Tony Favata

As a fairly young Realtor, I am dealing with a lot of clients who I have known for years. Most of my clients I went to school with or grew up with, and who are fairly close to my age. I am finding that a lot of these first time home buyers are having a problem making it to signing a contract. They either decide on something else, think maybe they should wait, or just plain and simple get too scared to do it!!!

Buying a house is a BIG deal, & as Realtors, we are all very well aware of that. We are here to help our clients through the process, to inform them of everything that we know, and to make sure our clients are comfortable with the decision they are making.

I have a few tips for the first time home buyer that I would like to share with all of you to help aid them with the home buying process!!!

• Make a list.This list should included simple things like, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, less than 5 years old. Neighborhood, no neighborhood. You don't want to get yourself into too much detail thinking about oak cabinets over cherry cabinets, because although you may have dreamt of this perfect kitchen, you may very well LOVE cherry cabinets in a particular home.
• Get PRE-QUALIFIED. This will not only help us narrow down your search price, BUT also having a Mortgage Rep there to inform you of everything that is involved with a mortgage will help you too. This leads into my next step.
• Become educated. Know the area that you are looking to buy in. Know everything you need to know about your potential mortgage. Know you Realtor. KNOWING whats going on will help you feel more comfortable in the process.
• GO OUT AND LOOK. A lot of people these days start their search online. This is perfectly normal and acceptable, BUT if you are going to actively look for a house, you need to go see it in person before you dismiss it. Just because I send you a house with only one picture, doesn't mean you should dismiss it. I wish all Realtors would take 12 or more pictures, but that is not the case. So go out with your Realtor and look at these houses they are sending you!
• Ask questions. That is what Realtors, Mortgage Reps, etc are here for! We are here to answer your questions, so if you are sketchy about something, ask us!
• Understand the market we are in.Yes interest rates are low, & houses in our area are selling for less than what they did a few years ago. This is not always going to be the case. The government is sending out stimulus packages & they are trying to pick our market back up, so be ready for that. Nothin is guaranteed it will stay the same as it is today!

Hope everyone finds this helpful & informative!!!

Have you have ever had a customer from out of town & is looking for a house in your area say "so what's there to do around here"? Of course, most of us have. Well in my area most of the time you say go to the beach, or drive out of town to do something, because well, Delaware is small & rather low key! Other than tax free shopping, there are no amusement parks, no huge malls, no baseball or football teams, etc. Nothing really jump out of seat exciting to do in the State of Delaware

There is this one thing that a lot of people don't know about, that is good for the whole family & a lot of fun too!! The best part about it is that it is RIGHT here in Milford Delaware.

First State BMX, is a local track in Milford Delaware for bicycle riders. During the season we ride on Saturday nights, and during the summer we usually ride on Tuesday nights as well! There are people of all ages who come out and participate, and everyone enjoys it!

This year First State BMX is going to host a National as well as a UCI Continental Race (Qualifying Race for the Worlds event). This will take place on June 12-14 of this year, with the UCI race on Saturday. The track is really excited about this & so are all the kids. These UCI races & ABA events are going to be on NBC Universal Sports channels, which will give all of us riders a chance to get major exposure!

I've been riding there since I was a kid, & it really is a great place to go to! If you are ever in this area, come and check out First State BMX!

If you have ever been to a Nascar race in another state, I suggest you come to Delaware for a race sometime. The location is perfect, the State Capitol is jammed-pack with people, and there are things to do EVERYWHERE.

Dover International Speedway - The Monster Mile®

Septmber 19-21, 2008. Right here in our little town of Dover.

After living in Delawre all my life, I still CAN NOT understand how we fit so many people into this town during race weekend. I mean how does traffic survive without being jammed up for days? There are only two main roads in, and two main roads out. Sure there are back roads, but a majority of the people come into to Dover, Delaware on Rt 1 or Rt 13. It amazes me!

The campers, I mean thousands, tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands all lined up, in the lots, radios on, coolers filled, grills going, ready for the weekend!

This monster mile is no joke! Live music, autographs, booths, memorbilia, fans, food, I mean who wouldnt want to come to Dover Delaware and check it out just once!

And last but not least, the track has had a serious makeover! You really just NEED to come and see this sometime. The legendary, Miles the MONSTER. He is huge, I mean gigantic, enormous, rediculously incredibly ginormous! I hear he stands almost 50 ft tall, and holds a car in his hand. Not a toy car, a real live everyday car. You have to see him! From Rt 1, which I would say is about 10 football fields away maybe more, he still looks huge. Watch out kids, he might be a little scary for the younger ones!

Nascar racing in Dover Delaware is a sure thing! No one wants to miss out on the racing or the fun! Come to Dover Delaware and check it out!

Tony Favata

Realtor