East Wind Properties

03/04/2025

We're looking to buy two properties this month and next in Lancaster, Lebanon, or Berks counties.

01/26/2023

We sat down with one of our favorite clients to chat about their experience selling several rental properties to us. Nice and easy is how to like to keep things for our clients!

The Lerchs had several rental properties in Lebanon. They owned them for a long time and were ready to get out of the landlord business and the constant main...

01/09/2023

For those of you new to the page, here's a quick intro for Gail -- the one who will come out and shake your hand and walk through the sales process with you. She loves this corner of Pennsylvania and the different people she gets to meet every day. Gail prides herself on doing the right thing and helping every client with each of their individual situations to find a real estate solution that is best for them. She will be the one to walk with you through every part of the process. In her spare time, Gail enjoys exercise and checking out new local restaurants in Lancaster. She has made it a part of her mission and the company’s mission to impact others in a friendly, positive way.

08/24/2021

Selling your home For Sale by Owner (FSBO) is an exciting undertaking…

It means fewer fees...

And it means more control over when you sell, how you sell, and whom you sell to…

But it also comes with its challenges — since you’re not working with a real estate agent, you’ll have to market the home, show the home, negotiate, and deal with all the paperwork.

If you’ve never done it before, it can be a bit overwhelming.

At East Wind Properties, we’ve been working in real estate for quite some time. And so we thought we’d share a quick overview of the home-selling process when you’re a FSBO seller… that way, you know what’s ahead.

Here is the gist…

Choose a Price — The first step is to decide on a price. Look at other similar homes in the area and what they have sold for to get a baseline.

Repair/Update — Then you’ll need to repair the home and update it to make it “buy worthy”. The better shape it’s in, the easier it’ll be to sell.

Marketing — Now you’ve got to get your home in front of potential buyers. This will likely mean listing on the MLS, posting on Craigslist, doing home showings, and negotiating with potential buyers.

Paperwork — Once you and a buyer have agreed on a price, it’s time to pull out the contracts and other important paperwork. This includes the property survey, receipts and warranties, plans and permits, loan documents, the title, floor plans, and more. You’ll want to go through a title company to make sure everything is filed properly.

That’s the overview.

If you want to sell your house in less time and without the headache, give us a call at 717-722-7003 — we can make you a fair cash offer, buy as-is, and close in as little as three weeks!

08/07/2021

Unhappy with how much your real estate agent’s commission is?

Good news!

You can ALWAYS negotiate that number.

(If they tell you that it’s non-negotiable, it’s probably a good idea to find a different real estate agent to work with.)

At East Wind Properties, we’ve been buying and selling real estate for quite some time in Lebanon County and so we’re quite familiar with this process.

In fact, here are things you can use as leverage to negotiate with your agent!

Home Desirability — If your home is in a very desirable neighborhood and/or if it’s in the ideal price-point for buyers, then it’ll probably sell fast. And that means you might be able to negotiate a lower commission since the agent’s job is going to be easy.

Price Point —​The more money that your house is worth, the more that the real estate agent stands to make, even if they have a slightly lower commission. So if your home is quite high-value, then it’s worth asking the agent if they can take a slightly lower commission.

Time Of Year — When you sell your home also makes a difference. If you sell when homes sell easily (summer), then you can probably negotiate a better commission. If you sell when homes don’t sell easily (winter), then you don’t really have leverage here.

Hope that helps! And if you’d rather sell your house as-is fast for a fair cash price, give us a call at 717-722-4005. We can close in as little as two weeks and we’ll pay all closing costs.

05/04/2021

When you’re trying to sell a home, what exactly are closing costs?

Closing costs for a seller can reach 8% - 10% of the sale of a home. So estimated closing costs on a $250,000 home could be $20,000 to $25,000…

That’s a lot of money.

But where is that money going? Does the seller or buyer pay for closing costs? And are there any ways to reduce how much you pay in closing costs?

Unfortunately, in a typical real estate transaction, the seller will pay more closing costs than the buyer. Potential items included in seller closing costs are…

- Agent commission (paid by seller)
- Transfer tax (paid by seller)
- Title insurance (paid by seller)
- Escrow and closing fees (split between buyer and seller)
- Prorated property taxes (paid by seller up to close date)
- HOA fees (paid by seller up to close date)
- Attorney’s fees (paid by seller)

If the buyer demands updates or repairs before signing, or if the inspections find hidden damage, the seller might also be required to pay for repairs.

The good news is that these closing costs will usually just come out of the profit you make on your home… but that’s also BAD news.

Because it means you’ll make less money.

One way to reduce closing costs is to negotiate with your real estate agent on their commission. If they refuse to negotiate, it could be a red flag and you might consider finding a new agent.

Another option is to skip the traditional method altogether and sell to a professional homebuyer like us over at East Wind Properties. We can buy your home as-is for cash and close in as little as three weeks. And we’ll pay ALL closing costs. Give us a call at 717-722-4003 to learn more.

04/20/2021

Are you behind on your property taxes?

It happens to more people than you think, and often through no fault of their own. An unexpected financial crisis, job loss, divorce, or serious medical issues are some of the most common reasons we’ve seen.

As soon as a homeowner falls behind on property taxes, the local taxing authority will begin adding interest and penalties to the account, so unfortunately the balance will continue to increase.

Not being able to pay your property taxes is scary, because you could lose your home. We all need a roof over our heads, so here are some things you can do…

Set Up A Payment Plan – Some taxing authorities will work with you and allow back taxes to be paid in installments, but you will have to prove your financial hardship and interest may accrue.

Apply For A Loan – Some banks, and property tax lenders will loan money to pay back taxes. The latter specializes in this type of lending but be aware they charge very high interest rates.

Request An Abatement – You may be able to request an abatement due to economic hardship. You will have to provide proof that there is only enough income to meet your basic living expenses. An abatement forgives the debt without a repayment required, so if you can get approved it’s a really good option. But if there is enough equity in the property to satisfy the tax debt, you may be denied, requiring the sale of the home.

If none of the above have worked for you, give us a call at East Wind Properties. We’ll make you a fair cash offer and can close quickly to help get all this cleared up. 717-722-4003

03/30/2021

Want to update your kitchen but don’t know where to start?

Join the club.

Home renovations can be pretty expensive… and so we don’t want to mess anything up or spend our money on the wrong thing.

At East Wind Properties, we’ve been working in real estate in Lebanon County for quite some time now. And we’ve seen just about every home renovation blunder you can imagine.

To help you avoid making the same mistakes, here are a few kitchen renovation suggestions…

Don’t DIY — Unless you have a lot of experience renovating homes, it’s probably a bad idea to DIY a kitchen update. Instead, hire a professional to do the work for you.

Vet Your Contractors — Not all contractors are equal. Some will make big promises and underdeliver while others have character and integrity. We recommend checking online reviews, asking for referrals, and asking lots of questions.

Have a Clear Budget — When it comes to updating a home, nothing is cheap. And it’s easy to get carried away and find yourself way over budget if you don’t keep a close eye on your selections. Make sure to define your budget early on and keep in close communication about the budget with the contractor so as to avoid any unwanted surprises.

Think of Future Buyers — You probably want to renovate the kitchen for yourself… but it’s important to also think of future buyers and what they’ll want to see when you sell the home.

Hope that helps.

If you ever want to sell your home as-is for a fair cash offer, give us a call at 717-722-4003. We pay all closing costs and we can close in as little as three weeks.

03/27/2021

What’s the best paint color for selling a home? 🤔

It might seem like a trivial question, but today’s buyers actually DO care about the color of the house they’re buying.

As a rule of thumb, stick with neutral colors — according to HomeLight’s Top Agent Insights Report for Q1 2020, 98% of agents surveyed agreed that neutral color schemes appeal the most to homebuyers.

To get more specific, here are some recommendations…

For common areas...

- Agreeable Gray by Sherwin-Williams was ranked the #1 paint color by agents in a Homelight survey.

- Accessible Beige by Sherwin-Williams for something a little more interesting than stone-cold gray.

- Penthouse by Clare for creating a sophisticated feeling in your home.

- Canvas Tan by Sherwin-Williams is great for complementing wood stains.

For the kitchen…

- Linen White by Benjamin Moore. It’s hard to go wrong with white in the kitchen!

- Newburyport Blue by Benjamin-Moore is a muted blue that makes for a great accent color.

For exterior…

- Iron Mountain by Benjamin Moore for a darker gray-brown color.

- Sparrow by Benjamin Moore for a warm and welcoming tone.

- Oyster White by Sherwin-Williams for a white color that complements homes with wood accents.

Hopefully, that helps you choose some paint!

And if you’re looking to sell your home in Lebanon or Berks county, give us a call at 717-722-4003. We can buy your home as-is and make you a fair cash offer in just 24 hours.

03/15/2021

Planning to make some repairs to your home?

Well, most people spend a lot of time talking about the repairs and updates you should make to modernize your home and get it to sell for top-dollar…

But what about the repairs you should AVOID?

After all, some repairs are so expensive that they’re not even worth tackling… and you might be better off just selling your home to a professional home buyer.

Here are a few examples...

Unstable Foundation — This is one of the most expensive things that can happen to a home. The foundation sinks or settles, making the rest of the home structurally unsound. Fixing this can cost upwards of $10,000. But the longer you wait, the more expensive it’ll be.

Roof Replacement — You’re probably not surprised that replacing a roof isn’t as simple as calling your local handyman and hoping for the best. This typically costs between $5,000 and $10,000 and the high-end can get up to $40,000. Yikes, huh?

Water Damage — This is another expensive and common (unfortunately) thing to fix in a home. And the longer that water damage sits without being repaired, or without the cause being addressed, the damage will continue to increase. The average repair cost is about $3,000.

Mold removal, HVAC replacement, electrical rewiring, and termite damage are a few other examples of expensive repairs that might cost more than they’re worth.

If you want to sell your home instead of dealing with high-cost repairs, give us a call at 717-722-4003. We can buy your home for cash and close in as little as three weeks!

03/12/2021

Planning to hire a contractor to help repair or update your home?

It’s unfortunate, but at East Wind Properties, we’ve seen a lot of homeowners hire bad contractors 😞.

Sometimes they quit the job half-way through, do a shoddy job, or charge you more than promised.

That’s why we HIGHLY recommend vetting the contractor you choose to work with before signing any papers or paying any money.

In fact, here are a few tips for making sure you hire a contractor that’s going to do their job well.

Ask For Credentials — Obviously, you want to hire a contractor who’s qualified to work on your home. That’s why it’s a good idea to ask the contractor for the credentials they bring to the table. Where did they learn? Do they have any official certificates or credentials to prove they’re legit?

Ask For References — The best way to determine whether a contractor is trustworthy or not is to talk to people who have had work done by them in the past. Ask the contractor for some references who you can call and speak to. If they don’t have any or if they dodge the question, that’s a big red flag.

Double-Check The Contract — Before you sign anything, make sure to read the contract thoroughly. You might even hire a lawyer to help you understand the contract before you make a commitment. Don’t be afraid to ask the contractor questions as well.

Hope that helps!

And if you ever want to sell your home as-is for cash, give us a call at 717-722-4003 — we can make you a fair cash offer and close in as little as three weeks!

02/27/2021

How accurate is the “Zestimate” on your home?
To find out the value of their home, most people go to Zillow, type in their address, and check their Zestimate.
But is that number accurate?
In most cases, according to Zillow, the Zestimate will fall within 10% of the real value of the home (a home with a $250,000 Zestimate, then, could actually be worth $225,000 or $275,000).
However, Investopedia points out that, “Zestimates are only as accurate as the data behind them, so if the number of bedrooms or bathrooms in a home, its square footage, or its lot size are inaccurate on Zillow, the Zestimate will be off.”
So while Zillow is a good starting place, it’s not an end-all answer.
Be sure to also consider…
Repairs — If the home is in disrepair, that’s going to lower its value.
Updates — If the home needs a lot of updates to make it more modern, that’s going to lower its value.
Cleanliness — If the home is dirty and cluttered, buyers won’t be willing to pay as much for the home.
Marketability — If the home isn’t in the ideal area or price-point for buyers in your area, then it’ll take longer to sell and might sell for less.
And if you want to sell your home fast for a fair cash price, give us a call at (717) 722-4003. We can buy your home as-is and close in as little as three weeks!