The strangest thing happened during the blizzard this weekend.  Last night we had about 12 inches of snow when we let the dogs out before bed.  They made quite a trail and then came in.  So in the morning we got up and the trail they made was totally gone - no sign at all.  There were some other tracks in the yard that came from the front of the house and went about 25 feet behind the house.  So ok, there was probably some deer that came through.

Over where it appeared deer went, was, what looked like a piece of wood under the tree.  In our yard, is very common that large pieces of wood drop as there are many dead branches wedged far up in the trees.

Our puppies sleep by the door.  In the morning, Titan, was suddenly very distressed about something outside.  But you must know that is normal for him.  He will bark at anything that is out of place or even if garbage bag or balloon gets loose and blows through the yard - he freaks out.

We made a path out the back door so we could all move around easier and get to our picnic table to measure the snow.  The dogs went right to the wood in the yard and were going crazy.  So we soon discovered it was actually the ear of a deer - poor thing.  It came in to our yard and went to sleep.  By the morning it smelled pretty bad.

We got the driveway cleared and got the quad out.  The boys tied up the deer, dragged it out front, tied it on the quad and drove it to an undisclosed location.   I also took over 800 photos and probably 30 plus movie clips all the action the whole day.  What Fun!  My kids have never seen this much snow.

There are a lot of tax credit perks.  The new law that was extended past November 30, 2009 has a lot of benefits.  The new law applies to step up buyers moving up to their next home.  If you have lived in your home as the primary residence for 5 of the last 8 years then you qualify.  See links below for more helpful information.

But did you know that if you are stepping up and having trouble selling your home, you can still qualify without actually selling the first home.  But. . . you must purchase the second home as your primary residence.   Not too bad.  It is time to move.  . . .  Are you ready?

“There is no requirement that existing homeowners must have sold their home to be eligible for the $6,500 tax credit. However, Weichert encourages existing homeowners who want to benefit from this incentive to move quickly, particularly those who prefer to first sell their current home before purchasing a new one.”  Quoted from : RIS Media - Repeat Buyers Need to Act Fast to Capitalize on Expanded Tax Credit

Tax Credit Details

Additional Tax Credit Details from Realtor.org

Frequently Ask Tax Credit Questions

AKHome.info Tax Credit Archives

It is really interesting to me to hear about other real estate markets and what things sell for around the country and the world.  One of my favorite TV channels is HGTV.  I love watching people compare and pick out houses.    I also enjoy seeing how they decorate them after a few months of living there.  It also gives you a really interesting view of these various markets.  Sometimes you can see some very strange and exotic things.

One of show that really sticks in my mind is a House Hunters.  The couple on this show was looking for a home in the Mediterranean.  I cannot remember if it was Greece or not.  They picked a house that I thought they would not because the long walk and steps to the door on the side of the hill was lengthy.  This couple ended up buying it for $750,000 US right on the sea and believe it or not it still needed fixing up.  It was practically ruins and had no plumbing.  I wonder how they dealt with that on the side of a hill.  I have no idea how they would get their furniture up there but they may need a mule.

Here is another interesting house that sold recently in NY City called the Skinniest House that was reported by Realtor.org and the Associated Press

” ‘Skinniest House’ Sells for $2.1 million;” A property dubbed New York City’s skinniest house sold recently for $2.1 million. The two-story Greenwich Village property is 9.5 feet wide and 42 feet long and has two bedrooms and two baths. The townhouse was listed last August for $2.7 million by Alex Nicholas, senior vice president of the Corcoran Group. It last sold in 2000 for $1.6 million. It is now for rent for $10,000 per month.”

Also see this Article From Washington City Paper, where the photo is from - by Ruth Samuelson.

The housing market has had its ups and downs this past year, but if you live in Pittsburgh, PA or the surrounding area, you are in a great place.  Pittsburgh never had a housing bubble and is expected to be number one this year with growth in the housing market.

If you are not from the area and are thinking of moving to a new city, what a great opportunity for one of your biggest investments, your home.

“If there’s a bright spot, it’s pockets of the Midwest — states like the Dakotas, Kansas, and Nebraska, which have stronger economies based on agricultural and energy industries.

Then there’s Pittsburgh, which didn’t have much of a housing bubble to begin with and is the only market projected to grow next year, up 0.41%.”      -Quoted from CNN/Money.com

According to this article above Pittsburgh is the number one city in the Nation for increased price change projection form 2010.

The Pittsburgh area with its seven counties generally ranks in in the top 50 most affordable US housing markets according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI).

Photo Copyright, 2009, Amy S Myers

Hope you are keeping warm this season. This is the most snow that I have seen in my life over the Christmas season living in the Pittsburgh Area (or NJ where I grew up). It was so cold last night and the snow was glistening out the back door. So before heading up to bed I had to shoot some snowflakes. They did not come out too bad considering a macro lens was not used. The photos are only cropped. No color editing was done. Happy New Year!

photos copyright 2010, Amy S Myers

Many calls come in from first time home buyers not knowing where to start when getting ready to buy a home. Some are not sure how much they can afford or should afford. Here are some helpful tips:

1) One of the first thing to do is to locate an agent that you feel comfortable with and that has your best interests in mind. Interview them if you do not know someone personally, even if you are looking to have representation as a buyer.

2) At the same, time find a loan agent. Check with your agent as he or she may have many contacts from mortgage companies and banks. Quite often I find that Mortgage companies may have better programs and lower rates, although not 100% the case.

3) The next thing is to do a budget after getting pre-approved with your loan agent. Many of my buyers says to me, “I am approved for this amount but I don’t want to go that high”. They would like some breathing room.

Below you will find a link for a home affordability calculator for the NAR (National Association of Realtor’s). If you need assistance, have your loan officer, real estate agent, tax advisor sit down and go over your figures with you. Happy House Hunting. Tax Credit deadline to be under contract is April 30, 2010.

Home Affordability Calculator

Today was the big day in Leechburg, PA near my office. The newly built McDonald’s opened. As I drove by later in the afternoon today, the place was packed (not an open parking spot) and people were lined up around the building for the new double drive-in. On September 1, 2009 the old McDonald’s on Hyde Park road was torn down along with a vacant Long John Silver’s building. From start to finish in less than three months.

As I stopped to get get photos last night, the freshly new place was perfectly lit up. There were young kids hanging out already by the door and some had duffel bags. I thought rather strange. Later after talking with some locals, I heard unconfirmed reports that the first 100 people in the door would get free Big Macs for a year. Rumor also has it that it is one of the most high tech McDonald’s in the area.

Photos Copyright, 2009   Amy S Myers Photography

McDonald’s
451 Hyde Park Rd
Leechburg, PA 15656
(724) 845-2035

Pittsburgh and the Metro Area proves time and time again a great section of the country to live.   Home prices and Mortgages are stable and affordable in the region. The days on market are lower than other cities.

Top Cities that were least effected by the Recession from Forbes:

“To identify these cities, Forbes magazine ranked the 100 largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas by employment rates, the conventional mortgage home price index, and the average days on the market for properties currently for sale.

The top cities on Forbes list were:”

* Omaha/Council Bluffs, Neb.
* San Antonio, Texas
* Austin-Round Rock, Texas
* Pittsburgh
* Harrisburg/Carlisle, Pa.
* Dallas/Fort Worth
* Rochester, N.Y.
* Houston
* Raleigh/Cary, N.C.
* Baton Rouge, La.”

Quoted from Realtor.org and Forbes, Francesca Levy (11/19/2009)

Heinz Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA

Photo Copyright, 2009 Amy S Myers

This morning the agents in my office visited a few new homes that came  up for sale.   It is an older home great shape but needs some updating and would make a great starter home.  It has two full baths,  brick, and is cape cod style.  There is another home on the property that has two bedrooms, block building, real cute, would make a great rental.  Both are located on a 1.6 acre lot.  The property has plenty of level area for picnics or playing but over in the corner is . . . . a cemetery.  It is a  quite interesting.  Would that keep you away or give you interest in buying?  There appears to be about maybe about twelve grave stones.  The stones date as far back as the 1700’s.  It is surprising that you can even read some of the stones.   I was able to snap a few with my cell phone. This property is only maybe about 2 miles from our office.  It comes with a cute stove too.

So in summary:  Two homes (a two and a three bedroom) on 1.6 acres and a cemetery for a little over $100K.

A good faith estimate is a statement that you receive from your lender before making an offer on a home.  This summary will tell you the loan amount, loan term, interest rate and monthly payment and how much to bring to closing amount other things.  It is required by law that you receive this at the time of writing your offer.  January 1, 2010 the government is requiring a new format for lenders.  This is intended to protect borrowers  from big surprises at the closing table.  Keep in mind this statement is an estimate and can go up or down slightly.

Read more from Realtor.org on new changes on January 1, 2010