December Challenge: Holiday Light Display #MFRETLights

We want to get the word out about our December Contest WAY in advance because this is a fun challenge you WON'T want to miss.

We are asking for YOUR Holiday Light Display pictures!

Whether you throw up one strand of icicle lights on your porch or your home rivals Clark Griswalds, snap a picture and share it with us!  You can post it on our Facebook Page, Tweet or Instagram us at @MattFetickRe using hashtag #MFRETLights or email us.

You have from now until December 31st to send us your light displays.  We'll announce the winners in early January!

We'll be showcasing them as we receive them and we'll pick the Top 3 Winners, which we'll share in our next newsletter. Our #1 winner will take home the grand prize (which will be announced soon).

Meet the Team: Lauri

Have you met Lauri? She has recently joined the Matt Fetick Team, and we are glad to have her! Read on to learn more about what Lauri does as our Call & Lead Coordinator.

Name

Lauri Pruyn (pronounced “prine”)

Position at Matt Fetick Real Estate Team

Call & Lead Coordinator

 

 

How long have you worked for the Matt Fetick Real Estate Team? 

3 weeks now.

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor?

Turkey Hill Phillies Graham Slam

Favorite spot to grab dinner in Chester County?

Vudu (formerly High Street Caffe) in West Chester when it’s just my husband and I, or Barnaby’s with our family.

Where was the best vacation you have ever taken?

Cape May, NJ with our family. 

Favorite Website?

In all honesty I would have to say Google. I don’t know what I would do without it!

Favorite App?

Feedly. I like to read and collect information from a lot of sources online. Feedly helps me organize and view them in one convenient spot.

Why do you like working in real estate?

I love to help people! Each day is something new within the real estate industry and being able to help clients navigate through that and provide them with quality and considerate customer service is the best feeling in the world. 

Favorite thing about Chester County?

The landscape. One minute you can be in downtown West Chester among shops, restaurants, businesses, etc. and within a quick 5 minute drive you’ll see some of the most extraordinary views of the sprawling hills, farm lands and ever changing scenery. 

If you could have lunch with 1 famous person, who would it be and why?

Jimmy Page. Why? Because he’s Jimmy Page!

What EVERY Home Buyer Needs To Know

New to the buying process?  Confused about the process? It's hard to know where to start. What questions do you ask? Who do you call first? What should an agent be doing for you?

Here are some fantastic tips from David Williams our Lead Buyer Specialist.

Calling the Sign

If the person whose name is on the sign answers the phone, they represent the Seller.  Before asking to see the house, make sure you know who you are meeting.

There are NO stupid questions

If you’ve never bought a home before, your Agent should be the one you answer ALL your questions.  Ask away, there is no limit. Sometimes the best questions are the ones that teach everyone involved.

BUY a Home, don’t be SOLD!

The job of a Listing Agent is to work with a Seller to get the home SOLD - that’s who does the selling.  A Buyer’s Agent focuses on your needs, wants and long-term goals.  If you’re considering buying a home, the first thing to do is find the right Agent.

Time and Patience

Many times I’ve heard concerns from buyers about “the quick sale” or “we’ll be buying next year.”  OK, please understand this… YOU HAVE ALL THE POWER.  I can’t emphasize this enough, if you’re feeling pressure from your Agent, go back and read the last paragraph, perhaps you’re being sold.  Find an Agent who will be by your side through ups/downs, before/after, successes/failures and who always respects your time.

Really, It’s All About YOU!

The home buying process is about consultation, education, and listening.  Most likely, it’s the biggest purchase of your life.  It should be about what you want now and what you’re looking to achieve in the future.

Aye Aye Captain

Buying a home can be an adventure.  There are many things that can arise during the process that can cause the ship to sink.  The Agent you choose should be able to help navigate the rough waters, provide a strategy around storms and gently bring you to your destination.

The Truth CAN Hurt

Generally people like to hear what they want to hear.  Duh, right? Well, sometimes part of success in achieving home buying goals is hearing the reality of a situation.  While not an easy thing to do, consider that if your agent is telling you something that you don’t like, it might actually be the truth rather than just trying to make a sale.

Resources – Your Agent Has Them!

If an Agent has a healthy business and they’ve developed a network of trusted partners, they will not be shy to recommend them.  This can be a HUGE benefit to a home buyer if they don’t know a good inspector, a trustworthy lender, or reliable contractors.

Yours For Life

Family doctor, accountant, financial planner, attorney, dentist—these are all trusted professionals that are consulted for their specialties. Why not a Realtor?  When buying your home, make sure you get a referral or interview the Agent you’ve found.

~~~~~~

I hope you find these tips useful.  Check out these VIDEOS that we have created that provide more helpful tips for the buyer and seller. We are dedicated to creating an exceptional experience by empowering YOU to achieve YOUR real estate goals.  

If you have more questions, give us a call at 610.427.4420.  

5 Creative Ways to Organize Your Closet

Closets. They are often overlooked. We tend to throw stuff in them without thought, hiding things we don't know what else to do with. When it comes time to actually use the closet for it's intended purpose (i.e.,: store and showcase our clothing), it's all but an avalanche falling on us.

Closets can be organized to maximize their space and potential. Our team member, Bridget, gives us five creative ways to organize your closet. It may just change your life!

Use Your Boots for Storage

Many of us hurry to store our boots far away from sight in the summer months. This is perfectly natural but keep in mind that in order to maintain shape, boots should be stuffed. This can be done with craft paper or newspapers, but why not maximize your space and stuff your boots with heavy winter socks? While they do keep our feet warm, winter socks do not need to take up precious drawer space during the summer.

Color Code Your Clothing

Do you feel frustrated when you cannot find your red blazer or purple dress shirt? If you have trouble finding items in your closet, think about color coding for a better dressing experience. Aside from this your closet will look bright and colorful, making your morning routine a cheerful experience.

Prepare Pre-Styled Outfits

Save a small section of your closet for pre-styled outfits, or outfits that can be put on at a moment’s notice. This process is quick and will save you time when you need it the most. Some ideas for pre-styled outfits include a formal look, a dinner look, a weatherproof look, and a look that can transform easily from day to night. This is also a great idea for organizing work outfits for the week ahead.

Clutch Meets Tote

Many women’s closets are filled with bags of every size. From makeup bags, to evening clutches, to tote bags; it is very easy for these treasured pieces to take up precious closet space. When your bags are not being used, try the Russian nesting doll approach to storage. Put a coin purse inside a makeup bag, a makeup bag inside of a clutch, and a clutch inside of a tote. You may not have each type of bag mentioned but this can work as long as one bag is smaller than another. A good example would be placing five small clutches inside of a beach tote.

Pegboard Organization for Men

Most men are not into closet organization but here is one trick to get them interested. Use a pegboard, typically found in garages and basements for tool organization, to create an organized accessory wall for men. The possibilities are really endless for this project being that the pegboard could be framed or covered in fabric to suit your needs. Once hung up this area can be used to hang ties, belts, or hats.

For more fashion and organization inspiration, check out Bridget's blog: Fashion Frenzy Wardrobe Styling

Expectations from Your Home Inspection

So you’ve found your dream home -- it may be in what appears to be perfect “move-­in ready” condition or it might have some obvious things that need to be “loved on” a bit. In either case, you should have a home inspection performed by licensed professionals.

 

Cost

The average cost for the basic three (home inspection, termite, and radon) is about $550. This is a necessary expense in the home-buying process and is paid at the time of the service. Think of it this way, if you plan to spend $150,000 on a new home it is merely 0.3% of that to prevent you from making a “Money Pit” investment.

 

Purpose

The inspector you choose has one primary job--FIND EVERYTHING POSSIBLE that is wrong with the house. Keep this in mind, because the reports can be daunting. It doesn’t mean that the house is a “tear down,” it just means they have done their job educating you on the condition of the home. The best inspectors provide a categorized and prioritized list of defects that can help you determine what to focus on when making your final decision on how to proceed. 

 

Response

Once you’ve completed all the inspections you plan to perform, it’s time to decide your next step, of which you have many.

1. Accept the property “as is” and happily skip toward settlement.
2. Terminate the contract--if your contract is written as such, you can terminate the contract based on the findings in the reports and receive a full refund of your deposit money.
3. Request repairs--this is where your Agent comes in. There are strategic ways to itemize and prioritize this request so that you are getting the most done, with the best reaction from the Seller.
4. Request a credit--if you feel that you prefer to do the work and have quotes to support your request, you can ask the Seller to credit you toward the repairs. This becomes a little tricky - if the number gets large - your Agent and Lender can make sure the amount is within the acceptable limits of your financing.

In most cases, a Seller will be responsive to reasonable requests that are presented in a detailed, documented fashion. In specific situations, the Seller may stipulate that the home is being sold “as is” and no repairs will be made ­ - this can be true of private sales and most definitely applies for short sales and foreclosures. In “as is” situations, the inspections are purely for the Buyer information purposes only, make sure you prepare to just say no in the event you find something that is a deal­breaker.

For more information on inspections and the inspection contingency period, give us call so we can answer all your questions! 

You can reach me at:  (610) 427-4420

Meet the Team: Deneen

Have you met Deneen? She is one of our newest team members! Read on to learn more about what Deneen does as our Listing Specialist!

 

Name

Deneen (Silvano) Heffernan

Position at MFRET

Listing Specialist

 

How long have you worked for the MFRET?

6 weeks

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor?

Used to be fudge swirl, but just became addicted to Cinnamon Apple Greek Frozen yogurt by Giant!  

Favorite spot to grab dinner in Chester County?

TECA and Nonna's on date night, but when I have the kids they love Barnaby's!

Where was the best vacation you have ever taken?

Just this past summer over Memorial Day to visit both of my boys who are serving in the military (One Marine and one Army soldier).  We had a week on Topsail Island in NC.  It was heaven to just be together!!  Both boys entered just one year ago, and it has been quite the adjustment for my 10 year old daughter and I without them around!  We miss them so much!

Favorite Website?

Facebook.  Total junkie!

Favorite App?

Finally got sucked into Candy Crush.  I wouldn’t say I’m addicted, but it’s quite fun. If you were to ask which app I use the MOST? I would say I also use Instagram to stay on top of my 10 year old little girl!  They grow up so fast!

Why do you like working in real estate?

Being a people person,  I love interacting with all the different people, especially my new co-workers.  Everyday is different with a different challenge and things are never boring! 

Favorite thing about Chester County?
Everything! Can’t imagine living anywhere else! The restaurants.  The people.  All of it! 

If you could have lunch with 1 famous person, who would it be and why?
Maya Angelou!  Her words and actions inspire me. She is such a strong empowering woman who seems to have the power to heal the hurts of man/womankind with just her words.  

Selling a House?

Many are entertaining the thought of putting their home on the Market. Summer is a fantastic time to sell your home, as buyers are out and about looking at properties, especially here in the Brandywine Valley. As we are seeing the Market move toward being in favor of sellers, this could be the perfect time for many homeowners to take the leap into selling.

If selling your home is on your To-Do list, check out this article called Selling a House? 5 Reasons You Should Do It Now. Great tips, thoughts and resources for potential home sellers!

Meet the Team: Bridget

Have you met Bridget? She makes sure our office stays in working order! Read on to learn more about our Call and Lead Coordinator!

Name

Bridget Marowski

Position at MFRET 

I am the Call and Lead Coordinator here at the Matt Fetick Real Estate Team. My main priority is answering the phones and making sure that all leads are serviced. I also help with marketing for new listings.

How long have you worked for the team?  

Almost five months!

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor? 

Rocky Road

Favorite spot to grab dinner in Chester County? 

That is a hard question to answer! Too many choices for dinner spots.  I love Teca in West Chester for happy hour and Catherine’s in Unionville for Sunday Brunch.

Where was the best vacation you have ever taken? 

A tour of Italy.

Favorite Website? 

My blog, Other People’s Trash. I am a vintage clothing blogger and fashion stylist who loves to document all of my thrift shop finds.

Favorite App? 

Instagram

Why do you like working in real estate? 

I like helping others and I think real estate transactions are a huge part of people’s lives. So many memories are made inside of a home.

Favorite thing about Chester County? 

The eclectic mix of town and country.

If you could have lunch with 1 famous person, who would it be and why?

Grace Coddington, the creative director of American Vogue. She is insanely talented and has overcome many of life’s struggles to be considered the world’s greatest living fashion stylist.

Gardening Pinspiration

FUN GARDEN IDEAS!!

It's time to start planting and enjoy the outdoors.  We found these great ideas while browsing Pinterest.  Enjoy!

These mason jar planters would be a fun addition to a deck or patio. Consider plating herbs so you can pick them fresh while you are cooking or grilling!

Source: notjustahousewife.net via Stephanie on Pinterest

Alternating stacking pots are a great way to liven up the look of a flower bed!

Source: via Stephanie on Pinterest

Wrap a wire frame around a tree and voila!  Instant (and invisible!) trellis for beautiful climbing plants.

Source: finegardening.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

For more ideas, check out the Gardening Board on our Pinterest Page!