Typical Buyers!!! We went to Florida to "steal" a house and while I think we got a fair deal, it certainly wasn't the steal we thought we'd get. We purchased the house below after much wrangling and we settle on May 15th. Gabe is busy trying to procur 2 more roommates. He thought he had them but then their parents wanted them on campus for another year. The goal here is to have the roommates pay the mortgage and most of Gabe's way and we should be able to accomplish that. If you want to be hooked up with a Realtor in your child's college town, let us know and we'll be happy to do the homework for you!

Pictured from Left: Henri, our son Gabe, our Realtor Matt, "R", one of the potential roommates and Cecilia, our daughter. Standing in front of the home we hope to purchase.

Whew! House hunting is hard! Matt talked us out of houses without garages and we weeded out some really nasty neighborhoods and homes with pools. We were surprised that, given the Florida market, some of the homes we saw were filthy. Sometimes a seller doesn't have money to update but they could at least clean!

After looking at about 9 homes this became our first choice. Brick Rancher with 4 good sized bedrooms, new kitchen, 2 car garage, big back yard. 3 minute car ride from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. Asking price is now $172,000. It started at $219,000 last August. We have made an offer of $150,000 (don't you hate those buyers?) and we were countered at $165,000. We're holding firm on our price right now as mortgage people tell us that Daytona Beach, in the eyes of the lenders, is a "declining market" and you have to put down at least 20%. Maybe someone should tell the seller!! Roommate rent will cover the mortgage and hopefully, we'll be in a better market when we need to sell. We'll keep you posted on our negotiations. We may have to move on to our second choice and that's the beauty of not being emotionally involved in a purchase.

We're headed to Daytona Beach for Spring Break!!! We're really heading there to see if we can find a house for our son and his 3 to 4 friends. Being Realtors, it doesn't make any sense to rent something, especially in a good "Buyers Market".
We began our search by searching for a Realtor. Our criteria was that they had to be very web savvy, have listings in the area and respond to our phone call within 2 hours. We found the perfect fit for us about 6 months ago and have been communicating via email ever since. Matt, my new friendly Realtor, sends us homes on the market and updates on what is moving and what is not. I am becoming very sympathetic to my buyers as I have changed my mind 10 times on what's most important and where we need this house to be. Matt has been very patient, changing searches, etc.
I've narrowed it down to about 15 houses and I am about to let Matt know what they are. I'm hoping that he knows the area well enough to eliminate at least 5 of those. I'm sure that there will be some that we have missed that Matt knows about and some that we don't even want to get out of the car for. Our price point is indicative of 3 to 4 teenagers habitating here!
Stay tuned . . . More to come.

Landmark Towns Regional Revitalization Program steering committee plans to brand four Bucks County boroughs to increase tourism and visitor revenue. Bristol, Morrisville, Yardley and New Hope will receive nearly $70,000 annually to use for grant development, production of visitors guides and event brochures. A full-time regional coordinator will manage grant development in order to create festivals and events that will entice Bucks County residents into spending their money in the county.

Source: The Intelligencer; 1/26/07

Finished Basements: Is your basement permitted? Did you know that Relocation buyers cannot buy a home that does not have a permitted finished basement? Many people think that because they went and filled out a permit and paid the permit fee, their basement is permitted. Unless you had final inspections, this is not the case. Over the past two years, permitting has become harder as some townships now require a separate egress, whether you use the basement as bedroom space or not. Buckingham Township doesn't care when you finished your basement and what proof you have of the date. If it was not previously permitted, even if it was finished 5 years ago, you will have to add an outside egress. Plumstead is a little kinder. With proof of when it was finished they are willing to work with you.
Tell us your story and we'll try to provide answers for you. And a word to the wise . . . if you're about to finish your basement, add a deck or a shed, get a permit or you may have an unsaleable house.

Only in California!!

People will go to drastic measures to make sure their house sells, but here is a new method that could only come from California-- the land of sunshine, movie stars, and the Governator. Instead of using traditional "environment-enhancers" for potential buyers, like applying a fresh coat of paint or baking bread to fill the house with a fresh aroma, one California property PR firm has started hiring teams of actors to play happy families during house showings! They leave no stone unturned as they have even hired former "Baywatch" lifeguard Jaason Simons (picture at right). I know that all great trends start in California and move east, but this might be one trend worth leaving in the "Land of Milk and Honey."

So if we hire him to hang around your house, will you list with us?

Thanks for stopping by!

We are Jeri and Henri Gutner—the #1 Keller Williams Real Estate agents in Central Bucks County, Pennsylvania. For those of you who live in Central Bucks, you know us as your neighbors. For those of you who work with us, you know us as hard-working, go-getters who always go the extra mile for our clients. We are very excited to be adding yet another service benefit not only for our clients, but for everyone in our community.

This blog was created FOR YOU! Tell us what you want to read about! Leave a post or send us an email (henri@gutner.com) and we will be sure to comment on it in our next blog post. For most of us, our homes are our most valuable asset. So pick our brains and put us to the test. Ask us anything about your home: reputable contractors, township regulations, improvements to increase your value, staging and decorating, investment properties, careers in Real Estate, how to stay sane raising teenagers, or anything else on your mind.

Use this blog to gain valuable information about your home and the real estate market. Whatever your motivation may be, check back to this site often because there will constantly be exciting posts to read about. Remember that we are the Gutner Team—always working to make your life easier!

See you back here soon,

Jeri and Henri Gutner