Has it become a seller's market around Blue Bell?

Homes priced right and in the best condition are selling briskly in my market place. A combination of rock bottom prices, super low interest rates and pent up buyer demand has caused a frenzy in activity! Is is time for you to list your home with the agent that knows how to market your home to get it sold? Elise West Greenberg

Have you visited our local playhouse in Ambler? Very small theatre!

Drinking Habits | Lower Gwynedd-Ambler-Whitpain Theater Events on Patch - Lower Gwynedd-Ambler-Whitpain, PA Patch: The Rotary Club of Ambler presents "Drinking Habits", a farce by Tom Smith, at Act II Playhouse, running March 15 through 18 at 8 p.m. each night, and at 2 p.m. on March 18

Has anyone tried Rosey's BBQ in Ambler yet?

Readers Choose Rosey's BBQ as Best Family Friendly Restaurant
Leann Pettit | Mar 9, 2012 | 0 Comments
Pulled pork, ribs, sweet potato mash, baked beans...now even the little ones are hungry.

FHA fees increase again

"Home buyers with mortgages backed by the Federal Housing Administration will soon see a rise in fees. The agency is raising its fees in an effort to try to recoup some of its depleted reserves, which suffered from the rising number of home owners who defaulted on their mortgages. The agency also says it’s raising fees to try to encourage the return of more private capital to the market. FHA loans allow for smaller down payments, as low as 3.5 percent compared to traditional loans, and they often have less stringent credit requirements, which have made them soar in popularity in recent years. In particular, FHA will increase two fees that borrowers pay. Starting April 1, it will increase its annual mortgage insurance premium for loans under $625,500, bringing the total cost from 1.15 percent of the loan amount to 1.25 percent. Starting June 1, larger loan premiums will see an increase of 0.35 percent of a percentage point, bringing the total premium costs up to 1.5 percent of the loan amount, The New York Times reports. FHA also announced it will raise a fee for the upfront mortgage premium by 0.75 of a percentage point, which will now total 1.75 percent of the loan amount."

If you have credit over 680, there are alternative products with 3% down and lower fees. Please call me!

Loosening Credit Standards will help ease the real estate market

Housing Crisis to End in 2012 as Banks Loosen Credit Standards: However, other market indicators point not just to a stabilization of mortgage lending standards, but also a loosening of credit availability.
Banks are now lending amounts up to 3.5 times borrower earnings. This is up from a low during the crisis of 3.2 times borrower earnings.
Banks are also loosening loan-to-value ratios (LTV), which Capital Economics denotes “the clearest sign yet of an improvement in mortgage credit conditions.”
In contrast to a low of 74 percent reached in mid-2010, banks are now lending at 82 percent LTV

Realty Times - Kitchens Sell a House

Do area homes have new solid wood cabinets and granite counters in today's designer colors? You'll be wise to consider making the same move. Are they including new stainless steel appliances and add-ons like dishwashers, wine-coolers, and trash compactors?
Are you in a higher-end neighborhood? It's time to think high-end. Your older home may have a highly functional kitchen, but a buyer will take one look at your formica counters and white appliances and become lost in the stress of how much money and time it would take to remodel. If you don't want to put in the time yourself to make upgrades then you'll have to make concessions in the price.
Don't become overwhelmed, though. Sometimes a kitchen update can mean doing just a few minor changes. Change the paint color to a warm, neutral tone. Get rid of any clutter. Update your appliances, paint your cabinets, change the pulls, or get a high-end looking counter for a fraction of the cost (faux-granite or lower end granite). You might even save a bundle by doing much of the work yourself.

Housing Crisis to End in 2012 as Banks Loosen Credit Standards

Market indicators point not just to a stabilization of mortgage lending standards, but also a loosening of credit availability.
Banks are now lending amounts up to 3.5 times borrower earnings. This is up from a low during the crisis of 3.2 times borrower earnings.
Banks are also loosening loan-to-value ratios (LTV), which Capital Economics denotes “the clearest sign yet of an improvement in mortgage credit conditions.”