Do you remodel and stay....... or sell? How do you know if your remodeling dollars are well spent? How much can you expect to recoup from your investment?
According to the 2009 / 2010 survey published by Remodeling magazine, here's how it breaks down:
For a mid-range priced home, you can expect the average cost and recoup for the following projects:
Average Cost vs Expected Return on your investment
Bathroom Remodel $19,000
Recoup 60% of your costs
Bathroom Addition $48,000
Recoup 56% of your costs
Garage Addition $72,000
Recoup 63% of your costs
Convert a Bedroom to a Home Office $32,000
Recoup 47% of your costs
Major Kitchen Remodel $65,000
Recoup 72% of your costs
Minor Kitchen Remodel $24,000
Recoup 76% of your costs
Window Replacement (vinyl) $13,000
Recoup 74% of your costs
Backup Power Generator $17,000
Recoup 75% of your costs
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
2051 Serendipity Way -Open House Weekend!
The doors in Montgomery County are opening...
You’re invited to step inside and take a look!
I am proud to invite you to participate in the first ever REALTOR® Nationwide Open House on April 10-11. Don’t miss this opportunity to tour countless homes throughout Montgomery County to find the one that is just right for you.
Your ideal home is out there. Find it now while…
There’s still time to get the Expanded Tax Credit, worth up to $8,000 for first time buyers and up to $6500 for repeat buyers.
Interest rates are still at historic lows
Home prices are more affordable than ever
There are a variety of home choices available
Numerous local properties will welcome your visit on April 10 - 11
Take advantage of these incentives before they disappear. Contact me for more information.
You’re invited to step inside and take a look!
I am proud to invite you to participate in the first ever REALTOR® Nationwide Open House on April 10-11. Don’t miss this opportunity to tour countless homes throughout Montgomery County to find the one that is just right for you.
Your ideal home is out there. Find it now while…
There’s still time to get the Expanded Tax Credit, worth up to $8,000 for first time buyers and up to $6500 for repeat buyers.
Interest rates are still at historic lows
Home prices are more affordable than ever
There are a variety of home choices available
Numerous local properties will welcome your visit on April 10 - 11
Take advantage of these incentives before they disappear. Contact me for more information.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Energy Tax Credits Can Benefit You!
Tax season is upon us and like it or not at some point in the next two months we will all be trudging our way through this grueling process. I hope that many of your were able to take advantage of the some of the more heavily publicized credits like the first time home buyer tax credit. Hopefully, many of you also took advantage of some of the many tax credits offered or expanded upon in the The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 that applied to energy efficient improvements in your home.
The most concise explanation of what qualifies and how much is being offered per item through the US Department of Energy tax breaks page. The highlights are a 30% tax credit on Energy Star Certified items such as AC's, windows, insulation, roofing with a $1500 cap. The big boon was for alternative energy sources such as solar or geothermal. These now qualify for a 30% tax credit with no cap through the year 2016. Be sure to check the Energy Star website for more specific list of items that can qualify and how to apply for the credits.
After the success of the Cash for Clunkers program, the federal government rolled out a plan in the fall that would provide funding for rebates on energy efficient appliances. Through the Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program, individual states will be able to offer rebates for energy efficient appliances so check this out if you are in need of anything from a new fridge to new AC's. It varies by state so click on your state, it could mean $100's in savings.
Before you consider any improvement and/or appliance purchase or if you have recently made an improvement, be sure to check the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency. This too varies by state and offers updated info about programs and incentives that promote sustainability in your area. You can actually "stack" most of these credits, rebates, and incentives currently offered so be sure to take full advantage.
The most concise explanation of what qualifies and how much is being offered per item through the US Department of Energy tax breaks page. The highlights are a 30% tax credit on Energy Star Certified items such as AC's, windows, insulation, roofing with a $1500 cap. The big boon was for alternative energy sources such as solar or geothermal. These now qualify for a 30% tax credit with no cap through the year 2016. Be sure to check the Energy Star website for more specific list of items that can qualify and how to apply for the credits.
After the success of the Cash for Clunkers program, the federal government rolled out a plan in the fall that would provide funding for rebates on energy efficient appliances. Through the Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program, individual states will be able to offer rebates for energy efficient appliances so check this out if you are in need of anything from a new fridge to new AC's. It varies by state so click on your state, it could mean $100's in savings.
Before you consider any improvement and/or appliance purchase or if you have recently made an improvement, be sure to check the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency. This too varies by state and offers updated info about programs and incentives that promote sustainability in your area. You can actually "stack" most of these credits, rebates, and incentives currently offered so be sure to take full advantage.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Perkiomen Valley School District
Perkiomen Valley School District plans for future growth. A new Facilities Planning Committee is formed and will meet again on February 25th at 7pm. Below are some of the issues being addressed. Budget and Redistricting are the BIG questions.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
2010 WILL Be Better Than 2009
“It is very hard to make predictions. Especially about the future” –Yogi Berra, former Yankees Hall of Fame Catcher
2009 ended much stronger than it started. Unit sales were up in virtually every market in the country and while prices are still trending down, inventory shrinkage in the entry level points to price firming. Inventories in the mid- to upper-price brackets show that prices have a ways to adjust (that means downward).
The tax credit walloped housing the fourth quarter with November 2009 unit sales up 42.9% over November 2008. December won’t be quite as robust but will still be better than December 2009. We expect the same in January and February with small increases in unit sales over those months last year. Then will come the second explosion with the expiration of tax credit too. Sales in the April to June period should be substantially above the same months of 2009.
The second half of 2010 should be quieter in terms of month-over-month increases in unit sales. Depends too on where your business is. If your business is in foreclosures and entry level housing 2010 could be your best year ever. If you are focused on the upper price brackets 2010 will another tough year.
Housing sales are a function of demand. The growth of households, of family incomes and employment are the most important factors. Don’t get fooled by thinking that Americans are going to defy these basics and go back to buying homes as if they were flipping stocks. People need a place to live, its that simple. While in the short term households will make decisions based on tax credits or great values in home prices and mortgage rates, only a change in need will drive demand. And it turns out that the demand is fairly static--about 5% of all households a year will purchase a home.
We are bullish on housing in 2010 not because we believe it will be hugely better than 2009 but because the country continues to grow and people will need a place to live. A certain percentage are going to buy a home because their needs changed. Once all the tax credits have expired and the lowest interest rates you will ever see pass, the underlying demand will still be there and families will go back to buying homes.
For those who made it this far, take heart. It only gets better from now on.
2009 ended much stronger than it started. Unit sales were up in virtually every market in the country and while prices are still trending down, inventory shrinkage in the entry level points to price firming. Inventories in the mid- to upper-price brackets show that prices have a ways to adjust (that means downward).
The tax credit walloped housing the fourth quarter with November 2009 unit sales up 42.9% over November 2008. December won’t be quite as robust but will still be better than December 2009. We expect the same in January and February with small increases in unit sales over those months last year. Then will come the second explosion with the expiration of tax credit too. Sales in the April to June period should be substantially above the same months of 2009.
The second half of 2010 should be quieter in terms of month-over-month increases in unit sales. Depends too on where your business is. If your business is in foreclosures and entry level housing 2010 could be your best year ever. If you are focused on the upper price brackets 2010 will another tough year.
Housing sales are a function of demand. The growth of households, of family incomes and employment are the most important factors. Don’t get fooled by thinking that Americans are going to defy these basics and go back to buying homes as if they were flipping stocks. People need a place to live, its that simple. While in the short term households will make decisions based on tax credits or great values in home prices and mortgage rates, only a change in need will drive demand. And it turns out that the demand is fairly static--about 5% of all households a year will purchase a home.
We are bullish on housing in 2010 not because we believe it will be hugely better than 2009 but because the country continues to grow and people will need a place to live. A certain percentage are going to buy a home because their needs changed. Once all the tax credits have expired and the lowest interest rates you will ever see pass, the underlying demand will still be there and families will go back to buying homes.
For those who made it this far, take heart. It only gets better from now on.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
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