Skip To Content

Category: Buyer Information

    3 Factors That Affect Home Affordability

    By Erica Ramus | January 25, 2023

    3 Factors That Affect Home Affordability If you’ve been following the housing market over the last couple of years, you’ve likely heard about growing affordability challenges. But according to experts, the key factors that determine housing affordability are projected to improve this year. Selma Hepp, Executive, Deputy Chief Economist at CoreLogic, shares: “. . . with slowly improving... Read More

    What Past Recessions Tell Us About the Housing Market

    By Erica Ramus | January 16, 2023

    It doesn’t matter if you’re someone who closely follows the economy or not, chances are you’ve heard whispers of an upcoming recession. Economic conditions are determined by a broad range of factors, so rather than explaining them each in depth, let’s lean on the experts and what history tells us to see what could lie... Read More

    How smart buyers should approach rising mortgage rates

    By Erica Ramus | November 27, 2021

    Last week, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate from Freddie Mac inched up to 3.1%, and experts project rates will continue rising through 2022: “The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 2.95 in the third quarter of 22021. We forecast mortgage rates to increase slightly through the remainder of the year and reach 3.0%, rising to 3.5%... Read More

    Pennsylvania Farmland Preservation

    By Erica Ramus | August 20, 2021

    Pennsylvania Farmland Preservation: Clean & Green Pennsylvania leads the nation in the number of farms and acres permanently preserved for agricultural production.  The program guarantees a future food supply and contributes to a healthier economy.  It also assures a way of life Pennsylvanian’s cherish will continue for generations to come.  The program is a partnership between all levels... Read More

    One Year Into the Pandemic

    By Erica Ramus | March 11, 2021

    The Difference A Year Makes … A year ago,  the world changed and we were shocked with the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Business shutdowns began across the country and much of the world. Pennsylvania was not immune to the pandemic, and real estate here was shut down hard from mid-March through most of May.... Read More

    Real Estate Update – Business Guidelines

    By Erica Ramus | June 9, 2020

    COVID-19 has presented enormous challenges and it will require us all to adapt to profound changes not only in our personal lives but in the lives of our clients and their families and the Pennsylvania communities we serve. For our INVESTOR CLIENTS – Even as COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc with the global economy—putting the... Read More

    Settlement: What are buyer closing costs?

    By Erica Ramus | May 31, 2019

    For many people, buying a home may be the biggest purchase they make in their lifetime. It can be a confusing, overwhelming process. One of the most confusing parts can be sitting down at the closing table signing all of those documents. There are a lot of fees paid at closing that can be confusing... Read More

    Why should you put 20% down?

    By Erica Ramus | May 9, 2019

    If you are in the market to buy a home this year, you may be confused about how much money you need to come up with for your down payment. Many people you talk to will tell you that you need to save 20% or you won’t be able to secure a mortgage. The truth... Read More

    How Do You Know How Much to Put Down On A Home?

    By Erica Ramus | April 9, 2019

    For many prospective home buyers, the down payment is the most daunting hurdle in the race to buy a home. Even for people with decent credit and a healthy paycheck, the down payment can be the great homeownership killer. The big question for all prospective buyers is: how much should my down payment be? Most... Read More

    Choosing the house you want to retire in

    By Erica Ramus | April 8, 2019

    As more and more baby boomers enter retirement age, the question of whether they should sell their homes and move has become a hot topic. In today’s housing market climate, with low available inventory in the starter and trade-up home categories, it makes sense to evaluate your home’s ability to adapt to your needs in... Read More