Making YOUR Offer The Most Attractive It Can Be

It is NOT always dollars and cents that prompt a seller to sign an agreement of sale…here are a few tips to sweeten your Philly Condo offer: Shorten your settlement date-especially if the home is vacant. Get a pre-approval from the mortgage company that the LISTING agent uses most. This will allow the listing agent, [...]

WTF is a Capitol Contribution & Why?

Twenty years ago, a Capital Contribution was a very rare line item paid by a buyer to reimburse the seller. Today, a Capitol Contribution is standard for almost any purchase, and the payment now goes to the condo association and not the seller. So WTF is a Capitol Contribution?Quite simply, it is a one-time fee collected from every buyer. [...]

Ten things you really should know if you’re buying a condo in Center City Philadelphia

1.) Do I need a lawyer?Legally, no you do not. However, I suggest you hire a REAL ESTATE attorney as they can be helpful. What I do NOT suggest is that you hire your brother's neighbor, and is a personal injury lawyer. That could really do more harm than good, in my opinion. Get a [...]

Sweeten Your Offer

It is NOT always dollars and cents that prompt a seller to sign an agreement of sale. Here are a few tips to sweeten your offer:*Shorten your settlement date if the home is vacant.*Shorten your home inspection period to 7 days instead of 15 days.*Put more money down (to be held in escrow). A full [...]

Value Growth is Not Guaranteed

A small number of condos in prime Center City zip codes have not appreciated over the past decade+/- In my 33 years of selling Center City real estate, I can tell you that value growth/appreciation is a priority for most buyers when purchasing a Center City condo: Many buyers rank appreciation as a reason to [...]

Philadelphia Loft Living for Empty Nesters

Center City offers a buffet of living arrangements. Almost any Center City condominium with a smattering of exposed brick attempts to pass itself off as a loft. Often sought after as an expression of one's own style, loft living has taken off in downtown Philadelphia. Lofts vary in look, layout, and location throughout downtown Philly. [...]

HGTV Shows I would Like to See

I like HGTV. I think their shows are timely, relevant, and interesting. A nice combination of education and entertainment centered around a topic that everyone likes to talk about – Real Estate. Here are some ideas I have for TV programs that I would like to see because as a Philadelphia REALTOR®, I encounter a plethora [...]

I Hope the Philly Condo I Sell You Smells Like Dog Pee

...and has dirty orange shag carpeting, and faded purple walls. I really do.Buying a cosmetically ugly home is the VERY best way to protect your investment.  Our little group of REALTORS® (www.CenterCityCondos.com) have sold over 3,000 homes and one distinction we can brag about is our ability to pinpoint condos which are "diamonds in the rough" and finding condos that [...]

Making Your Offer As Attractive It Can Be

Here are some tips for making your offer on your potential new home as attractive to the seller as it can be: 1) Get a pre-approval from the mortgage company that the LISTING agent uses most. This will allow the listing agent, who will be presenting your offer to the seller, to be comfortable with [...]

It’s Not the Kitchen Cabinets – It’s the Knobs!

One surefire way to dress up that cabinet is with a really nice, non-gaudy knob or pull. It adds a certain flair to the cabinet, and the right knob or pull can really make all the difference in the world.

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