Author: Eric McKenna

Pittsburgh based Entrepreneur, Realtor and Podcaster.
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Really Cool Home Remodeling Ideas

I came across this article by written by Peggy Wang on the BuzzFeed Staff and I must admit…its’ really ‘cool!’  She lists 43 unique and ‘Cool’ remodeling ideas.  It’s a great, fun article with quite a few really custom and useful interior and exterior designs.   Some are really ‘out of the box’ thinking compared to traditional remodeling options.

Here are a group Peggy’s ideas I felt were standouts: enhanced-13793-1405531626-1

6.  Display your book collection under the stairs or even add a ‘wine cellar style’ wine cabinet under the stairs

11.  Make space for two dishwashers instead of one

16.  Maximize your space with baseboard drawers

17.  Consider building a hidden room

18.  Make some of your walls magnetic.  

20.  Add a multi-directional steam shower

24.  Put a ‘bar’ rail on your deck for extra outdoor eating room

31.  Add recessed hallway or basement lights along the baseboards

42. Cut out ‘overlooks’ for your second storyenhanced-buzz-15087-1388183167-9

Again, just a really fun read. Some of these ideas left me scratching my head because – they really make sense!  How could we not be doing these?

Here is a link to Peggy’s complete article on BuzzFeed

If you are considering remodeling your home and would like referrals to excellent contractors or if you would like advice on how your remodeling plans may affect the value of your home, please feel free to call or text me at 412-613-4466.  Or email me at sold@ericmckenna.com

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Get Pre-Approved

What is a Mortgage Pre-approval?   Generally, a pre-approval is a written statement from a lender stating the lender’s preliminary determination that you would qualify for a particular loan amount under that lender’s guidelines. The determination and loan amount are based on your income and credit information. Most pre-approval letters are good for 60 to 90 days.

Does Pre-approval Guarantee Me A Loan?   No.  It’s important to understand that pre-approval letter is nvaluation-149889_640ot an offer to lend, a commitment to make a loan, or a guarantee of specific rates or terms. Also, regardless of pre-approval, a lender may require additional income and asset verification, as well as the satisfaction of other conditions, before extending you a loan. Pre-approval letters are subject to modification or cancellation if your financial situation or other conditions change.

Why Should You Get Pre-approved?  The short answer is Yes! The most important reason is that you will get an accurate idea of how much home you can afford. This can help to target your home search and ensure you only look at houses that are truly in your price range.  Also, a pre-approval letter can make you stand out in a competitive real estate market. If you make an offer on a house without a pre-approval, your offer may not be taken as seriously as an offer from another person with a pre-approval.

If you would like to apply for your Pre-approval for your home search, Howard Hanna Mortgage Services is a great place to start!  Just call or text me at 412-613-4466 or email me at sold@ericmckenna.com.  I can put you in touch with our office’s Howard Hanna mortgage consultant and get the process underway.

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5 Quick Home Staging Tips

I wanted to share a great article regarding inexpensive staging tips for home sellers. This article comes to us from Melissa Neiman of Bankrate.com

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Without question, correctly staging and presenting your home can significantly improve the odds of an effective and satisfactory sale.  However, hiring professional home stagers are not always within the budget.   With that thought in mind, here is an overview of Melissa’s article.

1. Pack away personal items. When possible, packing away your personal items is one of the simplest ways to help sell your property quickly.  One quick way to de-personalize your home is to remove personal photos.  The idea is that it’s difficult for prospective buyers to envision themselves in your home if they are surrounded by your personal family photos.

2. Clear away the clutter.  While not always the easiest thing to do, it’s vital to enable the prospective buyer to focus on your home – not your ‘things.’  It’s much better to pack away your belongings in boxes and get them out of the way and out of site.

3. Rearrange and neutralize rooms.  The suggestion is that fresh, neutral paint on walls, trim and doors makes your home appear clean and new.  Another suggestion is to make sure closets are neat, organized and not over stuffed.

4. Clean and deodorize.   It’s near impossible for a prospective buyer to look past a smelly home.  Clean, clean, clean. The clean some more.  Also ensure your home has a pleasant fragrance when prospective buyers arrive.  Whether that would be scented candles or freshly baked sweets.  Fresh and clean wins over just about anything else.

5.  Enhance curb appeal.  First impressions only come around once.  Mow your lawn and trim your hedges.  Pressure clean your exterior including sidewalks, decks and driveway.  Also adding mulch is a low cost upgrade which really enhances a home’s landscape and overall exterior presence.

You can read Melissa’s full article here.

If you are considering selling your home and have any questions concerning home staging or any other selling factor, don’t hesitate to contact me.  I’m here to help.  Feel free to call or text me at 412-613-4466.

Or feel free to use this form:

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The Not-So Glamorous Life of a Real Estate Agent

This is great! The great folks at Coastal Premier Properties posted this funny … but oh so true, article. Good Stuff!

Coastal Premier Properties's avatar

Being a real estate agent is easy right? You get to talk to people all day and drive around looking at pretty houses. Maybe you sell one here and there. No boss, no cubicle, no coworkers.

While we love our jobs at Coastal Premier Properties and love when things go easily, our actual day-to-day work is far less glamorous.

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Take a look at what three of our top agents were up to this week:

Agent #1: On my way to a showing and the seller calls me from my work. “I forgot to pick up the dog poop from the backyard!” she says. The buyers are already on their way, so when I get to the house, I find some paper towels and pick up all the droppings from the yard before the buyers and their agent get there.

Agent #2: I’m selling a house that needs a new interior…

View original post 185 more words

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Home Inspection, Right?

11477884125_392221a3a5 Here is a quick read as well as a short video by my friend and Twin Cities Real Estate Agent, Tom Sommers, on why it is essential for home buyers to have professional home inspection completed before the purchase of a home.

Tom briefly touches on the fact that with an inspection, the home buyer not only learns about any potential problem areas with the home but the home buyer also gains a manual on how the home is run.  This information can be very helpful to first time home buyers who have never changed a furnace filter or would not know the location of the gas shut off valve.

Click here to read Tom’s article

If you are looking to purchase a home in Southwestern PA, I’d enjoy working with you and being of assistance through each step of the buying process as your agent.  Feel free to call or text me at 412-613-4466.  You can also reach me by email at sold@ericmckenna.com

 

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The Wrong Home Upgrades?

Here is a tremendous short article on All-IN_GRANITE_Kitchen_RemodelingRealtor.com regarding the importance of making ‘smart’ and appropriate home improvements in relation to effectively selling one’s home.  Many people spend too much money and too much time on home ‘improvements’ that, in the end, do not raise the value of their home nor help them sell the home.  A great rule of thumb is when in doubt, seek professional advice before you spend money.  It’s imperative to have a well thought out and effective plan before any construction begins.

Don’t Sink Money Into the Wrong Home Upgrades – Home Improvement – realtor.com.

If you need referrals for excellent home contractors or help with planning to sell your home, feel free to call or text me at 412-613-4466.  You can also reach me by email at sold@ericmckenna.com

 

 

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Welcome to EricMcKenna.com

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 Well, we are off!  EricMcKenna.com is launched.  And Thank You for stopping by!

While I’ve been marketing and communicating ‘online’ since the late 90’s,  in today’s world there are now so many online vehicles to connect with folks.   And while I certainly enjoy Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, I’m really excited about this new website and the opportunity to use my Blog to present great real estate ideas as well as share my agent experiences along the way.

If something you read resonates with you or you would like to contribute to the subject of one of my blog posts, feel free to leave a comment or contact me directly.

I encourage you to stop by often and if you find the content useful, fun or interesting, considering subscribing to my blog.

Onward!