Delaware Foreclosures, Short Sales, Sheriff Sales and Bank Owned Properties  The one question I have been asked the most in my 14 years as a Realtor in Delaware is  "Larry, How about foreclosures?"  Most of the time its in email for or over the phone so in order to have this info available to everyone here are the different types of homes that are for sale in a nutshell.   1.  Realtor listed home- The most common type of sale is the home listed with a Realtor.             Usually the seller has some equity in the home and gets a check at settlement to purchase another home so his mortgage lender gets paid and full.  This is usually the easiest home for a buyer to purchase because the transaction is only between two parties (buyer and seller). 2.  Short Sales-  A short sale is a home lis... 09/05/2011

09/04/2011

Delaware Home Sellers Save Thousands With My Low Cost Full Service Real Estate Listing Program. Wilmington - Newark - Hockessin - Pike Creek -  New Castle - Bear - Newport - Claymont  - Middletown The Real Estate Business has changed and its to your benifit!  Call me today at 302-530-9186 to see how much you will save when you list your home with me!   09/02/2011

Just a quick reminder that tonight is the last 2011 Family Fun Night at Wilmington's Brandywine Zoo! Again this year, 93.7 WSTW Family Fun Nights, sponsored by Del-One, are being held at the Brandywine Zoo in Wilmington. Admission is only $1 with kids under 3 FREE. There will be animal presentations, interactive games, and music along with Nancy and Spencer from WSTW. The final Brandywine Zoo 93.7 WSTW Family Fun night will be held September 1 from 6-8PM at 1001 North Park Drive in the Brandywine Park. It should be beautiful weather, a good way to begin the Labor Day weekend, and great night to relax with the family. Don't miss your last opportunity this year and ... Enjoy! David HenkeLong & Foster Real Estate, IncWilmington DE/Devon PADirect:610-618-0808 - Office:302-834-3431www.Delawa... 09/01/2011

Just sit tight, folks, and New Castle County will repair your South Graylyn Crest sewers. Contractors are now on Crestover Road in South Graylyn Crest bringing an end, hopefully, to problems which have existed for at least the last 30 years in Graylyn Crest and much of Brandywine Hundred.. For years, we have been told that if tree roots or other obstructions occured in sewer lines between the house and the main line in the street, it was the homeowners' responsibility to do repairs. That is what prompted this tree lover to choose putting in a new pvc line with clean-outs  to the street many years ago, rather than cutting down my beautiful maple tree. But within the last 10 years or so, the sewer periodically backed up into my laundry room and I had to get roto-rooter type work done. The... 08/25/2011

Wilmington Delaware Short Sale Realtor Tips For Homeowners What is a short sale? A short sale is a process where the property owners ask the lender or mortgage holder to reduce the amount owed to them in order to sell a property they own.  Many property owners are "upside down" and owe more than their home is worth. Should I try a short sale of my property? Every situation is different and you should consult a attorney and tax accountant for legal advice.  Many people are left with the choice of foreclosure or short sale and find a short sale being the better choice  to preserve credit and a chance to exit the property without owing a lot of money or any money at settlement. What is the best way to move forward with a short sale? If you have decided to try the short sale route you will ... 08/21/2011

                  This last week has brought lots of rain, thunder, and lightning, but it has also brought Beauty. Beauty in the form of a black Swallowtail Butterfly enjoying the white Lantana flowers in my Wilmington yard. Beauty in the form of a pink Lantana that was sad looking a month ago when I bought end of the season (for retailers) Lantanas that were in need of deadheading the little pineapple-shaped pods which are left after the blossoms fall off. Enjoy what's left of the summer of 2011! 08/18/2011

                   Last night was the last outdoor concert of the season in Rockford Park in Wilmington, Delaware. I especially wanted to attend, since my friends Mike and Tracy Connolly were playing with their band, Seven Rings. Mike is the Director of the New Castle Historical Society, and not only plays guitar, but also the mandolin. Tracy plays tambourine and sings, as well as leading sing-along and clap-along songs.                                     There was a nice crowd, and many of them indicated they were Irish--as this is a band that plays Irish, Scottish, and a few other songs (including a Johnny Cash song). Rockford Park is a jewel in the City of Wilmington, part of a park system organized by philanthropist Samuel Bancroft and designed by Frederick Law Olmsted over 100 yea... 08/16/2011

  Beginning Thursday, Delaware will welcome another farmers market—and one you can visit after work. Cool Spring Farmers Market comes to beautiful Cool Spring Park in Wilmington. Hours are 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Offerings include locally grown fruits and vegetables, of course, as well as eggs, grass-fed meats, homemade pastas, cheeses, olive oil, breads, pastries and desserts. Hayley Schmittinger, of organizer West End Neighborhood House, says there will also be locally made honey, apple cider, fruit pies and prepared foods. The Cool Spring Farmers Market is an enterprise by Bright Spot Ventures, created by West End to help young people learn business and social skills. Your shopping at the market helps. The market will run through Sept. 15. CLICK HERE CLICK HERE by Delaware Today Online 08/09/2011

                  Last night was the first of 3 days of the Riverfront Blues Festival on the Christina Riverfront in Wilmington. The big stage had Smokin' Joe Kubek and then the James Cotton Band. But in between the big acts, the side stage was, in my opinion, the place to be. You could get up close and really see the action. The two bands above are Kenny Jones and my favorite, the Randy Lippincott Band http://randylippincott.com/band-bio/ . That's Randy in the hat and the FABULOUS Smokin' Joey "Hotbox" Simon on harmonica. We had heard the band at the Media PA Blues Walk and have become big fans. On the way back to the car, farther down the river by the cluster of restaurants, we had the opportunity to look back at the Market Street bridge opening for the Riverboat, which docks just dow... 08/06/2011

Where will you see the next Bonnie Raitt? At the Riverfront Blues Fest, Aug. 5-7 at Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park in Wilmington, where you can see 23-year-old guitar phenom Joanne Shaw Taylor rip it up, followed by the likes of harpist James Cotton and his band, Tab Benoit and Jumpin’ Johnny Sansone. It’s one of the biggest, rockin’est parties of the summer. Make a day of it, or jam all weekend long. Tickets are $15-$50. riverfrontbluesfest.com by Delaware Today 08/03/2011

Don't forget to take some time out this summer to enjoy the Delaware State Parks 2011 Summer Concert Series. Once again the Delaware State Parks are holding their 2011 Summer Concert Series in five parks throughout the state. This year various concerts will be held in Bellevue State Park north of Wilmington, Killens Pond State Park north of Harrington, White Clay Creek State Park near Newark, Trap Pond State Park near Seaford, and Rockford Park in Wilmington. In New Castle County, Bellevue has shows on Thursdays and Sundays,White Clay is on Wednesdays, and Rockford is on Mondays. Trap Pondand Killens Pond both hold their concerts on Fridays.  All the events are supported by the generous sponsorship of Inc Now, the Delaware Opthalmology Consultants, and the Delaware Division of the Arts ... 07/29/2011

      Saturday brought the 2011 Water Garden Tour sponsored by Gateway Garden Center and The Delaware Center for Horticulture. My friend Brenda and I were looking for ideas, and they certainly presented themselves courtesy of some hard-working and talented gardeners. The first pond was in Hockessin, Delaware and was designed by a woman who has done professional landscaping. You can see flowering rush, chameleon plant, lobelia and lotus in this rock rimmed pond fed by a waterfall, all very naturalistically.  The second pond, in Landenberg, Pennsylvania, had a pond with lotus and koi (named King Louie and Kyoko)  all at the base of a waterfall flowing down a high hill in the back, which several of the ponds seemed to have in common. We are in the Piedmont, so these hilly properties on the... 07/24/2011

           A stroll along Wilmington Delaware's Riverfront on Sunday morning found a peaceful scene, with joggers, bikers, walkers, and the Riverfront Wilmington Business Improvement District bicycle patrol covering the vast expanse between the train station and the Environmental Center to the south.            A new feature is the display of birdhouses that are designed by Wilmingtonian Thomas F. Burke. They do not yet have descriptions on them, but I think the 2 above are supposed to be a chapel and the clubhouse at Augusta National. They are said to cost from $3000 to $15,000, and were featured in the June 2010 Architectural Digest.             Another new highlight along the Christina Riverfront is Jim 'n Eddie's, which purports to sell Chicago Style Popcorn. Being a native Chicagoa... 07/18/2011

              The five night long DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival in Rodney Square, Wilmington, Delaware ended Saturday night with the Rufus Reid Out Front Quintet (that's Rufus on the bass, left) and then soared with A Trumpet Tribute:Celebrating Clifford Brown. The latter featured Jeremy Pelt, David Weiss, and Tom  Harrell on trumpets, and Anthony Wonsey on piano, Dezron Douglas on Bass, and Louis Hayes on percussion.  The stunner for me and my friends (and judging from the appause, a whole lot more people) was Harrell (in black on right). Harrell has won numerous awards and grants, including multiple Trumpeter of the Year awards from Down Beat magazine,[14][15] SESAC Jazz Award, BMI (Broadcast Music Incorporated) Composers Award, and Prix Oscar du Jazz.  What is amazing is that h... 06/29/2011

  Today launches the 2011 Greek Festival In Wilmington Delaware. Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church is once again presenting the annual Wilmington Greek Festival. This year the festival will be held from June 7 to June 11. Opening at 11:00 each day, lunch will be available from 11:00-2:00 with free shuttle service to downtown Wilmington (from 9th & Market Tues through Friday) and curbside pickup. Homemade food will be available all day from 11:00 - 9:30 in the Hellenic Community Center. Music and dance performances will be held nightly. DJ music mixes will start each night at 5:30. Greek music will be performed by Philadelphia's Atlantis starting at 6:30 and Terpsechorian Dance performances will begin at 7:30. Church tours will also be available daily. Holy Trinity is located on Broom S... 06/07/2011

  As a member of the Executive Committee of the Friends of the Furness Railroad District in Wilmington, Delaware, I proudly invite you to our annual meeting on Wednesday, May 25 at 5:30 PM at the Historical Society of Delaware. Our speaker will be Sally O'Byrne, who will speak on the History of Wilmington's Waterfront.        If you wish to attend, see RSVP information below.                                                                                                                                                                    05/23/2011

For 3 nights, Wilmington's Little Italy will host A Taste of Little Italy, a fundraiser for the West End Neighborhood House. The evenings of May 17, 18, and 19 will find street entertainers, artists, and craft makers plying their trade. The celebration started last Friday, with judging of a ravioli contest. The winner was Luigi Vitrone's Pastabilities at Fourth and Lincoln. The upcoming festivies' entertainment and crafts  locations will be in Little Italy at Sixth and Union, Eighth and Union, and Sixth and Lincoln. There will also be specials offered by local businesses. See http://www.atasteoflittleitaly.com/ for a list of participating businesses. Go have fun and explore! 05/16/2011

Historic Preservation tax credits are a way for homeowners, and more often, businesses, to justify putting money into preserving our built heritage. However, the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled that a business partnership using the tax credits to restore a historic commercial building is a "disguised sale" of property that is therefore subject to federal income tax, as opposed to a distribution of tax benefits among partners. This means that 35% of of an investor's capital contribution to a project is now being collected by the U.S. Treasury. On a $2 milliion project, this means that $700,000 of financing disappears. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is calling for the Court to reconsider this important ruling which could mark the end of preservation tax credit... 05/12/2011

   Wilmington Garden Day was this past Saturday, an annual event done to benefit children's charities. We started out at WynEden in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. It was said to be inspired by Muir Woods, in Marin County, California. Above are just 2 highlights from this property, a bamboo forest and a one acre pond, and  beautiful orchids (Cypripedium reginae, I think).     Next are 2 completely different gardens, Fair Hill Farm, in Chadds Ford, an  expansive country spread with areas ranging from a garden built around an old barn foundation, to a formal boxwood garden, to a Royal Paulownia forest arrayed around an historic stone home. Then we switched to a North Wilmington Beechwold neighborhood home with an attached greenhouse and a several outdoor seating areas, boxwoods, fountains, and... 05/09/2011