It may seem nearly impossible to find a home for under $100,000 in today's real estate market, but it turns out that you absolutely can, and Pittsburgh is the place to look. 

Realtor.com performed a search to find out which metros had the most single-family homes for sale below $100,000. Pittsburgh took the top spot with 2,452 single-family homes for sale under $100,000. It was found that the median home price was $168,000. Along with a high volume of inexpensive homes, Pittsburgh was noted for becoming a technology hub, with large companies such as Uber, Google, and Microsoft opening offices in the City.

While the fact that Pittsburgh is becoming more popular for tech firms, and thus increasing home prices in the areas near the tech companies' offices, neighborhoods such as Dormont, Castle Shannon, and Bellevue were noted for still being affordable for buyers.

The top five cities with the most homes under $100K were:

1. Pittsburgh, PA - 2,452 homes under $100K
2. Detroit, MI - 2,402 homes under $100k
3. Chicago, IL - 2,070 homes under $100k
4. St. Louis, MO - 1,900 homes under $100k
5. Cleveland, OH - 1,587 homes under $100k

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To find out the rest of the top ten list, check out the original article on realtor.com. If you're looking for a home in Pittsburgh or the surrounding area, get in touch with us! We would love to help you find the home of your dreams!

If you've ever looked for a house, you've probably seen listings that claim a home is "move-in ready," but what does that actually mean? We're sharing eight features to look for in a home that claims to be move-in ready.

At the most basic level, a move-in ready home is one that can be lived in immediately, without any major repairs. Move-in ready doesn't necessarily mean the home is fully updated or new--just that it is ready to be lived in. Below are eight features to look for in a move-in ready home. 

1. Roof
The roof should be in good condition and not need to be updated in the near future. A home with an old roof may not be an issue, but it could be at any time. Look for homes that have a roof that has been somewhat recently updated, well care for, and will not need to be replaced anytime soon.

2. Windows
Windows should be free of damage, rot, or anything that could allow water into the home. As long as the windows are sturdy and free of the aforementioned issues, it doesn't matter if they aren't brand new.

3. Heating and cooling
A home's furnace, water heater, and heating and cooling systems should be in great working order. If any of these vital  components in a home need to be replaced in the next couple of years, it's not recommended to consider the home move-in ready.

4. Electrical 
It's crucial for electrical work to be up-to-date, not only for move-in readiness, but for safety. All outlets and switches must be usable and up to code. It's important not to move into a home with older electrical systems due to the risk of fire.

5. Plumbing
The plumbing in a home should be able to be used normally and be in usable condition. A bathroom doesn't need to be fully updated to be move-in ready, it just needs to have unclogged drains, flushable toilets, and working showers and sink faucets with good water pressure. 

6. Flooring
Any flooring that is heavily damaged by warping, buckling, or stains that cannot be removed should not be considered move-in ready.

7. Paint
While ugly paint colors can be an eyesore, they won't prevent a buyer from unsafely living in a home. If there aren't excessive chips or marks in the paint and the paint used wasn't lead-based, it is considered move-in ready. 

8. Kitchen
A kitchen doesn't need to be equipped for a gourmet chef and have brand new countertops and appliances to be useable. As long as the appliances, outlets, and faucets are in working order, the kitchen can be considered move-in ready.

You've searched high and low and finally found your dream home at just the right price. Then, your agent tells you there are multiple offers on the same home and you've found yourself in a situation all buyers dread--a bidding war. We have six tips for how to win a bidding war. May the odds ever be in your favor!

1. Change your contingencies
Buyers can back out of a contract during the contingency period of a home sale. This time is typically 17 days. By compressing the contingency timeline from 17 days to something shorter, like five days, the sellers may be more willing to choose your offer if they want to close the deal quickly.

Another idea for using contingencies in your favor to win a bidding war is to reduce the amount of contingencies you have. Sellers often don't want to put their home back on the market if a sale fell through due to contingencies. Resisting making a lot of contingencies for home upgrades or your own home selling before closing on the new home can make sellers averse to your offer.

2. Make an all-cash offer
If you can afford it, an all-cash offer can be extremely appealing to sellers. 

3. Make the down payment large
If an all-cash offer isn't in the cards for you, try making your downpayment on the home as large as possible. This shows the sellers you are invested in buying the property and have the funds to afford it.

4. Have a pre-approval letter
Having a pre-approval letter ready and on-hand shows the sellers that an underwriter has reviewed your applicable financial information and a lender is ready to offer you a mortgage up to a specific amount based on that information.

5. Write a letter to the sellers
Writing a personal letter to the sellers and telling them how you genuinely like their home and hope to live there can be a sincere way to tip the bidding scales in your favor. If there are multiple offers on the property that are around the same price, a sincere letter can really shine amongst the other offers. 
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6. Offer more than the asking price
While it's not fun to paymore than the asking price, sometimes it's worth it for the right home. Offering even slightly above the asking price can really make a difference to sellers.