Real Estate Information Archive

1. 1. If cost is important to you then you may want to purchase land  out in the country instead of the city.  The price for buying a spot of land in the city is a lot more expensive and the size of the land will be much smaller as well.  If you like to have your space then buying a lot of land out in the country may be just the thing for you. 

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2. 2. Once you have decided where you want to live, city vs. country you then will need to go to the land you are considering and look around.  Look up and see what there is to see.  Do you see a lot of cars passing by or do you see a school close by or a factory?  All of these things can become issues for you when buying a piece of land so be sure to pay attention to all of your senses when on the land, sights and smells.   

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3. 3. Find out what the zoning requirements are on the land you want to build on.  You may have plans to build a small home on your land when the zoning requirements are that you build a house that is at least 2,000 square feet.    

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4. 4. Pay attention to how close the land you want is to water.  Are there any flooding problems?  Have there been problems in the past?  These are things you need to think about.   

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5. 5. You also need to find out about the water quality on any land you are considering purchasing.  Find out if the water is pure or if you will need to purchase a water filtration system for your home once you build.  These types of things can be costly so be careful to ask as many questions as you need to get the answers you need.   

Congratulations! You’ve survived the process of leaving one home and finding another and the onus of packing everything up and then unpacking the same boxes.  You’ve found a new bank and a new doctor; you’ve investigated trash pick-up times, licensing requirements, and car registration; and your mail is being forwarded on a regular basis.  So far so good, but now that you’re somewhat settled in your home, it’s time to become familiar with your new environment.

The following tips are designed to help you become part of your new community and re-create the sense of belonging you had in your previous location.

• Go online to learn about the new area and what it has to offer. Look at the city or chamber of commerce website. Research religious facilities, cultural opportunities, parks and outdoor activities, and so much more!
   
• Acquire a regional map and drive around. Explore shortcuts and pinpoint the location of shopping malls, medical services, libraries, the post office, city offices, etc.
   
• Talk to neighbors. Ask advice about home maintenance companies, babysitters, doctors, or the civic league or homeowners’ organization association.
   
• Take a walking tour of your neighborhood. Introduce yourself to and initiate conversations with neighbors who are outside. Compliment their yard or ask directions, for starters.
   
• Attend garage/yard sales in the vicinity of your home. Shoppers at these events are generally friendly and gregarious, so talk to them.
   
• Read the local newspaper to discover places of interest and happenings in the area. Look for clubs or group meetings that focus on your interests--art, gardening, books, sports, crafts, e.g.
   
• Join a recreation center or gym. Attend classes there or work out with a group that you know will share your interests.
   
• Volunteer. Check with a church or synagogue, a hospital, library, or school near you. Volunteering is a terrific way to meet people and to make you feel an integral part of the community.
   
• Give a house warming party and invite all your neighbors. Such an occasion is a good reason to finish unpacking and decorating your new home and a wonderful way to make friends..

Before long you will become familiar with your new environment and be comfortable there. Best of all, you will “belong” once again! 

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins and Carol Arnott Robbins.   

Photo credit: istock

1. 1. In this day and time most of us have all of our photos either saved to our social media pages or saved on our cell phones.  However, some of us have boxes of photos from the past that we keep just in case we want to look at them some day.  There is nothing wrong with having some photos in a box to look at but if the boxes of photos are overtaking your closet space there might be a problem.  The best way to stop this hoarding problem   is to go through the pictures you have stored in boxes a little a time and pick out those you simply cannot live without.  Once you do this, use these photos to make a small scrapbook that can easily be stored in a bookshelf that is easily accessible to anyone whenever they want to take a trip down memory lane with photos.   

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2. 2. Another typical thing that many folks tend to hoard is magazines.  If you have a subscription to a magazine then you are getting these delivered in your mailbox once a month.  If you have more than one subscription it won’t take long before these magazines can begin to overtake your house.  The best way to stop hoarding  magazines is to throw them out as soon as you look through them.  There is no reason to keep holding on to magazines once the month has passed because no one wants to look at old outdated news.

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3. 3. If you have children then you are likely hoarding some of their artwork somewhere in your home.  If you have more than one child you probably have a lot of it.  The best way to stop this kind of hoarding is to go through the art work and pick out your favorites.  Put your favorites into a small container that can easily be stored and looked at anytime you feel like it.  No need for hundreds of art projects lying all over the house. 

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Make your outdoor space more inviting and fun for family and friends using the list below with ways in which you can accomplish this: 

1.  If you already have landscape lighting, why not purchase a few fun colored lights to use in them for different holidays.  This will defiantly make your outdoor space a lot more fun.
2. If you are getting tired of mowing your grass then you may want to replace your grass with a garden.  You might want to add a garden of flowers or a garden of vegetables or even put in a koi pond.  Any of these ideas will help to keep you from spending your summer evenings mowing the grass all the time, therefore making your outdoor space more fun.
3. If your patio furniture is old and outdated, now is the time to go out to purchase some that allows you to show your style more effectively.  Outdoor furniture always makes outdoor spaces more inviting and fun.
4. Adding a new doorbell to the outside of your home may seem like a small thing, however if you find a nice one that lights up the front door area it can do wonders towards making your home seem more inviting at night. 
5. If you don’t already have a swimming pool, summertime is a great time to add one.  Not much can make your outdoor space more fun than a swimming pool for all to enjoy. 
6. If you do add a swimming pool why not go out and make it really fun and cool by adding an outdoor shower to the mix.  This type of thing is pretty rare unless your home is at the beach, therefore your outdoor shower may quickly become the talk of the neighborhood.  

There are so many ways in which to make your outdoor space more inviting and fun; these are just a few of them that you may want to try.  

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins and Carol Arnott Robbins.   

1. 1. One fun indoor activity you can do with your small children is to have an indoor scavenger hunt.  Write down some clues to where you have hidden items in your house and set your children out on an indoor hunt to find them!  This can be fun for you as well as you watch your kids trying their best to find what you have hidden. 
    

2. 2. Another fun rainy day thing to-do inside your home  with your family is to go camping inside!  Get your tent out and set it up right in the middle of your family room.  You and your family can sleep in the tent together all night long!  If everyone doesn’t fit you can use sleeping bags to make it a full fledge family event.  A super fun way to make your indoor camping event even more real is to make smores in the microwave!   
    

3. 3. Yet another fun rainy day thing to do inside is to gather all of your board games and get the entire family involved in playing them together!  If you don’t have any board games you can likely find some type of game for all to play online.   
    

4. 4. If you don’t want to have to create something fun to do with your family, why not bake some cookies together!  It is always fun to get your little ones together in the kitchen to bake.  Have each child create their own cookie with the ingredients you have available, then let the rest of the family be judges to give the best cookie award! 

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1. 1. Many of you may have already seen or perhaps even tried the smart vacuum.  If you haven’t tried it you need to do so.  Just imagine pushing a few buttons and sitting down to relax while your vacuum cleaner does all the work for you.  What a revolution!  Be prepared to dish out $700 to $900, but it will likely be quite worth it in the end.  

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2. 2. Smart trash cans have perhaps not been as heard of as the vacuum cleaners but they are just as cool none the less.  If you are the type of person that cannot stand to touch the top of the trashcan due to the fact that it is loaded with germs, this may be just the thing for you!  Not only will you not have to touch the lid but some of these gadgets even tell you when the trash is full and needs to be taken out!  How do you like that for smart?! $150 to $200 will buy you this luxury item!  

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3. 3. Washers and dryers have had intelligent features for years but are beginning to add more and more as each year passes.  Some of them now have phone apps that let you remotely control them.  Some will sense when you are home and instantly begin using their quiet mode so as not to disturb you.  These types of machines will run you $1400-$1800 each but are well worth the money if you have it to spare.  

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4. 4. Even air purifiers have been added to the list of smart gadgets folks are buying these days.  These items puts your homes air through different filters, then analyzes the data and sends it to your phone to tell you what types of things are prevalent in your air such as pollen, dust, pet dander, etc.  These cost from $200 to $750.   

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Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins and Carol Arnott Robbins.   

1. 1. If you have yet to change your lights over to energy efficient ones you should do that right away.   This is an easy way to save a little bit each month that doesn’t take long at all to accomplish.  LED lights are going to cost you a bit more than regular light bulbs but in the long run they will be a big help to your budget. 

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2. 2. Big ticket items such as air conditioning systems can cost you and your family a lot each year if you don’t do your part to make sure they work to the best of their ability.  Make sure to change your air filters on a regular basis and clean all the vents as well.  This type of maintenance should be done before the heat of the summer begins so that all will work correctly when it is needed most.  

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3. 3. Another small way to save money at home  is to make sure you eat what you put in your refrigerator.  Wasting food is a big money pit that affects many Americans today.   If you buy a lot of produce and other perishables you need to be sure to put them at eye level so that they don’t get lost in your fridge only to have to be thrown out later.  If you have a small family you might want to purchase smaller amounts of foods that don’t have a long shelf live to avoid wasting each week.  

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4. 4. If you haven’t already done so, get rid of your landline phone.  Most everyone these days has a cell phone and the need for a landline phone has almost become obsolete.  Save that $40 per month and put it towards something of better use.  You may be surprised at just how quickly $40 each month can add up.  

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5. 5. Before you decide to bring a furry family member into your home, realize that they are quite expensive.   If you are trying your best to save money perhaps buying a pet might need to go on the back burner for a while.

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