As a chill creeps into the air and pumpkin-spice-anything abounds, it’s time to consider your holiday season travel plans and the inevitable question: where will you bunk down during the holidays? Option 1: stay with family. But cramped quarters often lead to familial squabbles, leaving little time to decompress. Option 2: book a hotel. Hotels, however, get pricey around t... »
Have you ever noticed when you are driving through a new home community sometimes all of the homes look the same? It seems as though over the past decade, the focus of homebuilders has been on cost savings, which has translated into less interesting curb appeal and a rather uniform look as a result of production efficiencies. When the economy and housing industry suffered ... »
Everyone knows the feeling, whether it has happened to you personally or to a friend or relative, when a construction project on their home doesn’t go as planned. A person’s home is their castle, and we naturally want everything to be perfect. Most contractors do their jobs well and only want to please their customers and get paid. But sometimes trouble strikes: on occasio... »
The local homebuilding market has been stimulated by two groups recently: those who are looking to graduate from apartment living and those looking to downsize from larger homes. For those currently renting, skyrocketing rental rates versus the cost of owning, privacy concerns and the restrictions of apartment living have pushed a whole new population to consider a new hom... »
By Anthony S. Rachuba Now that same-sex married couples in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (PA) can enjoy the tax benefits that have long been available for opposite-sex married couples*, there are a few considerations to make regarding estate planning. Previously, same-sex couples living in PA were negatively impacted at death from an inheritance tax standpoint. PA impos... »
by Rick Koze With mortgage rates at very favorable levels and apartment rental rates rising, it is hard to understand why the first time homebuyer has not been a major player in the new home buying market. This remains the only weak area of the home buying market both locally and nationally. And yet, it is one of the most important market segments of the homebuilding mark... »
By Gretchen L. Geisser The winter of 2013 to 2014 reared its ugly head with talk of snow, ice and, of course, the polar vortex. While most of us can say we emerged from winter relatively unscathed, I fear the same cannot be said for our roadways, now potholed and cracked through and through. The snow and ice have finally disappeared, the ground has officially thawed, and w... »
By Rick Koze There are many questions to ask yourself when considering how to transition into your golden years. Should you move out of the area to a warmer climate? Should you get a small home or townhome locally and travel or buy a second home? Should you move into an apartment or condominium? Do you want to stay in a single home and if so, what type of community do you ... »
by Thomas J. Schlegel, Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba, P.C. The old football player always seems to come out of me when advising clients about the interplay between intellectual property (IP) law and daily business. Every successful football team is strong in the basic “blocking and tackling” fundamentals of the game. I’ve written before about basic “brand-centric” intellec... »
By Ann Wlazelek An estimated 69 percent of Americans, ages 35 to 44, are missing at least one tooth; another 26 percent over the age of 74 have lost all of their natural teeth. But that does not mean men and women must look like Alfred E. Newman or “Moms” Mabley. Nor does it mean they have no choice but to wear a bridge or dentures the rest of their lives. For most folks w... »
