Mary Huffman's Real Estate Blog - Erie, PA

 

  How Homeowners Are Ditching The Tub Homeowners are looking for large, high-tech bathrooms with sleek color palettes and finishes, according to the Houzz 2017 Bathroom Trends Report. On average, homeowners spent $21,000 to remodel bathrooms exceeding 100 square feet. That cost drops to about $12,300 for homeowners with smaller bathrooms that are less than 100 square feet. When it comes to age demographics, those aged 55+ spent the most on remodeling their bathroom since the majority of them reported that they don’t plan to sell their home anytime soon. Meanwhile, millennials, who see their home as a short- to medium-term residence, are choosing to invest less in bathroom renovations. Out of the 4 percent of millennials who renovated their bathrooms this year, most spent $9,200 to 12,500. Homeowners of all ages were willing to shell out the extra dough for showers (42 percent), cabinets and vanities (40 percent), faucets (35 percent) and countertops (35 percent). On the ...

 

  25 Cheap Ways To Upgrade Your Home 1. Add some character and add texture to your walls with peel-and-stick wall panels. 2. Create a charming accent wall with peel-and-stick paper. 3. Upgrade your countertops to faux granite with a DIY paint kit instead of spending a fortune to replace it. 4. Reseal all those cracks in your tub and tile with caulking and make your bathroom look new again. 5. Update recess lighting without doing any electrical work with magnetic shades. 6. Install crown molding to help make your home look historic and charming. 7. Adding a fresh coat of paint to get that pop of color (or get rid of it) will give your home a touch-up without costing you a fortune. 8. Get the stainless-steel appliances you've always wanted at a fraction of the price with paint. 9. Add privacy and a touch of elegance, and make your windows look super expensive, with with "lead...

  Getting Outbid?  Strategies to Make Your Offer Stand Out and Get Accepted  Summer is traditionally a busy time for buyers and sellers. This year has been no exception—and with lower interest rates, many homebuyers are finding the competitive environment challenging. With multiple buyers competing for properties, even terrific offers are often being outbid. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to make your offer more attractive to the sellers and increase the chances of getting the property.  • Have Full Pre-Approval – A step beyond pre-qualification, a pre-approval involves submitting your full application to underwriting. Your lender will collect all your financial data and submit for review. This is stronger than a pre-qualification; a pre-approval requires the buyer to provide the proof of their ability to qualify for the loan.  • Increase the Earnest Money – Earnest money is the deposit held in escrow. While the contract will dictate how monies ar...

  Keeping Up with Smart Homes It seems almost everything is connected these days. Want to check the temperature of your oven from outside? See how much milk you have in the refrigerator from the market? It’s possible! You can now control almost every aspect of your home from your smartphone. Yet with all this connectivity, you need a powerful internet network. If you’ve suddenly realized you have “dead spaces,” then it might be time to consider a mesh network. A basic wifi network relies on the antennae of the router to reach all the connected devices. A mesh network uses a series of access devices that connect to the main hub and each other – forming a mesh of coverage. This helps eliminate the dead spaces because, in essence, you are creating overlapping wireless zones. Smart devices benefit from the mesh network system. Unlike extenders that have their own identity, every device in a mesh network has the same name. This provides seamless coverage as smart products move between c...

  Stop Waiting - Organize That Garage! If you are feeling a little overwhelmed every time you look into your garage because it has become a dumping ground for items that don’t have another home, it is time to start clearing and organizing to make the best use of your space. This can be a simple task if you go in with a plan and create organized storage space. You can transform that garage, and here is how. First thing? Throw out or donate what isn’t used. After you’ve done that, sort what remains into groups. Items used together should be stored together. Using clear containers with lids to do so will make your items visible and help to encourage you to only keep what you need and use. Once everything is grouped and stored, you will want to consider positioning. What items do you use most? You will want to make sure those are the most easily accessible. Put rarely used or seasonal items in the harder-to-reach spots. The main focus of keeping a clean, organized garage is gettin...

Erie, PA Sailing Presque Isle Bay  Life is Better at the Lake!

Realtor Mary Huffman's Day at Waldameer Park in Erie, PA

Golf Courses in Erie, PA https://www.golflink.com/golf-courses/pa/erie/ Click the above link for reviews of all golf courses Whispering Woods (Photo above) is rated the best course in Erie, PA 

Topic: Verbal agreement with seller but they sold to someone else!   Now scheduling buyer & seller consultations.  If you are planning a move in 2019, please give Mary Huffman a try.  She can be reached at Howard Hanna, Erie, PA 814-835-1200 or best to call her on her cell 814-490-6698. PA Real Estate License # RS202818L

  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...