Wishing You and Yours A Merry Christmas and A Wonderful New Year

The holiday season is here and we’re so thankful for your support. Here’s how that support has allowed us to positively impact the community.

There are a variety of opportunities in the Central Pennsylvania real estate market for both buyers and sellers.
If you're a prospective buyer click here for a full home search, or if you're considering placing your home on the market, get a free home value report, right here.

We hope you and your families are having fun making preparations for the upcoming holidays. Christmas will be here before you know it, and I wanted to take this time to share my heart with you.

I’ve had over 30 years of experience in real estate helping thousands of families find a home where they can celebrate, establish traditions, and make memories. 

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We love giving back to the Harrisburg community.

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Our homes are especially important during the holidays and during this time of year, we want to thank you and tell you how much we value and are grateful for your confidence in us. As we look back on 2019, we’re especially thankful that your business has allowed us to give back to our local community in many different ways. Because of you, we’ve been able to donate to a ton of great organizations in the area, including:

• Caitlin’s Smiles
• Harrisburg Area Community College
• The Humane Society of Harrisburg
• The Renova Center
• Four Diamonds
• American Cancer Society
• Luther Acres Caring Fund
• Community Cares
• 10th Annual Supporting the Troops Golf Tournament
• Northern Dauphin County Hometown Heroes 5k

Additionally, we were able to collect school supplies to help with Kick in for Kids in July and donating turkeys for local families in November. We love giving back to our Harrisburg community and I’m blessed to be part of a team that's dedicated and ready to serve.

There are so many worthy charities in central Pennsylvania and we don’t want to miss an opportunity to serve, so we created a “Joy Cares” tab on our website where you may request a donation for a cause that is special to your heart. Just head on over to joydaniels.com and click on “Joy Cares” in the “Links” tab.

If you have any questions for us about buying or selling real estate in Pennsylvania, don’t hesitate to reach out via phone at (717) 695-3177 or email at info@joydaniels.com. In the meantime, we hope you and your family have a wonderful and blessed holiday season filled with joy, love, and laughter.

Should You Consider Buying Your New Home Before Selling Your Old One?

If you need to buy a home and sell another, buying first offers you the most freedom. It isn’t without its drawbacks, though.

There are a variety of opportunities in the Central Pennsylvania real estate market for both buyers and sellers.
If you're a prospective buyer click here for a full home search, or if you're considering placing your home on the market, get a free home value report, right here.

I’m picking up where I left off last time to explain to you what you have to gain and lose by buying a home before you sell your current home.


What are the benefits?

1. The process of house hunting can be more relaxed and enjoyable
2. You only have to move once, so you won’t have to face expensive storage fees or doubled moving costs
3. You’re less likely to have regrets from rushing into buying a house in a hurry
4. You'll have a place to go right away before you even let go of your current house
5. You have a cushion in case something goes wrong with the purchase of the home

Every situation is unique.

What are the disadvantages?

1. If your cash is tied up in your current home, you may not have as much freedom to make a larger down payment
2. You might feel pressured to accept a lower offer if you’re in a rush to sell
3. You might end up having two mortgages
4. You’ll be responsible for two sets of taxes and two sets of utilities
5. You may not qualify for two mortgages at once

Every situation is unique. Talk to your agent about the different possibilities before you make a decision. Sometimes buying first is the way to go. You could buy first with a new loan or with savings, but you could also consider a home equity line of credit. It allows you to borrow against the equity in your current home until it sells.

The complex processes of buying and selling a home can have a major impact on your financial health for years to come. It’s important to weigh the pros and cons and assess the circumstances before making a final decision.

If you have any questions for us in the meantime or need help in making your decision, don’t hesitate to give us a call at (717) 695-3177, or send us an email to info@joydaniels.com. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

These 5 Questions Will Help You Prepare for Your Home Sale

Before listing your home, there are five questions that you need to consider.

There are a variety of opportunities in the Central Pennsylvania real estate market for both buyers and sellers.
If you're a prospective buyer click here for a full home search, or if you're considering placing your home on the market, get a free home value report, right here.

Here are the five questions you need to consider before putting your home on the market: 1. What level of attention and expertise do you need from a listing agent? Some sellers want a consultant who provides real estate expertise and others want their Realtor to back off while they make final decisions. Just as real estate agents need to determine what level of services they are going to provide to sellers, sellers need to decide exactly what services they expect their listing agent to provide and make those expectations clear up front. 2. What market-specific information do you have or plan to acquire? To keep a home from sitting on the market, when possible, timing the sale to coincide with the months of greatest buyer activity is smart. Prime selling seasons can vary from city to city and from home to home! An experienced, local real estate agent can guide you on the best timing for your home. Spring might be optimum to put properties on the market in general, but some markets are also lively from Labor Day until mid-December. 3. Do you know who your likely buyer will be? An agent who sells a lot of properties similar to yours is apt to have a better feel for which properties appeal to specific groups of buyers, which means they get snapped up fast while other homes linger on the market. What property condition and features do your probable buyers demand before they make an offer? If you don’t know what appeals to whom, plan to spend a few weekends visiting open houses similar to yours in what you think will be your broad price range. Then, pay attention to who attends the open house, as well as what the house looks like.

Timing the sale to coincide with the months of greatest buyer activity is smart.

4. Do you understand that today’s buyers expect homes to look like properties they have seen on HGTV? 

What that means in real life is staging a home to sell is no longer optional in most markets. Do not think that watching HGTV qualifies you to stage your own home in a way that hits the right buttons with buyers. Do not think that because you are an “artist” or you studied interior design in college that you understand how good stagers merchandise a house. You need professional help with this every bit as much as you need a plumber to replace the kitchen sink. This is not a DIY opportunity. 

5. Are you aware that in the wake of the housing crisis of a decade ago, mortgage lending standards have changed dramatically?  

Is financing readily available for your home? If not, sellers—or their agents—need to get financing options nailed down and addressed to the extent possible. Any issues that might affect whether buyers can find a lender to offer a mortgage on specific properties will depend on whether your home qualifies for FHA, VA, or USDA financing.

We are experienced, professional agents, and if you are thinking about listing your home, we are ready to represent you! Ask yourself these five questions and check back soon for five more questions you should consider before selling.  

If you choose to move forward with selling your home, we have a team of dedicated listing specialists who will help you realize your selling goals, so don’t hesitate to give us a call at (717) 695-3177 or send us an email at info@joydaniels.com. We look forward to helping you!