Dell Appraisal Services

08/29/2014

Ever hear of the legal case of Kelo v. New London? Scary...it was a precedent setting case where taking private property under eminent domain powers to give to a private company was deemed constitutional because the taking produced an improvement in "economic development". Ever hear of civil forfeiture? Might want to check it out.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/instituteforjustice/2014/08/26/philadelphia-civil-forfeiture-class-action-lawsuit/

Philadelphia law enforcement has transformed a once obscure legal process into a racket that treats Americans as little more than ATMs. Every year, the city collects almost $6 million in revenue from forfeiture.

08/17/2014

I've had the opportunity to view many houses within the region. I've seen some strange things! Strange doesn't always connote something bad. Some of the "strange" things I've seen were actually pretty cool design elements. Here's some rather different house designs. I probably wouldn't want to appraise any of these, but there are a couple that would be pretty cool to live in. :)

http://www.forbes.com/pictures/emeg45lffk/arc-home-east-hampton-n-y-2/

Designed by architect Maziar Behroozs, this striking home in East Hampton is built to meet LEED standards. Its 6,400 square feet of space includes four bedrooms and three radiant-heat-floored baths, a spa sauna, gym, and 1,000-bottle wine storage. The dramatic steel-and-concrete arch reaches a heigh…

08/08/2014

Updating kitchens and baths typically bring the best returns. Here are some other ideas:

http://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/real-estate/T010-S002-small-home-improvement-projects-with-big-impact/index.html

These nine face-lifts will enhance your home's appearance and boost its value.

07/24/2014

http://blog.credit.com/2014/07/6-things-that-drive-up-the-cost-of-your-mortgage-88697/

Does the mortgage you're applying for seem to be more costly than advertised? These key factors could be driving up the cost of your mortgage.

06/17/2014

http://money.cnn.com/2014/06/01/real_estate/millennials-squeezed-out/index.html

Student loan debt, tight lending standards and stiff competition have made it next to impossible for many younger Americans to buy homes.

11/05/2013

Ever wonder why over the last several decades other areas around us with dying industries recovered while our area continues to struggle? We have resources...industrial development sites, tourism sites, a county full of hard working and talented folks (labor pool) but growth is slow? Take a look at this map. The current road system flows traffic away from us not toward us. I99, the PA Turnpike, 322.....it all goes around us. Could it be lack of infrastructure that is hindering growth of our county economically? Build it and they will come? Not if they can't get here from there..... Interesting thought or do I need more coffee? lol

09/18/2013

http://www.dsnews.com/articles/redfin-predicts-volatile-housing-market-2013-09-17

The housing market has lost some of its momentum recently according to a new study by the Redfin Research Center. Pent-up demand and low mortgage rates contributed to a robust real estate market since the beginning of the year, but higher prices and highe

08/21/2013

On Aug. 19, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie vetoed bill S. 2551, legislation that would have significantly expanded the ability of real estate professionals to provide broker price opinion and comparative market analysis services. His veto message noted concern about potential "consumer confusion...

08/16/2013

“ Statistics are no substitute for judgment. ”

— Henry Clay

07/17/2013

Taxes and real estate? Oh what fun!.....there's a couple pages in the 74,000+ pages of tax code that effect real estate. The narrative is a little off the wall, but the visual is pretty clear. Be nice to your CPA! haha

http://economistsoutlook.blogs.realtor.org/2013/07/17/simple-tax-code-a-visualization/

Visuals are often better than words. Here’s an example from history: when Vladimir the Great wanted to adopt a religion for his country (around the year...