Don’t Be In the Dark During the Next Blackout

Surviving a blackout with your sanity intact can be a challenge, but the more prepared you are, the easier it will be to endure. Knowing these tips will help make your life easier during and after a blackout. To prepare:

• Make sure each member of the household has a flashlight and that they know where it’s located. Remember to keep extra batteries in a central location. Candles can potentially be very dangerous so don’t use them.

• Make sure you have a telephone that works without a power supply as cordless phones won’t work during an outage.

• Have a portable, battery-operated radio on hand to keep informed about the blackout.

• Keep your vehicle’s gas tank at least half full, but remember that electric garage doors won’t operate without power so make sure you know how to manually work them. Avoid driving if you can as traffic lights will be down making congestion (and drivers’ tempers) worse.

• Have a supply of water and non-perishable food items available.

During the blackout:

• Turn off all lights and appliances (for example, computers, air conditioners, heat producing appliances) to prevent power surges and fire hazards when service is restored. Leave on one light so you know when the electricity is restored.

• Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed to prevent food spoil`ge. Food in a closed freezer can stay frozen for up to two days.

So remember, properly preparing your home in the event of a blackout will help keep your family safer (and saner!), and ensure those hours you’re without electricity go more smoothly.

I pull out all the stops to sell your home.
Lonnie Snyder
REALTOR ®
Keller Williams Realty Southeast Sound
Phone:  206-406-2710   

Lonnie Snyder is a full time real estate agent and REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty specializing in Residential Real Estate for buyers and sellers in Washington's Kent, Renton, Newcastle and South Bellevue.

Look For Some Real Estate in Lewes, Delaware

Are you looking for Lewes Delaware real estate? Well you have come to the right place. In this article I will tell you about a great website to search for homes in Delaware. It is a site called Find Delaware Homes. There you can find homes for sale in Lewes Delaware by checking out some Lewes DE real estate listings. There are tons of listings of homes for sale on there website. You will be able to find short sales in Lewes DE and real estate Rehoboth Beach Delaware. If you are looking for a plot of land then you can search for lots for saleLewes DE. If you want to search in another city just narrow your search to Milton DE real estate to find homes in Milton, Delaware. You can alter your search criteria to find single family homes, condos, vacation properties, or mobile homes. My favorite searches are for real estate Lewes DE and Lewes Delaware real estate for sale. I used this site to find all the homes I was interested in when I was looking to buy a house in Delaware. Then I just called up The Don Williams Group and made a reservation to set up tours to these homes. After being toured through these homes I didn’t exactly find what I was looking for. So I went back to the website and started searching again until I found exactly what I wanted. By doing this I found a wonderful home in Sussex County. It is located right on the bay and has a little beach right in the front of the house. It also has a dock where I plan to keep my future boat. If you want to find your dream home in Delaware then I strongly suggest that you check out this website. I can guarantee you will find a ton of homes that you will be interested in. So what are you waiting for? Start searching today!

Cracking Up is No Laughing Matter

A serious foundation problem can quickly turn into an expensive nightmare.  Most buyers realize this and will simply walk away or at best, won't purchase the home until it's been properly repaired.

If you notice cracks, bowing or anything else that looks suspicious, you'll want to determine how serious it might be.  It's strongly recommended that you have the foundation inspected by a qualified professional.

Foundation cracks are caused by hydrostatic pressure as water soaks into the earth around the base of the house.  The foundation sinks as water from the gutters spills out and puddles around the house putting pressure against the foundation wall which causes cracks that make the house settle more than it should.

Indications of a house with possible foundation problems include unlevel floors, windows and doors that are hard to open/shut and diagonal cracks on the wall around the corners of doors and windows.  It's important to keep in mind though that most houses have cracks and defects which are purely cosmetic.

If you're selling a home with a foundation problem, it's best to get it fixed beforehand as a questionable foundation problem can often squash a sale.  If you don't plan on getting it fixed, at least get a quote so you're able to show potential buyers how much the repairs will cost.

I pull out all the stops to sell your home.
Lonnie Snyder
REALTOR ®
Keller Williams Realty Southeast Sound
Phone:  206-406-2710   

Lonnie Snyder is a full time real estate agent and REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty specializing in Residential Real Estate for buyers and sellers in Washington's Kent, Renton, Newcastle and South Bellevue.

Benefits of a 20 Percent Down Payment

While a 20 percent down payment was once the standard when purchasing real estate, it eventually fell out of favor. Because many new loans were available with minimal down payments, most homebuyers didn’t recognize a real need to save up that much. However, after the housing crisis, buyers are now reconsidering the appeal of a 20 percent down payment mortgage.

Many homebuyers can qualify for a conventional mortgage with as lov as 5 percent to 10 percent down. However, if you put less than 20 percent down, you will usually have to pay for Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI). On FHA loans, mortgage insurance is required for five years.

FHA borrowers are required to put down 3.5 percent, and it can’t come as a gift from the seller (but can come from family/friends). VA loans are available with no down payment and no mortgage insurance. As mentioned earlier, there are conventional loans available with 5 percent to 10 percent down payments. These loans require mortgage insurance.

Whether you should put a full 20 percent down on your mortgage is up to you and dependent upon your financial situation. With home prices still low (extremely low in some areas), and with interest rates still at historic lows, it may not make sense for you to wait to save up 20 percent.

However, if you can make a 20 percent down payment, you may be able to afford a bigger house with the same total monthly payment than you might have had if you only put down 3.5 percent, for instance. This is because a 20 percent down payment eliminates the mortgage insurance requirement. You’re likely to score a better interest rate as well. (Depending on your credit scores and other requirements, of course.)

One could also make the argument that it would be financially beneficial to have money socked away in savings in case something untoward should happen, rather than using it all on a down payment. When the money is tied up in your house, it’s not easy to access it in case of an emergency. However, a 20 percent down payment yields that much more beginning equity in your home. If you need to sell, you’ll have more room to negotiate with potential buyers.

Some lenders still offer what are known as piggyback loans. This includes the 80-10-10 loan, where your first mortgage is 80 percent of the home’s price, then your next mortgage is 10 percent (to cover part of the down payment), and the remaining 10 percent is what you put in as cash to add up to a 20 percent down payment. With an 80-10-10, you don’t have any Private Mortgage Insurance, but you do have a second loan on the house. 

The bottom line: Discuss your down payment and mortgage options with your mortgage professional before you determine how much you need to save. 

I pull out all the stops to sell your home.
Lonnie Snyder
REALTOR ®
Keller Williams Realty Southeast Sound
Phone:  206-406-2710   

Lonnie Snyder is a full time real estate agent and REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty specializing in Residential Real Estate for buyers and sellers in Washington's Kent, Renton, Newcastle and South Bellevue.

Buy Homes in Dagsboro, Millsboro, Bethany Beach, and Fenwick Island.

Sussex County has some of the most beautiful and cleanest beaches in the entire country. It also has some of the best communities as well as golf courses. Here are some great links if you are looking for real estate in Sussex County.

Homes for sale in Rehoboth Beach

Homes for sale in Lewes, DE

Bethany Beach real estate

Dagsboro real estate

Fenwick Island real estate

Millsboro real estate

If you get tired of these links stayed tuned as I will be providing more every single week.

Find a Real Estate Agent in Delaware

Sussex County Delaware is the home of many real estate opportunities and the home of many real estate agents. To find the best real estate agent in Delaware look no further than the Don Williams Group. The Don Williams Group has expert agents that specialize in beach real estate and all real estate in Sussex County. This includes Bethany Beach, Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, and Lewes. Areal estate agent in Lewes should know exactly what they are doing, and that is where the Don Williams Group excels. In my Opinion the DWG has the best website for real estate in Delaware. The website can search for homes or rental properties and you can customize your search to match all of your needs. The DWG also has a prime location which is located right in the heart of Lewes, Delaware. This key location makes it easy for the Don Williams group to reach its customers. All of the agents are properly licensed in the great state of Delaware. They also do some real estate in northern Delaware as well as in Kent County. Mostly the Don Williams Group does real estate in Sussex County because that is where there office is. They have been in the business for over 10 years and have many satisfied customers. The customers are able to find their dream home through the agents at Don Williams Group. Customers have found beach front properties right on the Indian River Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. They have also found houses in Beach Communities such as The Peninsula Delaware. There are also properties in golf course communities that are available to be found easily through the Don Williams Group. So what are you waiting for? Find a realestate agent in Rehoboth Beach today. You will be more than satisfied that you did.