Are you considering taking the leap to homeownership? Congratulations! It’s so exciting to start shopping for a new home. But, buyer beware! There is so much information available on home buying, you may find yourself overwhelmed. We’re here to help – check out these first-time home buying myths, and start your search armed with good information!

First-Time Home Buying Myths

30-year fixed mortgages are always the best option. Hold on, not always. Consider how long you want to be in the home. If your current plan is to move after a few years, or you anticipate a job change that might require it, a shorter-term fixed rate loan might serve you better in the long run. A reputable mortgage lender can give you advice on the best loan for your short and long-term needs.

You need a 20% downpayment. Good news: Nope! It’s a good idea to save as much as possible in the months leading up to buying a home, but there are many loan options available that don’t require that large a downpayment. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Veterans Affairs (VA) loans are two possibilities for mortgage loans that don’t require 20%.

You need perfect credit. Good news: you don’t need perfect credit, either.  A good score can potentially make it easier to get a loan with good terms, but there are other factors involved in obtaining a mortgage loan. There are options available even if your credit is less than perfect. To learn more about the loan process and which loan might be best for you, check out this article from Bankrate.com: Which Mortgage is Right For You?

Optional home inspections. DO NOT waive the inspection in order to nail down a deal. It’s tempting when you’re excited and want to hurry the process along, but an inspection can uncover serious problems with the home that could be a deal breaker, or you may discover that any issues found will give you some leverage in negotiating the final price.

You don’t need an agent. One of the biggest first-time home buying myths is that you don’t need a real estate agent. It’s really tempting to take a look around and think, “How hard could this be?” but there are legal considerations, negotiations, mountains of paperwork, and an agent may have information and/or access to properties that may not be listed quite yet. A licensed agent knows what’s going on in the local and national real estate markets, and can guide you through the process start to finish. We get excited when you find the home that’s just right for you, and we want to make sure you get the best possible price.

We know there is a huge mix of emotions that go into buying a home: excitement, anticipation, maybe even a little fear. The best advice we can give you is to start planning ahead well before you start shopping for a home. A little planning goes a long way toward making one of the biggest purchases of your life a smart one!

We’re ready to help you!

Contact us today and get started on making your dream home a reality.

Valentine’s Day is almost here! Start planning your date night or family event NOW before all the reservations are booked. I’m here to help. Check out these great local ideas for Valentine’s Day things to do. I’m going off the regular script of dinner and chocolate, here. Buckle up!

Valentine’s Day Eastern Panhandle Style!

Go Out For a Laugh: On Valentine’s Day, Abolitionist Ale Works (formerly known as Front Porch Brewing) is hosting an evening of standup comedy. Local comedians performing that evening include Haywood Turnipseed, Jim Peters, a special feature comedian TBA, with the event hosted by Leon Scott. Tickets are available at Abolitionist Ale Works, $10 per tickets, which gets you a seat in the front dining room – complimentary Valentine’s Day gift included with each ticket!

Get Away for an Overnight: Cacapon State Park isn’t just for summer! The Cacapon Lodge offers overnight accommodations in the winter for as low as $69.00 per night. Enjoy a romantic, rustic-style Valentine’s weekend with outdoor activities and West Virginia winter beauty surrounding you.

Make it a Community Thing: A great way to get your family involved in sharing the love is to volunteer together at a local charity event. On February 16th and 17th, come to Eagle School Intermediate and pack food for kids whose families are food insecure in the Berkeley and Jefferson county schools with their Kidz Power Packs event. Come Friday evening for “unload and prep” beginnning at 4:30, or come Saturday beginning at 9:00 am for fellowship or come at 9:30 for packing and preparing for distribution. A ministry run by CCM (Community Combined Ministries), they have an open door policy and you can stay as long as you like. Share the love!

Make it a Family Thing: Let’s bet honest, finding a babysitter the week of Valentine’s Day is like stumbling on a magical unicorn in the middle of a Home Depot parking lot. Invite another family with children the same age over and have a special dinner, complete with Valentine’s Day cards, actvities and dessert. Latte Da Cupcakery bakes up perfection fresh everyday and would be a fantastic place to grab your Valentine’s Day treats.

Get Some Exercise Together! Our area is full of amazing mountain bike trails. You may think winter might be a little chilly to be mountain biking, but it can be so fun! There are trails around the Panhandle, including C&O Canal in Harpers Ferry (easy) Poor House Farm in Martinsburg (intermediate). Check out Single Tracks for information, including daily trail conditions. Need a bike? Rent one from Shepherdstown Peddle & Paddle.

Have local ideas for Valentine’s Day to Share?

Leave them in the comments! Share your ideas for activities and local businesses to try. Supporting a thriving local economy is one of our core values.

Welcome to the Neighborhood.

We love our community and are committed to making it great. Contact us today and we’ll help you find your new home here!

While winter is typically a time to hunker down and hibernate, it’s also a time that can be hard on our neighbors and their homes. Whether it’s fallen tree branches, a driveway that needs shoveling, or a frozen pipe emergency, or even a friendly social gathering, helping your neighbors cultivates trust and a close-knit community. When neighbors help neighbors I’m always reminded: we’re in this together. Take a peek at these ideas for helping neighbors during winter and then reach out!

Ideas for Helping Neighbors During Winter

• Host a soup night – one year during a particularly long stretch of snow and ice, my next door neighbors gathered us together and hosted “soup night.” We each brought our own recipe of soup, another couple baked fresh bread, and we sat around the warmth and the good food and talked. It was wonderful. It also gave us an opportunity to find out how things were going for our neighbors and if anyone needed anything.
• Neighbors would likely appreciate a car de-icing, driveway snow shovel, or even something as simple as bringing the mail or newspaper to their doorstep.
• Check on them! We had an elderly neighbor fall on her front porch during an icy spell, and she wasn’t able to get up. She wasn’t found for hours! We felt terrible, but it reminded us to take an extra moment out of our days to make sure our neighbors, especially the older folks among us, are ok. Lesson learned.
• Branches or debris? Help clear it, loan tools, or organize a work party to help take care of each other’s needs. Many hands make light work.
• Don’t forget about sidewalks and other walkways when it comes to clearing away snow and ice. One idea? On particularly slippery spots we put a scraper mat down over them. It allowed people to walk up to our front door without fear of falling.  Scraper mats help keep your entry way clean, too.  Scraper mats look like this:

  

• Make a plan to help – don’t wait for your neighbors to ask. When you hear that a storm is coming, reach out to the neighbors you know the best and get a plan together for helping each other and your other neighbors.
• Frozen pipes are a huge, expensive hassle if they burst. When you’re planning ahead for fall/winter,  grab a few extra faucet covers and offer them to your neighbors who may not be as prepared as you. Faucet covers cost about $2.00 or less, and can prevent frozen pipes on your outdoor spigots.
• Share your salt! Rock salt is a good thing to have on hand, and if you know your neighbors need some for their icy spots, toss a few handfuls their way.
• Knock on their door with a Thermos of coffee or a bottle of wine and simply have a conversation. When it’s dark early, and people aren’t out and about as much, winter can be a lonely season. Sometimes simply showing up and talking can make a world of difference.

Welcome to the Community

Whether it’s you helping neighbors during winter by shoveling their snow, or it’s them helping you in summer by watering your plants while you’re away – good, trustworthy neighbors are worth their weight in gold. When a neighborhood becomes a community, it’s good for everyone!

We’ll Help You Find What You’re Looking For

We are here and ready to help you find the home and neighborhood you love. Contact us today and we’ll get started!

You probably can picture exactly what I’m talking about here.  There are things you absolutely need in your home, like outlets and thermostats, but they can be pretty unsightly. There are also places like your tv and cable box, laundry storage, and garbage cans that are totally necessary, but again, unsightly. Never fear! We have some great tips on how to disguise your ugly household stuff. These ideas are easy, inexpensive, and can go a long way toward making your house feel like yours.

Storage Solutions

• Baskets – These are a favorite of mine. They make tidying up quick.
  • Wicker or canvas-style baskets are a great solution to the age-old question: “Where should I put this?” For the bedroom, baskets make for great storage of throw pillows you use to make the bed look nice during the day, but need to take off your bed at night. One or two baskets at the end of the bed, and you have a place to put them other than your floor.
  •  I keep square baskets (with handles) next to the door where my family comes in and out. One is for the family’s shoes, and the other is for my son’s sports equipment. No stinky basketball shoes strewn around the house! He knows exactly where to find them when he needs them, and where to put them when he’s done. They can easily be moved out of sight if need be.
  • Wicker baskets are a natural for towels, wet or dry. The lattice texture allows for airflow, so they don’t get smelly. Keep one for clean and one for dirty.
  • Magazines and Newspapers – keep one for what you’re currently reading, and one for recycling. Get baskets on the smaller side so your recycling doesn’t pile up.

Quick Updates

• Paint – Quick and inexpensive, paint can go a long way toward achieving the look you want without a big price tag.
  • Chalkboard paint is perfect for your beat up garage entry door. (The one that leads into the house.) Make this your family communication center: make grocery lists, write reminders, etc. I loved this idea from The Gathered Home.
  • Not too keen on avocado green appliances? Remember “Harvest Gold?” A great way to update the look of those old, but still working appliances is contact paper. They now come in a faux metal finish that will instantly bring your appliances into the 21st century.
  • Tiles need a new look? Whether you have tiles in the bathroom or kitchen/backsplash area, update them with high gloss paint like Rustoleum Painter’s Touch. Clean and prime them first, paint, then let them dry for at least 24 hours.

Hide It

• Hardware/Tools – A quick trip to the hardware store can help you Houdini some of the unsightly stuff.
  • Velcro is your friend for hiding power strips. I have a power strip velcro’d to the underside of my desk, and the cords are tucked into these easily mounted Cable Drops you can purchase through Amazon.
  •  Need to hide a thermostat or alarm console? I love this idea: Hang a lighter weight canvas wall art over it with hinges. This accomplishes two things: hides the thermostat, but leaves you access. Learn how with this quick tutorial from Bliss Bloom Blog.
  • Is your dog’s wire crate right out in the middle of everything? Get Fido a dog crate cover. The crate will blend in nicely and give Fido a little privacy. Buy one from Amazon here, or if you’re crafty, make one yourself.

 

How Do YOU Disguise Your Ugly Household Stuff?

Let us know – we’re always looking for cool ideas on how you make your houses your homes. Are you ready to sell? These ideas will also help you stage it for tours. If you’re ready to buy or sell, we’re ready to help. Contact us today!

‘Tis the season! We believe our communities are stronger and healthier when we give our time and resources to helping our neighbors. We’d like to share some of our favorite local children’s charities for your consideration as you plan your year-end giving. We at Prime Location feel a special bond with the kids in our region, and do what we can to give the organizations working with children a helping hand.

Advocacy:

CASA of the Eastern Panhandle: CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. When children are removed from their homes for abuse and neglect, CASA volunteers step up and work with the courts and social services to protect the rights and interests of the kids caught in the system. CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to advocate for the child until the case is closed and the child has been placed in a safe, permanent home. CASA volunteers fill a critical need for children in legal system, and the work is funded by donations.

Support:

JUMP Junior Mentoring Programs: Volunteers with JUMP are matched with a child in need, primarily from single parent homes. Volunteers establish a relationship with the child (ages 6-18) and mentor them – meeting 3-5 hours at a time two times per month. JUMP is donation-supported, with funds going to train volunteers and maintain operations.

Children’s Home Society of West Virginia: The Martinsburg facility of the Children’s Home Society of West Virginia has been serving children and families in our area for 28 years. CHSWV has an emergency shelter that offers short-term housing and emergency care for youth, assessment and placement services, and assistance to high-risk birth mothers. Their office location services include adoption, child advocacy, foster care, and a youth services. Donations to CHSWV directly impact our community in positive ways.

Education:

Martinsburg-Berkeley County Public Libraries: Our library system is awesome! It’s not only a place to check out books; it offers classes and activities for kids and teens that give them a safe place to hang, socialize and learn. Bonus: they just opened a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) Lab and it’s open the first Saturday of each month, 11:00-1:00, for kids ages 9-13. You can donate directly from their website to support the often unseen work the library does to bring our community together.

What are your favorite local children’s charities?

We’d love to hear about the non-profit organizations you trust and support. Let us know in the comments!

We’re Ready to Help

We love our community and are committed to being a good neighbor. Contact us today and we’ll help you find your new home here!

Is there a new homeowner in your life? One of the best feelings in the world is being handed the keys to your own house. Since the holidays are upon us,  it’s the perfect time to share the excitement and give friends or family who have recently purchased a home some great, useful, house-related gifts. Check out these cool new homeowner gift ideas!

Outside:

personalized Doormat

Sweet welcome greetings at their footsteps. There are places all over the internet to find reasonably-priced, customized doormats: from Bed, Bath and Beyond and Amazon to small makers on sites like Etsy.

Gardening supplies

Put together a gift basket with several gardening necessities – buy a gardening bucket, and fill it with knee pads, a hand trowel, pruners, bulb and seed packets, and a how-to book that includes information on local growing zones and native plants. I received a similar gift when we moved into our first home and we are still using the gardening tools today, more than 15 years later!

Tool set

Having a set of screwdrivers, a hammer, a level, and a tape measure on-hand when you need them is invaluable for those new projects. Amazon carries a Stanley Homeowner’s Tool Kit for less than $50.00 that has everything you need and more, in an easily-stored case.

Custom Return labels or stamp

Another great opportunity to support handmade artisans, Etsy boasts a huge variety of small shops for custom labels or stamps – either self-inking or traditional. Many of the online shops offer free shipping. This is a wonderful option for a smaller budget, as there are many choices under $30.00. Take a look!

Inside:

Kitchen

Some practical picks for the kitchen can thrill the new homeowner in your life. Put together a gift basket with a set of kitchen towels, kitchen tools like measuring spoons, measuring cups, spatulas, turners, a whisk, and other handy tools. Throw in a few basic cooking spices from a store like Penzey’s (the Shallot Pepper is AMAZING!), a cook book, and you’ve given them a nice jump on stocking their kitchen.

Bar

How about a cocktail starter set? This stainless steel 14-piece set is just the right price, and has everything you need to mix the perfect martini. Throw in a set of stemless martini glasses to round out your gift and you’ve helped them stock their bar!

Cleaning Supplies

What this lacks in glamour is more than made up for in practicality when you give the new homeowner in your life tools to keep their house clean. A cleaning supply caddy stocked with microfiber towels, a duster, Windex,  carpet stain remover (this is my favorite – works wonders!) and pet odor remover, sponges, and rubber gloves to help them keep their new place clean.

Gift Cards

Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Bed, Bath and Beyond are stores where you can’t go wrong with a gift card.

10 Cool New Homeowner Gift Ideas: The Splurges

If you’re feeling really generous, these last few gift ideas can really help your new homeowner make their house a home:

Nest Thermostat

We’ve mentioned this before, but the Nest Thermostat is a “smart” thermostat that learns your habits and adjusts the temperature in your home accordingly. This helps save money on heating and cooling. What a lovely gift this would be for someone who is new to home ownership. Read all about Nest products and find out if they’re a good fit.

Sonos Smart Speakers

We have a set of Sonos speakers in our home, and they are great. We’re easily able to move them from inside to outside when the weather cooperates. They are connected to our desktop computer, can be controlled from your smart phone via their app, and the sound is fantastic.

Having a new home is exciting, but can be a little overwhelming. Show them support with both practical and fun gifts to help them make the most of their new space!

 

We’re Ready to Help

We want to help you find your next home! Contact us today and we’ll get back to you right away!

The winter months are coming up quickly, and with it some harsh weather.  Our winter evenings can get very chilly, and with the shorter days and longer nights, those energy bills can really spike! The good news – there’s a lot you can do and not break your wallet doing it. Check out these no- or low-cost energy saving tips – several of these ideas won’t cost you a thing! 

10 Low-Cost Energy Saving Tips

1. Check your thermostat – keeping your thermostat at 68 degrees during the day, and a few degrees lower at night, will help your furnace run at consistent temperatures. Big fluctuations in temps mean your furnace has to work harder, which costs you more.
2. While on the subject of thermostats – Is yours working properly?  Make sure it’s accurate. To do so, tape a small thermometer on the wall next to the thermostat with a paper towel behind it. The paper towel ensures it won’t be affected by any heat or cold transfer from the wall. Wait a minimum of 15 minutes for it to stabilize, and then compare your thermometer to your thermostat. More than a degree difference? Your thermostat needs some maintenance. Some things to try before calling a repairman: clean it (dust and dirt build up), make sure it’s level, and check it’s location – having the box next to a drafty door or in direct sunlight can affect the reading.
3.  Beware of Phantom Load – It’s the vampire of your power bill. Leaving things plugged into an outlet and the unit or appliance “ready” can be a huge drain. Appliances with digital clock read outs, smartphone chargers, and tvs are all examples of household energy vampires. Turn off or unplug the things you aren’t using, and save big money over time. 
4. Fireplace dampers – I love a cozy fire in the fireplace, but leaving the damper open when you’re not using it lets those drafty breezes come right in. Close the damper when your fireplace isn’t in use.
5. Close your doors – Close the doors to the rooms you aren’t occupying. Keep the heat where you need it!
6. Cold water wash – Cold water, in most cases, cleans your clothes just as well as warm or hot water. If you have a good reason for washing in warm or hot, such as cloth diapers or stinky clothes, washing in cold actually has two benefits: saving energy AND your clothes will last longer.
7. Speaking of water… – Your water heater is a source of energy drain if the temperature is set too high.  120 degrees is the recommended temperature. According to Energy.gov, setting your water temperature too high can waste $36 to $62 annually in standby heat, and up to $400 (!!!) in demand losses. That’s a lot of money. Turn it down! It will still be warm so your hot baths and showers will still feel nice and hot.
8. Let the sunshine in – Open up your blinds and curtains on sunny days to let the warmth in, then close them at night to trap that warm air inside.
9. Change the light bulb(s) – Switching your lighting from incandescent bulbs to LEDs is a smart investment. LEDs last for years and use a fraction of the energy.
10. Get some assistance – Potomac Edison offers the Low-Income Home Check-Up Program. Some home owners are eligible to participate in this program that offers energy usage evaluations, a trained energy educator to help you create an energy-savings plan, and have several home energy improvement products installed in their homes. Find out more on their website:  Potomac Edison Home Check-Up Program, or call 1-888-406-8074.

See? If you read back through these low-cost energy saving tips, the only thing that might cost you money is changing your light bulbs! There’s so much you can do to help keep your home costs down! Want to find more ideas? Head over to Potomac Edison’s Saving Energy web page.

 

 

Looking for your perfect home? We can help with that. Contact Prime Location Realty today!