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3 Mistakes First-Time Buyers Make (and How to Avoid Them)

Wednesday, April 24, 2024
by Tucker Robbins


There are a few mistakes that many first-time home buyers make. Here are three of the most common mistakes and how you can avoid them when purchasing your first home.

Mistake #1: Assuming your credit is good.

The information in your credit report determines whether you can get a loan — and how much interest you will have to pay – so it pays to be certain your credit reports are accurate.

Check your credit reports for free from all three credit reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to make sure everything is correct. If you find errors, contact both the credit reporting company and the information provider (the person, company or organization that provided information about you to a credit reporting company) involved in the errors and ask them to fix the credit report errors.

Mistake #2: Getting pre-qualified, not pre-approved, for a loan.

It’s far better to be pre-approved for a loan than to be pre-qualified. Here’s why…

With pre-qualification, your lender does a preliminary evaluation of your ability to pay for a home and gives an estimate of the mortgage amount they’ll give you. The lender does not verify the information you provide.

Mistake #3: Allowing emotions to influence your decisions.

Buying a home is an investment. It needs to be treated as any other investment. You don’t buy stocks because they are pretty and you shouldn’t pick your home that way either. Make sure the home you buy fits your needs and allows you room to grow over the next few years. As with any sound investment, time is the key to a good return.

If you are a first-time home buyer, we would be happy to help you find (and get the best price for) your first home.

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtor Tucker Robbins.   

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Keeping Our Children Safe Online

Wednesday, April 17, 2024
by Tucker Robbins


Technology surrounds us in every aspect of our lives, including this blog; it is always with us especially since it became handheld. Emails are sent and received, topics are searched for, books are written, video conferences are done, and listed homes are viewed online. Our kids aren’t just seeing us constantly be digital but they are becoming more tech-savvy at a younger age themselves, out of necessity in part. Even schools require students as young as lower elementary school to do projects involving computers. As parents we of course want nothing but the best for our children and always want them to be safe, keeping them safe in this digital age can be overwhelming to navigate. I want to help make this easier for both you and me.

Here are a few tips I think can be helpful in getting started to keep the kids safe.

Set Rules- Give them a set screen time when they can use digital devices and keep that time a constant. Decide what timeframe you are comfortable with beforehand. Create rules or actions if they break the amount of screen time they’re allowed or sites that are okay, e.g. losing the internet for a few days, not watching a show they enjoy, etc.

Be a part of their computer time- Know what sites your kids are visiting and check in on them to be sure they don’t need assistance and to be sure they are on ‘approved by you sites’.  Setting up an ad-blocker can be useful in aiding with younger children who are still navigating the web. Putting up the computer in a common family area like a dining room, living room or basement will make monitoring their online activity easier.

Make them aware- Let them know that things can happen online and to be careful of online encounters (e.g.- bullies, people talking to you that you don’t know, things that they know their parents wouldn’t want them to view, etc.). Telling your children, stressing how significant it is, on a regular basis the importance of protecting their privacy and always being aware and alert of what can go on in the digital world we live in.  Whether it is to understand there are cyber bullies around to the various cybercrimes, password strength and security importance and how identity theft works, or how to identify and handle it and being mindful of online profile.

Parent approved kid-friendly sites- There are sites out there that are parent approved yet kid- friendly and popular. Which still allows them to have fun online and gain experience with technology but they’re still child-safe. Options could include:

As a parent it doesn’t matter where your child goes when it comes to anything digital, when it comes to aiding in keeping them safe remember these guidelines. Teach them information and awareness, give them guidance, and encourage them. 

A couple good websites for additional reading: SafeKids  & iKeepSafe. 

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtor Tucker Robbins.   

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Curb Appeal Tips in New Castle County, DE

Wednesday, April 10, 2024
by Tucker Robbins

Obviously, the first thing a prospective buyer sees when they drive up to your house is the front outdoor space and exterior.  First impressions can make or break a sale! Bring your curb appeal to life with a few easy and easy-on-the-budget ideas. 

 

  • - Use a long-handled soft brush and mild soap and water to wash the front of your home’s exterior.   

  • - If you don’t own a pressure washer, rent one from your local home store and give the driveways and walkways a good cleaning, paying special attention to stains from fallen leaves. 

  • - Store away any personal items you have in the front garden, like statuary, monogram garden flags, and even the basketball goal over the garage door.  You want the buyers to imagine your yard as their own. 

  • - Trim or remove shrubbery and trees, or large plantings that don’t show off the front of your home.  If the job is too big, a professional may need to be called in. 

  • - Give the front door a fresh coat of paint in a bright inviting color, add a new welcome mat, and if necessary, install new hardware and clean up or add new house numbers. 

  • - Simply changing your old porch or yard light sconces can make a big difference in appearance, as most homes are shown during the day, but many house hunters drive around in the evenings, looking at homes on their want list, so you want the lighting to shine bright. 

  • - If you don’t want to invest in a lot of flowers in the landscape in hopes that you will be moving soon, cover the beds with new mulch.  For some color, place pots and containers in strategic areas filled with flowers and greenery. 

  • - On a large front porch, add a sitting area with an indoor-outdoor rug and casually arranged porch furnishings.   

  • - Fencing adds value to your home, but it needs to be in great condition.  Clean the fence, painting and repairing where needed. 

  • - Don’t forget the mailbox!  Inspect the post and mailbox itself carefully, and give it a good cleaning, or replace it altogether.  Some low maintenance plants around it will make it stand out. 

 

You want your home to give your potential buyers a great impression when they drive up.  They will likely have already scrolled through your home’s photos in the online listing, so it needs to look as great or better than what they’ve already seen.  These tips may seem insignificant to you, but look at your home through a buyer’s eyes, and do whatever is necessary to turn that first impression into a sale! 

 

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins. 

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Smart Tax Refund Home Improvements

Wednesday, April 3, 2024
by Tucker Robbins

Credit Karma conducted a recent survey and discovered that 33% of those asked are expecting a refund of $1,001 or more this year, and 16% responded that they expect $2,501 or more. Now, we cannot get into the financial sense of tax refunds, but if you are one of those expecting a refund and planning to use it for some home-work, here are a few suggestions on how best to spend that money!

$1,000 or Less

  • Replacing the front door is an expensive job, but it can create a whole new look for the front exterior of your home.
  • Improve an existing front walkway or add one.  Whether the home is going on the market soon or not, a new walkway will improve the curb appeal.
  • Make the kitchen look like it has undergone an expensive update: paint the cabinets, replace the hardware, and add a tile backsplash.
  • Install new light fixtures in the home. Shop smart, and every room in the house can get stylish new flush-mount fixtures.
  • DIY a minor bathroom renovation:  replace the toilet, faucets, and lights, and give the tub/shower a makeover with a refinishing kit.
  • Upgrade one appliance kitchen appliance.

            $1,000-$2,000

  • Making repairs that have been put off because of the expense should be done before any improvements are made. Protecting your investment is more important than new bathroom tile.
  • Bump your front lawn landscaping up a notch and hire a landscape designer to create a custom design for your yard.
  • Have those “popcorn” ceilings removed by a pro, and add new crown molding.
  • Tankless water heaters, whether whole-house or single-point, are worth the investment, as there will be an immediate difference in power usage.
  • Take on a DIY job and save money: paint the home’s exterior, install new flooring, add wainscotting, or install kitchen countertops.

A tax refund can feel like a small lottery win, and using it for a visible home improvement job is very satisfying. However, using those funds to pay down any accumulated debt or as an investment will pay back in the long run. Check out these ideas from Investopedia, and take off some of that financial load!

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins.

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Photo of Tucker Robbins Real Estate
Tucker Robbins
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices
3838 Kennett Pike
Wilmington DE 19807
(302) 777-7744 (direct)
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