David Henke Realtor (r) Homes Just West of Philadelphia PA

This Sunday- October 25, we will be holding an Open House at 907 Morgan Avenue from 1:00-3:00 in the Aronimink Section of Drexel Hill.

Located just one block east of Drexel Avenue, two blocks north of State Rd, and three blocks south of Township Line Rd, 907 Morgan Av is centrally located in the prime Aronimink Estates Section of Drexel Hill PA. On a quiet tree lined street with plenty of area parking, the home is situated within easy access of many commuting options. It is just blocks from the SEPTA 101 Trolley heading toward Media or the 69th Street Terminal and Philadelphia beyond. It is also just off Township Line Road/ Route 1 providing easy access to both I-476/ The Blue Route to the west or I-76/ the Schuykill Expressway to the northeast.

The home itself is a hard to find Spanish Colonial. This design maintains the amenities of the traditional two story Colonial layout but adds a more spacious floor plan as often seen in Craftsmen Style properties. This results in a much more open floor plan with the front door opening directly into the living room with wide generous arched doorways leading to the adjacent family room and formal dining room. Completing the first floor, there is an eat-in kitchen opening to the yard in the rear, a separate office or fourth bedroom, and powder room.

On the second floor there is a large deck situated above the living room affording peaceful tree lined views of the neighborhood. There are an additional three bedrooms and one full bath on the second floor. The large master and a second bedroom both have direct access to the front deck. The spacious master also has two closets with the one walk through closet allowing private entry to the second floor bath. There is also a floored walk-up attic accessed through the second bedroom.

Classic details are found throughout the home. Both floors have high ceilings and hardwood floors. There are also large French windows in the living room providing a sun filled environment and the option to open up the living room to the front patio area as seen in many Spanish style properties. The style is also reinforced through tile and arch highlights found on both the exterior and interior of the home including the tile roof. The living room contains a nice brick wood burning fireplace in its own alcove and there is a separate reading nook just off to the side.

The open floor plan provides tremendous flexibility in the use of the space and the details create a great platform to build your perfect home. If you are considering a move and Drexel Hill is within your search area, please take the opportunity this Sunday from 1:00-3:00 to stop by and visit this very special property.

As always, if you have any questions, need any additional information. or would like a private tour, please do not hesitate to contact me anytime.

Welcome to the Drexelbrook Stop of the SEPTA 101 Trolley Line in Drexel Hill Upper Darby PA.

This station is located right at the entrance to the Drexelbrook Community on Wildell Rd. This is just south of the Woodland Avenue and Stanbridge Rd intersection and just two blocks south of State Rd in Drexel Hill PA. Two stations to the east is the main Aronimink Station at Burmont Rd and one stop to the west is the Drexeline Shopping Center.

The station itself is only a local commuter station with no dedicated parking. There is plenty of space on Wildell Rd to drop off or pick up passengers and there is a small shelter on the eastbound side. The SEPTA 101 Trolley does provide direct access to both Media and the 69th Street Station for those working in Media or needing to head to downtown Philadelphia. The video should provide a better feel for the station:

Drexelbrook itself is one of the largest rental home communities in the Delaware County suburbs. Located on over 80 acres south of the rail line, Drexelbrook has a wide variety of living choices from one bedroom units to three bedroom townhomes. With over 1200 units in the community, just over 800 are 2 bedroom apartments, 123 are townhomes, and there are 278 one bedroom homes. There are 90 buildings in the community that include 520 private garages and a small business center. It also has a full event/catering facility.

To the north of the tracks, it is a primarily residential area. Adjacent to the station there is a mix of twins, rows, and single family homes which switch to primarily single family homes as you progress north in the Aronimink Section of Drexel Hill. Drexel Line Shopping Center is just to the west at the intersection of State Rd and Township Line Rd and another commercial area is east along Burmont Rd.

Due to the many local residential options, the Drexelbrook SEPTA 101 Trolley Station is an excellent commuting station serving the local area. If you are looking to move into the area and need rail access to either Philadelphia or Media and want the convenience of being close to Route 1 and Route 476, this is a prime area to consider.

As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me anytime.

The Valley View real estate market (and home pricing) in Aston PA has continued to remain relatively steady through the current economic uncertainty.

Conveniently located just east of Route 452, and south/west of Concord Road, Valley View in Aston township has remained one of the more stable communities in the area. With just over 300 homes listed in the public records, the development is in an ideal location. The Valley View Shopping Center and the Shoppes at Broadway Plaza are situated just west along Route 452. The Sun Valley High School and Northely Middle School are close by to the south. Finally, the community is easily accessible from throughout the area.

Real estate activity and prices have remained surprisingly consistent until this year. Average pricing first rose above the $200,000 level in 2004 when 4 homes sold with an average price of $230,000. Since then, there were 6 sales with an average price of $251,000 in 2005, 6 in 2006 averaging $249,000, 10 in 2007 for an average of $244,000 and 4 in 2008 averaging $254,000. So far in 2009, prices have eased with 2 sales averaging $210,000, but the average should rise with two homes currently on the market with an average asking price of $251,000. (There are no homes currently under contract)

For those needing easy highway access throughout the area, Valley View is ideally located in southern Delaware County. The community is just off Route 452/ Pennell Rd with direct access to Route 322/ the Conchester Highway to the south, I95 a bit further south, and Route 1/ Baltimore Pike to the north.

If you are looking for a home in southern Delaware County with easy freeway access to Wilmington, Philadelphia, or areas within the county, Valley View is one community you should take an opportunity to visit.

(All statisitcs are from the TrendMLS System and believed accurate but not guaranteed.)

The Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford PA is offering free museum admission for Sunday mornings from 9:30 - 12:00 through September.

Recently I completed a series of posts on Free Summer Activities in the local area. Since then, I have received several recommendations of additional activities - most of which will be explored next summer.

This month, however, you may want to take advantage of the Brandywine River Museum's free September Sunday Mornings. For the next two Sundays, you can still take advantage of free museum admission from 9:30-12:00. In addition to the extensive continuing exhibitions of the NC Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth, and Jamie Wyeth works, this will include the new exhibition of Jamie Wyeth - Seven Deadly Sins . You can also visit the Intrepid and Inventive: Illustrations of Rockwell Kent exhibition and receive a free second audio tour with the rental of one at regular price.

The museum is located on the south side of Route 1 just west of the intersection of Creek Rd on the banks of the Brandywine.

This is a great chance to take a break from the fall rush, enjoy the museum, and see more that the region has to offer. Enjoy!

As always, if you have any questions or need any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me anytime.

Welcome to the Darby Station of the SEPTA R2 Regional Rail Line located just in the southeast corner of Darby Borough PA.

The SEPTA R2 Regional Rail Line running from downtown Philadelphia to Wilmington and Newark Delaware just crosses the southeast corner of Darby Borough. The Darby station is located in this corner of the borough at the 4th Street overpass of the SEPTA R2 Regional and the Amtrak Northeast Corridor Rail Lines. Colwyn Borough lies just to the east of 4th Street and roughly to the south of the tracks.

This is a nice spacious local station withsome limited parking on the southbound side but witheasy access for the local residents of both Colwyn and Darby Boroughs. There is plenty of adjacent space in the adjoining parking lot for dropping off and picking up passengers. The Darby station is located in a primarily residential area of the boroughs and is within easy walking distance of many local residents. The video should provide a better feel for the area:

There is a nice mixture of local real estate values in the area. The community contains a mix of single family homes, twins, and row properties. The area has seen a pull back in prices in 2009. From 2006 through 2008, the average sales prices held at just above $68,000. In 2009 year-to-date, the average price has pulled back to $54,000. Sales volume has also fallen from a peak of 184 homes sold in 2006, to 99 home sales in 2008, and only 55 so far in 2009. At this point, there are currently an additional 97 homes on the market with an average price of $72,000 and 12 homes are under contract at an average asking price of $53,000.

This is a convenient local station for both Colwyn and Darby boroughs with plenty of room for picking up or dropping off passengers and some limited available parking. It is also the closest R2 Regional Rail Line Station to the Philadelphia International Airport.

As always, if you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me anytime.

(All statistics per the TrendMLS System and believed accurate but not guaranteed)