When Carlos Beneto Grau took the microphone last night, he opened by telling the crowd -
We are beginning our US tour tonight by playing our first concert in the first town in the first state!
Even though the weather had turned cold during the afternoon and rain and sleet was in the forecast - very unusual for Lewes - the hall filled up quickly before the music began. The Spanish Brass concert was the 4th in the 2009/09 series of Coastal Concerts in this 10th Anniversary season. The program went from J.S. Bach to Duke Ellington with a little Antonio Carlos Jobim and Fat Waller in between. The Quintet has been together for many years, performed all over the world and won many International competitions.
Here they were in Lewes, Delaware, and the audience loved them. Residents and visitors alike have discovered Coastal Concerts and other cultural events during the "off season". This was the first time Bill and I were able to make it and we are looking forward to the next and final concert of this season - the AVIV String Quarter from Israel playing Haydn, Shastakovich and Schubert on Saturday, March 28th. For more information, please visit Coastal Concerts.
For those of you who only come to "the beach" in the summer, you're missing out on a host of culture that kicks in after Labor Day and continues through the winter.
On my way home tonight, I was listening to satellite radio and I think I was on CNBC. They were talking about a group of Millionaires from China that were coming to the US to look at real estate. They're already in California and headed to Las Vegas and then further east.
One group is looking at foreclosures, the reporter said, and another group is interested in finding homes near good schools. They referred to Chinese parents with "one child" that has hopes to go to Harvard or other top schools. If any of them are reading this blog, I hope you are coming to Delaware. Investment properties and second homes at the Delaware beaches are selling at prices not seen since the early 2000s, but they are selling and always will. Vacation homes in Delaware are located within a few hours of the largest population centers in the country - New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, DC, to name a few and we have excellent school like the University of Delaware.
On the beach in Lewes, Delaware. That's New Jersey in the distance.
Energy is playing a big part in the Obama Economic Stimulus package and Solar makes even more sense today. Federal tax credits have been increased to 30% of the total cost of the solar installation.
Yesterday was just like any other day here in Milton, a quaint town just a few miles from the Delaware shore. I dragged myself out of bed, turned on the TV, hoping to catch the weather, so I could dress appropriately for my early morning walk.
But before my feet even hit the floor, I peered out through partially open lids, and 'Lo, and Behold,' there was my real estate yard sign filling the TV screen!
It was my yard sign alright, but unlike many of the other signs around town with REDUCED or SHORT SALE APPROVED that they also flashed during the story, my sign had a rider that proudly proclaimed 'SOLD.'
Later in the clip, as they moved from talk of foreclosures to the need for affordable housing, they also showed the cottage property that we're currently renovating on the same street Of course, they didn't mention our Remodeling company, but it did spark a few ideas as to who I could contact when we're ready to list. It's a totally renovated 2 bedroom, 2 bath cottage for only $150,000. But that's another post for another day....
On the Local and National news, our signs are typically used as backdrops for bad news about the housing market. As conditions improve, one can only hope that they'll continue to find our yard signs attractive backgrounds for their roving reporters, especially if there's a 'SOLD' rider prominently displayed.
Has your sign made the news lately? Do you remember to put up your 'SOLD' or 'SALE PENDING' riders?
Teller Wines is my favorite place to buy wine and it is located down the street from the RE/MAX office in Lewes, Delaware. It's one of those great wine stores that always has the best wines in every price range. They also have a wine tasting every Saturday afternoon, just about the time I'm leaving the office and heading home.
The owners are also very involved in Lewes and support local organizations. One of the first great events of the season is coming up on Saturday, March 28th, from 1 pm to 4 pm at the Lewes Yacht Club. This year's expo will benefit the Historic Lewes Farmers Market and Delaware Hospice. Is that a great reason to force yourself to taste over 100 wines and enjoy delicious culinary treats by local restaurants?
Spring is coming and we're looking forward to the next season of the Historic Lewes Farmer's Market, just another reason to Retire to Lewes, Delaware!
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Boomers and Beyond at the Beach in Delaware! We cover all of Sussex County, Delaware from the Atlantic Ocean to the Maryland border - all of Sussex County and most of Kent County.
Delaware is ranked as one of the Top 5 Most Tax Friendly States for Retirees with no Sales Tax and low property taxes. Are low taxes alone enough of a reason to move to Delaware? NO, but we can show you all the other reasons.
If you are considering a move to Coastal Delaware, you need the help of a professional with the knowledge, background and experience to help you make an informed decision. There are as many ways to be a Realtor as there are people.
The way I choose to be a Realtor is to specialize in two disciplines:
• Represent Boomer Buyers from outside the immediate area and help them find the right home in the right community or town for them. And it doesn’t stop there. We will help them negotiate, get inspections done, pick an attorney, get financing and anything else necessary to complete the transaction and begin their new life in Coastal Delaware.
• Represent Boomer Sellers who may need to sell their homes here to downsize or move closer to family and friends elsewhere. It’s not easy selling the family home, but we’ll do our best to make it as stress-free as possible.
I don’t try to be all things to all people. I do focus on Boomers & Beyond at the Beach in Delaware and those who plan to live here at some point in their future. We use the term “beach” loosely these days. After all, Delaware is a small state and in Coastal Delaware, you can’t be more than an hour from the beach no matter where you live!
The beach is more a state of mind and I think that’s why Coastal Delaware appeals so much to Boomers & Beyond.
This is my full time career and I do my best to stay current with trends and technology that help me do a better job for my clients. After 30 years in the technology industry with companies like Wang Laboratories, Compaq Computer Corporation and a smattering of Beltway Bandits, you’d think that would be easy. With technology moving so quickly, however, I’m amazed at how much it has changed the real estate industry and how much there is to learn every day.
I moved to Delaware back in 2000 just before getting into real estate. I met my husband and partner, Bill, shortly after and we have become a great team. During the week, Bill runs our Construction business, Gotcha Covered, a full service remodeling company. On the weekend, he joins me and works with our real estate clients. He brings a wealth of knowledge to our real estate business and is a resource for our clients during the process of buying or selling a home and long after.
Bill is a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS), which basically means that he understands and applies the principles of Universal Design (UD) to every project and every real estate purchase. UD says that all living space should be designed to be usable by everyone regardless of size, age or ability. When I heard about the Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) program about six years ago, it made perfect sense for me to take the classes and earn the designation. For us, it just makes sense to specialize and to become expert at everything Coastal Delaware has to offer Baby Boomers. We hate to be called seniors, so I just use the initials – SRES, but we are thinking about retirement, where we want to live and how we want to live the best part of our lives.
I also pursued the training necessary to become a member of the Council of Residential Specialists (CRS), the organization representing the top 3% of Realtors® who produce over 20% of all real estate transactions. Finally, I have been an Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) for 5 years, working primarily with buyers coming to Coastal Delaware from surrounding states. We are surrounded by states with high populations, high incomes and even higher taxes.
I look forward to helping you find your next home.
Kathy helped us purchase our retirement home near the beaches in Delaware in 2008. After finding a description of the house on the Internet, we searched for local real estate agents and left a message on Kathy's phone. She called within an hour to discuss our interest and needs. Within a day or two, Kathy went to the property, shot many interior and exterior photos and reported on the condition of the home and its landscaping. She also checked other listings for similar properties for us to see. We soon traveled to Delaware and met Kathy. With all of the information Kathy had provided us, we were able to make a quick decision and write a contract on our dream home. Kathy made all the arrangements for the inspection and several other contingencies, and the closing could not have gone more smoothly. Kathy has since been a great help to us in finding contractors to do minor repairs and additional landscaping. Thanks to Kathy, we are looking forward to spending many enjoyable years in our new home. -Jean & Mike Bower
"My initial contact with Kathy was via E-mail and phone from Florida as I planned a house hunting trip to the Lewes - Milton area. With her assistance, we found a home and neighborhood that fit the very particular needs of a recently retired couple and an aging senior citizen. Kathy immediately impressed me with her grasp of the unique style, age and design of a home that would satisfy the contour of our needs while at the same time meeting our budget. Her knowledge of the market and its trends together with her vast experience and credentials were invaluable as were her guidance, patience and diligence. We are most grateful for our experience with Kathy during the home search as well as before and after the purchase since it was pleasant and professional at every turn. The entire process was certainly complicated by the fact that we were more than a thousand miles away and yet we hardly noticed. Kathy Sperl-Bell has left quite an impression in our minds and a very large footprint upon the real estate market of Sussex County Delaware." - Rick & Maureen Dailey
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