Author: Connie - Gadget Girl

Best Tips for Painting

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Everyone knows that a fresh coat of paint goes a long way to improving just about any surface, but a fresh coat of paint and a good coat of paint are two entirely different things.  Here are some great painting tips to help you make the most of a coat of paint!

Buy Good Quality:  You might try to save a couple bucks by buying the cheapest gallon of paint you can, but if you put out the cash for high quality paint and it will go on smoother, cover more, splatter less, and will be less likely to fade.  Trust me, it’s worth the extra money!

Choose Your Gloss Wisely:  Remember that the flatter the finish, the harder the paint is to clean.  Flat paint is a good choice for ceilings, but be sure to use an eggshell for walls and semigloss in rooms that are cleaned more often.

Test It:  The pros know that testing a paint out on a wide surface of wall is key to choosing the ride shade.  The best way to do this is to buy sample sizes (or quarts if they aren’t available) of a few different colors and paint several chunks of wall.  Make sure you leave the paint there for a few days so you can see it in all different lighting and then make your final choice.

Work Your Way Down:  Begin painting at the ceiling and work down the wall for the smoothest results.

Mix It Together:  If you’re using more than one gallon of the same color paint, mix all the gallons together in a bucket to guarantee a uniform color throughout the whole room.

Wrap Up Brushes:  If you’re going to take a break wrap any brushes and rollers in plastic bags.  Be sure there is no air in the bag and close it with a rubber band or twist tie.  If you’re planning on taking a long break, like overnight, seal all the tools up and store them in the refrigerator to keep them fresh.

With tips like these, you can turn any paint project into a success story!

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266!

Spotlight on Zogg’s Raw Bar & Grill in Rehoboth

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Zogg’s Raw Bar and Grill (1 Wilmington Ave) in Rehoboth is a Key West inspired restaurant serving up delicious fish tacos, a variety of other seafood dishes, standards such as burgers, wings, and chicken sandwiches, and classic southern fare such as fried gator, breaded frog legs and po’ boys.  Their famous homemade mac & cheese comes in six flavors, including duck confit & brie and crab & cheddar.  They have happy hour specials at the bar Monday-Friday from 4pm-7pm, a wide variety of worldwide brews on tap and over 250 kinds of rum at the bar.  Zogg’s is definitely worth checking out if you want a variety of delicious options in a laid back atmosphere.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associate and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

5 Ways To Provide Easy Access For Showings

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Selling a home is not necessarily a convenient prospect.  The best sellers keep their homes neat, clean, organized and smelling fresh and are also willing to vacate the property at a moment’s notice.  Here are some tips to help you, as a seller, be a dream to work with:

1.  Keep off hours.  Remember that most potential buyers have to work, so if your home is only available to show during “business hours” you are cutting out a lot of potential buyers.  Consider extending your hours until 8pm or so at least a couple of times a week.

2.  Allow a lock box.  If you insist that your home not have a lock box, many agents will forgo your home altogether to show more convenient homes to their clients.

3.  Consider the details.  The details count.  For example, if you live on a road where street parking is difficult, make sure your driveway is clear so that potential buyers and their agents can park there.  You don’t want potential buyers to be thinking of the downsides of purchasing your home before they even walk in the door.

4.  Don’t be too restrictive.  It’s a pain when buyers want to see your home on short notice, and it is within your rights as the seller to say no or ask to reschedule, but keep in mind that some of the most motivated buyers are moving from out of town and may not have too much flexibility.  Try to accommodate potential buyers as often as possible.

5.  Take care of your pets.  Just because you love your pets doesn’t mean a prospective buyer will.  In fact there’s a good chance a prospective buyer might be allergic, so having your furry friend roaming free is not going to help the home appeal to them.  If at all possible, make arrangements for your pets to leave your home during showings too.  If that’s simply not feasible ask your agent for suggestions.  Chances are they’ve shown lots of pet friendly homes in their career, so they can give you more tips.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

Weekend Update: July 12th-14th

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If you’re looking for something fun to do this weekend, check out these local events:

Friday, July 12th-Saturday, July 13th: Nanticoke Riverfest
Head to downtown Seaford for the annual Nanticoke Riverfest with the theme “Rollin’ on the Nanticoke.”  Events start with opening ceremonies at 5pm on Friday and the fun continues on Saturday with registration for the Float-in starting at 8am.  The weekend includes lots of fun and festivities.  For more information, including a full schedule of events check out this link.

Saturday, July 13th: Milton House & Garden Tour
The annual Milton House & Garden Tour runs from 9am-3pm on Saturday.  For tickets or more information, call the Milton Garden Club at 302-684-3804.

Saturday, July 13th: Lewes Historical Society’s Summer Craft Fair
The annual Summer Craft Fair runs from 9am-4pm at the Historical Complex at Second & Shipcarpenter Streets in downtown Lewes.  Admission is $5 per person and children under 12 are free.

Sunday, July 14th: Sheryl Crow in Concert
Head to the Freeman Stage at Bayside for concert by nine-Grammy winner Sheryl Crowe.  Unlike most events at the Freeman Stage, this is an assigned seating event.  For more information or to purchase tickets call 302-436-3015.

All Weekend: Free Concerts at the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand
Enjoy the modern country sounds of Michael Christopher on Friday.  The Regal Beagles will perform their yacht rock set on Saturday, and Nate Myers & the Aces will perform Americana/Blues style music on Sunday.  All concerts are free and begin at 8pm.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

What To Do If Your House Won’t Sell

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Typically, Wednesday is our Weekend Update, but this week we’re doing something a little bit different and will post the weekend update tomorrow.  For today, here are some tips if your home has been on the market for awhile:

Assuming that your home is in saleable condition, if your home is still on the market, it is most likely priced too high for the area.  Luckily for you, of the three basic elements that sell a home (location, condition & price), price is the one you, as a seller, can control!

So, how do you know if you need to lower the price of your home?  Ask your real estate agent what the average time is for houses to be on the market in your area.  If your house has been on the market for longer than that, then you should consider lowering your price.  Another indicator that you may need to lower the price is if your house has been on the market for several months with low to no interest.  In many areas, home prices are continuing to fall, so even if your home was pried well when you first listed it, if it’s been sitting on the market for awhile, you may need to adjust it.

Once you decide that you need to lower the price of your home, you need to decide how low to go.  That decision should be based on local market research.  Again, to make the best decision you need to have a real estate agent that you trust and seek out their advice.  Ask your agent for a new comparative market analysis (comps), and be sure that the comps are recent.  If you put your home on the market without having it appraised, having it done now could help you even more.

Trying to sell your home?  Looking for an agent you can trust?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty and let us help you sell your home – 302-856-6434.

Home Features That Always Catch A Buyer’s Attention

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There are a few features that will almost always catch a buyer’s attention.  Of course, your home may not have all of these, but a few of them are easy to “fake” and others are affordable to update!  So go on, catch the attention of your potential buyers!

A Nice Entryway – fake it with a fresh coat of paint on the front door and clever furniture placement.  A table or chest of drawers added near the front door can create the illusion of an entryway in a home that doesn’t necessarily have one.

Hardwood Floors – there really isn’t an easy way to fake this, but an affordable wood laminate can still make a big difference in selling your home if your carpet has been a turn-off to buyers.

Nice Countertops – It doesn’t have to be granite, but if your kitchen currently has tile or laminate counter tops, consider replacing them if you’d like to appeal to more buyers.  Any kind of slab countertop is appealing to buyers, but of course granite is the favorite!  Other options are butcher block, marble, Corian, concrete, and many other stone slabs.

Organized Closets/Cabinets – Spaces that are pre-organized suggest to the buyer that they too will be nicely organized if they moved into this home.  If you have closet organizers, be sure they aren’t dated.

Landscaping – Simple, clean landscaping with nice open lawn space is universally appealing.  Remember, massive landscaping projects might look beautiful, but when buyers see that they see maintenance.  If your yard space is a lot of dirt, growing some grass will help a lot!

Of course, other features like lovely bathrooms, and gorgeous kitchen appliances always catch a buyer’s attention too, but it is difficult to “fake” or cheaply upgrade those.  Of course, if you can figure out a way to do it, it will help your house sell all the more!

Looking to buy or sell a house in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and let us help you make your dream a reality – 302-644-2266.

Update Your Bathroom On A Budget

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Everyone spends time in the bathroom every day, so shouldn’t it be a room that you enjoy?  If you’ve been dreaming of updating your bathroom, but you don’t have a huge budget, consider these tips.

Go white to save green!  Sticking to traditional white features such as sinks, tubs, and toilets will save you a ton of money because they are more readily available than their colorful counterparts.

Change out your hardware.  If you don’t have the budget to replace cabinets, give them a low-cost face lift with new hardware.  For a more dramatic impact you can paint or otherwise refinish cabinetry and then replace the hardware!

Organize your cabinets.  Adding pullout shelves to cabinets will maximize your storage space and ease the frustration you feel when you can’t find what you’re looking for!

Go for style.  Keep most of what already exists, but change out a few key pieces to add style and drama to your space.  For example, replace your faucets and/or showerhead with a lovely new piece or switch out existing lighting for a dramatic chandelier.

Change the color.  Painting is a fairly inexpensive weekend project.  Follow-up by replacing hand towels and adding colorful accents such as vases, candles, and soaps.

Save on tile.  If you love a specific tile that is far too expensive for you to afford, consider using a more affordable alternative (or keeping your existing tile!) and using the tile you love for a border or randomly placing a few here and there to create an interesting pattern.

Pinpoint your complaint.  Sometimes changing just one aspect of a room will make you feel like you’re in a whole new space, so determine what it is that really bothers you about your space.  For example, if your sink is in good condition, but the vanity bothers you, would replacing just the counter do the trick?  Could you keep all of your features and just replace the floor?  Keep the tub but replace the shower head and faucet?  Specifically identifying problems and addressing them individually will save you a ton of cash!

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266!

Spotlight on Fishkiller’s Lobster Shack

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Fishkiller’s Lobster Shack (32805 Vines Creek Road) in Dagsboro is truly a hidden gem.  Literally just a food trailer on the side of the road, the family that owns this business fishes for three days at the beginning of the week and sells their catch from the Lobster Shack on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 11am-8pm or until the catch runs out.  Open June 13th-Agusut 31st, the sell a variety of fresh seafood as well as burgers, but their specialty is the fresh, caught local lobsters that come from their boats out of Indian River and Ocean City.  So take a ride to Dagsboro, pull up a lawn chair and enjoy the Fishkiller’s raved about dishes!

If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County, give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

5 Ways To Use Up Fourth of July Leftovers

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If you enjoyed your fourth of July, but aren’t quite sure what to do with all your leftovers, this is the post for you…

1.  Watermelon Cake.  If you have lots of fresh watermelon leftover, cube it up, remove the seeds and mix it up with some white cake mix and other ingredients for this scrumptious summer dessert.  Just watch out!  It will become a favorite.  Click here for the recipe.

2.  Bread Pudding.  If you have a lot of leftover hamburger and/or hotdog buns, cube them up and use them in place of the bread in your favorite bread pudding recipe.  For a delicious recipe option that uses only ingredients you most likely already have on hand, click here.

3.  Hamburgers.  If you fear you’ll be eating hamburgers for the next week or so, crumble up your leftover patties and use them in place of ground beef in your favorite chili recipe.  Then you can freeze the chili in gallon freezer bags and pull them out when you need a quick and tasty meal!  For a simple and delicious chili recipe, click here.

4.  Coleslaw.  Take your leftover coleslaw and turn it into a star ingredient in your next meal with recipes like Easy Moo Shu Veggie Wraps, Asian Style Lettuce Wraps, or Chicken BBQ Sandwiches.

5.  Cupcakes.  Patriotic cupcakes are all super popular, so if you find that you miraculously have some leftover, use them in place of pound cake in any trifle recipe, like this delicious blueberry trifle option.

If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County, give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-629-6693.

Weekend Update: Friday, July 5th-Sunday, July 7th

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Most of the local events going on this weekend, start tomorrow with the 4th of July.  I’ve highlighted a bunch of Independence Day events the past couple of days.  You can read up on them here and here.  But if you’re still looking for something different this weekend, check out these local events:

Friday, July 5th: The Official Blues Brothers Revue
Head to the Freeman Stage at Bayside for this live concert integrating humor and songs from the original Blues Brothers film and albums.  The Official Blues Brothers Revue “strikes the right balance of humor, music and mayhem.”  The concert begins at 7pm.  Tickets are $20 plus a handling fee.  Don’t forget a lawn chair!

Friday, July 5th: History Happy Hour
This week’s topic is “A Century of Service – The Navy at Cape Henlopen 1898-1996.”  This talk takes place at The Cannonball House in Lewes at 4pm with a question and answer period following the 30 minute presentation.  Wine is offered following the event.

Friday, July 5th: Fenwick Island Town Bonfire
Head to the beach at Dagsboro Street for a free, Friday night bonfire on the beach from 6pm-11pm.

Saturday, July 6th: Milkshake: A Concert for the Whole Family
Milkshake is a pop-rock style band that has been featured on many children’s series.  This Grammy nominated band is entertaining for the whole family.  The concert starts at 10am and is free for all, just bring a blanket or lawn chair.

Saturday, July 6th: St. Peter’s Art Show
Saint Peter’s Church on 2nd and Mulberry Streets in Lewes will host their annual art show from 9am-4pm with over 140 fine artsits on display.  The day also includes a silent auction and luncheon.

All Weekend:  Concerts at the Bandstand in Rehoboth
Local favorite, classic rock band The Funsters will perform on Thursday, July 4th.  Elvis tribute artist Jesse Garron will perform on Friday, July 5th.  Big Band performers, the Tim Laushey Orchestra will take the stage on Saturday, July 6th and rounding out the long weekend on Sudnay, July 7th is big band performers The Rad Trads.  All concerts are free and begin at 8pm.

If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County, give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

More Ideas for Celebrating Independence Day

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Yesterday I highlighted a few great ideas for celebrating July 4th in Sussex County.  Here are a few more:

Bethany in Bloom:  The festivities begin in Bethany Beach at noon on the 4th with the theme “Wish You Were Here for Bethany in Bloom.”  The parade steps off at the intersection of Pennsylvania and Garfield at noon.  There will also a be a horseshoe throwing contest and live band with fireworks commencing at dusk.

Tradition at Rehoboth:  More than 100,000 people gathered on the boardwalk in Rehoboth and this year is shaping up to be just as great!  Head to downtown Rehoboth for the fireworks show at dusk.  Local favorite, The Funsters will be performing on the bandstand as well.

Fun in Ocean City:  If you want to head out of Sussex, Ocean City for a free concert at 8pm followed by fireworks at 9:30pm downtown on the beach at North Division Street or uptown at 125th Street and Northside Park.  For more information call 800-626-2326.

Whatever you choose to do this fourth of July, be safe and have fun!

If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County, give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-856-6434.

July 4th Plans in Sussex

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Unbelievably, it’s already July!  With the celebration of Independence Day later this week I thought I would spend some time highlighting a few of the best options for celebrating July 4th in Sussex County.  Here are a couple of fun options for the family:

Old Fashioned 4th of July in Lewes:  On the Fourth of July enjoy old fashioned children’s games and activities begin at 9am on 2nd Street.  The decorated boat parade on the canal begins at 2pm and the “Infamous Doo-Dah Parade” begins around 5pm across from BeeBe Medical Center just off of Savannah Road – jump right in and join the fun!  Lewes’ Old Fashioned 4th of July is sponsored by the City of Lewes, the Lewes Chamber of Commerce and the Lightship Overfalls.

Small Town Charm in Laurel:  Celebrate Independence Day on Saturday, July 6th with small-town charm in Laurel.  Events begin at 11am with the annual parade.  Other highlights include old fashioned family games at noon, a hot dog eating contest at 1:30pm, and fireworks over the lake at 9:15pm.  There will be events, food, and vendors all day long.

Celebrate Cruise Style: Make reservations on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry for the spectacular fireworks cruise on the Delaware Bay on Wednesday, July 3rd.  The cruise departs Lewes at 7:15pm.  Make reservations online or call 800-643-3779.

I’ll be back tomorrow with more great options for celebrating our nation’s independence in Sussex County.

If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County, give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

Spotlight on Claws Seafood House

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Claws Seafood House (167 Rehoboth Ave) in Rehoboth serves up fresh, delicious seafood and more every night for dinner (Mon-Thu 4pm-9:30pm, Fri & Sat 11:30am-10pm, Sun 11:30am-9:30pm).  With reasonable prices and fresh, locally sourced ingredients plus a great happy hour at the bar and both daily and weekly specials, you can’t go wrong with dinner at Claws.

Looking to buy or sell a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

5 Mini Golf Courses To Try

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Mini golf is a great summer activity!  Check out these great, local courses for some great, family fun:

Ryan’s Mini Golf.  You really can’t get better than rooftop mini golf right on the boardwalk in Rehoboth!  Directly Above Ryan’s Gems & Junk Shop you will find a mini golf course that is easy enough for kids, but fun for the whole family.  Decorated with loads of animal sculptures, this is a simple course, but it has the most amazing views of any mini golf course I’ve ever seen!  Prices are reasonable too, and they just opened a second course on the lower level, right on the boardwalk.  Just be forewarned that it is hot up on that roof in the middle of the day!

Jungle Jim’s.  Jungle Jim’s is more than just mini golf.  It also features a water park, bumper boats, batting cages, go-carts, and more!  It’s a little pricier than other mini-golf places around, but with water traps and other challenges it’s more fun too!  Jungle Jim’s is located at 36944 Country Club Road in Rehoboth.

Shell We Golf.  Shell We Golf might be the most famous golf course in Rehoboth since it’s so easily recognizable as you pass back and forth on Route 1.  This course is great to play when it’s hot out since there’s a lot of shade!  This is a mid-range course.  Fun for the whole family, but with some pretty simple holes to keep the attention of the little ones!  Shell We Golf is located at 19366 Coastal Highway in Rehoboth.

Fire Mountain Golf at Midway Speedway.  Midway Speedway is another one-stop summer sport fun-land!  This mini golf course is located beneath a volcano and is challenging and fun for everyone!  In addition to mini golf there are also go carts, water slides, bumper boats, a climbing wall, and a lazy river!  A day at Midway Speedway is fun for the whole family!  Midway Speedway is located at 18645 Coastal Highway in Rehoboth.

Long Neck Mini Golf.  If you’re looking for a fun game of golf but don’t want to fight the traffic into Rehoboth, check out Long Neck Mini Golf.  Set amidst beautiful gardens, Long Neck is my mini-golf course of choice!  The course is fun and challenging, but not too hard for the little ones.  Several holes have creative twists, like water hazards, second holes, etc. so it’s an all-around fun course!  Long Neck Mini Golf is located on Long Neck Road in Millsboro – you’ll know it when you see the huge crab on top of the waterfall!  There’s also a pizza place and ice cream parlor within walking distance if you want to make an afternoon of it!

Looking to buy or sell a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

Thursday Three: 3 Pizza Places at the Beach

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Pizza at the beach is a great tradition!  Here’s some of the best options:

Grotto Pizza.  With several locations along the boardwalk, more on Rehoboth Ave, and several locations inland as well, Grotto Pizza is a summertime favorite!  Though, not everyone loves Grotto, I have to admit it is my first choice for pizza in Rehoboth, and I’m obviously not alone because Grotto pizza has been voted Best Pizza in in Delaware in the past.  Yum!

Nicola Pizza.  Home of the famous Nic-o-boli, Nicola is the pizza of choice for many!  Locally owned and operated for over 40 years, there are 2 locations in Rehoboth to serve you.  Nicola uses a delicious 3-cheese blend and homemade sauce and dough, and will even ship many of their products, including jars of sauce and Nic-o-bolis.  Delicious!!

Louie’s Pizza.  In addition to good pizza, Louie’s also serves up their famous grinders as well as delicious subs and cheese steaks.  If you’re looking for some place a little less touristy than Nicola or Grotto then Louie’s is your best bet.  After all, they advertise themselves as “Rehoboth’s best kept secret: the place where locals eat!”

Looking to buy or sell a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

Weekend Update: June 28th-30th

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If you’re looking for something fun and different to do this weekend, check out these local events:

Friday, June 28th: Concert By The Canal
Head to Canalfront Park in Lewes on Friday evening for a free concert sponsored by Dogfish Head Craft Brewery.  Chester River Runoff will perform beginning at 6:30pm.  The concert is free, just remember to bring a lawn chair and bug repellant!

Friday, June 28th: WaCongo Dance Company & Drum Classes
Head to the Freeman Stage at Bayside (31750 Lake View Drive) in Selbyville and enjoy the WaCongo Dance Company, a traditional ensemble of drummers, musicians, and dancers from the Democratic Republic of Congo.  The performance is free for all.  They will follow the performance with Congolese Drum Classes on Saturday, 6/29 at 10am, which are also free.

Saturday, June 29th: Wheels For Meals Classic Car Show
Head into the CHEER Community Center (20520 Sand Hill Road) in Georgetown from 10am-2pm to support Wheels for Meals.  Admission is $5 for ages 10 and up, and free for ages 9 and under.  The day features the car show, displays, entertainment, and food vendors.

Sunday, June 30th: Paddle Fenwick Festival
The first annual Paddle Fenwick Festival will take place on the Indian River and will be divided into several divisions and classes.  The top three finishers in each division as well as each age bracket will be awarded.  There will also be a “Kids and Critters Fun Paddle” from 1:30-2pm.  All proceeds support Operation Second Chance.  For more information check out this link.

All Weekend: Rehoboth Beach Bandstand
Enjoy the rhythm and blues performance by Vinyl Shockley on Friday, June 28th, the classic Zydeco beats of Zydeco-A-Go-Go on Saturday, June 29th and the hometown sounds of the Rehoboth Concert Band on Sunday, June 30th.  All concerts are free and start at 8pm.

Looking to buy or sell a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

Understanding Contingencies

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Whether you are buying or selling a home, you will most likely have to deal with contingencies during contract negotiation.  Contingencies are conditions placed on the contract that, if not met, allow the buyer to either back out of the deal.  Of course in the case of an unmet contingency, buyer & seller can always renegotiate, if they would prefer.  If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home contingencies may seem a little overwhelming, so here’s some help explaining some of the most common:

  • Contingent on appraisal means that the home must be appraised and its appraised value must meet or exceed the offer price on the contract.
  • Contingent on inspection means that the house must pass any professional inspections that the buyer desires.  In addition to a general home inspection, this might also include specific inspections such as structural engineering, termites/pests, radon, mold, electrical, plumbing, roof, etc.  If any inspections turn up any problems that could be potential problems for the buyer or problems that would impact the price of the home the buyer may wish to renegotiate or to back out altogether.
  • Contingent on financing means that the buyer must secure a loan for the specified amount of the offer price.
  • Contingent on repairs means that the seller must repair any evident issues or issued turned up by the home inspection up to the agreed upon amount.
  • Contingent on closing costs means that the seller must pay the specified amount (up to 100%) of the closing costs.

There are many other contingencies that can be written into real estate contracts, but these are just some of the most common.

For help through the whole buying or selling process, including help through any and all possible contingencies, give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

Quick Updates To Sell Your Home

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If you’re in the process of selling your home (or thinking about it), you might be thinking about what kind of remodeling you should do to put your home in the best light.  As a rule, you should never undertake any big remodeling projects before putting your home up for sale, but there are a few things you can do with just a little bit of money to make your house more appealing on the market.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, one of the least expensive ways to increase your property value is to paint the walls!  Neutrals are key, but don’t just buy a bucket of white and paint everything… that’s boring!  Browns/beiges, grays, and even some shades of blue and green can be considered neutral.  The idea is to get rid of any extremely personal colors in the house – you might love your red living room, but chances are most of your potential buyers won’t.  Another relatively easy fix that will attract buyers is nice flooring.  If you’re lucky enough to have hardwood under your carpeting, rip it up and have the floors refinished.  If hardwood isn’t an option, consider replacing your carpeting for a fresh look that will attract buyers.  To save money, go for a mid-range carpet, but put the best padding you can afford underneath… this cushiony layer really affects the look and feel of the carpet.  Updating your light fixtures can also really improve your home’s salability.  Replace any dated fixtures with something more classic for an instant pick-me-up.  Pay special attention to the lighting in your kitchen, bathrooms, and hallway.  You want your home to be well lit so that buyers can see it, don’t’ you?  And while we’re discussing fixtures, if your bathroom or kitchen seem dated, changing out the hardware for something new can make a big impact for not much cash.  If you can swing it, switching your old faucets with something newer can give new life to a room.  My final budget suggestion is another one I’ve mentioned several times before… check your curb appeal!  Most potential buyers will judge your house on their first impression, which is the outside!  So be sure your home is putting its best foot forward by trimming any hedges/bushes and trees in the yard, mowing the grass, trimming any weeds, and edging your driveway and sidewalks.  Power washing your side walks can make a surprisingly big impact too.  Finally, invest a little cash by painting the front door and placing some potted flowers by it.  For maximum impact, change out the hardware on your door with something new and think about getting a new mailbox.  Finally, be sure that your house number is visible.  If it isn’t, buy some new numbers and hang them immediately!

Since none of these projects cost all that much, the best part about them is that you’re pretty much guaranteed to recoup your cash when your home sells, which will probably be a whole lot sooner than if you hadn’t made the changes in the first place!

Looking for an agent who can help you with more great tips?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-629-6693.

Spotlight on Lupo di Mare in Rehoboth Beach

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Lupo di Mare (247 Rehoboth Ave.) in Rehoboth Beach fuses classic coastal Italian cuisine with local ingredients.  Serving dinner from 5pm-9pm Sunday through Thursday and 5pm-10pm Friday and Saturday, Lupo di Mare also features a happy hour daily from 5pm-7pm.  The menu features delicious seafood choices such as seared octopus, gorgeous mussels, pan seared sea bass, spice seared tuna, and more.  Classic Italian fare includes crab gnocchi, carbonara, wild mushroom buccatini, chicken parmesan, and more.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.