Are you a Camper? Pennsylvania offers th

Are you a Camper? Pennsylvania offers the best in camping to the novice as well as the expert. Read further to get some great information on planning a family camping trip this summer in our beautiful state of Pennsylvania!
(Source: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/index.htm )

“If you want to explore Pennsylvania’s great outdoors, you’ve come to the right place. You can find information for planning a one day picnic or hiking trip, a weekend getaway, or a vacation. Pennsylvania State Parks do not charge an entrance fee.

Make online reservations or call toll-free 888-PA-PARKS (888-727-2757), 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday, for state park information and reservations, or e-mail us your postal address for an information packet.

Explore Your Parks – Family Camping Programs

The North Face wants you to visit Pennsylvania State Parks. We couldn’t agree with them more! Through the assistance of The North Face, Pennsylvania State Parks are offering Family Camping Programs this summer. What exactly is a Family Camping Program? It’s an overnight guided camping experience. We supply everything (well not your clothes and toiletry needs) but tents, cook stoves and other needed supplies. We’ll guide you the whole way through setting up your tent to making dinner to leading you on a guided hike or kayak experience.

If you ever wanted to try camping but found it too daunting – our Family Camping Programs are the perfect solution. Check out which parks are offering these guided camping experiences – programs will vary based on equipment offered, fee charged as well as other activities that may be offered in conjunction with your camping experience. Why camp anywhere else, but your award winning Pennsylvania State Parks!”

Calendar of Events and Park Locations:
Park Dates
Jacobsburg June 8-9, 2013
Kings Gap June 15-16, 2013
Ohiopyle July 11-12, 2013
Pymatuning July 12-14, 2013
Kings Gap July 20-21, 2013
Delaware Canal August 10-11, 2013
Delaware Canal August 16-17, 2013
Presque Isle August 23-24, 2013
Yellow Creek September 6-8, 2013

Want more information on other Things to Do in our great parks?
Click here and find out everything that is going on:
http://ow.ly/mkL7D

Private Mortgage Insurance Changes to Come!

Big changes coming for Private Mortgage Insurance for FHA!
Starting April 1, 2013, on FHA loans, Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI), will stay with the life of the loan!

Currently if you have 20% equity in your home, you can drop it. But no longer.
You do not need to close on a property by April 1st, but you must be in the process of buying in order to avoid this new regulation.
Plus… the rate for Private Mortgage Insurance is due to increase very soon!

Now, more than ever, is the time to buy!

This could help many people who were waiting to move forward before it is too late and they have to deal with this new situation in the real estate industry!

Ready to buy?
Contact me ASAP:
mjsertik@kw.com OR 412-608-3300
View my listings: http://www.mjsertik.com

Mary Jane Sertik | Bethel Park PA | Keller Williams Realty

Mary Jane Sertik | Bethel Park PA | Keller Williams Realty.

It’s that time of year again….

As the winter winds begin to whip through our neighborhoods and bring with them the seasons of Thankfulness & Giving, I am reminded of all of the good people who surround me in my daily life;
From family and friends to colleagues and clients, I have the good fortune of working with some of the finest people on this earth.
This season, I wish you all the best life has to offer!
May your sidewalks be clear and your stockings full!
I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Healthy & Happy New Year!

https://www.facebook.com/events/34458712

https://www.facebook.com/events/344587125638236/ – Thank you so much to everyone who helped out for this wonderful event. We had some beautiful weather and a great turn out. As soon as we get the numbers we will let you know how we did for the Watchful Shepherd. And remember, you can always help the Watchful Shepherd at my website: http://www.mjsertik.com/ and click on the MJCares link at the bottom of the page. Great Thanks go out to #KWSouthPgh, #KarenMarshallKW, #barbarabakertm, #PGHBestRealtor, #Donna261952 and so many others. And to the wonderful people who opened their homes for the day for this great cause. Happy Holidays to one and all!

How to Select Paint Colors for Open Floo

How to Select Paint Colors for Open Floor Plans
By Jennifer Couch, Houseplansandmore.com

Selecting paint colors for your walls can be a daunting task. There are so many colors to choose from! Some people simply feel stuck with the colors on the walls and live with them for years just to avoid the challenge of selecting a new color. Add to that the complexity of open floor plans and you can find yourself in a real dilemma.

Homes with open floor plans are a favorite because they have a sense of spaciousness that homes with numerous small rooms can’t offer. An open floor plan offers easy access from room to room making the home feel larger and making it a great space for entertaining.

The problem with this comes when you want to paint the walls. With an open floor plan, does the entire area have to be the same color?

The answer? Not necessarily.

You can paint the open area all the same color and define the spaces with different accent colors. For example, the walls can be a neutral color and the kitchen can be accented with reds, the family room with greens, and the dining room with browns. When the accent colors are used properly this concept can work.

However, playing it safe and only using one wall color throughout the space can also leave the space feeling bland and unfinished.

With an open concept floor plan it is best to use more than one color throughout the space. This can help to highlight architectural features and will create more definition and interest.

Selection of the colors needs to be done carefully. A common mistake people make is when they select random colors that compete with each other, or even worse, clash. This can break the room up too much and cause an overwhelming feeling that leaves your eyes with nowhere to focus.

The easiest way to select colors for your open floor plan is to select a color that you find pleasing for your living space and then choose two or three different shades of that same color to define each space of the open area, hallways, or architectural features.

You might choose to use the darkest shade in the dining room, the medium shade in the family room, and the lightest shade in the kitchen, for example. Or perhaps you would use the lightest shade to highlight architectural features such as pillars, built-ins, the hallway, or the entry area. The middle shade can be used for the family room, and the darkest in the kitchen and dining room. There are a number of different options.

You will find that the difference between two colors that sit next to each other on a color card is very subtle. You don’t have to choose colors that are consecutive on the color card. Instead you might try to choose shades that look good next to each other.

If you’d like to make even more of a statement, you can use totally different colors for each area. But you need to be careful to select complementary colors that do not clash.

You will want to consult a color wheel to see which colors look good together. Then you will want to unify the spaces by using accents of the colors in each room.

For example, if you paint the dining room with a shade of yellow and the family room with a shade of green, you will add elements to the family room, such as wall hangings or pillows, that have a similar shade of yellow as the dining room.

No matter which colors you select for the walls you will want to bring unity to the open floor plan with the transitional elements. This means that elements such as the doors, ceiling, and trim will all be the same color, typically white.

The key to selecting paint colors for open floor plans is to choose colors that don’t clash or compete with each other, but instead that emphasize the openness of the space, maintain the flow, and highlight the architectural features and design of the home. At the end of the day, the paint colors you choose should be the ones that you find the most pleasing.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jennifer Couch is a copywriter and…

Refi Apps Soar to 3-Year Highs Daily Rea

Refi Apps Soar to 3-Year Highs
Daily Real Estate News | Thursday, October 04, 2012

Mortgage applications for refinancings and home purchases posted strong gains this week following news of record low interest rates, the Mortgage Bankers Association reports in its weekly mortgage market survey. The gains were led by a surge in applications for refinancings.

Applications for home refinancings rose to their highest level since April 2009, soaring 19.6 percent over the week.

Overall, the MBA reported that mortgage applications — including applications for refinancing and home purchases — soared 16.6 percent for the week ending Sept. 28.

Applications for home purchases — viewed as a main indicator for home sales — increased 3.9 percent last week, MBA reported.

Mike Fratantoni, MBA’s vice president of research and economics, says that the Fed’s latest move to boost the economy is putting downward pressure on mortgage rates and leading to the rising number in loan applications. The Fed announced recently it would buy $40 billion in mortgage-backed securities each month until the job market improves. The program, known as “quantitative easing” or “QE3,” is causing mortgage rates to fall.
Find this and other great real estate articles at: http://ow.ly/ee4eb

Got money? Chances are you have just eno

Got money? Chances are you have just enough to get by, but not much in the way of extra discretionary income thanks to the nearly-stagnant economy.
I found some quick and easy tips to spruce up your bathroom to get your home ready to sell. Great Real Estate Tips from Movoto~The Lighter Side of Real Estate! http://www.movoto.com/blog

So what are you, as a homeowner, to do when you want to update your drab bathroom, yet don’t have much you can spend?

We’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s get started!

1. Make Accents Match. Coordinate things like outlet covers to other larger, more notable items like a medicine cabinet. Cost: ~$200 for a recessed medicine cabinet and 2 outlet covers.

2. Create a Tile Countertop. It’s water-resistant, easy to put together yourself, and it’s cheap. Cost: ~$8 per square foot for 4-inch tile.

3. Reglaze Old Fixtures. Buying a new tub and sink could be up to $2,000. Reglazing costs a fraction of that. Cost: ~$800 for professional reglazing.

4. Paint (or Repaint) the Floor. Mix glossy porch paint with a tint that will match your bathroom. Cost: ~$49 per gallon for tinted latex enamel paint.

5. Recover a Salvaged Coat Rack. Turn an antique coat rack into a towel rack by coating it in clear polyurethane and placing it within reach of the shower. Cost: ~$30 for a flea-market coat rack.

6. Create Your Own Wallpaper. Transform an old comic book into wallpaper. Just apply wallpaper paste to the back of the pages, stick them to the wall, then coat them in clear top coat. Cost: ~$39 for adhesive (gallon) and finish (quart).

7. Put in a Salvaged Sliding Door. This is a great option for a bathroom lacking enough space for a hinged door. Cost: ~$300 for door from columbusarchitecturalsalvage.com.

8. Devise a Unique Tub Surround. Acquire some corrugated, galvanized-steel roof paneling and attach it to one side of a drop-in tub for a rustic and rust-proof tub surround. Cost: ~$18 for 12-by-12-foot sheet from homedepot.com.

9. Revive Your Tile. Acid etcher can brighten up an unglazed, vintage tile floor by removing ground-in dirt from the grout and tile surface. Cost: ~$7 per gallon of acid etcher.

10. Match the Walls to the Floor. Repaint the walls to match with the floor’s color to add harmony. Cost: ~$43 per gallon for mildew-resistant bath paint.

Check for more great tips at Movoto.com http://ow.ly/d7GNe

6 Ways to Make Over Your Kitchen on the

6 Ways to Make Over Your Kitchen on the Cheap — Real Estate Tips

Recent Movoto articles detailed how to affordably decorate your home, as well as 28 inexpensive ways to update your bathroom. But if there’s one room in your house that will truly make or break a possible home sale, it’s the kitchen.

But let’s face it, we’re sure you have neither the will, inclination, nor the money required to completely makeover your kitchen. Fortunately, we have 6 real estate tips for you that will help you spruce up the kitchen inexpensively. Check them out below!

1. Use Elbow Grease and Clean Deep

If you want your kitchen to shine, break out the cleaners and the rubber gloves and get to work scrubbing. Every kitchen surface needs to be cleaned — “the floor, baseboards, crown molding, walls, back splash, counters,” everything. Be sure to move the fridge so you can get the wall behind it, as well as any furniture so you can get the floor.

2. Clean Those Rarely-Seen Places and Appliances

It’s a well-known fact that potential buyers will snoop while in your home. That means that storage spaces like your closets and cabinets, and appliances like your fridge and even your oven, will be thoroughly looked over. Make sure all these areas are squeaky clean and organized. And put away anything you want to stay private, like medications.

3. Clean Well and Go Bulk with Hardware

Ditch expensive options like resurfacing or replacing your kitchen cabinets in favor of either a thorough cleaning or new paint job. Once that’s done, replace any outdated or worn knobs with new hardware. Your most affordable choice is to order your new hardware in bulk — each item is cheaper, plus it gives you spares for later.

4. Make Inexpensive Yet High-End Additions

In this tip, “high-end” is not synonymous with “expensive”. The trick’s to buy things that will make your kitchen look high-end (think fancy trim or elegant plate rack shelving) without costing you much. You can then clear out some junk and make space for the clean-looking additions.

5. Apply Molding to the Cabinets

Not only is this a simple and affordable thing to do yourself, but it will also dress up your cabinets in a big way. Just be sure that the paint you’re using will stick to both your molding and your cabinets themselves.

6. Tack On a Custom Hood Range

You don’t have to break the bank in order to land a really nice hood range — just find something that will complete your kitchen’s overall look. Believe it or not, this subtle addition will give your whole kitchen a cohesive feel, and a newly remodeled feel, too.

Stephanie Huskey is the resident real estate blogger for Movoto and would recommend decking out that kitchen to the best of your ability if you’re looking to sell the home.
http://www.movoto.com/blog/ for more great tips!

http://ow.ly/d7D62 ~ Thank you to all my

http://ow.ly/d7D62 ~ Thank you to all my clients who ranked me and my company among the Highest in Customer Satisfaction w/ JD Powers & Assoc.