Purchasing your first home is a big step, that comes with some very serious decisions. Many homebuyers are intimidated by the process, and continue renting much longer than they should, or need to. However, if you break the homebuying process down into these simple steps, and follow these important tips, you will find the process less intimidating, and much more manageable. This week I will share 7 tips to help you along the way, here is the second: 2) You Dont Need a Down Payment! It always surprises me how many people want to purchase a home, but dont because they believe that a hefty down payment is required. Zero down programs are very common, and are quickly becoming the norm, rather than the exception to the rule. Because your new home is collateral for the loan, there are many b... 03/28/2011

Purchasing your first home is a big step, that comes with some very serious decisions. Many homebuyers are intimidated by the process, and continue renting much longer than they should, or need to. However, if you break the homebuying process down into these simple steps, and follow these important tips, you will find the process less intimidating, and much more manageable. This week I will share 7 tips to help you along the way, here is the first: 1)Before You Begin, Ask Yourself One Question Will you live in your next home for at least 3 years? If the answer is Yes, you should probably purchase, rather than continue renting. With average appreciation, youll break even on your closing costs after 2 years, and start making money at year 3. Every year after that will put more money in y... 03/22/2011

Wayne Homes for Sale | Wayne Homes are a Great Value in Delaware County Real Estate Are you looking for information on Wayne PA Homes? Fill out my form to receive our Free Villanova Homes Report Fill out my Wufoo form! Wayne PA Homes for Sale | Great Facts For You To Know Wayne PA is really a lovely area, which is one of the more preferred areas in the Suburban Philadelphia in which to live, as more families as well as individuals acquire Wayne PA Homes. With a populace of roughly 31663 it offers comfort that is definitely associated with a greater populace without having to be overbearing, and is home to outstanding schools, growing industry and also outstanding culture! There is an expanding market for Wayne PA homes for sale including a flourishing luxury condo marketplace with extre... 02/15/2011

Chanticleer Photo Exhibit at Wayne Art Center starts this weekend on Sunday February 13th and runs till March 19. Chanticleer is one of my favourite places for many reasons. Firstly it is extremely peaceful, however busy it seems to be, there is always somewhere to sit away from the crowds. It is a great place to go and think and look out over some great views. Friday evenings in the summer you are allowed to sit with a bottle of wine and a picnic enjoy the evening and some great conversation. then of course there are the flowers and shrubs, the landscaping, the ideas and projects that you can implement at home. Rob Cardillo is the photographer who is illustrating a new book on Chanticleer, called simply Chanticleer: A Pleasure Garden by Adrian Higgins. Rob Cardillo will give a talk on ... 02/10/2011

Having been spared by the big storm this week, and on a second attempt following last week's snow dump we made it out to the White Dog Cafe in Wayne today for lunch. Having read about their seating problems, too many seats compared to what they applied to the township for, I was not surprised to turn in to the lot and see valet parking provided.  We were meeting a friend for lunch who was actually treating us today which was very nice. We got there first and were seated at an oval table, a little odd, bit with just three of us it worked, although I think with four it may have been a problem. The restaurant space is divided up into different rooms, all very elegant with darker woods and the dog theme very prevalent. The restaurant uses produce and drinks from the surrounding 50 mile area... 02/02/2011

Wayne PA Homes | Small Community With Diverse Housing Selections Wayne PA Homesa part of a community that is located in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. While the actual community center is in Delaware County the community actually sits on an area that contains three different counties Montgomery, Chester and Delaware. For this reason, the school districts are divided amongst the three different townships. The diverse housing selection, wonderful local dining establishments, and beautiful gardens that surround the community make choosing any of the Wayne PA homes a great choice for a new home. Wayne Homes: are you wondering about information on the Wayne PA area?Are you considering looking at the great Wayne PA homes for sale? Wayne PA homes offer a diverse selection of housing choices. ... 12/13/2010

As expected, the market is quickly returning to the mean as the effects of the tax stimulus disappear in our collective rearview mirror.   Since the last update based on the July 3 statistics, we have seen some interesting shifts: Since July 3, 2010: -  Total Active properties are up 5% (from 3,620 to 3,803 homes on the market) -  Total Pending properties are up 3.1% (from 620 to 639 homes under contract) -  Total Sales are up 7.1% (from 2600 to 3030 homes now sold year-to-date) If we compare this to the same date Aug 14, 2009, we see: Compared to same time last year through August 14, 2009: -  Total Active are up 16% -  Total Pending are down 22.7% -  Total Sold are up 7.1% -  Total Combined Pending & Sold are up 0.3% (vs a combined total of up 7.8% on July 3, 2010) Bottom Line: At thi... 08/17/2010

Once again, Surrey Services for Seniors is planning an antique show in November, I happen to be the chair this year, the week before Thanksgiving, November 20th and 21st. Full details can be found on the official website of the show www.MainLineAntiquesShow.com where you will be able to order tickets and pay for them through PayPal. You can also become a fan on Facebook so search for the show there to get all the latest information. The theme this year in Visiting the Main Line - Railroad Ties with an exhibit focused on the connection between the Main Line and the Railroad around which it grew up. Many of last years dealers have already signed up for the show in 2010, with several great additions to our dealer lineup, it looks as if it will be a great show. Look forward to seeing you th... 07/13/2010

The Luxury Home Market continues its slow pace as we head into the traditional 2010 sales season. There have been many changes in the market since our last update in June but most of those have impacted the market at lower price points.  The primary sales activity continues to be first time buyers or lower move up buyers as people continue to take advantage of the 2009 and now 2010 Homebuyer Tax Credits.  At the higher price points, activity is still constrained by the availability of loans with prices remaining fairly flat or trending lower. In the luxury market, sales have continued to drift.  In 2009 for the year, there were 67 completed home sales in the $1,000,000+ market down from 93 in 2008 and the peak of 132 in 2007.  The average sales price dropped again to $1,481,000 in 2009 ... 02/07/2010

Happy New Year!  Welcome 2010! Welcome to Pennsylvania! Welcome to Delaware! Welcome to the Brandywine Valley! Thank you all for a great 2009 and looking forward to the New Year.  Just a few reminders as we head into 2010: - The $8000 Credit for First Time Homebuyers is still available. - A $6500 Tax Credit is available for resale buyers. - To get the credits, homes must be under contract by April 30 and settled before the end of June 2010. - Now is the time to strategize to make the most of this opportunity.  As we close in on the end of April, expect the inventory to drop again with possibly rising prices. As always, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me anytime.  Enjoy! 01/01/2010

Congratulations to Wayne PA - Delaware County's newest member of Classic Towns of Greater Philadelphia. On October 1, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) added nine more towns to its Classic Towns of Greater Philadelphia Marketing initiative. Wayne is now one of twenty towns in the initiative that "is designed to promote the Classic Towns as great places to live, work, and play."  The Classic Towns initiative tries to highlight each town individually while promoting the entire region.  Toward that end, they are working to "identify niche markets, invest in and build on quality of place, create new partnerships, and thinking regionally while acting locally" as they support the region's older suburbs. Wayne joins Media and Lansdowne as the third Classic Town in Delawa... 10/12/2009

Welcome to Wayne.  This station is on the R5 Regional Rail Line just west of the Blue Route (I476). With a prime location on the Main Line, the Wayne SEPTA stop is one of only four R5 rail stops in Delaware County.  The R5 Regional Rail Line parallels the Amtrak tracks from downtown Philadelphia to Downingtown/ Thorndale.  This line is still served by Amtrak through trains, but the nearest Amtrak stops are a few stations to the west in Paoli or just a bit further east in Ardmore. This is an ideal commuter station with some commuter parking on both sides of the track and with plenty of space for picking up and dropping off passengers.  It is also within easy walking distance of many single family homes to the north and the multitude of condominiums and apartments in the area.  Wayne is a... 07/01/2009

Welcome to Philadelphia! If you love history or want some interesting background on the Philadelphia region, this video from fifty years ago provides some perspective.  I've wanted to do a video overview of the area to provide a good look at all that this region has to offer, but I really don't think I could do anything to compare to this:  Although I'm sure the video covered most of the questions that you may have had about the area, should you need any additional information, please feel free to contact me anytime! (Thanks to goleopards1 for posting this and imanacer for finding it.) 06/26/2009

  Signs of Spring in the Suburban Philadelphia Delaware County Luxury Market? - Not quite yet. After suffering the financial jolt that really took hold in October last year, it was expected that we would begin to see some clarity as the new administration arrived with fresh faces and new ideas.  Despite having since November to prepare, this clearly has not happened.  This has resulted in a falling financial market, a continued decline in consumer confidence, and no real apparent progress.  Until Washington shows more leadership, the luxury real estate market in particular will probably remain in the doldrums. The Numbers: In 2008, there were a total of 93 luxury homes sold that settled for $1,000,000 or above in Delaware County Pennsylvania for an average price of $1,585,000.  Only 12 ... 02/24/2009

It happens to all of us.  You downsize from a five bedroom house to a three bedroom condo.  You change from a two story colonial to a multi-story contemporary.  You get your first home and the two bedroom apartment furnishings with the egg crate shelves just don't make it.  In each case, you need a change of furniture. Sometimes you need an entire house, at other times you may need just an accent piece - but you always have the same problems with where to go for the new furniture and what to do with the old.  Well now, beyond all the new furniture store options and rather than trying to wade through a thrift store, you have another alternative to consider. Hidden in Wayne and open only once a month is Random Pieces.  Whether you are buying or selling, you may want to give Chip a call.  ... 12/14/2008

Mark your calendars.  You need to donate TODAY! Today is the first day of the annual WMMR Preston & Steve Show's "Camp Out for Hunger" to support PhilAbundance.  PhilAbundance is "the Philadelphia region's largest hunger relief organization.  Their mission is to end hunger and malnutrition in the Delaware Valley by acquiring food and distributing it through organizations serving people in need.  They've been around since 1984 and have provided food for over 60 million meals!"  The Preston & Steve show has been supporting PhilAbundance for years.  Steve says it best:   The camp out is being held from December 1st through the 5th at the Metroplex in Plymouth Meeting - just west of Philadelphia.  Donations will be accepted everyday from about 6AM until approximately 9PM.  Preston & Steve w... 12/01/2008

 Rates are still around 6% today. This is a great time to invest in Real Estate. Whether you are looking to buy or sell now or in the next year let me help you save thousands of dollars. Write or Call me for details. 12/07/2007

Definitely there were fewer listings to preview today. We also saw far fewer agents out and about today, maybe it was the extreme cold, this is not Florida, although I wish it was.Anyway, we saw several homes however the one that stood out most was Spencer Road in Devon, it was priced at just over a million dollars but due to location it seemed good value, it has been on the market last year with a much higher price but this seemed right conmparing it to other homes in the area in similar price brackets.We saw several homes in the $300-400,000 bracket in Berwyn and Paoli, a couple seemed good value and were presented well. One seemed price well but it had a mass of steps to the front door. It amazes me though how agents get a listing, enter it into the MLS and are having an open house b... 02/06/2007