If your home is on the market during the summer months, the outdoor space takes a larger stage for potential buyers than it does at colder times of year.  To take advantage of this, add a pop of color to your outdoor areas by planting flowers.  Additionally, do your best to keep your grass green by watering it often.  Clean up your yard as well as any porch or deck areas that you have.  Be sure to keep your yard neat and all toys, BBQ equipment, and other outdoor paraphernalia cleaned up.  Do your best to clear out any gnats, mosquitoes, and other bugs so that they don’t distract potential buyers.  Finally, really inspect your outdoor areas and do any general maintenance that is lacking.  This might include painting your front door or trim, filling holes in the yard, fixing broken screens, or anything else that will help the exterior of your home shine and sell.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-629-6693.

If you’re looking for a quick update in your kitchen, look around and consider which kitchen essentials are missing and then work around that to add what you can to create a more inviting space.  Start by looking for ways to maximize natural light in your space.  You can do this by eliminating cabinets near windows, perhaps opting for open shelving instead.  Using materials that reflect light will also help.  Adding texture also gives the kitchen a welcoming look.  The woods, finishes and countertops work together to set the mood of the kitchen.  So mix it up to create the personality you’re looking for and add a welcoming vibe.  If your space allows it, an island is essential, especially if you want your kitchen to be a social hub in your home.  Finally, add a great sink with some killer accessories to your kitchen to make it both stylish and efficient.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

Father’s Day is tomorrow, so take a minute to think of all the wonderful fathers that you know and call a couple to tell them how awesome they are!  If you’re in a bind because you didn’t plan ahead for Father’s Day, here a few quick ideas that can be pulled off at the last minute by heading into Rehoboth:

Breakfast on the Beach
Stop for an delicious egg sandwich or pastry at The Bake Shoppe (222 Rehoboth Ave.) and head down to the beach to enjoy breakfast with your favorite dad!

Father’s Day Fish
Take your favorite father to Fins Fish House and Raw Bar (243 Rehoboth Ave), Big Fish Grill (20298 Coastal Highway in Rehoboth), or another local seafood place for a delicious dinner.  Or, if your dad is the do-it-yourself type, take him fishing and grill up what you catch (assuming you catch some keepers, of course)!

A Soulful Celebration
Bring your favorite dad to the bandstand in Rehoboth for a “classic soul” style performance by popular D.C. based band, Jimi Smooth & Hittime.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266!

If you’re looking for some free family fun this summer, check out these ongoing local events:

1.  Monday Night Movie On The Beach
Head into Dewey to the beach at Dagsworthy Street for free Monday night family movies.  Don’t forget the blanket, chairs and popcorn!  Movies begin at approximately 8:30pm and are weather dependent.  Movies begin on Monday, June 17^th and run every Monday through the end of August.  For a full schedule, check out this link.

2.  Wednesday Night Bonfires on the Beach
Bring your family and the makings for some s’mores to the beach at Dagsworthy Street in Dewey every Wednesday night from 7:30pm-11pm beginning Wednesday, June 19^th through the end of August.  Bonfires are weather dependent.

3.  Fenwick Flicks
Head into Fenwick Island to the beach at Farmington Street for free film screenings on Tuesday, June 18^th (Mirror, Mirror), Wednesday July 17^th (Madagascar 3), and Tuesday, August 13^th (Oz, The Great and Powerful).  Movies will start at dusk.  Don’t forget your chairs and blankets!

4.  Cinema By The Canal
Head to Canalfront Park in Lewes for free film screenings on June 19^th (Cirque Du Soliel: Worlds Away), July 10^th (The Pirates! Band of Misfits), July 31^st (Here Comes The Boom), and August 14^th (The Odd Life of Timothy Green).  Movies begin at dusk.  Don’t forget your lawn chairs!

5.  Summer Concert Series at the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand
Check out free summer concerts every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through the end of August.  Concerts begin at 8pm.  For a complete schedule of bands, check out this link.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-856-6434.

Now that the summer season is underway, free entertainment abounds.  Here are three free summer concert series that will run this summer:

1.  Summer Concerts at Stango Park in Lewes – Bring a blanket or lawn chair to Stango Park in Lewes, next to the Library along Kings Highway for a free concert every Tuesday night through the end of August.  Concerts run from 7pm-8:30pm.  The 2013 Summer Music Concert series is sponsored by WSFS Bank and the City of Lewes.  For a complete list of bands playing this summer check out this link.

2.  Summer Concert Series at Milton Memorial Park – This summer concert series is Wednesday nights through the end of August.  Concerts begin at 7pm.  For a complete schedule of bands and sponsors, check out this link.

3.  Concerts by the Canal – Free concerts at Canalfront Park are sponsored by Dogfish Head Brewery.  Concerts begin at 6:30pm and are on June 28^th (Chester River Runoff), July 19^th (Nate Myers & The Acres), and August 9^th (The Bullbuckers).

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

It’s a big weekend in the area, with several area stages opening for the summer entertainment season.  Check out these events for something fun to do this weekend:

Thursday, June 13^th: Rehoboth Beach History Tour
Hop on the Jolly Trolley for a local history tour of Rehoboth Beach offered by the Rehoboth Beach Museum.  Cost is $10 and the tour begins at 9am at the Anna Hazzard House (17 Christian Street) in downtown Rehoboth.  Call 302-227-7310 to reserve a seat.

All Weekend (Friday-Sunday): Family Boat-Building Weekend
Head down to the Lewes Canal this Father’s Day Weekend for the fourth annual family boat-building weekend.  Sponsored by the Lewes Historical Society, there are events all weekend.  For more information, call 302-645-7670.

All Weekend (Friday-Sunday): Opening weekend at the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand
The season officially opens at the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand  this weekend with the Friday night performance of local modern rock band, Love Seed Mama Jump.  Saturday’s performance is by buzzy new country group The Stickers.  Sunday wraps up opening weekend with the classic soul music of Jimi Smooth & Hittime.  All shows are free and begin at 8pm.

Friday, June 14^th: Flag Day on Front Street
Head down to Front Street in Lewes to celebrate our nation’s red, white & blue!

Friday, June 14^th:  Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra
Enjoy opening night at the Freeman Stage at Bayside with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maestro Julien Benichou.  In addition to classic symphony pieces the Orchestra will also perform pop favorites and some other surprises as well.  Tickets are $10 per person and kids 18 & under are free.  Bring your own chair.

Saturday, June 15^th: Lewes Garden Tour
The 23^rd annual Lewes Garden Tour is a self-guided tour of seven private gardens and one public one.  The tour runs from 10am-4pm and tickets are $20 in advance or $25 the day of.  Tickets can be purchased at the Lewes Chamber of Commerce.  The tour also includes vendors, food and beverages, and a free shuttle service for ticket holders.  For more information call the Chamber at 877-465-3937.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

After you’ve found your dream home and had your offer accepted it is time to hire a home inspector.  Home inspection isn’t a step of a home transaction that you want to skimp on, so for your peace of mind and to save potential trouble be sure to find the right home inspector.  To find a trustworthy home inspector you should start by asking your real estate agent, friends and family for recommendations.  Once you have a list check the qualifications and references of the recommended inspectors and narrow down your list.  At that point you can ask inspectors to see a sample inspection report or checklist so that you can insure that hiring the inspector will turn up a thorough inspection with explanations and not just a simple checklist.  Additionally, it would be beneficial for you to hire an inspector who has membership in a national or state association of home inspectors.  Home inspectors can easily make errors or overlook problems so ask the inspector for his or her company’s policy in such situations.  Ask questions such as whether the company has insurance for errors or omissions, whether it is the company or the individual inspector who stands behind the report and whether or not there is a guarantee and if so, how long it lasts for.  Finally, ask the inspector whether or not you are allowed to be present during the inspection.  Walking along with the inspector can teach you a lot about your property and give you a great idea of the types of issues you might deal with in the future.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-629-6693.

Selling your home can be a stressful experience, especially if you’ve had offers fall through in the past.  However, there are some things you can do as a seller to do your best to insure a successful sale the first time.  The most common reasons for an offer to fall through is because of the buyer’s financing, appraisal issues, title issues and inspection issues, so the best way to protect your sale is to deal with these issues up front.

Buyer’s financing is to blame for a majority of home sales that fall through, so first you should educate yourself about financing and know what kind of financing your buyer has.  Concentrate on buyers who have been preapproved and if possible, focus on those with conventional loans versus FHA loans.  And if you get a cash offer, seriously consider it.  Even if it is a lesser offer, cash sales do not have to go through appraisal and can move much more quickly and fall through less often than buyers who have to work with a lender.

Title and inspection issues should be dealt with as early as possible.  Instead of waiting for the buyer’s inspection or title search to turn up problems, sellers should prepare themselves ahead of time.  It is smart to get your own inspection before listing.  Many of the repairs that turn up on inspections can be simple fixes that you can do yourself before sellers are scared off or request more off the price than it would cost to fix.

Finally, to keep your sale moving in the right direction you should prepare for the appraisal before you list by getting a professional opinion and pricing your home in line with the comparables in your area.  Even then you can still run into problems, but at least you will be more prepared.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

Adriatico Ristorante (First St. & Baltimore Ave.) in Rehoboth Beach has been a Rehoboth Beach staple for over thirty-five years.  Specializing in Italian and seafood dishes, they serve up delicious dishes and a great selection of Italian and American wines as well.  Adriatico is also participating in Restaurant Week 2013 by serving a three course dinner featuring grilled salmon, seafood lasagna, prime rib or chicken italiano for $35 including a glass of house wine or a non-alcoholic beverage.  But don’t forget, restaurant week ends tonight!

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

If you’re looking to add a little coziness to your bedroom, here are a few ideas:

1.  Add texture.  Cover the walls in a paintable, textured wallpaper.

2.  Accent it.  Pile on pillows and add color and pattern to the room through accents.

3.  Create coziness.  Amp up the cozy-factor by installing a remote-controlled gas fireplace.

4.  Upholster it.  Choose a favorite color, patter, or texture and have the headboard upholstered.

5.  Block the light.  Use room darkening shades or add a light-blocking liner to your drapes for added coziness.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-856-6434.