About Adams County, PA

About 2 weeks ago I was referred to a person that wants to list their 2008 new home to move south to Miami. My short sale nerve was struck immediately but I hoped and prayed that maybe just maybe they put a boat load of money down on the house. It turns out, they didn't.

I'm a 2-stepper, so always preview the house before coming to any conclusion on listing price. Let's face it, any agent that is in the market frequently could price a house blind without using comps but It's more intelligent to have the proof so that when the appraisal gets cut you can prove your value. I explained to them my process and also that the tax card was blank so I had no idea what I was even going to see. I took some notes and some pictures and returned home to evaluate the property.

I found 6-7 qualify comps that were +/- $5000 as a whole. Rare is the time that i find this many comps so in my head I'm thinking this price is a no brainer. The house priced out at ~$180,000 without including any of their upgrades. At this point I didn't even need to go any further because it was destined for short sale. They owed 225,000 which is way beyond what I could get even with generous values for the upgrades. In order to begin negotiations I recommended a price of 169,900. If it's going to be a short sale we may as well get it moved.

I called and gave them the above information and a few days later followed up to see which broker they opted to use. They gracefully declined my services. Today I was in the area and figured I'd swing by and see who got the listing and at what price. I could have looked it up but hadn't thought to do it until I was driving by.

It's on the market at 239,900 conveniently what they owe plus commission. Have agents not learned their lesson by now? This is certainly a disservice to the client. There is no way it's going to sell for that price and even if it does go under agreement there is no way it will ever appraise. It makes me wonder what people are doing out there. It's not easy to give people the bad news, especially when the house is as beautiful as this house was, but I'll reiterate the point that the agent doesn't dictate the prices the market does.

Proof of value is the single most important element, more so than marketing, the agent, or anything else. A great agent always helps but a proper price will overcome a lot of potential obstacles.

This was a bad start to the week. This has nothing to do with Real Estate but it does make one stop and think.

These young kids piled into the car full of life. Went 2 miles down the road and swerved into the path of an oncoming truck in the other lane. All 5 where killed . So very sad. I can not imagine the pain the family's face. I do not know these young kids but my heart is very heavy and sad,

My heart breaks for the family's of these Young kids.

My heart breaks for the driver of the truck .

My heart breaks for the friends and Teachers of these young kids.

Please I urge everyone that reads this. Take a few minutes to tell your kids you love them. Hug them every morning and night.

Take a few minutes to call a old friend and catch up.

Check in on some neighbors and make sure they are well.

Tell your spouse that you love them and appreciate all that they do .

Life is so short and you just never know.

Our community has a heavy heart today. But soon our lives will go back to normal and all will be forgotten.

Please remember to love and care for all of the people in your life.

Looking to buy a home in Adams County, Pennsylvania?

What portions of Adams County are eligible for USDA Financing?

The only patch of Adams County that is not USDA eligible is the town of Midway that the USDA has included in the Hanover metro area in York County. Outside of Midway, the entire county is USDA eligible, including historic Gettysburg.

USDA Eligible Areas in Adams County include...

• Gettysburg
• Abbottstown
• Arendtsville
• Aspers
• Bendersville
• Biglerville
• Bonneauville
• Carroll Valley
• Cashtown
• East Berlin
• Fairfield
• Floradale
• Gardners
• Hampton
• Heidlersburg
• Hunterstown
• Idaville
• Lake Heritage
• Lake Meade
• Littlestown
• McKnightstown
• McSherrystown
• New Oxford
• Orrtanna
• Table Rock
• York Springs

• any obvious rural locations

If you want to find out if a specific property is eligible for a USDA Mortgage in Adams County, simply click on the link for the USDA Mortgage Eligibility Map below, it will take you directly to the USDA home page....

USDA Mortgage Eligibilty Map

What are the USDA Mortgage Income Limits for Adams County?

Household Size: 1-4 Family Members 5 or more Family Members

Maximum Adjusted Income $77,500 $102,300

If at first glance, it appears your household income exceeds the above limits, it is worth checking the USDA Income Calculator on the USDA website (link below). The USDA allows for several deductions which may allow your Household Income to fit within their Maximum Adjusted Income Guidelines.

USDA Income Eligibility Worksheet

Ok, the Property is in a USDA Eligible Area and your Household Income is within the USDA Income Limits, now what?

Like all mortgages, USDA Mortgages do require an applicant to qualify based on recent credit history. USDA credit requirements are some of the most flexible of any mortgage program available. More detailed information about USDA Mortgage Credit Requirements can be found with the link below...

USDA Credit Requirements

For buyers looking to purchase a home in Adams County Pennsylvania, the USDA Rural Development Mortgage is definitely worth a look. Feel free to contact me with any further questions about the program.

Stop watching football for a few minutes and come take a look at 51 E. Stevens St. It's within one block of Gettysburg College and three blocks from downtown Gettysburg. Victorian style semi-detached and many original features still in tact. With some love and attention to detail it could be a real show piece or convert it into a profitable Gettysburg College investment property.

This home features 5 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, and 1800 sq ft of living space. One car garage on property and off street parking available. Come take a look for yourself on Sunday September 25th, 2011 from 1:00-3:00 PM.

If this house isn't the right house but you're interested in other Gettysburg Properties click "search homes" below complete access to all listings in the York/Adams MLS Service.

If you have additional questions don't hesitate to call.

Tuesday Treasure, reflecting on what's really important: Family (and electricity)

It’s a crisp cool late summer morning. The ground is wet with dew glistening in the sun shine. The birds are singing and collecting this mornings feast of nectar, worms and seeds. The smell of fresh brewed coffee wafts in the air, ahhh, it’s a good morning.

Our power was restored last night at about 6pm after hubby returned from a trip to the store for “camping supplies” we thought we were in it for the long haul. We love to go camping and had just given in to the lack of power by engaging our camping sense.

I was on my way home from my Dad’s where the kids and I took refuge yesterday for a few hours. It was a blessing to have open arms, running water, indoor plumbing and ah yes, electricity to plug in to just waiting for us.

Interestingly enough, aside from showering & coffee, we were relieved to have a safe place to be. We didn’t rush to TV or computer access. Claire showered, I relaxed over a cup of coffee with my Dad and Cole impatiently awaited instructions. Cole’s job at poppy’s house is to help pop and Laura Lee in any way he can. They are very independent retired people who handle things just fine, but, on occasion they allow us to help in some small way so we still feel they need us.

After showering Claire returned to her reading & word search while I took care of business and Cole and Poppy took a well needed nap between jobs. I just grinned and enjoyed the relief of all that surrounded me. Dad, with Cole’s assistance, had set me up with a make shift office that was fit for a queen! A sunlit sun room with a view of the communities coming and going. I worked while my family & others went about their day.

I reluctantly showered and got ready to go home. Cleaning up behind myself & the kids, not wanting to be an imposition, making coffee for the next morning and stowing it in a Thermos so I could feel a little normal in the morning. We said our good-byes, hugs and kisses and got on the road back to the camp ground....I mean home, taking the route suggested by hubby to avoid road closures my phone rang....”guess what honey?! We have POWER!”

Monday was a great day!

Thanks Dad & Laura Lee for a terrific day!

Family is my Tuesday (and everyday) Treasure!