Nick & Trudy Vandekar

This Friday as part of the First Friday events in Berwyn, PA supported by the Berwyn Devon Business and Professional Association I am holding a seminar together with Kathy Scipione from our Long and Foster Devon office and Linda Sticklin of Home Staging and Organizing.

This is a free community seminar to be held at Easttown Library from 5 to 6 PM and will touch on Staging your home for sale both decoratively and financially and cover issues such as the questions you should ask before hiring a Realtor to sell your home, local market trends, does advertising work and why it is important to price your home correctly from the beginning.

We look forward to meeting you there and hope you can attend. Easttown Library is located on First Avenue in Berwyn, PA. So why not attend the seminar and then go out for dinner in the village at one of our many restaurants and attend some of the other events taking place for First Friday in Berwyn.

After the first real Winter snow last evening I decided to take a walk up at Valley Forge Park on this historic day of the inaugaration of our new president.

Our flag through the arch at Valley Forge Park

Another view of the arch.

Can you imagine sleeping in these in this weather.

A view towards the gun park at Valley Forge

I believe this is a view of Misery Hill

A view of the church (way off in the back ground on the right) across the park

Thirty homes are available in Chesterbrook for sale right now, all are apartments or townhomes. Last year, 2008, just over one hundred homes sold in Chesterbrook from 1 bed room apartments to single family homes. Only two of the sales were single family homes both four bedroom homes in the Green Hills section of Chesterbrook; all the other homes were townhouses or apartments.

Trying to see a pattern of sales one notices they split up into several price points for specific types of homes, although location, updating to bathrooms, kitchens and having a garage does make a difference obviously.

One and two bedroom apartment style homes and smaller town homes are priced up to about $250,000; some are priced a little higher than this but not much. These homes tend to be in Washington Place, Valley Stream, Rittenhouse Ct, Le Forge Ct, Headhouse Ct, Flintlock, Cheswold Ct, Mountain View Dr. etc. Within these locations there are some exceptions that sell at higher prices for specific reasons as we have mentioned.

Above $250,000 to about $350,000 are three bedrooms townhomes with some larger two bedroom homes with two and one half bathrooms, and some four bedroom town homes. These Many of these are located off Bradford Road in Bradford Crossing or Bradford Hills and Main Street Village.

Certain developments in Chesterbrook because of larger floor plans and two car garages in some instances demand higher prices such as Newport Village, Landmark, Militia Hill, Painters Lane and The Ponds and these homes bring prices above the $350,000 price range.

One of the reasons for quicker sales and higher prices today is often that the homes is move in ready with little or no work needing to be carried out by the buyer. Location with views over Open Space, or proximity to open space with walking trails abundant throughout Chesterbrook and close proximity and access to Valley Forge Park also helps homes to sell in Chesterbrook as well as homes having garages. Parking in certain sub-developments of Chesterbrook is limited and having a one car garage certainly helps, although even these are limited with many homes having no garages.

We have sold homes through out Chesterbrook and can answer any questions you may have. It is a great place to live with its own on site hotel, offices Wilson Farm Park and local shops everything you need is close by with easy access to major routes and public transport easily accessible.

There are currently 7 homes available in Old Forge Crossing in Devon, PA. This wonderful condominium development is well priced and equally well located. There are six one bedroom homes available, although one of these does have a small den as well and one two bedroom home that has just come on the market. Four of these have wood buring fireplaces, including the two bedroom home. Several of the single bedroom homes have been on the market a long time, one almost a year, two have been on the market for more than 120 days, whilst these have all had price reductions location in the development or lack of updated bathroom and kitchen may be holding them back.

The two single bedroom homes that have recently come on the market are the most highly priced of the single bedroom homes, however one is an end unit with upgraded kitchen, cabinets and bathroom which makes a big difference and the other appears to have had some upgrading done in the bathroom. Old Forge Crossing saw only 18 homes sell last year well down on previous years sales and prices have also been down compared to prior year sales. As we have discussed before upgrading to heater, air conditioning units as well as kitchens and bathrooms really help these homes to sell. If you are interested in using a buyers agent who knows this development well please call us so we can set up appointments for you. With the low mortgage rates now is a good time to buy a home if you have some funds to put down as well. These upgraded homes will probably not last long as they are desirable.

Old Forge Crossing is one of my favourite developments in the Devon, PA area. Whilst it is now beginning to age and homes need to be updated many unbits that you show still have original bathrooms and kitchens. Painting kitchen cabinets is not updating. Some owners have updated and this year whislt showing homes I have been pleasantly surpirsed to find some lovely kitchens and bathrooms in several units. These have all sold quickly and for better prices than normal.

This having been said number of homes sold dropped to eighteen in 2008, which is down from the twenty-four last year which was significantly down on the fifty the previous year. Prices have also drifted lower over the last two years with single bedroom units selling in the mid to high 150,000's unless they have been updated or have the additional den these selling in the high 160,000's to low 170,000's. Two bedroom homes have also seen prices drop to the low 200,000's although these tend to be on the market for less time.

A quirk I don't like at Old Forge, water has to be turned off to a whole block, there are no individual shut off valves for a home that I know about, if having work done in a unit I would suggest installing individual shut off valves. Another issue whilst location is great where a home is in the development may cause you to suffer from excessive road noise.

But why do I like Old Forge Crossing over other developments in the area. Firstly each unit has plenty of storage, many customers who move from Old Forge are disappointed with storage in homes they purchase, each home in Old Forge has plenty of storage. Each home has it's own private outside entrance and a laundry in the unit, no having to trek over to a central location to do your washing. The condo fee includes so much, including your pool membership, tennis, gas for your dryer, cooking and hot water, trash, snow removal, common areas and exterior maintenance. Every time I come to Old Forge I find the development looks well cared for and something is being done to improve the development. also the fee is reasonable and although there is a capital fund contribution required at settlement this is now common at developments in the area. The grounds are delightful with a duck pond, walking trails and over 40 acres in the development. Location is great for acces to major routes and shopping, restaurants and Valley Forge Park.

Finally price, these homes frankly are great value. They appeal to many buyers with different needs bring a great mix of owners. With a little updating, new a/c and heating units, new kitchens, bathrooms and windows these units will be a great place to live for a long time to come.