Vance Booher

Fall Is Finally Here! It's Festival Time in Western Pa and The Laurel Highlands!

The heat of the summer is finally behind us. The confused, November-like dampness and cold of this year's September is a memory that hopefully won't repeat until November actually comes! We have been treated to 4 glorious Fall mornings with mists hanging in the hollows and valleys and crisply cool air refreshing us. The leaves have begun to put on their fall briliance - to end all too soon. Enjoy this interlude - it is the best Pennsylvania has to offer. Get out - walk or bike ride throughout the Laurel Highlands. Don't miss it. William Penn's woods are spectacular!

Yes summer is gone. No more Concerts In the Park till next year, and the Farmer's Markets are nearly over - today is the last day for the Ligonier Country Market. But Fall is Festival Time in your Laurel Highlands so there is much yet to come and enjoy. Of course the big one coming up is Fort Ligonier Days all next weekend, October 14-16, so make your plans now to attend. Thousands will be joining you for food, fun, crafts, historic re-enactments and so much more.

If your idea of fun runs to the arts, music and theater it is a grand month for you. From WQED's Doo Wop spectacular at the Benedum tonight; to Frankie Avalon at the Palace Theater in Greensburg next Friday; to Sophocles Electra at the Pittsburgh Public Theater all this month; to the Chicago Lyric Opera's production of La Traviata at the Benedum Oct 18, 21 & 23; there is truly something for all happening in Western Pa this month.

Now for something really special with your kids give a thought to the Carnegie Museum's Bugs n Butterflies Costume Ball coming up next Friday the 14th. A wonderful evening of great food and fun, children's dancing, interactive art and face painting, butterfly wall, Dino Dan and fun tours.

Have some fun. Enjoy the weather with the family. The snowflakes will fly soon!

Pepperwood Grill's Grand ReOpening in Greensburg,PA takes place tonight!

Decisions, decisions. There are so many wonderful options for us here in central Westmoreland County to enjoy fine foods, great wines, and fun entertainment. And of course on every Friday night during the summer we are treated to Summersounds Concerts In The Park at St. Clair Park in Greensburg. Tonight the Concert features Hayes Carll as he brings his colorful brand of character-driven Texas country to Western PA. A good place to be - in the shade on the hillside, drinking in the scenes and sounds. Bring you friends, your family and your dogs. Chill out with a picnic supper! A welcome spot for all.

But tonight is also a very special night for Greensburg's Pepperwood Grille to shine as it shows off its brand new bar and patio scene. Eagerly awaited for the last few months, owners Pete and Michelle Wast will not only be welcoming folks to the new bar spaces but also introducing their new menu as well. Some incredibly tasty items await your pleasure.

I am particularly fond of the seared Ahi, the tenderloin bites wrapped in bacon, the handmade veggie spring rolls, the pure Jamison Farm Lamburgers and so many other temptations. Enjoy many fine specialty brews on tap or sample the new wine list. And if you are really into wine, explore the new Reserve Selections list featuring such wonderful wines as Hartford Court "Land's Edge Pinot Noir, Frog's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon and Shafer "Relentless" Syrah. All a welcome addition to the local wine scene.

Come on out tonight - before or after the Concert In The Park and join the party! The Flow Band will be bringing their incredible blend of calypso, reggae and jazz to entertain us all. Party on till the wee hours!

Bowl For Kid's Sake - Big Brothers Big Sisters - Westmoreland and Fayette Counties in Pennsylvania.

There aren't too many organizations that are more worthy and better suited to achieve critical social objectives than Big Brothers Big Sisters. Around the country, but on a very local level this organization reaches down to young folks who just need someone to relate to on a regular basis. Local volunteers, local folks, make all the difference in the world to young people in need.

Bowl For Kid's Sake is a long-standing and wonderful tradition that deserves recognition in all our American communities. Here in Western PA the annual Bowl For Kid's Sake wrap up is next week with a recognition and prize event at Solstice Restaurant in South Greensburg, PA.

Come join Chef/Owner Gary Kleinfelter, and Big Brother Board Member and guest Bartender Dennis Cremonese as they bring a highly successful fund-raising season to a grand close.

Join the fun. Leave Dennis a big tip and support the cause!

Underage Drinking EDUCATION Expo - 5/7/11 - Westmoreland Mall, Greensburg, PA.

While it isn't something most parents like to talk much about, it is a subject that all parents worry about at one time or another. We particularly seem to think about it when the kids become teenagers, and we get hugely concerned once they get that driver's license.

The sad truth is that more and more pre-teens are experimenting with alcohol and it is the pre-eminent substance abuse problem amongst youth ages 12-20. The statistics are frightening actually.

The Greensburg Council on Alcohol and Youth is sponsoring an Alcohol Education Expo at Westmoreland Mall this Saturday, May 7th, in the Center Court from 10AM to 3PM. There is no website for information but you can contact them at 724 864 9000 ext 4446.

Help get the word out. If you know anyone who might benefit from some educational materials to help them speak with their children about the risks of alcohol please pass along the above information about the Expo. The Council is also welcoming folks who would like to participate in helping.

Tell me what my home is worth! No don't, I don't want to know! OK, give it to me straight! I think!

It is the age old question all sellers need to know - really deep down, at the bottom of their pocketbooks. It is also the answer they may fear the most. We may answer it in many ways. But the most important thing we do is to be honest in what we say. Whether our answer is liked or not, it simply must be honest. It must also be gentle.

They raised a family there. Family traditions and celebrations. First dates and Proms. Parties and touch football in the yard. Hamsters and family hounds. Every shrub lovingly planted; every wall a familiar wallpaper they chose themselves; every nick in those wood floors a memory of something important in their life together; every stain on that carpet a memorable event on its own (OK we really DO hope there aren't many of those!)

In today's more difficult real estate market, it will occasionally be our fates as Agents to have to focus the glare of market reality onto something that is emotionally priceless. We will have to bring their feet down to earth. We may find ourselves throwing cold water on the memories! We may end up diminishing the past! How can we be so heartless?

Well that's the key isn't it? We hope of course that the market meets those fond memories. When it doesn't we have to dredge up every ounce of compassion, civility and just plain human-ness to deliver news of a harsher reality.

In simple terms, the value of your home is quite literally only what someone will offer for it - as tempered by what a Lender will lend to pay for it. In the cold hard light of day, what value an agent suggests, and what the seller and buyer agree to isn't all that relevant unless a Lender will lend the buyer the money to buy. And that folks is where the appraiser comes in. The lenders care a lot more about that opnion than anything else.

The goal of the agent in recommending a listing price is to marry the needs and goals of the seller with the objective market reality of an appraiser. And therein lies the complexity of the task. Whatever price is chosen MUST be wholly defensible and demonstrable to the Lender. If it isn't then all is for nought.

So here is what we must do to find that value Mr. & Mrs. Seller. First we must put aside the memories. After all, they are for you - not for anyone else. They are yours alone to cherish and in your hearts you know that you can't force strangers to value them as you do.

Second we will try to help you to understand that despite all the emotions that swirl about the minds of sellers and buyers, this is, in the end, a business transaction involving a lot of money. We have to keep that in the forefront of our minds.

Third, we will present you with a valuation range based upon the following realities:

1. We will find actual final selling prices of similar or comparable homes that have sold within the last 6-12 months. If we can't find anything comparable in the immediate community in that time period, we will extend the search geographically but we won't go back further into the past.

2. Similar or comparable means in terms of style, size, age, location, amenities, quality and condition.

3. We will consider the level of updates to your home both in terms of what we call core systems (HVAC, Electrical, Roof, etc) and in terms of current design standards (especially kitchens and baths). We may recommend some updating and repairs. If you are considering updates already, we will recommend that you look first to core systems. We would rather you have a good roof and a high-efficiency furnace than spend money on granite countertops.

When all is said and done, the market will tell you what it thinks. Visitors without offers don't get it done. The right price and the right condition mean a home sold quickly.

Remember too that we need to work as a partnership to achieve your goals. Two-way communication and honesty is essential throughout the process.