Get the backyard you always dreamed of!

February 29, 2016

Mar16 NC web banner-3“Matthew is a master perfectionist. On-time, detailed and communicative, he would send me a text every day about the status of the project. Matthew is a great contractor who is meticulous, personable and made the project a pleasant experience. He has a tremendous work ethic and kept at it until finished, even in bad weather. Best of all, there were no over-runs. The cost was exact to quote. I highly recommend Matthew and IDI Landscape Solutions.” – Linda

Imagine. Design. Install. IDI Landscape Solutions Creates Your Dream Oasis

With IDI Landscape Solutions, you can give your home an exquisite look with custom hardscapes and landscaping for you to showcase and enjoy.

From design to finish project, IDI Landscape Solutions offers true artistic alternatives in:

  • Outdoor Kitchens and Living Space
  • Fire pits and Fireplaces
  • Water Features
  • Patios and Walkways
  • Walls and Pillars
  • Steps and Stairs
  • Designer Planters

All complete with accent colors, ambient lighting and so much more.

Owner and founder Matthew Eger explains, “At IDI Landscape Solutions, we focus on fluidity, function and flawless designs and installation. Most importantly, we offer a whole range of products, including multi-lock pavers and natural stone, and will customize design, materials and scope to achieve the results you want while keeping within your budget.”

“During the initial consultation,” continues Eger, “I learn about the client and what they want, whether they are into curves, angles, octagons, pavers, natural stone, any unique landscaping challenges and see where and how the landscape flows and access the best location for the outdoor kitchen, fire pit, water feature or other landscape possibility. Also, based on their wants and their budget, I can select the best combination of multiple products to make their dream a reality.”

A veteran of the first gulf war, owner and founder Matthew Eger earned his landscape contracting degree from Penn State University but has been a landscaper and gardener for his whole life starting with his own garden at 8 years old. “I inherited my green thumb from my mother, grandmother and even great grandmother,” explains Eger. “But what all my clients have preferred over the years is that I’m the one, rolling up my sleeves and doing the work. I’m at every work site, should anything need changed or any challenge arise.”

To learn more about having your own outdoor, home oasis, visit www.landscaperpa.com or call (412) 760-8801 today for a FREE estimate and take the first step towards your dream landscape and outdoor living space.

Recently, IDI Landscape Solutions created a two-tier patio and octagon fire pit for a client who had this to say:

 

Filed Under: Real Estate

Tis the Season…. For Refinancing

December 1, 2014

MABC Refinancing

 By: Colleen Anthony, MABC Mortgage, LLC

It’s that time of year again.  The cold weather is setting in, holiday songs are playing on the radio and the New Year is just around the corner. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Real Estate

Mortgage Matters.

November 4, 2014
Colleen Anthony Owner MABC Mortgage, LLC

Colleen Anthony
Owner MABC Mortgage, LLC

Why Your Mortgage Matters…

Homeowners sell or move, on average, every five to seven years.  Some of the reasons for change; Size of Home, Upgrade, Job Transfer, Personal Relationships, Neighborhood Changes, Empty Nest, Retirement, Health Problems, Cash in Equity, Lifestyle Change. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Real Estate

6 Keys to a Successful Garage Sale

April 1, 2014

Apr14 NC web banner-4

By Marianne Reid Anderson

If you have items that you no longer want or need, a garage sale is a great way to clean out your home and earn back some of the value of your items. Using the following keys to a successful garage sale will help you maximize your earning potential:

The More the Merrier – The larger the garage sale, the larger the crowd of shoppers; otherwise, you may end up with a lot of drive-by looker-on’s that don’t bother to park and peruse. So if you are arranging a garage sale, be sure and let friends and family know that they are welcome to bring items and then give them a certain area where they can setup. Just make sure that they are responsible for making their own sales because it is impossible to know how they might negotiate a price. You may also want to consider organizing your neighbors to all having a garage sale on the same day because multi-family and neighborhood garage sales always attract a large number of shoppers.

Garage Sale sign [Read more…]

Filed Under: Real Estate

History and Tradition: Thanksgiving and More – Is there anyone who doesn’t know the history of Thanksgiving? We are history rich in our country. Do you have knowledge of how mortgages came to be?

October 30, 2012

Mortgages can be traced back to England.  The concept made the trip on the Mayflower with the Pilgrims.  In fact, in colonial days and beyond, the typical transaction included putting 50 percent down on a piece of land or property, with the balance due in five years.   Of course, the values of homes were much lower then, but so were incomes.

  • When the Depression fell upon America, the source of funds for mortgages from banks was among the casualties of the times.  Banks had no money to lend and the mortgagors had no money to repay the lenders.
  • It wasn’t until after the Depression that the concept of monthly installment, or amortized payments came into being.  The Federal Housing Administration was created, and loans became insured.  Since the banks had insurance against the borrower defaulting, money became more available.  The 30-year loan became a reality, which provided the consumer with lower, affordable payments.

Prior to World War II, the Federal National Mortgage Association was created to provide liquidity – that is, mortgages were sold as securities, creating a secondary mortgage market.   This also aided the consumer in that rates and terms became more stable, rather than geographically sensitive. 

When the Baby Boomers came of age, the demand for housing skyrocketed, causing quite a housing boom.  Higher incomes, along with the two-income household became more common, and homes became more affordable, or a larger, more expensive home was purchased because the couple would qualify for the loan with both incomes. 

As time marched on, the American Dream was one that not all Americans could achieve, so the government began to encourage a wider range of loans, with less restrictive qualifying criteria.  Mortgage products became more “flamboyant,” and the onset of little or no documentation loans began.  These loans allowed the buyer to provide virtually no proof of employment, income, or assets, and offered a similar rate to the full documentation loans.  Also during this time, individuals who were credit challenged were offered loans that would allow them to purchase their home, often with a “reward” or lower interest rate if they continued to make payments on time for a pre-determined period of time.

Self-employed individuals were able to be approved (many write off a good bit of their income) with excellent credit, or just by showing bank statements to prove the levels of their gross income.  Deductions and business expenses were not considered in qualifying.

We all know what happened in 2007 and 2008 – the credit crisis hit not only mortgages, but also our entire economy.  Many economists are now saying that the recession is over, and has been.  However, the mortgage products available today are similar to those the country saw in the 1970s and 1980s, in that income, asset, and employment information are required on virtually every loan approved. 

Arguably, many of the loans were doomed to fail.  While this can be debated, it should also be noted that many of them did not fail, and many hard working individuals who otherwise may never have had the opportunity to own a home did achieve home ownership. 

 We have much to be thankful for this season – our country did not suffer the horrific economic set back in the first decade of this century that it saw in the 1930s, and while there is still much to be done on the employment and economic fronts, it is reassuring that we have come to a new normal in a short period of time. For those that want a new home, I encourage you to keep shopping, as there are great values out there. Happy Thanksgiving, and remember, “Your Home Loan Matters.” 

Filed Under: In Every Issue, Real Estate
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