About Berks County, PA

Do you have things that are too good to throw away but that you don't want anymore? Do you live in Amity Township, PA? Well, your problem is solved! We're getting ready for the 2009 Berks County Amity Township yard sale that our company, Century 21 Call First Real Estate, sponsors every year. We'll do the advertising, give you a sign for your yard and some other goodies. All you have to do is have stuff! (and maybe a table to display it on).

Are you moving? Have you just moved? Are you doing your spring cleaning? Then as you go through your stuff, put unwanted items aside and watch for the fliers and postcards that give you instructions to sign up for it. It's coming in May so it's not too early to start looking through your things!

Before you read too much into that title, let me assure you I am not a workaholic...well at least, NOT EXACTLY...

Yesterday was a snow day, not so much that we got a large accumulation of the white stuff (we only got about 6 inches total), but the roads were treacherous, the temperature was single digits real feel, and the winds were blustery and gusting...all in all, a good day, if any, to call it quits when it comes to making it in to work...

Now the good news about staying home in this age of technology and easily available information is that through e-mail, cell phone, broadband internet access, etc., you can literally get a lot accomplished from your favorite seat at home...

Which I attempted to do yesterday...

However, at about 3 PM, I began to feel like I needed to get something accomplished...and so...

I decided to change the filters in my domestic home water line...we have well water that requires two filters...one for sediment and rust, and the other for taste and odor...

Without getting into too many technical details, in the process of doing this I put too much torque on the main water supply line and it snapped right off...and I could tell immediately, it didn't break in an ideal place...if there is such a thing...

My astute mind quickly surveyed the damage, and I realized I needed the services of a Professional...AND FAST...

Now I was able to shut off the main water supply, so I wasn't faced with a deluge or tsunami of water all over the place...BUT...

In my home, with a geothermal HVAC system for heating and cooling, when I have no water, I have no heat (there is an all electric emergency backup setting which I'm always reluctant to use because of the expense)...

Which translated means that it was now 4 o'clock, I have 5 children under 15, a dog, a wife originally from Texas who gets irate when the snow causes any inconvenience, temperatures dropping outside faster than the big ball in Times Square on New Years Eve, a fireplace in the family room that requires constant attention and refueling, and darkness settling upon the whole situation...hmmmmm...

After a quick prayer, I decided to call my HVAC guy and friend, Brian Conrad, owner of Amity Heating and Cooling...

Like the true Professional and caring gentleman he is...he was over to assess the situation in less than an hour...and agreed with my conclusion that it was neither a timely nor a strategically located break...nevertheless...after making a few quick phone calls to locate parts before suppliers closed for the day, and after trying a 'quick rig' solution that failed...Brian was able to completely redo a long section of supply line piping, complete with 3 or 4 shut off valves and several complicated looking T's, compliments of Ace Hardware of Douglassville (great guys, great store)...

Suffice it to say...by 8 o'clock everything was back to 'normal' in the Gaspari household...thanks to Brian Conrad and Amity Heating & Cooling...!!!

Sometimes it's safer and more profitable to GO TO WORK...rather than STAY HOME...!!!

February 14 - 15, 2009

Chocolate & Wine Valentine’s Wine Tasting Weekend

Berks County Wine Trail is “in the mood” for love. Just as the mistletoe has dried up and chords from Auld Lang Syne are nothing more than a faint echo in the background…the Berks County Wine Trail readies for Valentine’s Day! To celebrate, the member wineries along the trail will be welcoming wine lovers, friends, family and new visitors to join them for the annual “Chocolate & Wine Valentine’s Wine Tasting Weekend.”

This year the timing of the event couldn’t be more delicious: Saturday February 14th and Sunday February 15th – Noon to 5 PM at each participating Berks Wine Trail winery. During this event weekend, visitors will have the scrumptious opportunity to enjoy an array of creative collaborations of chocolate paired with featured Pennslvania crafted wines.

Chocolatey inspirations of chocolate cakes, confections, wine-infused cocoas, cookies, or fondues will be some of the delights featured with select wines produced by the wineries along the Berks County Wine Trail. A complete menu of pairings will be available soon. Touring of the eight wineries is self-guided (see trail website for maps and directions). The featured chocolate and wine samplings are complimentary as is many of the regular wine samplings offered at each tasting room (please visit each winery’s website for tasting room fees). And no reservations are required.

This is an especially perfect day out for those who cannot decide until the last minute what to do for their loved one during the Valentine’s Weekend. Guys looking for something to do for their Mothers or Girlfriends or Wives – this is the ideal treat – spending the day together, sight-seeing in beautiful countryside of Berks County and enjoying a diverse menu of chocolates and wines along the way.

Visit the events page of www.berkscountywinetrail.com for more information as well as the complete menu for the “chocolate and wine weekend” tasting list!

Recently at the National Association of Realtors Conference in Orlando Florida, NAR suggested that Realtors cross borders to gain referral dollars from various real estate opportunities Worldwide. I choose a French development company and chateau broker. I was surprised as to what influences the value and desirability of a Chateau to buyers in this very narrow market niche. The obvious is Location Location Location. So for example if you have a chateau in the outlying areas if Paris you will have a very desirable and pricing abode. The less obvious on the list of attributes that can increase values are:

A private Chapel in the Estate

Private Stables

Pigeon house and size

Condition

Unesco protected land

History of region and Estate. The chateau's Provenance, which comes from the French provenir, "to come from", means the origin, or the source, of something, or the history of the ownership If a King or other noble family owned the estate then there is a market for its pedigree blood line.

water and woodland on property for sportsman activities

Almost all chateau offers high level of privacy with either walls of stone or shrubs surrounding the estate with large iron entrance gates. The french government has a No fly zone law so no one can fly over a historic property or chateau without the written permission o the owner.

If you know someone that is currently renting a home or apartment who has a secure job and good credit let them in a few secrets;

If you pay rent in the Amount of $600 per month in 30 years you wull have paid a sstaggering $499,355!!!

If you are paying $1,000 per month in 30 years you will have paid in $823,259! That is figuring that there is no rent increases.

The federal Government is offer a $7,500 tax credit to fist time buyer and now this does not need to re-paid! Many homes located out in the county qualified for Rural housing 100% financing and of course FHA is only 3.5 % down and the seller can pay all of the closing cost.

Educate the young buyer who is renting and explain the benefits. The economy has created one of the best buyers markets ever! The interest rates are low, and the value are at the lowest in many areas that they will go. We have seen areas such as San Diego California sales number begin to escalate, and usually when the market begins to recover and readjust its too late and the window of opportunity is gone.