Real Estate Information Archive

The Oldfather Group of Ocean Atlantic Sotheby's International Realty is proud to announce Chuck Seaman as their top first-year producer. With the brokerage since June of 2012, Chuck has assisted in no less than 10 buyer transactions and wrote five offers (four ratified) in one week, achieving an impressive $2.8 million in sales volume.

After 30 years of vacationing along the Delaware coastline, Chuck and his wife relocated from the Washington, DC metropolitan area to Rehoboth Beach in 2007. Chuck brought his extensive background in new home construction and land development with him, providing an undeniably informed perspective of the current real estate market and its clientele. In addition, Chuck spent several years familiarizing himself with the amenities of properties from Milford to Ocean City, and possesses unique knowledge and an insightful understanding of the benefits of the entire region. This dedication to his industry clearly proved to be an asset in his recent achievements.

“Chuck's transition into Delaware real estate has been nothing short of spectacular,” says Dustin Oldfather, CEO of The Oldfather Group of Ocean Atlantic Sotheby’s International Realty. “He has an effortless way of ensuring his clients feel special and cared for, and that comes through right away. Quick to laugh or tell a story, Chuck is at his best making people feel open and at ease. Being the first one in the building in the morning, and focusing on all the details has been the foundation for extraordinary results in his newfound profession. I am proud to be associated with a man of Chuck’s caliber.”

Chuck has had similar affect on his clients. Rick Santow gave a glowing review of Chuck’s work ethic:

“We had a fantastic experience with Chuck. His level of communication was incredible and, more importantly, we always felt as though he was fighting for our best interests. Unique circumstances created some difficulties during our transaction and he worked tirelessly, even over the holiday season (when most people would try to do LESS work).  It was, overall, a great experience for us, and we are enjoying our new home.”

In business since 2005, and fully staffed by a knowledgeable, friendly and professional team, The Oldfather Group of Ocean Atlantic Sotheby’s International Realty specializes in the sale and purchase of extraordinary properties in Lewes, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, Fenwick Island and coastal Delaware.

Local Expertise. Global Exposure. Extraordinary Living.

With the rapidly changing technologies in every it is easy to lose sight of how far they have already come. Today real estate consumers use their pc, a mobile device or tablet to connect to integrated real estate maps of property listings with images, virtual tours and a bevy of community and area information. Although these are amazing advances the next generation of applications are already being developed and real estate consumers are going to be thrilled. 

Infusion, a New York based company with offices world wide, is continuing development of a Falcon Eye, a software application which is being built for the Microsoft Surface Laptop/Tablet hybrid. Windows Surface runs Windows RT Operating System which is designed for slower processors.

Falcon Eye is a unique presentation platform using geo spatial mapping technolgy which can show real estate developments, customized models and allows the user to zoom in and out on Geo Spatial maps to see buildings, roads and landscapes and take 3d virtual tours of the existing or virtual created properties. This software also allow the user to build 3d property models, connect to live video feeds to see traffic, police reports, weather, views and lifestyle.

The power of this developing platform will allow real estate consumers to become more informed than ever. It is easy to imagine this type of technology integrated into many different applications in the future. Soon everyone will be able to search and truly experience and evaluate real estate in any corner of the world from any internet interface. As R. Buckminster Fuller offered,"the future is here, its just not widely distributed yet."

Rebuilding Our Communities (ROC) was launched by DSHA in November 2011.  The program, funded through an award of Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) funds from HUD, was designed to be used in targeted areas to help stabilize communities that were hard hit by the downturn in the economy.  DSHA is pleased to announce that 100% of funds allocated to DSHA for ROC have been exhausted.  Any current reservations will be honored, and should be delivered, per program guidelines.

What is the true benefit of having your home listed with professional-quality photo … Is it truly worth the money invested in paying for a professional photographer?

YES!

As the graphic above shows, there can be a significant return on your investment in using DSLR photography.  However, as most DSLR cameras are generally out of the price range of the average leisure photography (ranging from $500 to over $1,000), it makes sense to assume that most DSLR photography for home listings will be done by professionals.  A professional photographer will usually cost $100 -- $500, so it stands to reason that because using professional photography could net you thousands of dollars more on your home sale, it is a worthwhile investment to use your marketing dollars on.

Given this monetary benefit of professional photography, it is shocking that a majority of listings out there today are still shot using point-in-shoot photography, or even just a camera phone.  Let’s be perfectly blunt:  Without the investment in professional photography when marketing your home, you aren’t really marketing your home.  See the photos below for a specific example of this - the photo on the left was taken with a point-and-shoot camera, while the picture on the right was taken by Andrew Hensler, a professional photography, using a DSLR camera.  Do you see the difference?

A few more interesting facts taken from the Redfin analysis – Homes shot with a DSLR camera:

• Receive an average of 61% more views than other homes, across all price tiers.
• Have a 47% higher asking-price per square foot.
• Have a better chance of selling, for homes priced above $300,000.
• Stay on the market an average of 10 days longer than other homes, across all price tiers.

So homes that use professional photography will get more page views and eventually sell at a higher price, but it takes longer for these homes to sell.  What does this all mean for the average home seller?  It means that you should make sure that you, or your agent, are making the investment in professional photography!  Great photography can drive more buyers to view your listing, and the more people that are viewing your listing, the greater the chance of you receiving an attractive offer.

But what is the best way to make this professional photography work for you when marketing your listing?  Stay tuned for our next blog, outlining some tips and tricks to really get the maximum value from your photography!

Is now the best time in modern history to buy a home?

"If I had a way of buying a couple hundred thousand single-family homes, I would load up on them."

​Why choose to live in Delaware, you might ask yourself.  For many great reasons!  Here are just a few of our favorites:

There are significant tax advantages!  Beyond the fact that there is ​NO​ state sales tax, NO state tax on Social Security income, and NO personal property taxes, there are a wealth of tax credits and exclusions to be found here in Delaware.  These include:

• ​PENSION EXLUSIONS.  For each person 60 and over, up to $12,500 of pension and eligible retirement income are exempt from Delaware income taxes.
• SCHOOL TAX CREDIT.  Each qualified homeowner 65 and older receives a Senior Citizen Property School Tax Credit of up to $500.

​Delaware also boasts one of the lowest property tax burdens in the entire nation - the average Sussex County property tax bill for a single family home is $106 annually.  Kiplinger's Personal Finance​ Magazine even chose Delaware as one of the 10 most tax-friendly states for retirees!

Delaware offers both a great location AND stunning natural resources!

• Delaware (specifically Rehoboth Beach) is located within a 3-hour drive of three major cities: Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, DC.  Add another hour and you can be in New York City!
• ​There are incredible beaches, state parks, biking/hiking trails, golf courses, and more to be found here!
• ​Three separate publications (​Delaware Today, Coastal Living​, and ​Southern Living​) and CBSMoneyWatch.com have listed Lewes, Delaware as a best place to live or visit ... and ​National Geographic​'s travel website designated Rehoboth Beach's boardwalk as the 6th best in the entire nation!
• ​The Natural Resources Defense Council awarded Rehoboth and Dewey Beach the "​Superstar Beach​" status, an honor given to only 4 beaches, meaning that both beaches received their highest 5-star rating, and had perfect water testing results.  So our beaches are not only beautiful and seemingly endless, but they are ​safe​ as well!

And more... Isn't it time for you to come to Delaware to see for yourself what an amazing place it is to live?

​Please Note:

All information provided is subject to change without notification.  Also, you  need to consult with a lawyer or tax advisor regarding your eligibility for any Delaware tax or other benefits.