• Property tax update

    Property tax update,Henry Jaffe

    As we navigate the early months of 2024, Sussex County homeowners and investors are exploring property taxes and how the increased assessments will be allocated.A closer look at property reassessments Delaware's initiative to reassess property values statewide is making significant strides, with Su

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  • Protected wetlands?

    Protected wetlands?,Henry Jaffe

    As part of a partnership that began last fall, we are proud to announce that we have taken the next step in our collaboration by unifying our identities under the Monument Sotheby's International Realty name. This change allows us to provide an elevated client experience to our buyers and sellers o

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  • Highest return

    Highest return,Henry Jaffe

    Selling a home or investment property is generally a straightforward task. However, a common challenge is determining what renovations are worth the effort and expense to optimize marketability — so you can get top dollar and make a profit. A recent Realtor.com survey shows that more than half of h

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  • Market Update & 2024 Luxury Outlook Report

    Market Update & 2024 Luxury Outlook Report,Henry Jaffe

    As we begin 2024, we continue to see a lower than average inventory of existing homes for sale. Home prices rose faster in December than they have in more than a year. Falling mortgage rates brought more buyers into the market in December, but they faced the same challenges for the past two years, a

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  • Splitting up

    Splitting up,Henry Jaffe

    The summer season is just about in full swing but sales are still down significantly. When compared to pre-pandemic times, it was common to have about 4x the number of homes on the market this time of the year. The year-over-year median purchase prices have increased by 17% but sales would certainl

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  • Only situations

    Only situations,Henry Jaffe

    My wife and I recently took our children to the Caribbeans and our fantastic tour guide said something that I hope our kids never forget: "We have no problems, mon. Just situations, and we take care of them before they become problems." In 2002, I started my real estate career in the commercial off

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  • Appraisal strategies

    Appraisal strategies,Henry Jaffe

    If you're evaluating real estate in a trust, refinancing, considering a sale, or need to know the value of your home for other purposes, an appraisal is in your future. To ensure the appraisal goes smoothly and your property is valued fairly, you'll want to do a bit of preparation. Depending on the

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  • Build or buy?

    Build or buy?,Henry Jaffe

    With high inflation (though it's cooled a bit) and rising interest rates, the cost to buy or build a home is an issue of concern. Let's explore the comparative cost and advantages of building a custom home vs. buying a pre-built, conventional or modular build. A study by NAHB (National Association

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  • Title fraud

    Title fraud,Henry Jaffe

    A growing issue in our market that owners and buyers should be aware of is title fraud (also called title/deed theft). It's not extremely common, but it does happen and can be devastating when it does. The crime occurs when a fraudster steals your personal information and uses it to file a fraudule

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  • Forced appreciation

    Forced appreciation,Henry Jaffe

    As we observe what has been a shifting market here at the beach for the last few months, the outlook for buyers is starting to tilt in their favor. However, there are still pockets of high demand areas and our market has historically been less sensitive to interest rate volatility. Furthermore, rea

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