Mary Huffman's Real Estate Blog - Erie, PA

Home Opinions by Mary to Educate H. O. M. E. Video Series coming in 2019 Home Opinions by Mary to Educate Erie, PA - Mary Huffman, a Realtor for Howard Hanna Real Estate Services Has developed a video series to educate people on various aspects of the real estate business.  Stop back to her blog at www.maryhuffman.blogspot.com frequently or her Facebook business page "Everything Erie/Everything Houses". If you have real estate questions you would like featured in a video, leave a comment below. Ways to view videos throughout 2019:   www.maryhuffman.blogspot.com https://www.facebook.com/EverythingErie/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-huffman-16896960/detail/recent-activity/shares/ 

"I'll hold off buying a home until next year." If you've thought of purchasing a home, but don't want to deal with the process now, you've probably had this thought cross your mind a time or two. A pretty common tendency to hold off things on our to-do list, especially the ones that seem like a lot of work. But would you hold off the task if I told you that waiting could make a difference of tens of thousands of dollars? Meaning it could cost you a $10,000-$50,000 (or more) difference to get the home you want today, in 2019's market. It's anticipated, by the national historical trend report, that homes are on the rise by over 5% each year. That house you've been eyeing online, listed for $225,000, could be listed next year for $236,250. That is over $10,000 more just for waiting till 2019. This isn't even bringing into question the rising APR rates for mortgages, that can increase your monthly payment amount on a home pretty significantly,

  Kitchen Improvements Under $100   Want to spruce up your kitchen but stuck on a tight budget? Check out the list of improvements you can get started on for under $100. These tips can come in handy when you're ready to list your home to sell on the market. 1. REFRESH THE SINK: If your sink is starting to look outdated, find an affordable, yet stylish, replacement. If you have the eye for DIY, you can also purchase some sandpaper and a $4 can of spray paint that is made for metal, and dye it to refresh and brighten the color. 2. HANG A NEW LIGHT FIXTURE A decorative light fixture doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. You can generally find some decent ones that are under $100. Go for a chrome finish or choose the rustic route, whichever suits the current decor in your kitchen. You can also add LED lights under your kitchen cabinets for around $10-$20. 3. PAINT THE CABINETS With care taken in the prep work, you can refinish the paint on your cabinets. You can

Eliminating bad odors from your home is incredibly important, you want to make sure you've removed them before putting it on the market. Often times, the first thing buyers notice upon entering your home, is how it smells. If there is an odd odor, it will instantly put them off. No matter how beautifully staged and presented it is, strong odors or stale air can make your home unappealing to prospective buyers. Opening windows and exhaust fans will only go so far in removing foul odors, but won't generally eliminate it completely. To ensure you don't lose potential buyers, follow these odor eliminating tips to ensure your home smells and feels fresh and new. Don’t Use Artificial Freshening Sprays Don't make the mistake of spraying artificial room freshener sprays in hopes that it will remove the bad odor. Deodorizers will quickly fade, and only mask the smell, sometimes in an overwhelming way. If a buyer walks into your home, your air freshener can cause a reaction,

Relocating to Erie, PA? Or Thinking About Relocating? 5 Reasons You Should!

Tips To Beautify Rooms In Your Home There’s no place like home, so why not make home the most beautiful and cozy place you can stay in? Let’s dive into some techniques that can help you showcase the best features of every room in your house. Just a touch of color, texture, and personality can transform your home into something new. Here’s a few tips that aren’t a lot of hassle:    ADD SOME COLOR Going with a neutral scheme can never go wrong, but if you’re feeling like your room is a little drab, don’t be afraid to go with a bold color. You can do an accent wall that compliments the current color scheme or use your furniture or accent pieces to bring a touch of color. Color doesn’t have to mean clutter, you can keep the rest of the room simple and add the dramatic touch with a few elements.  USE SOME MIRRORS Bringing in some mirrors can add light and room to your space. Using mirrors in staging is known to help the room look like it’s much bigger than it is it. Add a few a

Why You Need An Agent For New Construction Are you ready to buy a home and considering going in the route of new builds? It may seem like an easy enough process, where you get to call the shots of how you want your dream home to be, but there is a lot of risk when it comes to new construction if you are going in blindly. It's unfortunately not as trouble free as we'd like to hope, if you don't have the right representative by your side to help with the things that need to be looked out for from a professional's eye. Below, we'll dive into the many reasons you need a professional buyer's agent representing you in the sale. They are, after all, on your side. And it's their role to ensure you aren't taken advantage of by the builders and their representatives in the transaction.    1. HIRING THE RIGHT BUILDER The most important part of finding an agent is having a professional's perspective to finding a builder with a great

by Mary Huffman, 25 year Realtor with Marsha Marsh Real Estate Services in Erie, PA If you take the time to dig into the philosophy around feng shui, you'll understand that it doesn't come off as esoteric as one my think. It's based around the simple practices to make a home feel healthier and a lot more organized. It also helps you to connect to your home, in a way that can affect your mood and well being. Feng shui is as common as "spring-cleaning," or decorating to make a home feel much more comfortable. This ancient Chinese tradition can be incorporated into your own home. It can be done in a modern holistic approach, while still honoring the age-old traditions that come with feng shui. It's not about transforming the structure of your home, but instead making it to evolve into a space that refreshes your home - and in turn your health. The following feng shui tips will do a little more than just bring some harmony into your home, they can po