Marty Millner

Archive for September, 2009

Yardley Harvest Day Slideshow! We had a great time check out our photos!

Yardley, Pa. Bucks County, 40th annual Harvest Day, Sept 26th, 2009

Wanted to let everyone know that this Saturday, September 26th, is the 40th annual Harvest Day event, in Yardley . This is, without a doubt, one of the best fall festivals in Bucks County!  The event runs from 10:00 to 5:00, rain or shine, and features numerous, unique, arts and crafts displays, along with live entertainment, food and community booths.  

This is a great event for the entire family.  I can remember many years of floating on the pond with our kids, in a canoe on Harvest Day.  The event has grown tremendously over the years.  The event is run jointly, by the Yardley Business Association (YBA) and the Makefield Women’s Association (MWA).

Try and visit the Makefield Women’s Association raffle table.  They will have an array of gorgeous raffle baskets, with 100% of the raffle proceeds going to benefit, “Kisses For Kyle“, and the Bucks County Autism Support Organization.  Kisses for Kyle is an organization that helps Philadelphhia area children, and their families, who are struggling with cancer.  Check out both organizations, they are wonderful.

If you need directions, please contact me.

Hope to have some photo’s of  Harvest day, posted next week.

Avoid the 10 biggest mistakes that sellers make in Yardley, Newtown, Upper Makefield Township, Lower Makefield Townsip, Bucks County

I thought this video was totally awesome!  It is completely on target, and I hope that sellers will take the advice to heart.  The video was compliments of Lani Rosales, who is the New Media Director of Agent Genius.

There have been some issues, with the video loading directly on my blog.  If you can see the video player, click this link to see the video.

Beat the first time homebuyer deadline & receive 8000 tax credit, Newtown, Yardley, Bucks County.

It is hard to believe that it is September 1st already.  This year, besides getting kids ready to return to school, there is a critical deadline that is looming, for those first time homebuyers, who want to get an 8,000 gift from the Federal Government.  Many people think that the first time homebuyer program is good until the end of the year.  As noted below, that is not the case.

In fact, in order to be elidgible for the tax credit of 8,000, the purchase must close by December 1st!  That is only 90 days away.  With the mortgage process taking longer than ever, and becuase it often takes 30 days or more, to find the perfect house, it is really important that first time homebuyers, begin the purchase process right away. 

In order to ensure that the deadline is not missed, consumer spokesperson for Coldwell Banker, Dianne Patton suggested 6 important steps that consumers can take, to ensure that they get to closing by November 30, 2009.

1.  Find a qualified realtor.  A good realtor will make sure that buyers are aware of all homes on the market that meet the buyers search criteria.  They will keep track of all properties visited, and will discuss, in detail the pros and cons of each home.  They will help in assessing current values, so that buyers make appropriate offers, given the current market conditions.   A good realtor will have a wide array of service providers, such as mortgage lenders, title companies, home inspectors, insurance companies, etc, and will help ensure that the transaction stays on track, so that the buyer does not miss the 8,000 tax credit.

2.  Learn before you go.  Buyers are encouraged to research the market, even before beginning the actual search process.  With free tools such as Coldwell Banker’s on location, and their new mobile application for the I phone, along with Trulia, etc, buyers should begin to seperate those things that they must have in a house, from wants.  Buyers will also be able to learn about neighborhoods, compare prices, schools, etc, from these sites.

3.  Get your credit report together and in order.  I could do an entire weeks posts on the new mortgage rules that we are dealing with right now.  It is important to note that mortgage money is readily available.  Having said that, it is more important than ever, that when you get to the point of actually applying for a mortgage, your credit report is as clean as possible.  That means clearing up any errors in advance, and making sure that if you do have things like credit cards that are overdue, you get them current as quickly as possible.  Address errors as soon as possible.

4.  Get your paperwork together.  Be proactive, and gather the documents that virtually every lender will require, as part of the loan application process.  Both the borrower and co-borrower should expect to deliver the following to the mortgage lender:

•           Verification of employment form
•           Two most recent pay check stubs, and bank statements.
•           Copies of the last two W2 forms received from employer
•           Copies of any asset statements including those for retirement accounts, stocks, bonds or mutual funds
•           Copy of social security card

5.  Get Pre-Approved.  “Pre-Approval” means that a mortgage lender has verified a buyers credit and other credentials, and has determined that the buyer will qualify for a loan.  Getting this done early, often gives the buyer additional leverage when making an offer. 

6.  Shop for the most favorable mortgage terms.  The mortgage business is competitive, and it is extremely important that you shop for the best mortgage terms available, at the time you are ready to commit to a lender.  There are still many types of mortgage programs available, and a half a percent difference in the loan rate, can make a substantial difference in your monthly payment. 

If you are considering buying a home for the first time, follow these few steps, and you are much more likely not to miss the impending deadline.  It is a great opportunity to receive 8,000 from the Federal Government, for taking the exciting step of buyer your first home.  If you want to know what is on the market, or want any other information about the home buying process, please call me.