Makefield Glen During August and September of 2009

Click on the link below to see what sold in Makefield Glen during August and September of 2009.  Don’t forget to check back monthly to see how the market is doing in Makefield Glen.

Makefield Glen

Everyone Knows About the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit, but What About the Energy Efficiency Tax Credit?

So everyone knows about the first time home buyer tax credit, but many don’t know that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 also offers tax breaks for homeowners who want to improve their home’s energy efficiency, or maybe just want to upgrade some important items such as windows, heaters and A/C, hot water heaters, or their roofs and want to get 30%, up to $1,500, back as a tax break. Considering windows cost approximately $400 a piece you could have 12 windows replaced costing approximately $4,800 and you would be able to get the maximum $1,500 back as a tax credit so the job really cost the owner $3,300. Not too bad! It’s like getting 3 to 4 windows for free. The tax credit is valid until December 31, 2010. For more info on energy efficient tax breaks, credits etc. check out this fantastic website http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/homeowner.cfm?state=PA&re=1&ee=1

How’s Your Makefield Glen Investment Doing?

So the most recent mailing dealt with ROI (return on investment) on your investment properties in Council Rock, or Pennsbury.  When I first got into real estate I took a course that really changed my life and the way I viewed my goals that class was called Creating Wealth in Real Estate.  A big focus of this group (all Real Estate Agents) was how do you decide which investment is the best one for you.  Many of the agents in the class had been investing for years, but I was a rookie with no clue.  Still, I was surprised as to how many people said, “I’ve been told real estate is a great investment and I picked the one that felt right.”  Now, I like poetry and all, but feelings have nothing to do with investments, and I am definitely not buying an investment property because it ‘feels” like anything.  What I (and I’m sure it’s the same with you) need to know is what’s my ROI, and I don’t want some pie in the sky answer I want detailed facts so….before even making an offer on an investment I run a worse case scenario.  This way I have a ROI that should be reasonable to expect, and leave myself the chance to be pleasantly surprised.  However, as I learnt in my investment class, most people dive in without a real plan, and even after owning the property for a decade, or more, they couldn’t tell you exactly how it has performed.  Most of the time you’ll hear “it stays rented, or it’s been a pain, or I hate tenants!”  but at the end of the day, what we all really want to know is the cold hard facts “Show me the money!”  If you’re interested in finding out how your investment has done, give me a call, or shoot me an e-mail.  By answering a few short questions I’ll be able to give you your ROI so you can find out if your investment was a wise one, or if it might be time to switch gears and find something that will help you meet your goals of early retirement, sending the kids to college, or whatever it may be.