Christmas really is for the kids but adults may enjoy a few things on this short list. This is not everything that the Philadelphia area has to offer for the holidays, it's just a few.
1. The Holiday Light Show at Wanamakers: Across from City Hall on Market Street, you find the Wanamaker Building. It's Macy's now, and every hour on the hour you can see the Christmas light show. Started in 1956, it still draws a crowd of parents and children to marvel at Julie Andrews telling short holiday stories and the blinking light show set to holiday music. Not so high tech, but high in holiday spirit. It is an absolute MUST do for children. Even though it is officially Macy's, it will always be Wanamaker's to Philadelphians.
Hint: While you're in Macy's if you have some time and want to see Santa, be prepared to wait. But at least the wait is a little less dull with the Dickens town, the old Litt Brother's display of moving figures of Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol. Over 100,000 people (kids and adults) visit Macy's Santa each season!
2. New! Christmas Villiage at Dillworth Plaza: The German American Marketing group and the City of Philadelphia set up over 50 vendors to form a medieval village selling European food, sweets and drinks, international seasonal holiday gifts, ornaments and high quality arts and crafts. Located at Dillworth Plaza - outside City Hall on 15th Street. Yummy, yummy German food, barvarian pretzels and so many crafts that you can finish your holiday shopping!
Hint: Santa is at City Hall too - daily from 11:00 am until 8:00 pm!
3. New! The Comcast Center Holiday Spectacular: Another MUST SEE! Enter the Comcast building, the tallest in Philadelphia at 17th and JFK and you will encounter a group on onlookers staring at the paneling. At first, you wonder what the heck is going on, but every hour Comcast produces their version of Holiday Lights, the high tech version. The paneling is really a gigantic hi
gh definition tv screen made to look like paneling. While you are still trying to figure out what is going on, the wall changes to a scene of light bulbs set to holiday music, a sleigh ride through the snow, a nutcracker dance (that shows every wrinkle on the Sugar Plum fairy's face even though she look's like she's about 20), and Santa Clause traveling over the Philadelphia skyline at night. It's so high def and realistic and the music really puts you in the holiday spirit. Plus Comcast owes you for how much you spend on TV every year!
4. Shadybrook Farm Holiday Drive-Through Light Show: Just of the Yardley/Newtown Exit of I-95, experience the magic of millions of lights illuminating acres of farmland during Shadybrook Farm's Holiday Light Show! This is the coolest experience for lazy people! Drive through in the comfort of your own car or enjoy the show on a moonlit hayride. Drive-thru open Nov. 26 2008 through Jan. 4, 2009 from Dusk to 10 PM. Hayride open Nov. 28 to Dec. 23, & Dec. 26 - Dec. 30 from 6 to 8 PM. Pack the car with the neighbor's kids too. A carload is $20, but you can find coupons online: http://www.shadybrookfarm.com/wintercoupons.php. The Holiday Light Show benefits the Salvation Army, St. Mary Medical Center, & the MS Society.
Hint: While you're there, visit Santa's Village and the North Pole Adventure! Kids will delight in the holiday fun where they will encounter gift shops and Santa's Elves.
5. Holiday Shopping at Sesame Place: OK, it's technically not Philadelphia, it's in Langhorne, PA right near the Oxford Valley Mall and Keller Williams Real Estate Langhorne. Sick of seeing Santa, or don't celebrate Christmas? Get your children's holiday picture taken with Elmo or another Sesame Street Character. Not much else to do here but shop and ride the carosel, but there's no admission fee and it is always a kick for a kid to see Elmo. Open Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM to 2 PM.
Happy Holidays!
P.S. The child in the picture is my 4-year old son. You can't tell in the pictures, but he had a blast at ALL of these events, especially Sesame Place and Macy's. He just hates getting his picture taken sometimes. LOL
Keller Williams Real Estate Sponsors Coat Drive
Every year, thousands of men, women, and children live through the cold winter season without a coat to keep warm. You may help provide them with this basic necessity through the Langhorne KW Cares Winter Coat Drive.
I found a beautiful wool coat in my closet that I haven't worn since 1998 for the coat drive. There was $6.43 in the pocket. How's that for good karma? I spent it on a latte and tipped the barista with the rest. Well, it's good to stimulate the economy too. That money's been out of circulation for 10 years!
The Keller Williams Real Estate Bucks County South Market Center team, believes in giving back to the community. In that spirit, Keller Williams Real Estate in Langhorne is holding the coat drive to benefit Greater Philadelphia Cares and Women Against Abuse.
Keller Williams Real Estate is seeking new or gently used, any size Women's, Children's and Men's COATS, HATS, SCARVES, and GLOVES. Our office, located near Sesame Place across from Macy's outside the Oxford Valley Mall, is an official drop-off location for the Greater Philadelphia Cares Coat Drive through January 19th, 2009.
Women's and Children's coats collected prior to December 16th, 2008 will be donated to the Philadelphia Women Against Abuse Shelter in Philadelphia - the only shelter in Philadelphia exclusively for battered women and their children forced to flee their homes.
"We believe in supporting the community that we live and work in. It's our way of saying thanks to our friends, neighbors, clients and customers," said Team Leader, Debi Breen
This event is a reminder that there are thousands of people whose only holiday wish is a warm coat for their children, parents, or themselves. If you would like to contribute to this worthwhile campaign, please contact Joe McCarthy at 267-228-3950 for coat pick ups. Sorry Chicago, this is limited to the Philadelphia Area.
Thanks!
Not true today. However, it's not far from likely soon. The market has ups and downs. This is down, so what is down must go back up. Just like interest rates!
Yes, it is a buyer's market. So why is buyer confidence down? National news has a strange effect on home buyers, even in Philadelphia where the average sale price has only decreased an average of 4% in 2008. Buyer confidence is shaky and the erratic stock market really doesn't help that.
A 1% drop in the mortgage rates, by all accounts, should spur activity in the market. After all, it's almost a 10% decrease in the actual payments on a home. Read: Pay less for more. The "smart money" is investing in real estate now. It's exciting to see the investors out buying. But home buyers remain skeptical.
Fact: It's called a buyer's market for a reason. People still need places to live and now is the time to get the best buy. The market is overstocked with homes for sale. Interest rates are incredibly low. Get a home while it's not hot, or pay more when it heats up.
The following Letter "Now More Than Ever" was submitted by my friend Jack Minnig, Guest Blogger.
With the exception of the last 12-14 months, the past 4-5 years in the real estate industry has been very prosperous for most who have participated. For the investor, values escalated, for the fix and flip guys business couldn't have been better and for the sellers... well, they set the stage, if you didn't do what they wanted, they were on to the next buyer before you could blink.
Now mortgage people and Realtors had it a bit harder, yes they were involved in the same great market, but when things get that easy, everybody gets involved. And that's exactly what happened, I would bet you couldn't have been at a function with a group of 25 or more people without getting 3 -4 real estate related business cards, Realtors, Mortgage guys, home inspectors, title agents even the handy men were riding the real estate wave. But for those who were making a living from the business, the competition got tough.
Selling real estate became so easy in the mind of the public that owner's couldn't see the need for Realtors, and those that did want to use a Realtor could always find one that would do it for just about nothing, because real estate wasn't really there full time job, they just did it for extra money because it was so easy, list a house, put out a sign, get an agreement, settle and get a check, sometime in as little as 2 weeks, they might have had to invest 8 hours to do that, what could be easier. But, all good things must come to an end, is how the saying goes, and oh how times have changed.
The real estate landscape is a bit different from just a few months ago, and there are changes every week. There have been more then 60,000 people that have abandoned the real estate and mortgage industry, and hundred's of financial institutions that have closed, or been closed. And there are agents and loan officers that are hanging on by the skin of there teeth hoping that things will get better before they get worse, and that means there will be more to go before we are done. OK, you get the idea, things changed for the worse.
NOW MORE THEN EVER there are some things that I would suggest we all do.
First, if you're interested in buying or selling real estate, I can't stress enough the need to use a full time real estate agent from a reputable company; those days of just using the cheapest guy out there should be avoided at all cost. Full time agents from reputable companies have the advantage of ongoing training, and access to all of the most recent changes in the industry from there affiliated arrangements they have with the complimenting businesses in the industry. Second, and for me I think this is the most important, you MUST use a reputable mortgage BANKER, and a seasoned loan officer.
A seasoned loan officer is one that has more then 5 years in the industry, because the last 5 years the mortgage industry has been dominated by sub-prime and Alt A loans, so most loan officer that came into the industry in the last 5 years haven't had to know as much about other programs that have been, and will continue to be the foundation of the industry. As far as the difference in mortgage companies go, they are not all equal, broker, broker/banker, banker or a servicing company, which one is right? Because of the ongoing turmoil in the mortgage industry I would not recommend using a mortgage broker, or a mortgage banker who is brokering there loans.
The first of these 2 types of companies rely solely on outside underwriting, they are at the mercy of the lender, and represent a higher risk level for the company that is going to be funding there loans, the second of these will do something similar. They have the license and the ability to function as a full service mortgage lender, but they lack the size and volume to take on the risk of a banker, so they also rely on underwriting from the lender who will fund there loans.
The credit tightening that everybody hears about starts with the brokers first, the lender's have less control over how a broker does business so they will have the toughest time getting loans approved, the broker/banker does take on more risk then the broker and may be required to buy a loan back that becomes an issue after closing, this will get them a little less stringent underwriting process, but one mistake can put a company like that out of business quickly. Now a full service banker, and a banker servicer will give you the best possible results, they are self contained from originating to underwriting to closing, they do it all themselves.
The full service banker that does not service loans after the closing represents the least amount of risk for the servicing lender. Because the full service banker does its own underwriting, and it closes the loan with its own money, the servicing lender takes on far less risk when purchasing those loans, and because the risk is lower, the rewards are higher. The servicing lender is the top of the heap, the do the same as the full service banker, but they go one step further, the keep the loan and service the borrower for the next 15, 20 or 30 years, depending on the loan term.
Ok, which one is the most beneficial to use?
Before I give you my opinion, let me tell you that I work for a full service banker that does not service loans after the settlement; we do everything from originations, to closing with our money. With that being said, I believe that an established, reputable, full service banker offers the best benefits for MOST borrowers. The reason for this is that a reputable banker will deliver closed loans to most of the bigger servicers Wells Fargo, Chase, GMAC or Bank of America or one of the many top servicing companies that have been out there for years. The biggest benefit that the full service banker can offer is lower rates, with the same dependable customer service that the big servicers are trying to convince you that you will only get with them.
I worked for one of the biggest mortgage bankers that I mentioned above, as a loan officer for that company, my rates were more then ½ a percent higher then loan officer's that were working for broker's that were doing loans for my company, so as an employee of the giant, I couldn't compete with a broker doing a loan through my company, and it's still that way today. But, the giants have the ability to do some things that nobody else can, if you have a buyer that has something out of the norm, something that doesn't fit certain guidelines, but there is a common sense explanation for it, that may be something that the giants will shine at, but if you think about how many of those buyers you may deal with throughout a year, the giants will be glad to help.
So, what does all this mean for you?
If you're a Realtor, manage your business, interview the people you are planning on partnering with for your income, don't get caught up in the hype of a name or what you hear from other people in your business, do your own leg work and make your own opinion's based on experience. Understand all of the parts of your business, you don't have to be an expert on all of the parts, but if you don't have an understanding of the other parts, you won't be able to recognize an expert when you meet one. Knowledge is the best thing you can have right now to navigate this difficult market, but you can with just a little more effort then in the past.
If you're a buyer/borrower decide what you are interested in, if rate is all you are worried about, and you have no concerns about getting a loan and documentation is not a concern, a broker might be your best bet. If you want to finish were you start, and rate isn't something concerns you, and then the giant is the place for you. If you would like to have something between the 2, then the full service banker is your best bet.
But keep in mind that Now More Then Ever your business is in your hands, its yours to make or break, if you plan on doing the same things you have been doing in this new market you'll just be spinning your wheel and you'll get frustrated. A little more effort, a lot more training and a bunch more application will make you the expert the public will look to for guidance.
See you in the trenches and Good luck!
Thank you,
Jack Minnig
Pennsylvania District Manager
Franklin American Mortgage Company
Three Greentree Centre Suite 100
Marlton, NJ 08053
215-688-2973 cell
877-562-6119 toll free
215-946-3547 fax
jminnig@franklinamerican.com
Last week 30-year mortgage rates dropped below 6 percent. Some brokers say their rates are as low as 5.25 percent. Wells Fargo rates today (12/2/2008): Conventional is 5.375 FHA is 5.75 Contact: lisa.sozio@wellsfargo.com
Rates are down since the Federal Reserve announced that it would buy $500 billion in mortgage-backed securities held by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Want a bargain on a new home? Your money has more buying power today. Call a mortgage broker today because what goes down will go back up, it's inevitable and this will not last.
It's called a buyers market for a reason! Looking for a home in Philadelphia or Bucks County, PA?
Smart Girls buy now! www.SmartGirlsOwn.com
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The McCarthy Group: Realtors catering to smart women (and smart men too!) in Philadelphia and Lower Bucks County. Visit my webite, the "Smart Girl's Guide to Real Estate" at www.SmartGirlsOwn.com.
If you refer others to us, you have our heartfelt thanks. One of the highest forms of trust in business is sending friends and colleagues along to us. We know that your trust in us is hard-earned, and we pledge to take care of anyone you send our way.
Full-time, full-service Realtors. Put Big Joe and Stacey to work for you! I live in Northeast Philadelphia and I work at Keller Williams Real Estate in Langhorne with my husband, Joe who is also an agent. I have a 3 1/2-year old son, who is a real character and keeps me on my toes and laughing all the time. Six years ago, I was finally smart enough to learn that owning real estate is not only good for a place to live, but also to build wealth. I feel like "if I knew then what I know now," I would have bought some real estate much earlier instead of renting and throwing my money away. For years I wanted to buy my own place, but was afraid. I would like the opportunity to help some smart women into real estate and not make the mistake I did. I spent 12 years as a bartender before becoming a lead union negotiator and secretary-treasurer for the hotel and bartender's union for several years. In 2002 I bought my first property and finally left the union in 2005 to pursue a career in real estate. Recently, my husband got his real estate license and we have been working together. It works out well for us because we believe 2 heads are better than 1. I am very dedicated and tackle each transaction, treat each home, as if it were my own. In addition, I have stepped it up a notch as a certified eAgent and have the tech savvy necessary for today's real estate market. Where do YOU want to live? Philly, Bucks, Bensalem, Andalusia, Langhorne, Levittown, Bristol, Yardley, Newtown, Middletown, Pendel, Southampton, Feasterville, Northeast Philly, Parkwood, Delaire Landing, Bakers Bay, Philadelphia Condos, Mayfair, Castor Gardens, Rhawnhurst, Bustleton, Somerton, Parkwood, Torresdale, Holmesburg, Pennypack, Fox Chase, Morrell Park, Modena Park, Millbrook... We can move you where you want to go. If you or someone you know is looking to buy or sell, call the McCarthy Group...
For all your real estate needs! My Son, Ever
My Husband, Joe and my Son, Ever
The Smart Girl's Guide to Real Estate See 1000's of homes for sale: MySpace Profile and Blog: YouTube Videos: www.youtube.com/sellwithstacey __________________________________________________________________________________________
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Find out more about Keller Williams
Are You a Smart Girl? I'm "The Smart Girl's Realtor" Sources: 2006 National Association of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers
About one-quarter of the nation's nearly 8 million single mothers spend more than half of their incomes on housing, compared with 1/10 of households headed by single fathers.
Know a Smart Girl?
"Buying a house is a huge investment. Stacey understood how I felt and took her time with me even though I must of looked at 20 houses. She helped me with everything from where to look to how to get the mortgage. Stacey made buying a house a pleasure instead of a anxiety-ridden chore."
~ Shirley Schingen, Philadelphia
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"I found myself selling my house under less than desirable circumstances, I was going through a divorce and needed to downsize. But my experience with Stacey was the best !! Throughout all my difficulties, having to make some repairs, and getting the paper work and legal materials together Stacey held my hand and helped me every step of the way. Even though it was not the best selling climate, she helped me arrange the best deal and gave me the greatest opportunities to show my house. And, when it was sold, she went out of her way to show me other homes so I could get settled in and start a whole new life. I can't say enough about how calming, supportive and helpful Stacey was. She made the whole process of selling and buying a home a wonderful experience."
~ Wendy Wolf, Montgomery County
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Stacey was available morning, noon and night and never tired of our first time home buyer questions. I reccomended Stacey to my brother, Her ability to work with other realtors and to schedule showings on our schedule was important to us. Stacey went the extra mile in showing us only the listings which met our needs.
~ Ryan T. Mulvey, Philadelphia
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Stacey was very patient, understanding, and flexible in finding a home that will meet the needs for a first time home buyer like myself. She was even so kind enough to recommend certain resources to make the home buying experience better. It was almost like having that crossing guard who guided you safely across the street when you were little, but instead she is someone who is safely guiding you in the whole home buying process. This results in a safe, reliable, and painless experience that any home buyer will appreciate and remember! Thanks Stacey!
~ Simon T., Philadelphia
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