About Dauphin County, PA

Always Something Going On In Northern Dauphin County PA - Armstrong Valley Winery

Every Friday night now through October from 7 - 9 pm you can hear live music on the patio at the Armstrong Valley Winery located at 212 Rutter Road, Halifax, PA 17032. If it's too chilly you can find them upstairs in the barn.

This Saturday is Karaoke night from 7 - 9 pm upstairs in the barn.

The winery is located on approximately 100 acres of farmland that was first established in 1769 by Robert Armstrong namesake for the valley in which the winery is located and the creek that runs through the property. They make all of their wine in the 200 year old bank barn.

Their tasting room is open:

Thursday: Noon - 6pm

Friday: Noon - 8pm

Saturday: 10am - 7pm

Sunday: Noon - 5 pm

You are always welcome to bring picnic dinners and snacks when you visit.

You can reach Armstrong Valley Winery at their web site, or by calling 717-896-7700 or like them on their Facebook page.

Have questions about buying or selling a home in Northern Dauphin County? I'll be glad to help. Check out MelissaStahlRealtor.com.

Don't Worry, You Didn't Miss It....Dauphin County Jazz Fesitival At Fort Hunter Park October 1 & 2

Earthquakes, Hurricanes and Floods will not keep the music away, it might just delay it a bit. Due to the recent floods, The 5th Annual Jazz Festival was rescheduled and will take place this Saturday and Sunday, October 1 & 2 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. but gates will open at 3:30 p.m. so you can get your lawn chairs and blankets set in place. The festival will feature national recording artists and central PA’s elite jazz artists.

Children under 12 are free, general admission is $20 you get your tickets in advance or $25 if you get them at the door. Your ticket will get you admission on both days. Besides the great music, you will also find regional wineries and other food and craft vendors.

You can pick up advance tickets at the Whitaker Center, Mr. Mike's Records and Dauphin County Parks and Recreation Office. Or call Fort Hunter Mansion at (717) 599-5751 for more information.

The schedule of events looks something like this:

Saturday
4:30 - David Bach Consort
6:00 - Shilts
7:30 - Nick Colionne

Sunday
4:00 - Milton Hershey Middle School Division Jazz Band
4:30 - Fretwork
6:00 - Four80East & Matt Marshak
7:30 - Eric Darius

Check out this and other upcoming Dauphin County events at Dauphin County Parks and Recreation Site.

Have questions about buying or selling a home in Northern Dauphin County? I'll be glad to help. Check out MelissaStahlRealtor.com.

Wordless Wednesday - He finally didn't see me coming

Not too far from my thinking spot, I've tried numerous times to catch the guy on camera. Finally something had his attention long enough for the shutter to open and close before he saw. I need a quicker camera so I can catch him in flight. Such a majestic bird. Lives right at the base of Peters Mountain in Dauphin County.

Selling Your Home Is A Family Affair - Best Practice

If you are thinking about putting your home on the market and you have children, I'm sure it's crossed your mind...."How in the world am I going to keep this place in top showing condition ready for buyers at all times".

Well, I have the answer to help with that problem. I believe selling a home is a family affair and it involves the help of the entire household. So I've included in my marketing plan a way to get the kids involved. Yes of course it involves bribing. :-) but it's well worth it.

The parents and I set the rules based on the ages of the children and we assign points to the chores the children can preform to help with the upkeep or preparation before a showing. For example, a 6 year old may earn points for going around and turning on all lights as the family is heading out of the home just before the potential buyers arrive while the 10 year old is earning points for picking up all the toys in the living room and the 15 year old is finishing putting the dishes away. When the property goes to settlement, the children can "cash in" their earnings for some rewards and look forward to their new home.

This helps to keep them involved in the process, they understand the importance of keeping things together and they really feel a part of the decisions being made. With the parent's permission, I actually have the children sign an agreement with me that they will participate and uphold their end of the deal. It is their home too, and this can be a difficult time for some children even as exciting as it may seem. I have found this to really work well especially with larger families. I work with the parents concerning the rewards, nothing outrageous. If it's solely on me, we are talking Chuck E Cheese certificates and the like. But one time the parents wanted in on the action and donated IPods for their twin teens. It's only limited to our imagination.

Have questions about buying or selling a home in Northern Dauphin County? I'll be glad to help. Check out MelissaStahlRealtor.com.

Similar Situations, Completely Different Outcomes - Just Remember Who You Are Talking To When Getting Advice

This week will mark two completely different results from two different listings that were very similar. The differing results are mainly a result of the decision makers taking the advice of different people. A few months ago I received a couple of phone calls in the same week (completely unrelated) both couples were in similar situations with finances and were both behind in mortgage payments and were afraid of losing there homes to foreclosure.

After discussing their options both parties decided to list their homes for sale. In the coming months, Couple number 1 met with a bankruptcy attorney who advised them they should file for bankruptcy and not worry about whether the house sells or not. Couple number 2 also met with a bankruptcy attorney who advised them the same thing.

Couple number 1 moved out of the home, filed bankruptcy, turned off their phone, de-friended me from Facebook and their home sits empty and alone. I will be removing the sign and lock box from the door today.

Couple number 2 continued to work diligently with me and the mortgage company to get approval on a short sale, moved their belongings out of the home into a home they can afford and we are scheduled for settlement on Friday. I will be removing the sign and lock box from the door on Friday.

Now, I'm not saying couple number 1 made the wrong decision, I don't know how that will turn out for them since they have cut off communication with me, but I do know that Couple number 2 is very happy they did not take the advice offered by the attorney and decided to proceed with the sale of the home.

I always listen to my client's needs and try to send them in the right direction...and sometimes that is to advise not to sell, or wait to sell but most times it's let's work together to get this done.

Just remember who you are talking to when you are getting advise.

• When speaking with a bankruptcy attorney getting advise about banktruptcy, you most likely will get advise on filing bankruptcy.
• When speaking with a financial investor, you will likely get advise on where you should invest.
• When speaking to an insurance broker, you will likely get advise on what insurance you should carry.

Just remember that just because they advise you that you should do this or do that....doesn't mean you have to do this or do that in order to have a successful outcome. There may be more than one solution. Speak to a variety of experts, weigh your options, then make your decision. Just remember who you are talking to each time when you are getting advice.

Have questions about buying or selling a home in Northern Dauphin County? I'll be glad to help. Check out MelissaStahlRealtor.com.