What is a Gettysburg Historic HomeBeing a  Gettysburg Realtor and specializing Gettysburg historic homes I am often asked "What do specifically consider a Gettysburg historic home?"  The answer depends on really on how old a house you are looking for. Many of the homes here in Gettysburg are pre Civil War homes, however there are full neighborhoods such as Colt Park that were built in the 1950's. You may not consider a home built in the 1950's to be historic but many of todays young home buyers do, those my age may choose the term "nostalgic" home "historic" home. Either way you look at it, Gettysburg Pa has a wide variety of historic home choices. If  choose to live in the Gettysburg borough Civil War and actually live in a whole neighborhood of Gettysburg historic homes. You may choos... 01/31/2011

Gettysburg Battlefield Little Round TopLittle Round Top Is probably the most strategic geographical area on the entire Gettysburg Battlefield. Luckily for Union forces Col. Strong Vincent saw the strategic value of the hill top and made sure that the ground came into and remained in Union hands. Not that the Confederate forces did not try to take the Little Round Top. Two brigades in Maj. Gen. John Bell Hoods division, one under command of Brig. Gen. E.M. Law and another under command of Brig. Gen. J.B. Robertson attacked the western slope of Little Round Top. It is there that the 20th Maine made it's famous stand against overwhelming Confederate odds and held the ground. The 20th Maine under the command of Col. Joshua Chamberlain. Col. Vincent positioned approximately 1,350 men of the ... 01/30/2011

Gettysburg Single Family Homes for Sale - List Prices are UpThe list price for single family homes in Gettysburg Pa are up as you can see from the chart below. In late 2008 the median list price for a single family home for sale in the Gettyburg Pa area was approximately $250,000. That list point reached it's peak in December of 2008, however by December of 2009 the listing price for a single family home for sale in the Gettyburg Pa area had dropped to a low of $200,000. Clearly a $50k drop in a 12 month period reflected the overall "health" of the Gettysburg real estate market. By August of 2010 the median list price had recovered to $239k most likely because of the tax incentive offered by the federal government. By the December 2010 time period we seem to have stabilized at approxima... 01/28/2011

Healthy Living GettysburgOne of the wonderful things about living and working in Gettysburg Pa is that there are abundant opportuinties to get outside and get some exercise. We all know that the easiest and one of the most beneficial forms of exercise is walking. The Gettsyburg Battlefield offers one of the most scenic opportuinties for a healthy walk.. Brisk walking is considered a type of moderate physical activity. 30 minutes of moderate physical activity is essentail to a healthy lifestyle. Some direct benefits of walking include:    reduces the risk of stroke & heart disease    lowers high blood pressure    lowers risk of diabetes    helpful in the control of arthritis    reduces stress    reduces anxiety    improves sleep    improves energy levelsDo you need any other incentives t... 01/27/2011

                    Gettysburg NiteLifeLast night it got down to 9 degrees in Gettysburg Pa. It was a Saturday night and I think half the town had the same attitude as my wife and I, let's get out for a bit. Gettysburg has had a mild winter as far as snow is concerned thus far, but it has been cold and those that live in a winter climate understand that "cabin fever" that occasionally sets in . Well apparently there was a mutual consensus among the residents of Gettysburg that last night was the night to cure the fever. A little Gettysburg NiteLife was in store for GettysburgGerry. First up was dinner at one of the restaurants that make up the Gateway complex. Gateway Gettysburg is fairly new complex  to Gettysburg. It features two hotels, The Wyndam Gettysburg, and the Courtyard Marrio... 01/23/2011

The Changing Landscape of Gettysburg Real EstateRecently I read an interesting post by Mike Perry concerning the changing landscape of Real Estate in Lancaster County Pa. I was a practicing Realtor in California for years before moving to Gettysburg Pa. Almost immediately I completed the requirements to get my Pa Real Estate license. I have been a Gettysburg Pa Realtor since 2004 and Mikes post got to me thinking about the changes that we here in Gettysburg have seen. In 2004 we had a number of big Real Estateshops in town, RE/Max, ERA, Century 21, Jack Gaughen, Coldwell Banker, as well as number of small "boutique" companies. At the time all were thriving and the inventory was flying off the shelves so to speak. The Gettysburg Real Estate market was doing well, we never saw the super i... 01/21/2011

Single Family Homes For Sale in the Gettysburg Adams County Pa areaBeing a Gettysburg Realtor in the Gettysburg Adams County Pa areameans being available to service different area's of Adams County. The Adams County area is a rural community with small towns separated by farm and orchard land. There are many single family homes for sale in a variety of surroundings, whether you like living in a lake community, close to the orchards, or in a mountain setting GettysburgGerry can accommodate your needs. Lets take a look at what single family homes are for sale in the Gettysburg Adams County Pa area.     The Lake Communities:            Lake Heritage:  There are 20 single family homes for sale ranging in price from $167,500 - $479,900            Lake Meade: There are 39 single family homes ... 01/18/2011

Historic Sachs Mill Bridge & the Battle of GettysburgPennsylvania is considered the "covered bridge capitol of the world" with almost 200 remaining in existence today. None more famous than the historic Sachs Mill Bridge which spans Marsh Creek just outside of Gettysburg Pa.The bridge was built in 1852 by David Stoner. Little did Stoner know the role the cute covered bridge would play in the Battle of Gettysburg. Confederate troops used the historic bridge to escape complete annihilation in the wake of it's defeat in the Battle of Gettysburg. Gen Robert E. Lee used an unusually heavy thunderstorm to sneak his army from the Gettysburg battlefield to safety. The Confederate troops kept their camp fires burning to give the impression that they were waiting out the storm in the safety of th... 01/17/2011

From the Plate of GettysburgGerry - Dining Choices in Gettysburg Pa It amazes me how often I get contact from people out of the area inquiring about dining choices for their upcoming visit to Gettysburg Pa. Most often I hear from people that have read a blog about a Gettysburg historic home or Gettysburg Battlefieldstory, sometimes one of my blogs, sometimes not, but somehow I have become the Internet food critic for the area. A title I happily accept. One great thing about Gettysburg is that there are some wonderful choices here. Everything from fine dining to take out, all are available in a fairly compact geographical area, close to the Gettysburg Battlefield, as well as Gettysburg borough. I have compiled a list of some of my favorite places to dine, whether you lean to Irish, Itali... 01/14/2011

Things To Do In Gettysburg Pa's Winter MonthsSo here we are, it's cold, it's baron, it's overcast, it is generally not a pretty day in the Gettysburg Adams County Pa area. For most of the borough of Gettysburg businesses the winter months are down time, however for the locals and those willing to brave the cold, the Gettysburg Adams County Pa area is a great place to visit in the winter months. Let's take a look at what the Gettysburg area has to offer.    The Gettysburg National Military Park, yes the park is a wonderful place to visit during the summer, months I personally like the winter months better. Not only do you not have to deal with the crowds, but the baron feel, the cold weather gives the landscape a stark impression, one that seems to reflect the feelings left behind on tha... 01/10/2011

Buying a Gettysburg Pa Historic Home and HARBWhat is a HARB and why do I need one...HARB stands for Historical Architectural Review Board, and if you are buying a home within the Gettysburg Borough Historic District you need to know what HARB is. Whether you are buying a historic Gettysburg home or not, if the home is in the Gettysburg historic district you will have to comply with HARB. A historic district is designated through the U.S. Department of Interior. However, most of the decisions surrounding a historic district came at the local level. Levels of restrictions vary from state to state and area to area, some like Gettysburg Historic District is extremely restrictive, while others are tend to work with property owners Gettysburg HARB tends rather than dictate over them. Follow t... 01/07/2011

Gettysburg Historic Structures  Churches in Gettysburg BoroughBeing a Realtor here in historic Gettysburg Borough Pa, it is hard not to look in any direction and NOT see a historic structure. Be it a historic home, church, or factory building it is there right in front of you. Many continuing to serve a useful purpose in the community. Being one who loves the historical structures, the Gettysburg Adams County Pa area offers a wide variety to choose from for study. Many of the Churches here in Gettysburg Borough were here during the Battle of Gettysburg, and many served as hospitals for the wounded. Something to think about that many do not realize is that long after both armies had left the battlefield and area, thousands of wounded from both sides remained behind. Most of those left be... 12/30/2010

        The Joseph Sherfy House-Gettysburg          The Joseph Sherfy house saw a lot of action during the 3 day Battle of Gettysburg. The which is located on the west side of the Emmitsburg Rd, was occupied by Joseph and Mary Sherfy during the battle. Joesph was a farmer who ran a number of peach and apple orchards in the area. The famous peach orchard which saw some of the heaviest fighting during the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg is across the street for the Sherfy home. The Sherfy's spent July 1st, baking bread and getting water for the soldiers that were were beginning to arrive in Gettysburg. By the next day it as clear that the Sherfy's best option was to leave the home for safer ground. A wise choice as the family farm would see not only heavy action at during the battl... 12/17/2010

          Into Every Life a Little Rain Must Fall                            A Little Success in the Rain Today something really cool happened for me, something that I can once again attribute to my participation on Activerain. I have been over the last year plus been a diligently blogging my little fingers to the bone. I am like the rest, some good stuff, some garbage, some business, and some personal stuff. Over the last few months things have been going well for me, my new website http://gettysburghistorichomes.com is doing well and I am adding more and more content, as well as a Gettysburg Historic Homes specific blog on the site. A short while back I got an email from Dale Robyn Siegel, an author & speaker on all things Real Estate. Ms. Siegel invited me to be a part of her Realtor... 12/16/2010

Civil War Era Historic Homes: The RealityIt is no surprise that there is an abundance of historic homes here in the Gettysburg, Adams county Pa, area. As a Realtor that specializes in these homes I get numerous inquiries from people from out of the area that are looking for a nice old farmhouse, or something from the Civil War era in the Gettysburg Borough. More often than not the buyers are coming in from out of town, and want to cram as many showings into one day as possible. I set up the showings and off we go, only to have the clients frustrated by the fourth home we view. They come ready for the joy, but are not prepared for the challenge. Often times people fall in love with the concept of owning and living in a Civil War era home, but do not understand that doing so calls for som... 12/15/2010

Christmas Tuba's at the Gettysburg SquareIf you followed my blog last evening you know my bride and I had a wonderful dinner at Mama Ventura's in downtown Gettysburg, followed an after dinner lager at Garryowen Irish Pub. What you probably didn't know was the reason for the visit to the Gettysburg Square this wonderful wintery evening. What a pleasure joining some of my friends and neighbors and enjoying the music of the Christmas Tuba's. I have witnessed the much larger Tuba event at the Baltimore Harbor, this event is smaller and consists of locals who gather at Prince of Peace one hour before the performance and put it all together. I have to say the wintery weather, and the wonderful meal and of course companionship made for a really nice evening. For me, these are the type of event... 12/11/2010

Cambridge Crossing in Gettysburg PA is a new townhome development that is pre-selling now. The standard floor plan features 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and 1300 square feet of open living space. All townhomes also feature a 1 car garage. You get all this for a starting price of 159,900. Options, like most new construction, will have an additional cost. Your realtor should be able to advise you about which options will provide added resale value. Gettysburg Townhomes for Sale <---click here STANDARD FEATURES: Exterior Features Professionally Designed Front Elevations Brick Facade (per plan) Box Bay Windows (per plan) Maintenance Free Beaded Vinyl Siding Dimensional 25 Year Roof Shingles 2 Exterior Hose Bibs 2 Exterior Electrical Outlets Paved Driveways Interior Features Spacious Kitchen / Livi... 12/08/2010

Marsh Creek Church is Steeped in History of Gettysburg PaI have been meaning for some time to do some posts on the historic church's of the Gettysburg Adams County Pa area. Many of the Gettysburg area churches are deep in historic lure. From the early 1700's to many churchs that served as Civil War Hospitals.          I would be remiss if I did not begin my series of historic church's of the Gettysburg Adams County Pa are with the Marsh Creek church. The Marsh Creek Church is steeped in history of Gettysburg Pa. The founding of the Presbyterian church at Marsh Creek dates back to 1748. The original churches were log structures, many situated along the banks of Marsh Creek. The structure you see today was built in 1790 along the Fairfield Rd, (back then it was known as the "Great Road").... 12/07/2010

National Wreath Project @ Soldiers National CemeteryMore than 150 people  arrived and completed the wreath laying at the Soldiers National Cemetery in Gettysburg Pa. The National Wreath Project adorned all 1,620 headstones at the Soldiers National Cemetery in just over an hour. This was the largest crowd that has attended the event in Gettysburg, Pa. A large crowd was also on hand prior to the event to help put bows on the wreaths for the headstones at the Soldiers National Cemetery, as well as 2,400 additional wreaths that were placed at Quantico. The National Wreath Project will be at the Arlington National Cemetery Sat. Dec 11th, at 8:30am. This four year old project was started by John & Susan McColley who place a wreath at the grave of thier son Sgt. Eric McColley who was killed in... 12/06/2010

Pictures with Santa in Gettysburg PaThis past Friday evening Gettysburg Pa got into the Christmas spirit at the The Outlet Shoppes at Gettysburg. Of course their was excitment in the air and everbody was anxious to see the big guy in the red suit. For the most part everybody was well behaved and there were only a few accidents. We did have a pooper scooper on hand to take care of such issues, oh didn't I mention that the pics with Santa were for our four legged friends.                 That's right, I volunteered for the job, helping out to keep everybody polite, (which can be a challange for some of our four legged friends). I spend a lot of time volunteering for those that can't speak for themselves. Admission was $10 a head, or tail whichever way you decide. All the proceeds went to ... 12/05/2010