Buckingham Square November 2010 etter

November 2010 Newsletter
Here’s What’s Happening in Buckingham Square



ACTIVE: 4191 Milords Ln - 4 bdms, 2 1/2 baths, crown molding, gas floor to ceiling fireplace, brand new deck. Origninally asking $409,900, reduced to $399,900. On the market for 113 days. Paid $390,000 in September 2009.

4191 Sir Andrew Cir — a Nottingham, finished basement, huge deck. Listed at $410,000. On the market for 48 days.

4231 Miladies Ln — 4 bdrms, 3 1/2 baths, premium lot with a finished walkout basement w/ full bath, two-tiered deck and paver patio, backs to trees. Asking $435,000. On the market for 15 days. Paid $441,000 in 2005.

SETTLED : 4232 Miladies Ln— 4 bdrms, 2 1/2 baths. Started at $377,900, then $369,900. Sold for $360,000 in 28 days.

4294 Milords Ln - 4 bdms, 2 1/2 baths, hardwoods, fireplace. This was a bank owned property. Foreclosure. Originally asking $349,900. Sold for $345,000 in 29 days.



So . . . What’s Up with your competition? In Buckingham Township alone, looking at homes priced between $350,000 and $450,000, there are 37 homes on the market. Over the past year, an average of 5 homes sell per month. Soooo . . . This means that there is a 7 month accumulation of inventory. In other words, if nothing else came on the market it in this price range, it would take 7 months to clear out the inventory. Same price range, looking at Buckingham, Plumstead and Doylestown, there are 75 homes on the market, 11 sales per month average for an Inventory accumulation of 6 months. If you want to be one of the 11 that sells every month you need to do a few things. Call us, we’ll help you out!



HOW NOT TO BE ON THE MARKET FOR LONG

If you are thinking that a move is in your future you need to begin preparing NOW. You may think that you don’t have a lot to do to go on the market, but we’ll bet there are things you MUST do that you don’t even know. We are very slow between now and the end of January and if you would like us to help you make your list of to-do’s to get ready for market, feel free to give us a call. We have done this for several people and it will really help you to move your home faster and for a better price.



Homes for sale with the Gutner Team!!

Hearthstone—Gorgeous Pottery Barn decorated, granite, flat yard,

hardwoods through first floor, finished basement $499,900.

Cold Spring Hunt—Beautiful Brick front in Primo condition, finished basement w/powder room.

Value priced at $482,500!

Durham Ridge—4 bedroom, 2 1/2 baths, granite kitchen,

huge sitting room in master, great deck and large, flat lot. $449,900.

North Branch—4 bedroom, 3 1/2 bath, huge lot that backs to preserved space,

Sunroom addition on kitchen, finished basement. $484,900.

Upper Mountain Estates– the Beautiful Carmel model,

decorator done, 3 car garage, 5,183 square feet! $824,900.

Investment Property—Duplex on Stump Road, good rents. $273,500.

See Virtual Tours (moving tours, not still pictures!) at http://www.gutner.com/

Still haven’t Re-Financed?

Over the next few months mortgage rates will be at their best. Whenever the market slows down, rates go down and we’re coming into the winter months. If you are staying in your home for 5 more years you should really consider recasting your loan:

Loan Amount: $200,000 Rate: 6.25 Current Payment: $1,714 New Rate: 4.25 New Payment $1,504
Loan Amount :$300,000 6.25 $2,572 4.25 $2,256

If you are trying to decide if you should do a 15 year mortgage here’s something to think about:

On a $200,000, 30 year mortgage at 4.5%, you’ll pay $164,813 in interest with a monthly payment of $1,013. Pay down the loan in 15 year (by making prepayments of about $517 per month on the mortgage balance) and your monthly payment would be $1,529 and you’d pay $75,396 in interest. If you went with a 15 year mortgage at 4% instead, you’d pay $66,286 in interest and have a payment of $1,479. So ask yourself if you’d be willing to pay a few thousand dollars more in interest for the flexibility of having an extra $500 a month to cover life’s expenses without tapping home equity. Also assess whether you’re disciplined enough to actually prepay the loan. If the answer is no, then a shorter-term mortgage is a good fit.
Tips to Save $$$$ on Your Utilities

Turn down your water heater. 13% of your home’s electricity goes to heating water. Set it to 130—140 degrees and install an Insulation jacket. Insulate the first six feet of piping that comes off of your heater.

Turn off heat drying on your dishwasher.

Switch to CFL lighting (4X less energy) and look for the new LED lighting options coming to Home Depot soon.

LED bulbs can also save you money in the long term, because an incandescent bulb requires about $300 worth of electricity over ten years of use. The LED bulbs cost $40 (for the 60 watt equivalent Zetalux) and $50 (for the 100 watt equivalent) and their cost to run over ten years is about $38. Multiply that by all the bulbs in your home . . . WOW!

Install a programmable thermostat. Futures markets predict an unprecedented raise in the cost of natural gas this year. In January you will be able to pick an alternative source (other than PECO) and get a more competitive rate. It will still go through PECO for billing and pipes, etc., but you’ll be able to lower your bill a little. YOU CAN DO THIS ON YOUR OWN. Many people are running around selling this but you can do this yourself!!!

Wash your clothes with a full load on cold. 90% of the energy consumed by your washing machine goes to heating the water.


Clean the condenser coils on your refrigerator(s)!! Especially if you have pets! Get out your vacuum and do it NOW! You should do this every 3 or 4 months to cut your energy and prolong the life of your refrigerator.

75% of your energy is from “phantom” users including televisions, VCRs, stereos, computers, phone chargers, etc. Turn them off when not in use!

Keller Williams Coat Drive—

WE are working with a Philadelphia organization and collecting coats that you don’t need anymore. If you have a coat or 2 that you are ready to part with, call or email me and I will pick up or you can leave it outside in a bag, or you can drop off to me at my house in Cold Spring Hunt at 4060 Hunt Drive. THANKS!!!