Kat Geralis Home Team Wilmington DE Real Estate News Archives

REAL Trends recently released their list of America's Best Real Estate Agents to honor and rank real estate sales professionals and teams in all 50 states and metropolitan statistical areas— and our own Kat Geralis was chosen! Using the data from individuals who closed more than 50 sides or $20 million and sales teams with more than 75 closed sides or $30 million in closed sales volume, REAL Trends chose Kat Geralis as one of the Best Real Estate Agents in Delaware.

REAL Trends reached out to virtually every leading brokerage organization, all Realtor® associations and MLSs and a variety of other sources to compile their list. The final list consists of 1,000 real estate agents, named the "2013 Top 1,000 Real Estate Professionals in the United States."

A native Delawarean and U of D grad, Katina Geralis grew up in North Wilmington, and has lived in DE most of her life. Kat is an entrepreneur at heart with a true passion for Real Estate. She has hands-on experience in all areas of residential real estate including; Luxury Homes, Investment properties, New Construction, Active Adult 55+, Short Sales and Foreclosures. 

When clients choose Kat as their Realtor, they get the advantage of her wealth of knowledge, experience and creativity, which leads to a very successful formula. “It is very rewarding to make a difference, by working thru each client’s unique situation to make a lasting impact in their lives.” Kat’s ultimate goal is to create a positive real estate experience and her persistence, drive, and customer follow-up shines through her “whatever it takes” attitude!

As a Top Producer and now one of America's Best Real Estate Agents, Kat’s Multi-Million dollar portfolio consists of a balanced mix of Buyers, Sellers, Short Sales, Foreclosures, and Bank-Owned properties.

Want to work with Delaware's Best? Contact Kat Geralis and her team at the Wilmington Homes Group to discuss your real estate goals. Are you a first time home buyer? Learn more about the homebuying process with one of our free, first-time homebuyer seminars. 

Katina Geralis
Wilmington, DE Real Estate Expert
Keller Williams Realty
Wilmington Real Estate
Wilmington Homes for Sale
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The curb appeal of your Wilmington, DE home is more important now than ever before. With housing inventory low and buyer demand high, you want to be sure your home is one piece of Delaware real estate that stands out in the crowd. By getting your home up to par this summer, you can be certain homebuyers in the market to purchase a home will take note of yours before they even step inside the door. Remember, first impressions are key!

Green Home, Smaller Bills

This summer, give your home an energy audit. Walk around with a notepad and notice any cracks or gaps in windows, doors, switch-plate covers, and the like. According to MSN Real Estate, experts say you can save up to 20% on your home heating and cooling bills by simply plugging leaks. You can even receive a rebate for home-energy audits performed by recommended auditors.

Insulate Pipes Now

It may seem like an odd time to talk about insulation, but ensuring your hot water pipes are insulated correctly now can save you on energy costs this coming winter. This can be done by purchasing flexible foam pipe insulation sleeves from a hardware store. Taking precautions now can save you money in the long run when you know your Wilmington home is utilizing energy and resources properly.

Clean Your Patio

Summer is a great time to get outside and enjoy the weather— that means your patio too. Remove your outdoor furniture cushions, cleaning them thoroughly, and spray down the frames with a soapy, bleach solution. A recipe to follow uses:

1/3 cup laundry soap powder

2/3 cup trisodium phosphate or TSP

A quart of bleach

Three quarts of warm water

Allow the furniture to dry and return the cushion covers while they are still damp to prevent shrinking.

Clean Your Deck and Concrete

Power washers are just the tool to clean concrete patios, driveways, and outdoor spaces in the summer. While your washing the concrete, keep an eye on the water direction to be sure it moves the water away from your Wilmington area home's foundation. If it does not, inspect the area, looking for cracks and flaws in the foundation. Next check the inside for water stains or wetness. If hiring an inspector to find a solution to the structural problem is not in the cards, installing a sump pump can often fix the water problem in these spaces.

Take Care of Your Deck and Planters

Outdoor plants add instant curb appeal to Delaware homes for sale and are sure to grab a homebuyer's attention. Just be sure that your planters and pots have feet placed underneath of them as standing water can cause your deck's wood to rot. Pot stands and even colorful bricks will also do the trick. 

Patch Cracks and Make Amends

One final way to add curb appeal to your property is to patch all cracks in the asphalt and concrete outside, as well as removing problem trees or pruning them for a polished look. Now is also the time to give shutters, doors, and fences a new coat of paint if their's has chipped or faded over the winter. Fix faulty locks or panels on your outdoor fence, especially if you have a garden or landscaped area, to keep out unwanted visitors and animals. 

The Final Step

Are you ready to put your home up for sale and invest in your next piece of Wilmington, DE real estate? Let me help you decide which type of property best fits your needs for homeownership. Together we will work to find the best home for both you and your family. You can also learn more about the buying process at our FREE first-time home buyer seminars! 

As always, feel welcome to contact me for more information about homes for sale in Wilmington and Newark. I am here to help you with your home ownership goals!

Katina Geralis
Wilmington, DE Real Estate Expert
Keller Williams Realty
Wilmington Real Estate
Wilmington Homes for Sale
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While housing inventory across the country is beginning to increase— along with mortage rates, housing prices, and buyer confidence— Wilmington, DE homebuyers are urged to act quickly if purchasing a home in the area is something in their near future. You've started your home search and you think you've found the perfect home, but are hestitating to make the jump to finalize all of the real estate plans. Don't think twice! Homes are beginning to sell quickly on the local real estate market and homebuyers will need to respond and be decisive if they wish to secure their dream home purchase.

Cash offers are becoming more apparent and lender standards are starting to loosen. According to data from the National Association of REALTORS®, in May, 45 percent of all homes sold were on the market for less than a month. So what can you do as a Delaware homebuyer to act quickly and land your dream home? Here are some tips to start the process:

1. Get preapproved, not just prequalified 

Getting preapproved for your Wilmington home's mortgage helps to show the seller that the buyer is serious about this home purchase and has a greater likelihood of being approved for a loan and making it to closing. 

2. Be responsive to your lender

If a lender asks for more information, be ready to respond. When you are willing and able to provide everything the lender requests, you should have no problems making it to your closing within a month, pending the title company and others involved work within your time frame as well.

3. Be decisive, not careless

It's important that you as a homebuyer are decisive in what you want and need out of your future home, but do not act on a whim to purchase quickly. Experts still advise that no matter how much of a hurry you are in, you should still set your sale contingent upon a home inspection. Afterall, you may love the home but you don't want to get stuck with a problematic one after the sale. 

Are you ready to take a look at the area homes for sale and invest in your piece of Wilmington, DE real estate? Let me help you decide which type of property best fits your needs for homeownership. Together we will work to find the best home for both you and your family. You can also learn more about the buying process at our FREE first-time home buyer seminars! 

As always, feel welcome to contact me for more information about homes for sale in Wilmington and Newark. I am here to help you with your home ownership goals!

Katina Geralis
Wilmington, DE Real Estate Expert
Keller Williams Realty
Wilmington Real Estate
Wilmington Homes for Sale
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Have you been thinking of purchasing a new home in Wilmington, DE? Recent real estate studies show now is a great time for Wilmington homebuyers to jump into the market— and purchase more expensive homes at that. According to a study by the National Association of Home Builders, Americans may be able to afford a higher-priced home if they buy newer properties. "Due to lower operating costs with new homes, buyers can purchase a newer home that is more expensive and still achieve the same annual operating costs as an older, existing home," the NAHB study found.

The NAHB study took into account how utility, maintenance, property tax, and insurance costs vary by the age of the home. According to the study, homes built prior to 1960 had an average maintenance cost of $564 per year, where homes built after 2008 had average maintenance costs of $241. Those homes built prior to 1960 have operating costs that average nearly 5 percent the home's total value as compared to the homes built after 2008 which had operating costs of less than 3 percent of the home's value.

NAHB Chairman Rick Judson stressed the importance of homebuyers looking beyond the initial sales price when considering whether to buy new construction or an existing home. “They will find that with the higher costs of operating an older home, they can often afford to spend more to buy a new home and still have annual operating costs that fit their budget.”

And while mortgage payments will naturally be greater with the higher purchase price of a newly-built home, "the lower operating costs mean the home buyer will have annual costs that are about the same as if they’d bought a lesser-priced, older home with a smaller mortgage payment and higher operating expenses,” the NAHB stated.

This news comes at a great time as seller confidence has begun to increase, allowing more housing inventory to open up and current homeowners to feel comfortable placing their properties up for sale. home buyers have recognized recently that buyer demand just simply cannot keep up with the limited inventory available and now, with more homes coming into the Wilmington, DE real estate market, home buyers will appreciate more choices should they choose to purchase either higher-priced new homes or existing properties.

Are a first-time homebuyer in Delaware or simply looking to find a new place to call home? Let me help you decide which type of property best fits your needs for homeownership. Together we will work to find you the best mortgage options for your new home. You can also learn more about the buying process at our FREE first-time home buyer seminars! 

As always, feel welcome to contact me for more information about homes for sale in Wilmington and Newark. I am here to help you with your home ownership goals!

Katina Geralis
Wilmington, DE Real Estate Expert
Keller Williams Realty
Wilmington Real Estate
Wilmington Homes for Sale
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The word is out across the country that mortgage rates and housing prices are rising. But along with these two important homebuying factors, two others are stronger than ever— homebuyer confidence and demand. Now is the time for Wilmington, DE homebuyers to come off of the sidelines and jump into the real estate market before the current low rates disappear. 

According to the KCM Blog, real estate and finance experts have projected that U.S. home prices will appreciate by 5.4% in 2013 and The Mortgage Bankers Association, Fannie Mae and the National Association of Realtors have also projected that the 30-year mortgage rate will be at least 4% by the end of 2013. For instance, that means if your dream Wilmington, DE home has a current listing price of $200,000, you could see your mortgage rate increase by $56 if you delay your purchase by one year and in just one year, that listing price may seen a price increase of $10,000. 

Affordability is still high for Wilmington, DE real estate as it's currently coupled with low interest rates and low housing prices, as compared to last year's levels. In fact, Bankrate reports that houses have been at their most affordable level in the past year since the National Association of Realtors began tracking the data in 1970. The real estate market is now offering homebuyers the chance to purchase homes at a rate they can afford— but in observing the ever-rising mortgage and housing prices, the window will not last forever.

So don't sit back and wait for a better time to buy your Delaware home or even jump on a shortsale or foreclosure, the time is now to optimize your homebuyer wants and needs, especially if you are making the transition from renter to first-time homebuyer! 

If you are a first-time home buyer in Delaware, you need to be well-equipped to handle the competition! Find out how to get approved for a mortgage and learn more about the buying process at our FREE first-time home buyer seminars! 

As always, feel welcome to contact me for more information about homes for sale in Wilmington and Newark. I am here to help you with your home ownership goals!

Katina Geralis
Wilmington, DE Real Estate Expert
Keller Williams Realty
Wilmington Real Estate
Wilmington Homes for Sale
Visit My Website
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As a Wilmington, DE real estate agent, I see my share of nervous home sellers. Particularly in a buyer’s market, marketing a home is tricky. The competition is fierce and you want to make sure that everything goes perfectly. This way, your home will be sold faster for the best price possible. I make it my responsibility to educate those who are interested in selling their Wilmington, DE home about the various tactics and techniques one should use before, during, and after marketing their listing. There is one step that I always recommend: Before listing your home on the Wilmington, DE real estate market, get a home inspection!

Home inspections are an inevitable part of selling your home. It’s understandable. A buyer wants to make sure that their Wilmington, DE home is up to code and ready to move into, but they can also use the inspection results to try and get more out of the seller. The only way to avoid such an unfavorable outcome is to get an inspection before listing your home. Here are some of the benefits to getting your Wilmington, DE home inspected early-on in the selling process:

•    Buyers will perceive a greater value on the home. If the home has already been through an inspection, then the buyers will see that as one less thing to worry about. As a result, you can ultimately get more money from the sale.

•    You can avoid buyer’s remorse. If you complete a Wilmington, DE home inspection well in advance, then you can address all of your home’s defects early-on. This can help avoid buyer panic after the contract is submitted and negotiations are completed. This can help you avoid catastrophes and headaches down the line.

•    It keeps the transaction positive. If a buyer is more focused on the positive, fixed aspects of the home, then they won’t get caught up in the home inspection and try to negotiate more out of you, the seller. It cuts down on buyer demands and gives you the opportunity to get the most value possible out of your Wilmington, DE home.

There are no perfect houses. No matter how amazing you feel that your property is, I can guarantee that a home inspection will find something that needs to be fixed. This isn’t something that you should worry about too much. As your Wilmington, DE real estate agent, I have contacts and connections with several home repair companies in the area. I can help you find the right professionals to fix any and all problems found during your home inspection. It’s the best way to get your Wilimington, DE property ready for the local real estate market!

As always if you need any help with your Wilmington, DE home sale, or you want more information about getting a home inspection, don’t hesitate to contact me! I’d love to help you in any way that I can. I hope to hear from you very soon!

Katina Geralis
Wilmington, DE Real Estate Expert
NextRE Team
Wilmington Real Estate
Wilmington Homes for Sale
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