Josh Bickel

I would recommend you start your search online. Why? Because for one it is free, for two gives you a wide view of opinions and information on the new city, or town you are planning to move to.

When moving to the Carlisle area, there is not a lot of information to help you through the process of finding a place to live, what there is to do, etc. So I am writing this guide to help you trough it.

1. Search home listing sites in the area: Such as, Realtor.com, Trulia.com, Zillow.com, Joshsoldit.com, Homes.com and more to find homes you may be interested in.

2. Find the right Realtor: In previous blogs, I mention that it is important to find the right agent. You want to work with someone who reflects you, you want to work with someone who has your best interests in mind and focus's on the big picture " finding you your dream home in the least amount of time possible and for the best price." Also, before doing a home search or making an offer make sure you are under buyer's agency, if not the Realtor is working for the seller. He/she should have also reviewed the Consumer Notice with you before discussing any numbers.

3. Pre-approval is king: Sellers beg for pre approved buyers. In this area; there is a vast selection of homes to choose from. Knowing what you can afford, and showing sellers you are serious work hand in hand.

4. Make a list: What are the things you can not live with out, things you would like to have, and things that are not as important such as tennis courts or 10 car garages (unless you own 10 cars). I think you will find it funny that the house you decide to buy, normally will not have most of the things you thought in the beginning that you could not live without.

5. Read about the area: Carlisle Pa is know for it's car shows, Corvettes running down it's downtown is a picture you will see a lot of. It is also know for beautiful country sides. Carlisle itself has a lot of restaurants and taverns to enjoy a bit to eat or to meet your friends for a night out. It has shopping centers and lots of places to go for pizza or ice cream. Mechanicsburg is very close to Carlisle and features more places to shop, parades downtown on occasion and more. The mall is located in Camp Hill Pa and is in a major retail shopping district. The roads in my opinion are not the best, and designed poorly. But, you have to take the good with the bad in any location I guess.

6. View homes: Your Realtor should narrow down your home selection based off of what you liked and did not like from the homes he/she selected for you, or ones you may have found on you own. Your best bet is to weigh the strengths and weaknesses for all the homes. Make a pile of the ones fitting your criteria the best and the worst. Focus, on the best and put aside the ones that do not fit your criteria. Then narrow down your best list to the homes that have what you want, or need and fit what you are willing to spend. Then view those properties. Normally you will find you are left with between 3-5 homes. If none of these fit after viewing, repeat the process or go back over the ones you thought would not fit and make some compromises.

7. Make an offer: So you have found the home you want, now you will need to make and offer. Most times from what I see happens is no one is interested in a property until you are, so be prepared for more than your offer to come in. Review with your Realtor the best price you can offer, and tht they feel will be a strong enough offer for the seller to accept or counter before the others are accepted.

8. Offer accepted: Now your offer has been accepted, you want to have any and all inspections done on the property to make sure it has a clean bill of health or minor repair that can easily be taken care of.

9. Negotiate repairs: If repairs are needed, see if the seller is willing to address them. If not, you may need to repair them yourself if you are 100 percent on buying this house and this house only, or you may counter back with them paying half which the seller might view as fair and accept.

10. Close: You have bought your home, now it is time to move and start your new life in Carlisle Area, Welcome to the area. I hope you found this helpful.

Please note: This is a demonstration of what might happen on negotiations, it is not always like that. Sometimes seller accept right away with no counter, sometimes they accept another offer and so on. This is meant only as a demonstration or example.

Visit Carlislepa.org for more information on our town.

Josh Bickel

Century 21 Piscioneri Realty

www.Joshsoldit.com

In the real estate world, buying on a budget has it's ups and downs. Compromising on what you want will be the biggest factor on finding the right fit for you in a home.

1. Get pre-approved: How do I do this? Fill out a loan application and secure financing. This way, when you're ready to review real estate, you'll know exactly what you can afford. And you can prove to a seller that your offer is valid.

2. Find the right Realtor: For some this can be a daunting task. My advise; Do not pick any agent to do the job. Go to open houses, meet with agents, the agent that best reflects someone you would be friends with or you would get along with is your best bet. Some people just click and others but heads, find the agent that you click with.

3. Explore financing options: Low down payment options, first and second mortgage combinations and first time buyer programs might help you afford more funding. Down payment grants are also available in some instances and might be worth discussing with your Realtor.

4. Selling your existing home: My advise; Again find the right agent. You want someone who will give it to you straight and not just list your home to add one to the list. You can not sell your home for more than the market is willing to pay in a certain area, it will just sit, expire and sit expire. Your Realtor should be able to help you find the happy medium that will not break your bank and will sell in your market place. If they are willing to list your home 25k above market, my advise to you would be RUN! Also make sure that they are not listing it too low. Low balling a price is not good for you or the market.

5. Vacant homes give you the best deals: The longer a house stays empty, the greater your negotiating power will be. The longer it has been on the market, the greater your negotiating power will be. Sellers who have been paying a mortgage on a home they are not living in normally are willing to take a bit lower offers than those living in the property.

6. Fixer uppers: . If you like to paint, if you love the idea of making a home in need of repair a dream home, than this option is for you! Fixer uppers or "as-is" properties can be a goldmine if done correctly. Some buy these homes for well under assessed value, fix them up and re-sale them at a profit. But, you can also get a great price on a dream home if you are illig to put some work into it.

7. Buy remodel project: In time you'll need to gut the existing home and build from the ground up or contract significant home improvements. But in the end your property value will skyrocket. And if your carpentry and other construction skills are well-developed, you can save even more and accrue "sweat equity" during your remodel by doing much of the work yourself.

8. Don't put off bank foreclosures: One person's loss could be your gain if you buy real estate in foreclosure. Although the search for a decent foreclosure may take a while, your realtor should be able help. Some are in need of major repair and others minor, but again if your willing to put some work in, you might just get alot more out than you thought.

9. Manufactured homes: Sometimes, to buy a home on a budget, you need to look beyond convention. Even if your wish is to buy real estate, you may have to settle for a piece of property in an outlying area with a manufactured home.

10. An older, smaller home: Older homes are typically priced much less than newer construction and don't tend to create buyer bidding wars. Depending on the area. Remember, if you love the home and want the home, it's best not to wait to put an offer in. I say this because I see all the time, there will be no interest in a property until one person wants it, then the flood of people come who want it. If you can enjoy life in an older and smaller home, this could be your way of owning real estate on a budget.

11. The cheapest house in the best neighborhood: You have your heart set on a specific - and expensive - neighborhood. Maybe it's the schools that you're interested in. Maybe your parents live close to it. Or perhaps it's the close proximity to the shopping centers. In any case, a budget-savvy buyer will look for the least expensive home for sale in the neighborhood. Your real estate agent can be a real asset in this case by investigating potential sellers.

Buying real estate without breaking your budget will require alot of research and compromise. Things you thought you MUST HAVE normally turn out to be things you did not really need, or can add to a budget friendly home. On moving day, however, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that your homework paid off!

As a Realtor I am always on the go. I am lucky if I have time to eat a hamburger let alone the fries with it. Another Realtor wrote in about people wonder what we do all day. Some think that we make a billion dollars and sit around counting money. This is far from true. Yes, top Realtors make great money. But, do not have time to sit around and count it.

Most of the time the day consists of waking up at 6 am, reviewing the MLS. Writing down expireds, reviewing " just listeds" to make sure the perfect property for our clients did not just come on the market, 8 o'clock drink a ton of coffee and talk to friends and other agents at the coffee house or diner and sometimes get leads from this. Around 10 its time to contact all the expireds and clients, this lasts til around 3pm if door knocking sometimes longer, the rest of the day is appointments for showings, getting ready for open houses, designing Internet and paper flyer's, contacting newspapers and writing ads on the MLS, craigslist, and all the other sites.7 pm eat dinner, spend time with family until 10. But when I do have a free moment usually Sunday's after open houses I take the rest of the day to unwind and usually grab a bite at the local places.

Here are some of my favorite places to eat:

1. Alfredo's Pizza (Located in the Neils plaza on Walnut Bottom Rd). Simply awesome pizza!

2. Red Robin (Target Plaza) Great fish and chips!

3. Courthouse Common Espresso Bar (Hanover St) Awesome coffee!

4. Leo's Ice Cream (Rt 641) Best Ice cream in town in my opinion!

5. Piatto (Hanover St) Food is amazing!

Best Bar/Tavern:

1. Applebees (Walmart Plaza) Best Long Islands around!

2. Rustic Tavern (Rt 641) Neat place, closes at 12 though

3. West End (Rt 11) Fun place

Best Hair cut:

1. Cost Cutters (Target Plaza) Jeremy is pro!

Best Mortgage company:

1. Foote Capital (Downtown Carlisle) Jennifer Richard can help you!

Best bank:

1. Metro bank (Multiple locations)

Best attraction:

1. Car Shows (Spring Rd)

Best Jewelry:

1. Fire and Ice (Verizon Plaza Walnut bottom)

Best Dentist:

1. Lou Gingrich (State Rd)

Well these are some of my favorites, feel free to comment and add yours!!

Reasons your home might have expired to begin with....

As Realtors; we MUST have our client's best interest's in mind. We must tell them things sometimes that are hard to say and hard to hear. We must be truthful even when we wish things were not the way they are. I love expired listings and FSBO's (for sale by owner's) for the simple reason that they are a challenge. But, beyond all that I like them because helping the people everyone else has pushed off or given up on gives me a bit of self satisfaction.

So anyway, on to the list:

Your house will never sell for that

There are alot of agents out there that will take every listing just to say they have them; whether they will sell or not. So, when Seller John says " I want to list the house at $500,000 because we put $100,000 in the kitchen and bathrooms... Now, first let's keep in mind kitchens and bathrooms give you the best return on investment. But, in a market where the highest selling home sold for $375,000 and it has the same or more features then Seller John's house, your agent should flat out tell you... "Not a chance" your home will sell in X amount of days if listed at a price close to the comparables in the area.

In the world of real estate; comparables don't lie. Keep in mind also that major upgrades such as kitchens and bathrooms do add more value, but not $100,000! Now, granted the market could change and you could close around $415,000 for Seller John's house. But, in my opinion it is more about what the market is doing when your agent lists it and what he/she and others feel it is going to do in a month or so after. But most times homes sell close to what the comps sold for.

Put away knick knacks and paint those walls

Sellers don't want to hear that in order to sell their house they are going to have to put work into it. But, Sellers let me ask you... I will be upfront with you "How many times in life have you got something without putting a little effort into it?" "how many times have you reached your goals by doing nothing?" Chances are very little.

So, any bright colored walls need to be painted a neutral color (No, you do not have to paint the whole house beige or white, there are neutrals in every color). The 3000 knick knacks on the shelf need to be taken down to maybe 5-10 on large shelves and 2-3 on small ones, if not less. The broken kitchen window... you got it, unless your selling as-is. The 1970's dining room light, more than likely a good idea to change it out. The crayon all over the wallpaper in the bathroom.. you got it again!

Goo Gone and other products can remove these type of things. The loose board on the step...yeah, we don't want law suits. Kitchen counters should not have 25 appliances on them; stick to 3 at the most if any. Remove the tombstones from the yard.. just kidding... you get the idea!

Even if priced perfect and fixed up ready to go, it could sit

Yes, it's true. Your gorgeous house with the new paint and light fixture and other hard work isn't going to sell overnight! I know, it's heart wrenching to think about but the truth is this.. it could sell over night or it could sit on the market for 3-6 months or in a bad market, longer.

Normally, there is a window in prices in which people are buying in at certain times. This doesn't mean that people aren't buying houses at what you have your house priced at, it just means there are fewer of them.

Example; if most people are buying homes in the 200-300k range and you home is listed at 575k, chances are there will be less buyers. But, as with every problem there is a solution. That solution is this: The house has to be marketed to that audience. Now we cannot market the home directly to certain buyers such as saying " home for rich people" because that would be against real estate law. But, we can use target words like "luxury" and "grand" or advertise it as being on or near a golf course. "That is only if it really is, though."

So, the answer to the problem is MORE EXCLUSIVE ADVERTISING. Luxury homes have to be advertised as such, the photos must be professional, the ad's must be professional (Buyers that will buy a 575k house in the Carlisle/Mechanicsburg/Camp Hill PA area more than likely are not going to spend that kind of money on a home from a business card size ad in black and white from a newspaper!) So your agent must market in areas that people who buy 575k and more priced homes; hang out, work, work out, play, etc. They must also use the right type of advertising in these areas to catch the attention of the buyers. Real Estate is a numbers game, which basically makes it like a black jack game in Vegas, if you play the right cards in the right area, at the right time, you will win!

The broken down car has to go

Curb appeal is everything!! First impressions of your property will make or break a sale or thoughts of one. If you have a broken down car on blocks in the front yard of your house, chances are buyers will run! If the landscaping looks like the tropical rain-forest, chances are buyers will run! If there is crime scene tape around the house... Just kidding. But, again you get the idea.

It stinks in here!

Buyers make un-verbal reactions within minutes of walking in your house. If you have pets, make sure to have carpets professionally cleaned, and other areas where hair might hide (behind the sofa, etc.) Make sure before a showing you do not have fish, tuna, egg salad, or garlic smelling foods for dinner the night before. Do not leave dirty diapers or bathrooms un-cleaned. Buyers will run!

I am going to list your house and never call you again!

Sellers, if this statement alone sounds like your agent, the problem might not be the house. Yes, agents get busy; yes, we might not call you right back within minutes. But, your agent should call you at least once a week to check up with you, they should call you after every showing, they should call you and hand in every offer. If not, the problem, or only problem, might not be the house!

There are Agents that love to help expireds and Fsbos reach their goal

If you are fed up, and your house is expired, or if your selling fsbo and not getting anywhere, give me a call today and find out WHY! I am as straight forward as they get. I contact all my clients weekly. I give FREE advise on why in my professional opinion your house has not sold.

I'll list the houses that everyone else gave up on!!

Josh Bickel

Century 21 Piscioneri Realty

717-713-7191 or www.Joshsoldit.com

I held an open house yesterday for a property that was built in the early 1900's. I had a customer come in alone. She walked through the property inspecting every inch of it to a T. I waited patiently by the front door until she returned. She then said that she was looking for an older home. She stated she loved their old feel and woodwork. Then she said, "my husband is out in the car. He likes modern homes and won't come in because he feels all old houses are haunted." I laughed and said, "well I can assure you this home is not haunted, I have been here all day." She thanked me and said she would be in contact. After she left, another few couples and customers came through, most loved the old world feel of the property.

The time was 3 pm and my obligation to hold the open house was up. I went outside to gather up my signs and balloons. I locked the door and then realized I had left my binder inside. I unlocked the door again and went in to get it. Upon just about locking the door, I heard a strange noise, so I swung the door open again. Curious, I walked back inside. I did not see anything out of the norm, so I walked back out and locked the door. On the way back to the office I thought about what this could be. What if the place was haunted and what if the husband of my customer was right? Then I thought, oh well, as long as it's not a mean ghost!

So, on to today. I showed a property built in 1790. It was orignally a mill and built on the creek. The old mill stones were still on the property, which I fould to be neat. I waited for my client to show up before entering the property. Upon talking to the list agent's office before the showing, they stated that the property was vacant. As a self rule, I never enter vacant properties alone. After my client arrived, we went inside. This home had a very old world feel. It had orginal hardwood floors, the kitchen had a brick style oven and the attic and basement were the creepiest places I have seen in awhile. So, I bet your wondering already... Josh, what happened!

Here we go... keep in mind the list agent's office said this property was vacant, not to mention all the doors were locked, so there's no chance of people getting in. We walked into the bathroom and it looked as if someone had just taken a shower. The bathroom window still had steam clouding it and the room itself had that steamed filled feel like your bathroom gets after showering. My client and I must of had the same reaction because we both kind of said, "well its about that time", and left the property! This property in general was strange. It had stairways in rooms leading up to the ceiling, a big room with cat size doorways on both sides of the narrow room leading outside and now this. I guess if a bed and bath was what he was looking for, this one was a bit more then he had bargained for. "On to the next", we both said!

This made me wonder. How would you know if the home you were showing/selling your clients is haunted? How do you know if something horrible happened there, besides asking the neighbors? How would you know? In my opinion, asking the neighbors could result in bad feedback on yourself. What if they did not believe in ghosts or though you were strange for asking if the house next to them was haunted, or if a suicide or murder might have happened there? But, here's the kicker. What if your client asks you if it is haunted or if a horrible event took place there. It can be hard to determine.

What if your clients are looking for a haunted property? I read that alot of people these days are looking for property that folks feel are haunted. But, what if people tell you the place is haunted and you sell it to clients wanting a haunted house but it turns out not to be? This is a huge gray area. If they want to know if it is haunted or something horrible happened, I always say to ask the neighbors who have lived there the longest. Nine times out of ten the neighbors know everything that has happened in every house around them. But, sometimes things tend to change a bit. It's kind of like when you were in school and you told a story to a friend. By the end of the day, it has changed into something different but with the same concept. If you would like to know if something happened in a particular house, again, ask neighbors or look at old newspaper ads by doing an online search of the property address. Sometimes those things come up. You could even ask at the police station as well.

Again, this is a gray area because there is almost no way to prove with out a doubt that it really is haunted. If something horrible happened there, most people just assume it's haunted and alot of resaturants, bed and breakfasts and halloween attractions buy these places because of that fact. But heres my question, as a Realtor, how can we tell our clients a property is haunted without a doubt? Keep in mind our clients best interests are in our hands and, in my opinion, I don't think we should tell them unless someone has doucmented evidence such as video or photos. But, keep in mind that these things can be edited today very easily as well. On the other hand, the fact that something horrible happened at a property normally is document and can be proved, so I dont feel this is as much of a problem, if that is what our clients are looking for.

Happy haunted house searching everyone!

If you looking for a home in the Carlisle area, I am only a phone call away!