed $219,900. For 118 days
5492 Rinker, 2 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath, loft. Was $234,000 Reduced to $218,000 for 288 days.
5532 Rinker, 2 bdrm, 1 1/2 bath, loft, fin. Bsmt, Just listed $196,000 for 33 days.
5001 Rebecca Fell, End unit, 2 bdrm, 1 1/2 bath, fin. Bsmt, listed for 17 days, $219,800.
3817 Swetland, 3 bdrm, 2 1/2 bath, fin. Bsmt, $229,000. 46 days on the market.
4125 Captain Molly, End Unit, 2 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath, loft, patio. Was $225,900 Reduced to $209,000 for 135 days
5443 Rinker Cir 2 bdms 1 1/2 bath wet bar in finished basement listed at $224,900 for 25 days
SOLD: 5404 Simpson, 2 bdrms, 1 1/2 baths, fin. Bsmt, loft, porch, was asking $226,900. Sold in 12 days! For $221,900
3784 Swetland, 3 bdrms, 2 1/2 baths, garage, fin. Bsmt, backs to woods. Was $275,000. Another 12 day sale! $260,000
5518 Rinker, A Mifflin End Unit, 2 bdrm, 1 1/2 bath, fin. basement. Asking $219,000 for 77 days. Sold for $207,000
3708 Swetland, End Unit, 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath. Was $267,500 Reduced to $235,500 for 110 days. For $230,900
3817 Swetland 3 Bdms 2 1/2 baths fixer upper , short sale Asking $229,000 sold for $209,000 in 56 days.


Computer and Electronics Recycling Day:
Drop off all your old computer & electronic equipment & help save our Earth! Proceeds to Benefit: A Family of God Lutheran Church, 4770 Route 202, Buckingham, 413 So. To Left on 202, Left into Church parking lot.
Sunday, April 11th, 9AM to 1PM. Items accepted include: Laptop Computers; Printers & Fax Machines; Televisions ($20.00 fee); Batteries (lead acid); Computer parts; Air Conditioners ($20.00 fee); Desktop Computers; DVD Players, VCR’s; Computer Monitors ($5.00 fee); Stereos and Speakers; Cables/Cords; Small Appliances; Dehumidifiers ($10.00 fee); Electronic Toys. All proceeds go to sending kids to camp for week where they will repair homes for the less fortunate. The amounts listed above are not mandatory, but suggested.


What’s Hot?
Well, according to the National Association of Home Builders decking out the kitchen makes the whole home more saleable. Kitchen designs, they say, translates to dollars.
1. “Blue is the new green”. Soft blues are catching on with consumers looking at home as a refuge. It’s calming and clean. Gray is an increasingly popular and pumpkin-orange is great for younger buyers!
2. Now that you’ve stripped all that wallpaper, it’s bAAAck! But large-scale prints and only on an accent wall.
3. Cabinets have gone through oak and maple phases: Now they’re showing up in painted white finishes.
4. The average newly built single home shrank from 2.520 square feet to 2,480 but priorities changed to price, energy and organization. Very high on the list was a kitchen big enough for the whole family to dine—-67% surveyed said they wanted space for a table, as opposed to chairs at a counter. 62% wanted a kitchen that functioned as a family gathering place. Walk-in pantries are highly desirable and a “family foyer” gets top marks—not at the front of the house but by the garage—space for backpacks, coats, boots, etc.
5. And granite . . . “it’s almost a starter-home feature” says a kitchen designer. While it has moved off of the list of “musts” and been replaced by various energy-saving features, buyers expect it.
Need Help With “Stuff” around the House?
People I can’t live without:
My Painter, HVAC guy,
My Second Husband (our handyman)
My Decorator
My Tree Guy
My Plumber and My Roofer
Need a referral? Call Us!
If you are planning to put your home on the market in the next 6 to 8 months,
it’s not too early to start talking to us!


Top Budget Friendly Improvements:
1. Conquer Clutter—Whenever we have sellers get rid of their clutter, they think the house doesn’t look like their home. DUH! That’s the idea. We want people looking at space as theirs, not yours
2. Top Energy Efficient Project: Add Insulation
3. Top Outdoor Structures Project: Add a fence
4. Top Big Ticket Project: Finish the basement
5. Top Home Exterior Project: Repair Gutters
6. Top Outdoor Living Project: Add Outdoor Lighting
7. Top Landscaping Project: Make it look neat, tidy and easy to care for.
8. Top Storage and Organization Project: Maximize and Organize Storage Space
9. Top Bathroom Project: Refresh Fixtures
10. Top Kitchen Project: Upgrade Appliances.
10 Things EVERY Remodeling Contract Should Include:
1. The Contractor’s name, address, phone number, and license #
2. DETAILS on what the contractor will and WILL NOT do
3. A list of materials. Size, color, model, brand name and product
4. All required plans. Assure accuracy. Insist that you approve them and that they are identified in your written contract before any work begins.
5. Written notice of right to, without penalty, cancel within 3 days of signing. It’s the law.
6. The approximate start date and completion date.
7. Financial terms, spelled out—Total price, payment schedule, and any cancellation or “change” fees.
8. A binding arbitration clause, which you’ll need in the event of any disagreements. Arbitration may enable you to resolve disputes without costly litigation.
9. Everything you’ve requested. Make sure all items you’ve requested are included. If you do not see a specific item in the contract, consider it not included. NEVER sign an incomplete contract.
10. A warranty covering materials and workmanship for a minimum of one year and should be identified as full or limited. The name and address of the party who will honor the warranty (contractor, distributor, or manufacturer must be identified. Make sure the time period for the warranty is specified.


Should you Make Bi-Weekly Payments on Your Mortgage?
With biweekly payments, you pay half of the monthly mortgage payment every 2 weeks, rather than the full balance once a month. This is comparable to 13 monthly payments a year, which can result in faster payoff and lower overall interest costs. For example, the biweekly mortgage payment process can pay off a $200,000 30 year fixed loan at 7% in approximately 24 years (75 months sooner than a standard payment plan), with a total of $68,925 in interest savings.
Your lender might offer several biweekly payment options, where you make a payment that equals half of your normal monthly payment every two weeks. There is a considerable difference between different payment plans, so you should check with the lender to find out how they will treat your biweekly payments, exactly.
What most borrowers get when they convert their loan from monthly to biweekly payments is a pseudo biweekly (or standard biweekly) payment plan. On the pseudo biweekly, the biweekly payments are credited to an account managed by your lender. Once a month, as with standard payments, the monthly payments are made out of that account. The excess amount accumulated in the account by the end of each year is equal to a full monthly payment. At this point your lender makes a double payment.
In order to set up a true biweekly (or simple interest biweekly) payment schedule, you must have a lender that will immediately credit each 1/2 monthly payment upon receipt. The lender must calculate interest for two-week intervals and apply the biweekly payments less the interest to reduce principal every two weeks. Check with your mortgage holder—This is GREAT!