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If you’re putting your home on the market here are five cheap & easy fixes to increase your home’s sale potential.

1.  Declutter.  I’ve said it a million times before, and I will keep saying it… pick up your stuff, put half of it away, and if necessary, rent a storage unit while your home is on the market.  Especially stash collectibles, family photos, and personal objects.  Decluttering your house is the easiest and least expensive thing you can do to make it appeal to more buyers.

2.  Clean.  Deep clean, that is.  In addition to your normal cleaning have your floors cleaned professionally, remove scuff marks from walls and baseboards, pressure wash the outside of your home including the driveway, wash your window treatments, scrub tile, and clean your windows both inside and out.

3.  Paint.  This is another one that I’ve been a broken record about.  Repaint any walls in your home that are anything other than neutral in a neutral shade.  No buyer has ever said, “oh this wall is too tan” but plenty of buyers have said “oh, this wall is just so red” (or blue or yellow, etc.).  Neutral paint can literally sell your home!

4.  New Hardware.  Kitchens & bathrooms are the two rooms that buyers are most interested in.  By changing out the hardware, light switch & plate covers, towel/toilet paper racks, etc. you can give both rooms a mini makeover without shelling out too much cash.

5.  Curb Appeal.  Finally, take a look at your home through a buyer’s eyes.  If it could use a little curb appeal make over consider clearing dead plants, trim plants and bushes, and add some landscaping if necessary.

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.

If you’re planning on buying a house anytime soon, be sure to check out more than just the home!  Here are three tips to help:

1.  Do a drive by.  Drive by the home at several different times of day, and don’t forget to drive by a few times at night too.  Be sure to drive by during the week and on weekends.  Check it out and get a feel for the area at many different times to be sure that it “fits” you.

2.  Check out your neighbors.  Look at the properties of your immediate neighbors, but also of others in the area.  Check out any shops & businesses nearby too.  Pay attention to the details and remember that neighborhood affects property value.

3.  Look at ratings.  Go online to check neighborhood ratings, school ratings, and crime ratings for the neighborhoods you are considering.  Remember, knowledge is power!

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.

If you’re planning to buy a home this year, there are a few things you can do to prepare yourself.  The first is to find a real estate agent that you trust to represent you fairly and with your best interest in mind.  The other person you need to get in your corner before you start house hunting is a lender.  Your real estate agent should be able to refer several that they like, but you can also check your bank or credit union and ask friends and family members for recommendations.  Your lender will run your finances and set your maximum price for financing.  This will help direct your search to homes that you can afford.  After you have an agent and a lender in place educate yourself by talking to people with experience, reading books and articles, and talking to anybody you can who can help you understand the real estate purchase process.  Meanwhile you can begin your search!

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.

It’s been really chilly lately.  If your home is losing heat there could be many reasons: poor insulation, drafty windows, improperly sealed doors, and more.  These energy losses can add up to huge energy bills and a cold family!  In the meantime, check these offending areas of your home and fix any leaks for greater efficiency and less expensive heating bills.

The biggest areas of heat loss in your home are in the doors and windows.  Heat should not be escaping from your doors when they are closed.  If you are losing heat from your doors you can easily replace ripped, worn, or otherwise improper seals on your own by purchasing new seals and weather stripping at a home-improvement store.  When it comes to windows, heat can escape through both the glass and the trim.  Double-paned windows are better at keeping heat in than single-paned windows are.  Insulated blinds or curtains can also help slow heat loss.  If you do have single-paned windows consider replacing them with storm windows or thermal windows.

In addition to your windows and doors, if you have a fireplace it can be a huge source of heat loss in your home.  Be sure to keep your damper closed unless a fire is going.  If you leave the damper open when you’re not burning a fire you can increase your heating bill by up to 25%.  If it doesn’t close tight, consider having it repaired.

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.

If one of the things on your “to do list” for 2014 is to sell your home, here are three tips to help you, adapted from a list published by Zillow Real Estate Blog:

1.  Know what your home is worth.  In the neighborhood, that is.  If you are going to sell you definitely want to know the comps for your home.  Your real estate agent can help you with this.  You can always start going to open houses to see what’s selling in your neighborhood, and utilize online listings to help you learn more.  Just remember that “comps” are comparable sales, not comparable listings.  It doesn’t matter what people are asking for their homes, only what the homes actually sell for.

2.  Get inspected.  Of course, inspection falls to the seller, but if you want to give yourself a leg up consider paying for an inspection yourself.  If you do you will know what needs to be repaired before you begin negotiating.  If you can plan for repairs in advance you will be able to fix them for less money than they would cost you in buyer credit down the road, or you can price your home with the repairs factored in.  Either way you will save money for the long run.

3.  Stage your home.  By hiring a designer or stager, you will be able to show your home in the best possible light.  Again, even though this is an up-front cost, it will save you money in the long run!

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.

With January here, it’s time to start fresh.  Here are things that are “must do” projects that you should complete this month:

Pack up the holidays:  Whether you use store bought containers or do-it-yourself solutions, packing up your holiday decorations in an organized fashion is the first project you should take on in January.

Prep for ice & snow: If you haven’t already it’s time to service your snow-blower or dust off your shovel, stock every vehicle with a snow scraper and some salt.  Make a winter-readiness kit for your house too including ice-melt, a roof rake, flashlights, gallons of water (stored in a place where they won’t freeze) and extra blankets.

Service your furnace.  If you haven’t had a professional furnace check recently, now’s the time.

Thinking about 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.

If one of your New Year’s Resolutions was to be more organized at home, here are a few tips for you:

1.  Create a plan of attack.  One easy way to plan is to create a monthly goal and follow through.  You can find a great list here for some ideas.

2.  Make the beds every day.  It sounds simple, but this one task can really make your home seem a lot more organized.

3.  Keep up.  Empty the dishwasher, load it with dirty dishes, take out the garbage, and do a load of laundry every day.  Keep up on the daily chores that, left undone, can make the whole house seem disastrous.

4.  Pick your project.  Do a project every week, or at least every other week.  Examples include organizing your linen closet, straightening your desk, clean out your junk drawer, etc.  Projects like these take a relatively short period of time and do a lot of good for your home’s organization.

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.

Happy New Year everyone!  If you’re the New Year’s Resolution making type, here are a few great New Year’s Resolutions that you can make specifically for your home:

1.  Less Stuff.  Get rid of clutter, streamline your belongings, and resolve to go room by room periodically (monthly? quarterly? It’s up to you!) to clean out anything you don’t use or love and sell it or donate it.  Also resolve to think twice about the things you bring into your home.

2.  Go Green.  Cut energy usage, install compact fluorescent bulbs and low-flow showerheads, ditch the dryer and hang clothes to dry, turn off power strips when your technology is not in use, go paperless for billing and wherever you can, and other little changes can make a big difference in your home’s carbon footprint.

3. Create A Weekly System For Cleaning.  Make a daily & weekly system for cleaning your home and stick to it.

Whatever your New Year’s Resolutions are.  We hope that 2014 is a wonderful year for you.

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.

 

From all of us at Cooper Realty Associates, we wish you a happy New Year & hope that 2014 is a joyous & wonderful year for you and yours.

If you’re planning a quiet New Year’s Eve at home, here are a few ideas that might make your evening just a little more special:

1.  Movie Marathon.  Pop some popcorn, heat up some hot cocoa, and snuggle under a soft blanket while watching a few favorite or “must see” movies.  Turn on the TV at about 11:55 and watch the ball drop!

2.  Chinese Food & Puzzles.  Go out early in the day and purchase a puzzle that appeals to you.  Start building it when you get home with the goal of having it finished by midnight.  Order some Chinese food or other take out that you love for dinner and enjoy a night of relaxation.

3.  Share Resolutions.  Spend time as a family sharing your resolutions for 2014, making a plan to stick to them, and coming up with ways that you can hold each other accountable.

4.  A Nice Meal.  Cook or order out several courses of a nice meal, serve it up on your finest china and enjoy!

5.  Game Night.  Break out the board games and cards, or if you’re feeling brave visit Google or Pinterest for some “Minute To Win It” type games and have some fun!

6.  Party In A Bag.  This one is especially good if you’ve got little ones around.  Decide what time you’re going to begin your celebrating and label brown paper bags for each hour.  Plan a spec ial activity for each hour and don’t tell anyone.  Open each bag on the hour and follow the instructions inside.  This can be as creative as you’d like!

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

The New Year is quickly approaching, and it’s almost time to celebrate!  If you haven’t already made plans, consider some of these ideas for a New Year’s Celebration to ring in 2014:

1.  Attend a party.  If you weren’t invited to any, check out a list of local happenings and get in on the action.  Many restaurants, bars, hotels, and even some towns throw their own New Year’s Celebrations.

2.  Throw a party.  If you’re more of a do it yourself-er, throw together a quick New Year’s Eve celebration.  Invite some friends over and order take out of have everyone bring a dish for a potluck-style celebration.  Just call or text a few friends and have a low-key night.  You could play games, have everyone tell their favorite moments or lessons learned from 2013, have a movie marathon, etc.  There are lots of great ideas that don’t take a lot of pre-planning, just get a group together and celebrate!

3.  Dinner out.  Lots of restaurants ranging from family fare to super fancy have New Year’s Eve specials, so take a special someone out on the town for a dinner to remember.

4.  Night Away.  Book a hotel room for the night and sleep over.  Watch the ball drop and just spend time with your significant other.  Extra points if you bring some chocolate covered strawberries and champagne with you!

5.  Stay Home.  There are lots of great ideas for a making a quiet night at home something special.  Pick one and ring in 2014 in the comforts of your own home.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Real Estate Associates and put us to work for you – 302-856-6434.

The time leading up to the holiday season is full of fun, family, parties, anticipation, joy, and even stress.  But after New Year’s has come and gone and the holiday season is officially over for another year many people feel a post-holiday let-down.  It’s understandable, and here are some tips to combat it:

Manage Expectations.  Once the excitement of the holiday season has passed and things have settled back to normal routine, you should expect to feel some sense of let-down because your adrenaline is most likely pumping far less often than it was throughout the past few weeks.  You should not expect to ride the wave of holiday joy forever.

Look on the Bright Side.  The break in routine that the holidays provides gives you a chance to rest and rejuvenate.  Even if your holiday season was crazy busy, the break from the norm was still enough to renew your perspective.

Give Yourself Something To Look Forward To.  A lot of the joy that comes from the holiday season comes because we are busy being out and about, enjoying friends and family, and creating memories and experiences.  There is no reason to stop that once the holidays have passed.  Giving yourself something to look forward to each week can help keep your spirits up.  Make a lunch date with a friend, join a co-worker for a cup of coffee, go for a manicure or massage, plan a low-key dinner party for a few friends or family, take a class, go to the movies, or whatever you’d like, just make sure you plan something each week that gets you out and about or around other people.

Exercise.  Shoot for 20-30 minutes a day of exercise.  Even if you just walk around the block a couple of times, getting out of the house and getting your blood pumping is healthy for both the body and soul.

Give Back.  Volunteer your time for a cause you care about, donate unwanted items to a shelter or charity, or offer your skills to an organization that could use your help.  Volunteering is a great way to both feel useful and connect with your community, both things that help reduce feelings of sadness.

Get Help.  If you are unable to cope and find that nothing helps you beat your post-holiday blues consider getting professional help.  You may be suffering from more than a slump, and getting professional help might be the best thing you can do for yourself.

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.

If you’re one of the roughly 15% of people who need (or want) to return a gift you were given over the holidays, consider these tips to make the chore as hassle-free as possible:

Do your research.  Most places with websites list their return policies there.  Checking ahead of time to see what you need to bring with you can save you time in the long run.  Your receipt is another good place to look if you need information about a return policy.  At the very least it should give you your “return by” date in most places.  If the purchase was made online contact the company via phone to see what their policy is and request a pre-paid return label if you don’t have one.

Return in kind.  Return the item exactly how you received it, which means including all bubble wrap, cardboard, instruction manuals, etc.  Many places will not return an item that has been opened, had the tags removed, etc.  So if you think you might return it, don’t open it fully until you’ve made a decision.

Use pre-paid labels.  If you shopped online, use pre-paid labels to return your merchandise for a smooth transaction with no out-of-pocket costs.  Be sure to record the tracking numbers, etc. so you know when you should receive your credit.

Utilize “off” hours.  If you can wait until a week or so after the new year to make your returns, that is best, but if you can’t try to get to the store really early or really late to avoid as much of the crowd as possible.

Happy returning!

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

If you like to plan ahead , scoring some major deals after Christmas will put you in a good position for next year.  I’ve done a little research and culled together the best tips for getting the most out of post-Christmas sales:

Make a list.  Take inventory of what you have left and what you think you’ll need for next year’s holiday season.  Things like cards, candles and gift wrap that you go through yearly should definitely make the list, but things like ornaments, lights, and other decorations that may need replacing should also be considered.

Wrapping Paper.  A lot of wrapping paper that is marketed as “Christmas” paper can be used year round – so stock up!

Candles.  A lot of candle scents are marketed as “holiday” but can be enjoyed year round if you just peel of the sticker!

Do Research.  Spend some time looking at the newspaper, sales circulars, and internet.  You can find a lot of coupons and deals and know where to go for the best bang for your buck.

Shop Department Stores.  Department stores have to clear out their excess “holiday” inventory to make room for new arrivals in the near year.  You’ll find a lot of on sale that doesn’t necessarily include holiday accessories.

Winter Wear.  You’ll find a lot of coats, hats, boots, etc. on sale beginning now.

Happy shopping!

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.

 Merry Christmas to you & yours from all of us at Cooper Realty Associates.

Today as our families gather to celebrate, remember why we have this Holiday and the Spirit that comes with it.  Let us pray and the children have a ball with their presents.

Peace on Earth and Good will to All!!

Today’s food for today is from Henry David Thoreau:  “Goodness is the only investment that never fails.”  (Fred)  “I agree!”

As Santa prepares for his whirlwind tour of every house and chimney in the world, NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) prepares to track him, just as they have every Christmas Eve for the pas 58 years!

It all began in 1955 when a Sears Roebuck & Company catalog promised a Santa hotline but misprinted the number and gave the number for what was then the Continental Air Defense Command (now NORAD) instead.  When Col. Harry Shoup fielded the first call that Christmas Eve he was probably expecting the Secretary of Defense, some kind of red alert, or perhaps even the President, but instead he heard a little girl on the other end of the line asking about Santa.  He immediately sprang into gear, instructing staff to check the radar for signs of Santa, and thus a tradition was born.

The official NORAD website explains how they use radar, satellites, Santa Cams, and fighter jets to track Santa in a very high-tech system that begins the moment the NORAD radar indicates that Santa has lifted off.

You can track Santa personally and check the running count of gifts delivered at NORAD’s official website by clicking this link.  Your kids (or you!) can also follow Santa by emailing noradtrackssanta@outlook.com or by phone at 1-877-HI-NORAD, or download the NORAD Tracks Santa mobile app.

Happy Santa tracking & Merry Christmas Eve!

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.

Make one of these delicious breakfasts up tomorrow and stick it in the fridge overnight so that all you have to do on Christmas morning is pop it in the oven.  Easy, delicious and not at all time consuming!  Here are some recipes to try:

Christmas Morning Casserole
Cut 4 English muffins in half and arrange them face up in the bottom of a greased 9×13 pan, cutting to fit when necessary.  In a large skillet, toss 2 medium tomatoes (chopped), 1lb of sliced mushrooms, salt & pepper to taste & 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Sautee until veggies are tender and the liquid is thickened (8-10 minutes) then spoon over the top of the English muffins and set aside to cool.  In a large bowl whisk together 8 eggs, ½ cup milk, ½ tsp of garlic powder, ½ tsp of onion powder, salt & pepper to taste and 2 tsp of dried basil.  Add to casserole then cover and refrigerate.  In the morning, let the casserole come to room temperature for an hour , then preheat the oven to 350 degrees, sprinkle with the cheese(s) of your choice and bake until cooked thorugh, about 45-50 minutes and serve immediately.

Monkey Bread
Take 3 packages of 10 count packaged biscuits (30 biscuits total) out of their tubes and cut each tube into 4 parts lengthwise.  Shake rolls in a bag with 2/3 cup sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon.  Spray a bundt pan and arrange sugar coated biscuits in the bottom of the pan, creating a layered effect.  Melt 1 cup of butter and mix in 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 tsp of cinnamon and ½ cup of chopped nuts.  Pour butter mixture over biscuits and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  Store in an airtight container and warm the loaf up when you’re ready for it.

Breakfast Burritos
In a large skillet, fry one 16oz package of frozen hash browns  according to the instructions and then set aside.  In the same skillet, brown a ½ lb of pork sausage then drain and set aside.  In a large bowl beat 12 eggs and ¼ cup of milk.  Add chopped onions, peppers and any other veggies you’d like to taste and season with salt & pepper.  In the same skillet that you used for the hash browns, cook the egg mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the eggs are set.  Remove from heat, add the hash browns and sausage and mix gently.  Place ¾ cup filling on a 10” flour tortilla (about 12 tortillas total) and top with ¼ cup of shredded cheddar cheese.  Roll up the tortillas, wrap in foil and refrigerate overnight.  When ready to bake, place on a baking sheet and bake on 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until heated through and serve with salsa.

French Toast Casserole
Cut 1 (10oz) loaf of French bread into 1” cubes and place in a greased 13×9 baking dish.  In a mixing bowl beat 8 eggs, 3 cups of milk, 4 tsp of sugar, 1 tsp of vanilla extract and ¾ tsp of salt.  Once mixed, pour over bread.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  In the morning, remove the casserole 30 minutes before baking and dot with 2 tablespoons of butter in small cubes and sprinkle with a mixture of 3 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.  Let stand for 5 minutes.  Top with maple syrup, honey, whipped cream, fruit, or whatever combination you desire and serve.

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.

If there are still a few people left on your shopping list, consider these last minute gift ideas:

Hot Cocoa.  Google recipes for homemade hot cocoa and whip a batch up.  Package it in a cute mug with some marshmallows and candy canes for an instant hit.

Edible Bark.  Look up recipes for peppermint bark, chocolate cookie bark, or other edible “barks” and whip up a batch or two.  Package it nicely in a festive bag or tray and tie with a ribbon and you’ll have a whole host of gifts by the end of the day.

Food In A Jar.  There are lots of recipes around for just-add-liquid cookies, soups, and more.  Assemble the ingredients in a mason jar, add a cute tag and you’re done!

Instant Movie Night.  Box up a cozy throw blanket, a couple of dvds and a box of popcorn for an instant movie night.

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.

It’s not too late to do a little holiday baking, if you’re in the mood.  Here are some of my favorite simple recipes that don’t require a whole lot of work:

Peanut Butter Oatmeal No Bakes
Mix together 2 cups sugar, 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ cup of margarine, ½ cup of milk, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan and bring to a rapid boil for 60 seconds.  Remove from heat and quickly add 3 cups of quick cook oats, ½ cup of peanut butter, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract.  Mix well.  Working quickly, drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper and let cool.

Foolproof Fudge
Prepare a 8 or 9 inch square pan with a wax paper lining (wax paper should overflow the edges).  In a heavy saucepan, on low heat, melt 3 cups of chocolate chips, 1 (14oz) can of sweetened condensed milk and a pinch of salt.  Remove from heat, stir in 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla and any nuts, marshmallows or other additives you desire.  Spread evenly in the prepared pan and chill for 2 hours or until firm.  Lift the fudge out of the pan, peel of the paper and cut into small squares.

Macaroons
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Combine 14oz shredded coconut, 14oz (1 can) sweetened condensed milk, and 1 tsp vanilla extract in a large bowl.  Whip 2 extra large egg whites (room temp, not cold) and ¼ tsp of kosher salt in a separate bowl with an electric mixer until medium firm peaks are formed.  Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.  Drop the batter onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and bake for 20-30 minutes, until they are golden brown.

Chocolate Chip Candy Cane Cookies
These festive cookies are easy to make!  Just whip up your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, add 4-5 crushed up candy canes to the batter and bake as directed.

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.