Thanks for all of the great responses!

Justin

Justin:

Sorry for the delay in responding. Howard answered many of your questions well below. The builder is Paul Lantz, We do indeed have a pretty consistent influx of people from Chester Co. and outward - into Lancaster Co., because of our favorable taxes, utilities, insurance costs, etc.. If you need anything else, just let me know. :) Southern Lancaster Co. is also anticipating growth in the coming few years because of the growth and expansion of Aberdeen. It's a lovely area!
Jennifer King

Hello Justin, To answer your question more completely I will give you some basics. This lot is owned by the realtor listing it. He works with a builder, Paul Lance from the Strasburg area. This home has not been built yet so it is listed twice at this time, once with a proposed $229,900 bilevel home with 1040 Sq. ft., 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The other listing is a proposed 299,900 2 story home with 2100 Sq. ft., 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. He may list it one or more additional times with other size and priced homes. I know he has it priced out with two other proposed homes at this time, but they are not listed yet. The buyer may bring their own plans or use one of the builders. To put things in perspective, a lot in this general area (and most surrounding areas) will go for $100k and up and you should have an acre or more for on site septic which is what you will get unless you are in a town. Lots under 100k are in a swamp, on a steep slope, under power lines or requiring a sand mound septic. Baltimore has little if any impact on the southern Lancaster and Chester County markets. What doe affect Southern Lancaster County is perhaps in this order, Chester County, Cecil County MD, Delaware County and New Castle County DE. In southern Lancaster County, the real draw is Solanco School District and its low taxes compared to neighboring school districts. It is lower because they have not allowed subdivision after subdivision to flood the area with children that are expensive to educate. It is a good school district, I live here myself and love it for all the reasons it is sought after, taxes around 1/2 of chester county, cheaper car insurance, cheaper electric, and less crowding. It is still close to all the crowded areas so you can enjoy them and then go home. That being said, prices are not low and will not be low. While much of the country has suffered, this and surrounding areas have not suffered on the same scale. The question you face is how much home can I get for 200k as a lot will be around 100K. Sure all the nice things will be available on a smaller home but in a large home they will not. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. There is plenty more to talk about if you are considering a home in this area.

let me add that what you get for new construction will also depend on the builder/developer. Using your numbers, a developer should be able to build you a 3700 sq. ft., two story home with all the bells and whistles for $300k. (lot not included in price). The TRUE cost of construction on a nice home is about 70 - 90 per sq. ft., however, most developers will charge you 100 - 110 per sq ft. And thats the issue.

If you really want to save, you should shop for all the things you want on the inside and pay the developer for the labor, otherwise, he will be charging you "cost +" on everything. Which may explain why you found that home advertised for $299k and Jennifer has it for $229k ($70k difference).

Example: I found a lot in your area on Realtor.com for $60k (7050 sq. ft.). You can put a nice 3100 sq. ft. home on this lot for your price. And don't let anyone tell you that this is not so, because this is what I do. And the lot has all utilities available.

So what you get will depend on who builds it, and how much you are involved in the process. Get involved and if you are able, you should purchase your own land, counter tops, cabinets, floor coverings, etc., just to make sure that you pay only the cost of such items, and pay the contractor for labor. Remember, he is a home builder, not a retailer of home appliances, counters and cabinets. lol

Khazeem Asadullah

info@serapisdebtservices.com

Jennifer,

Thanks again for the info.

I was perusing the list you posted and the listing for this address that I was talking about is on your list. It is number 27. Its saying 299,900 and shows a different model than the one depicted in the other link you provided. So now I am a bit confused. :) Any ideas? Thanks

Justin

PS Do you know who the builder is?

Justin:

You are absolutely correct! Most builders will accommodate you by adding whatever upgrades you desire. :)

Let me know if you need further help!
Jennifer

AH ok that makes sense. I did find it someplace for 299,900 so lets assume then I was preapproved for something around that amount, then I could indeed upgrade as I have mentioned, correct? Thanks for your time!

Justin:

Here is the link for the property you're inquiring about...It's actually listed at $229,900 and doesn't appear to have a lot of upgrades included in that price. There are some really great homes in the area.

Follow this link to see the page:

http://www.flexmls.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?20080329191828509043…

This link is valid until 4/28/2008.

Here is a link for some additional properties for your consideration. I hope this helps!

Follow this link to see the page:

http://www.flexmls.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?20080329193040433519…



This link is valid until 4/28/2008.

Jennifer