Real Estate Information Archive

So you have just made one of the biggest purchases of your life by buying a home of your own and now you need to make it a bit more private.  You have come to the right place!  Let’s look at a few tips for creating more privacy in your new home. 

• If you happen to live in a big city where the houses are basically on top of each other you may want to line your floors with a lot of area rugs.  While this simple step to making more privacy in your new home sounds like a silly thing, it really will help to keep the noise level down to a minimum if your neighbors tend to be loud. 
• Lined curtains are a perfect way to help your home feel like an oasis in the middle of the country even if it is not.  These types of curtains also help to filter out loud noises as well. 
• If you have a spot on your windowsills to put planters they can aid you in making your home more private.  All you need to do is put some tall plants in the planters and voila, you will have more privacy from your neighbors. 
• One good way to have privacy outdoors for your new home is by putting up a privacy fence.  Privacy fences can help to keep pets safe as well as make your outdoor area a nice place to “get away from it all”, which we can all use every now and again. 
• Tall scrubs and trees are a great way to shield yourself from your neighbors and make your home feel more private.  Scrubs and trees will also help to make your new home more beautiful and help the environment as well. 
• If you simply cannot feel enough privacy in your new home, you can hide in a reading nook under the stairs or in a small attic space so that you can escape from time to time from those around you.  If your new home doesn’t have a small space like this, you can likely make one quite easily. 

Lastly if privacy is extremely important to you, it may be worth your while to look for a home in the wide open country so that you don’t have to make any previsions for more privacy. 

Courtesy of Chester County PA Real Estate Expert Scott Darling.

When you are looking to find a mate to marry you may spend years and years before you find the one that is meant for you to be with, however you don’t need to look for years to find “the one” when it comes to house hunting.  There are ways to know when you have found the right house for you but you may need to make a few tweaks in your wish list to make it all possible.  Below are a few ideas to help make finding your dream home  a bit easier. 

• A good way to get started finding the house that you have always dreamed of owning is to make a list of your expectations.  You should list your must have items in order of how important they are to you.  As you begin house hunting you may want to rearrange your list a little depending on what you find on the market.  It may be helpful to put a star beside the expectations that are most important to you so that you don’t forget something.
• It’s perfectly alright to look online as much as you want at houses when you are shopping for a home but it may be wise to limit your actual house viewings.  If you visit too many homes during your house search you may find that it becomes a bit overwhelming and you may also realize that you are trying to create the home of your dreams by piecing together bits and pieces of each house you look at.  Narrow down your actual house viewings to about four of your top picks.  This will help you to more easily narrow down your search and to make a final decision more quickly.  
• If you find that you simply cannot find what you are looking for in the current real estate market, perhaps it may be best for you to stop looking for a month or two and wait to see what may pop up.  You may find that the home of your dreams is only a few short months away from being found. 

Again, you may need to make a few adjustments to your wish list once you start looking for a home but that doesn’t mean you cannot find the perfect home for you and your family.     If the house you choose doesn’t have everything you hoped it would, you can always add things once you move in. 

Courtesy of Chester County PA Real Estate Expert Scott Darling!

Realtor.com has ranked the HOTEST Real Estate Markets in November. The temperatures may be dropping but California real estate is hot, hot, hot scoring 12 of the top 20 spots with San Francisco as #1. The good news for the rest of the country is trends always seem to start in California and move eastward. This bodes well for our local market in 2016!

Residential activity in Chester County (Single-family and Condo)

What's happening in the Local Market?

November was right where expected, sales up, but not by as much as we’ve been seeing, and prices level. Year-to-date sales are up 14% and median sales price is up 2%. Looking ahead to next year as predictions from experts begin to appear: more of the same. Strongest headwinds are low inventory and the probability of mortgage rates increasing, although it’s unlikely that the expected increase to 4.5% by the end of 2016 will adversely impact home sales.

Curious about the value of your home? Get your home's value here!

Think you know what a real estate agent does on a daily basis?  You might have to think again in order to correctly identify all the responsibilities on the shoulders of your REALTOR (a real estate agent who is a member of the National Board of Realtors).   You most likely would be surprised—and impressed—to discover the wide range and long list of activities undertaken by your REALTOR in your pursuit of buying/selling a home.

A basic job description would include renting, and buying, and selling (oh, my!) real estate for clients, interviewing potential clients, previewing and showing  property, discussing sales conditions, drawing up and presenting offers, holding open houses, and writing contracts—all the while meeting deadlines and hand-holding when necessary.  Oh, but there is so much more for your REALTOR to do, including, but certainly not limited to, the following duties:

• Staying current with market trends in your area
• Analyzing comparables
• Exploring and evaluating mortgage options
• Finding buyers or properties for clients
• Scheduling appraisals
• Keeping up with changing federal/state laws and program
• Negotiating between parties
• Preparing MLS listings
• Promoting properties via ads, web sites, videos, and virtual tours
• Completing required courses, attending seminars, and the like
• Coordinating inspections, walk-throughs, and closings
• Arranging for title searches

But did you know that the National Association of Realtors awards grants to groups of state and local real estate associates who attempt to go above and beyond in promoting and expanding housing opportunities in their communities?  These REALTORS work together to design and implement affordable housing programs and are thus eligible for the NAR grants twice a year.  In addition, the NAR offers programs, training, and resources for these groups.  Click here for details of the Housing Opportunity Program.

Remember, real estate doesn’t sell due to advertising alone. In fact, a large share of real estate sales comes as the result of a practitioner’s contacts through previous clients, referrals, friends, and family. When a property is marketed with the help of a REALTOR®, you do not have to allow strangers into your home. Your REALTOR® will generally pre-screen and accompany qualified prospects through your property.                                                                                

Contact us!  We’re qualified, experienced, and looking forward to assisting you.

Courtesy of Chester County PA Real Estate Expert Scott Darling!

Wondering if the holidays are a good time to put your home up for sale? Here are 7 reasons to list your home during the holidays...

Courtesy of Chester County PA Realtor Scott Darling.

It’s hard to believe but fall is finally here and Halloween is right around the corner.  Decorating your home for this time of year can be as fun as decorating for the holidays that follow them if you know how to do it right.  Let’s take a look at a few tips for decorating your home for fall and Halloween.  If you have just recently bought a new home you may want to make your house stand out in the neighborhood during the holidays and you have come to the right place to make that happen. 

• Fall decorating can be as simple as putting a few hay bales outside your front door.  If you want to take it a step further you can add a couple of pumpkins and perhaps a scarecrow as well.  Keep in mind however that less is sometimes more when it comes to decorating your home for the holidays. 
• If you are really crafty you can make a sign out of  old wooden pallets. There are a lot of “how to” videos online if you have no idea where to start making your wooden pallet art.  A good sign to make for fall is a wooden pallet sign that says something like “happy fall ya’ll”.  This is a cute sign if you are from the south. 
• A great idea for decorating the outside of your home for Halloween is to hang up t-shirt material in the shape of ghosts at your front porch.  A cool way to make the “ghosts” show up at night is to replace your regular porch lights with black lights.  As the sun sets the ghosts will begin to glow. 
• A great idea for decorating the inside of your home for fall  is to put out some fall flowers with a few ghouls and goblins intermixed in the arrangement. 
• A fall wreath for your new home’s front door is also a great way to show your decorating style to your new neighbors.  These can easily be made with a little bit of burlap and some ribbon.  Again, sometimes more is less when it comes to decorating so keep that in mind. 

These ideas for decorating your house for fall and/or Halloween are just a few ways to get things started in the décor department.  Use all of them or only a few.  Either way it is very likely that your new neighbors will take notice of your craftiness.

Information courtesy of Chester County PA Real Estate Expert Scott Darling!

Take a look at August's real estate sales broken down by school district.

Downingtown School District

The number of homes selling in the Downingtown school district in August 2015 rose by 6.42% when compared to August 2014. The average selling price decreased by 4% to $385,570. The median selling price dropped by  7.96%, while the average market time increased by 9 days.

West Chester School District

The number of homes selling in the West Chester school district in August 2015 decreased by 3.82% when compared to August 2014. The average selling price decreased by less than 1% . The median selling price increased by 3.7 %, while the average market time decreased by 11 days.

Coatesville School District

The number of homes selling in the Coatesville school district in August 2015 increased by 22.06% when compared to August 2014. The average selling price decreased by .35% to $227,766. The median selling price decreased 5.95%, while the average market time rose by 4 days.

Great Valley School District

The number of homes selling in the Great Valley school district increased by 35%. The Average Selling Price increased by 6.02% to $519,733. The median selling price rose by 15%, while the average market time increased by 22 days.

Unionville School District

The number of homes selling in the Unionville school district in August 2015 decreased by 29.17% when compared to August 2014. The average selling price decreased by 21.06% to $495,541. The median selling decreased 18.69% while the average market time increased by 29 days.

Tredyffrin-Easttown School District

The number of homes selling in the Tredyffrin-Easttown school district in August 2015 decreased by 19.72% when compared to August 2014. The average selling price increased by 7.23% to $531,563. The median selling price increased by 31.49%, while the average market time increased by 10 days.

Owen J Roberts School District

The number of homes selling in the Owen J Roberts school district in August 2015 increased by 23.81% when compared to August 2014. The average selling price decreased by 12.63% to $340,771. The median selling price rose by 4.64% while the average market time remained the same. 

Phoenixville School District

The number of homes selling in the Phoenixville school district in August 2015 increased by 42.11% when compared to August 2014. The average selling price increased by 10.51% to $309,915. The median selling price rose by 10.9%, while the average market time dropped by 15 days.

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Take a look at July's Chester County PA real estate sales broken down by school district.

Downingtown School District

The number of homes selling in the Downingtown school district in July 2015 dropped by 3.62% when compared to July 2014. The average selling price increased by 16% to $412,524. The median selling price rose by 5.6%, while the average market time decreased by 15 days.

West Chester School District

The number of homes selling in the West Chester school district in July 2015 decreased by less than 1% when compared to July 2014. The average selling price decreased by 13.88% to $384,244. The median selling price decreased by 11.8% while the average market time decreased by 13 days.

Coatesville School District

The number of homes selling in the Coatesville school district in July 2015 increased by 25% when compared to July 2014. The average selling price decreased by 3.64% to $231,849. The median selling price decreased 6.25%, while the average market time rose by 4 days.

Great Valley School District

The number of homes selling in the Great Valley school district in July 2015 increased by 6.38% when compared to July 2014. The average selling price decreased by 10.03% to $524,687. The median selling price dropped by 6.48%, while the average market time decreased by 3 days.

Unionville School District

The number of homes selling in the Unionville school district in July 2015 increased by 12.2% when compared to July 2014. The average selling price decreased by 9.54% to $533,715. The median selling decreased 3.6% while the average market time increased by 8 days.

Tredyffrin-Easttown School District

The number of homes selling in the Tredyffrin-Easttown school district in July 2015 increased 16.67% when compared to July 2014. The average selling price increased by 10.71% to $614,428. The median selling price increased by 15.47%, while the average market time decreased by 4 days.

Owen J Roberts School District

The number of homes selling in the Owen J Roberts school district in July 2015 increased by 33.33% when compared to July 2014. The average selling price increased by 13.14% to $385,075. The median selling price rose by 10.77% while the average market time increased by 6 days.  

Phoenixville School District

The number of homes selling in the Phoenixville school district in July 2015 increased by 9.09% when compared to July 2014. The average selling price increased by 17.44% to $247,520. The median selling price rose by 13.9%, while the average market time dropped by 7 days.

Curious about the value of your home? Get your home's value here!