The Best Restaurants to Try in the New Year Recently we asked our Facebook fans about their favorite restaurants in the Greater Philadelphia Area. The responses were varied: Domani Star, Ooka, and Honey in Doylestown, Karla’s in New Hope, Pub & Kitchen, El Vez, Cuba Libre, Divan & Earth Bread in Philadelphia. So what do the…
Philadelphia Among Least Affordable Rental Market Philadelphia is already famous for cheesesteaks, diehard sports fans, and brotherly love. Now it can add one more to its list: an unaffordable rental market. As many locals will tell you, rental prices in Philadelphia continue to rise. While it’s great for investors (!!!), it’s become increasingly difficult for renters to…
Comparative Market Analysis If you’ve sensed that home prices are rising, you’re right. In fact, home prices are rising at the quickest paces since before the housing bust. This is great news if you’ve been thinking of selling! In order to get the best estimate of value on your home, you can ask a real…
Our Christmas Wish 1. We wish for continued low interest rates, a strong job market, and lending standards to permit first time buyers to achieve homeownership. We heard a rumor that first time buyers might make up an impressive 40% of home sales this upcoming year, and we hope that becomes true! 2. We wish for all…
How to Prep Your Home if Your Selling This Spring! If you’re thinking of selling this spring, you’re not alone! Each year, the number of homes for sale spikes in the springtime (typically, we see a big jump right after the Superbowl). This means that you’re going to have quite a bit of competition with your…
Home Design Trends of 2015 The biggest home design trends of 2015 can be described in one word: retro! Elements of the 1970s and 1980s are back in a big way, according to Zillow Digs Home Report. Here’s what we can expect to make a splash in the upcoming year: 1. Gold Fixtures! I admit…
Gifts for A New Homeowner If a new homeowner is on your holiday gift list this year, check out some of our agents and clients great ideas: 1. Celebrate with a few fancy new wine glasses, champagne glasses or martini glasses. We especially love the ones from Anthropologie. Bonus points if they’re monogrammed and if…
Congrats to our neighbors in West Goshen Township (Chester County) and Horsham (Montgomery County) for being named #10 and #34, respectively, on Money Magazine’s Best Places to Live in the United States! The comprehensive list of “America’s Best Small Towns” is compiled based on economic data, good schools, and a strong sense of community. West…
Sweden Christmas On December 13th, Santa Lucia marks the start of the Christmas season in Sweden. Historically it began before dawn, when the oldest daughter in a family (representing Saint Lucia in her white robe and a red sash), wearing a crown of evergreen decorated with lingonberries and seven candles (nowadays common to wear electric candles),…
Fannie Mae Loan Qualifications The dream of home ownership will become a reality for more low-income and first time home buyers! Government mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae announced that they will begin backing loans with as low as 3% down payments and credit standards will become looser. Additionally, the mortgage giants have instituted new…
Entrepreneur Mag: Why You Should Invest in Real Estate Entrepreneur Magazine recently featured an article entitled “Why You Should Be Investing Your Money In Real Estate”…and we couldn’t agree more! Here are just a few of Entrepreneur’s reasons to consider rental real estate as part of your portfolio: Tax free cash flow, rental real estate…
Hostess Gifts You purchased your Pollyanna gift, scrounged up a White Elephant gift from around the house, and baked the casserole that your father-in-law loves. But if you’re traveling this holiday, a small token of appreciation for the hostess might have slipped your mind…or am I the only one who forgot? Anyway, here’s a short…
Conshohocken Has More New Development Planned Conshohocken home prices have risen significantly in the past couple years, largely in part due to recent revitalization, and now developers are reporting that a new wave of construction and renovation is expected in 2015. We love Conshy for it’s convenient location, great schools, awesome selection of restaurants (our newest favorite? Bar Lucca!) and variety of…
Cozy Staging Some sellers feel that it can be tough to keep their home looking its best in the winter, but cozy seasonal staging can be appealing to prospective buyers. With our four favorite staging tips, your home will be the most beautiful on the block! 1. Create a welcoming atmosphere by setting up lamps…
Luxury Homes High-end homes are selling quickly, according to a recent report conducted by Zillow. The main reason that luxury homes are picking up steam is simple: inventory! There are significantly more luxury homes for sale this year than last year, and a much higher proportion of luxury homes than usual. Increasing home prices are enticing many homeowners…