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Devon, PA Real Estate News

By Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543, Selling the Main Line & Chester County
(Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055)
Are you stuck? Stuck in the same old way of doing things, marketing a home, getting listings. Many real estate agents today are complaining that things are tough, but they are not changing their business model or even their methods of marketing. Today you need to be realistic and know that our consumers are changing the way they search for and look at homes. As agents we need to adapt and change as well, this may mean changing everything you know about real estate. It may mean kicking off the traces and doing something different. For some it may mean getting a different job, but for those who embrace change I think the market ahead holds many opportunities Sellers and buyers want to work with people who understand and get the changes happening right now. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, You...
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By Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543, Selling the Main Line & Chester County
(Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055)
Many buyers today believe that they can save themselves money by negotiating with the seller through the listing agent rather than have a buyers agent. I wrote yesterday that I felt buyer agency is a sham not because I don't believe in buyer agency because I do, but because the agent is paid by the seller, and until the buyer pays for their own agent the idea of agency is a sham. Likewise I think buyers don't understand that the listing contract is drawn up before any buyer is ever in the picture. That listing contract states what percentage the home is being listed for by the broker, not the agent but the broker. In filling out the contract discussion is held with the seller about how much they wish to offer as compensation for the buyers agent or transaction agent. However, the way th...
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By Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543, Selling the Main Line & Chester County
(Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055)
In the last week I have listened to an interview with David Heinemeier Hansson and been reading Poke the Box by Seth Godin. The combination of the two is that if you want to succeed today you have to be willing to start. All the plans, the dreams, the lists of goals are worthless if you don't start. So how is your year going so far? If it is not shaping up how you wanted it to, start something, do something different; go door to door in a new neighborhood or even your own and introduce yourself. Ask people what you can do to help them, and do it with no sense of what might be in it for you. Maybe they might remember you or mention you to a friend and you might get business from it down the road. Who knows, but if you don't start you won't get anything. Have you been meaning to join a ne...
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By Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543, Selling the Main Line & Chester County
(Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055)
Just listening to the news this morning I am not surprised the real estate consumer is sitting on the fence. First for about ten minutes the messages were all mixed, foreclosures are down, but this may be because....blah blah, home starts are up, but don't get excited because there are still lots of resale homes to sell. My head was spinning and the glee with which CNN reported it, then finish it up with a tour of a town in New Jersey where the majority of the homes are in foreclosure. Get me out of here. But wait a minute, my area is not so bad, homes are selling, there are not so many foreclosures, prices are fairly stable, the clients we are working with are well qualified, sellers are being realistic. So I am not going to pay attention, I am just going to deal with MY WORLD and igno...
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By Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543, Selling the Main Line & Chester County
(Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055)
How desperate are you? Would you put your license at risk to get a deal to closing? Who are you representing, the client or yourself in these deals? Unfortunately to many people lose sight of who they work for, the client and see only their own pocket as being the reason for wanting to be a realtor. I serve on our local realtor board Professional Standards as co-chair of the Grievance Committee. As such I get to hear complaints from other agents and members of the public about our colleagues, of course at this stage names are changed to maintain confidentiality. But the point I want to make here is that I am shocked when agents start telling me in the process of negotiating what they have done in earlier deals to make them "work". I usually interupt to let them know they are talking to ...
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By Laurie Matthias, Realtor, Residential Real Estate Professional
(Long and Foster Real Estate)
Main Line Neighborhoods - Local Restaurant on a Pet-Rescue Mission DEVON, Pa. (CBS) — Positively Philadelphia: A Local Restaurant On A Pet-Rescue Mission (Sound of kittens meowing…) People who love cats know that these kittens are saying, “Come get me, and also have a great lunch!” The Black Cat Café, a new restaurant in Devon, Pa., is owned by PALS (Pet Adoption and Lifecare Society), a local pet rescue group.  The café is run almost entirely by volunteers. “Every dime of our profits goes to the animal rescue to save animals,” says Patricia Maloney, executive vice president of PALS. Story continues below… Adoptable pets are brought to a play area adjacent to the restaurant on Saturdays, and photos of cats and dogs adorn each table. She says people should come see the animals and enjoy ...
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By Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543, Selling the Main Line & Chester County
(Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055)
Every week there are blogs and news articles about housing and house prices. Prices are rising, prices are dropping, mortgage rates are their lowest ever, mortgages are harder to get etc.Am I an expert? I don't know but am I worse than anyone else? Many people are getting paid lots of money to make predictions and the press is very willing to listen and make them out to be experts. But are they right? Seth Godin in several blogs recently has talked about making predictions and seeing how accurate you are over a period of time.Professor Philip Tetlock  from the University of California , Berkeley, tested 284 "experts" in political science, economics, history and journalism in a staggering 82,000 predictions. Tetlock concluded that their predictions were no more accurate than uninformed g...
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By David Henke, Realtor, Homes Just West of Philadelphia PA
(Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc)
  Devon homes sales and real estate values continue to hold up well. Zip code 19333, Devon PA, is centrally located along the Main Line in Chester County just to the west of Wayne PA. The zip code is primarily located in the northeast section of Easttown Township but also extends to parts of Tredyffrin Township. The southern portion includes theWaterloo Mills Preserve in Easttown Township and the zip extends just beyond the Jenkins Arboretum to the north. Devon has a long and rich history including the renowned Devon Horse Show currently under way.  This position provides quick access to both Route 202 just minutes to the north and I-476, the Blue Route, to the east. The zip encompasses a wide variety of housing choices from the condos of Old Forge Crossing to the classic estates of Dev...
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By Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543, Selling the Main Line & Chester County
(Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055)
Sunday 5/22 we have two affordable homes Open to the public both in Devon or within spitting distance as my mother used to say. 76 Meadowbrook Rd in Strafford is a really nice Victorian style home close to Strafford station but located on a one way road that reduces traffic and gives it a really private location. This home is adorable with many great upgrades and priced currently at $459,000 for four bedrooms one ensuite in the attic with fabulous skylights for watching the night sky how much more romantic can you get. It also has a wonderful covered porch at the back great for entertaining even when it rains like it has all this week, and a balcony over the front door that is very private if you want somewhere to sit and read. If you like the Strafford Farmers market this is only a sho...
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By Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543, Selling the Main Line & Chester County
(Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055)
Whilst it is peaceful and quiet right now one of the great events of the Main Line, The Devon Horse Show is just a couple of weeks away beginning on May 26th and going through June 5th. Horses and riders from all over the country converge on Devon, PA for this show many not realizing that the location of the show was originally the polo fields for the Devon Hotel. The Horse show is attended by everyone from along the Main Line, regardless of interest in horses as there is so much else to see and do. The show raises money for Bryn Mawr hospital and as our office is right next to the show we have seen the stalls and grounds already being readied for the show. Unfortunately, we cannot see the main ring from our floor, but all the horse boxes and horses and riders makes for a lot of confusi...
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By Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543, Selling the Main Line & Chester County
(Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055)
Many people livingin our area love gardening and know thew resource that Jenkins Arboretum can be. I know this time of year it can be beautiful with all the azaleas opening up, something the arboretum is known for along with the rhododendrons, which I thought it was a little early for them to be open. But yesterday, not realizing that it was their plant sale I stopped off and was really amazed at how many rhododendrons were opening up as well. Enjoy this short video of the visit.
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By Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543, Selling the Main Line & Chester County
(Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055)
Any time of year can be a great time to spruce up your home - with new colors, new styles, even a few new furniture and accessory pieces to breathe life and energy into a tired old space!  Here are a few great ideas - guaranteed to "uplift" any tired room!  1.  Lighten and Brighten!  Declutter!  What a great word!  Try clearing your rooms of excessive clutter - even consider downsizing your precious collections.  Brighten your floors with a new area rug!  Change out your window treatments to lighten your room!  Add a few accent pillows to your furniture for a fresh new look.  2.  Try a new color scheme!  How about adding an accent wall to a room...perhaps in a shade or two darker than the room's other three walls?  Or consider block painting a wall for more visual interest.  It's amazin...
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By Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543, Selling the Main Line & Chester County
(Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055)
You know the old saying, "measure twice, cut once?"  Taking that extra step to make sure your calculations are just right can mean the difference between excitement and disappointment on the day of new furniture delivery. Floor plans to scale are a great "first measure".  But the best way to make sure you've checked twice is achieved with the use of a little painter's tape!  Taking the dimensions of a piece of furniture and "taping" them out on the floor where you're thinking about placing your new furniture is a great way to bring your floor plan to life!  This is also a great way for you to actually "see" the space you will need to accommodate your new furniture pieces.  Painter's tape is designed to be inexpensive and easy to remove without harming carpet, tile or hardwood.  In addi...
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By Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543, Selling the Main Line & Chester County
(Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055)
My friend Deb Bettcher a local interior designer and owner of the Devon franchise of Decorating Den Interiors is my contributing author today. Thanks Deb great article. ONE:  RAISE THOSE WALLS!   If your rooms feature low ceilings, you can definitely fool the eye and add more height to your walls by some clever wall accents.  Try selecting a vertical stripe design pattern, perhaps in wall covering or in a painted faux finish.  Even a carefully hung asymmetrical picture grouping would add a bit of height to your low ceiling walls and give you the added bonus of creating some exciting visual interest as well!   TWO:  GIVE NEW LIFE TO YOUR COLOR SCHEME! Many lovely and carefully planned color schemes fade to drabness when your room is poorly lighted.  So make sure you've worked with a deco...
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By James Harner, James Harner Group - Philadelphia PA Real Estate
(Considering Selling Your Home? Call 610-310-7646 first)
Read Part I Devon Real Estate - Find a Trusted Mortgage Lender Step 5: A pre- approval letter to buy Devon real estate from a dependable mortgage lender is definitely the crucial next step in the process. Should you have not gotten the financing pre-approved, quit. There is no sense in going further, no home seller or real estate agent is going to take you seriously in today’s Devon realestate market . Devon townhomes need a pre acceptance letter pertaining to agreement of sale before being taken into consideration by any competent Devon Realtor. Devon Realtors - Observe Numerous Households Step 6: Now you are ready to get out there and view Devon real estate. When you start going out to see homes for sale in Devon with your Devon Realtor, Always be ready to make an offer on a property....
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By James Harner, James Harner Group - Philadelphia PA Real Estate
(Considering Selling Your Home? Call 610-310-7646 first)
Locating Devon Real Estate the Clever Way Choosing a Devon home could be the single most significant commitment you just might make in your lifetime. When you are evaluating homes for sale in Devon, you need the aid of a skilled Devon Realtor. Should you adhere to the steps We've discussed below to uncover Devon real estate the intelligent way, choosing Devon townhomes or homes for sale in Devon becomes much easier and hassle-free. Always employ the services of a Certified Residential Specialist Devon Realtor when looking to purchase Devon realestate. Have faith in a Devon Realtor You would not use a part time attorney for a criminal trial when your liberty is at stake, would you? Exactly why then might you seek to understand the murky waters of a Devon real estate investment using a pa...
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By Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543, Selling the Main Line & Chester County
(Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055)
This past week I tried a couple of new wines for Wine Down Wednesday.  This first wine is a Sonoma  County white wine from Cucina Viansa not sure if a friend brought this over or if I had bought it a little while ago. As a every day wine to drink as an aperitif it was fine, but earth shattering it was not. We discussed last week how a wine can weigh on your tongue and this was very light, had some fruit flavours but nothing deep or dramatic that left a real memory or would cause me to go out and get another bottle. But if you were looking for something as an alternative to a pinot grigio this might be something you could try. The other wine was brought by a friend this weekend we had over. We were eating jambalayy, which was delicious and he brought this really nice Malbec with him. We ...
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By Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543, Selling the Main Line & Chester County
(Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055)
Ranging in price from $187,500 to $1,195,000 26 new listings hit the market in T/E school district in the last week. Four apartments, 7 town homes and 15 single family homes were listed. More homes were listed in Tredyffrin township than Easttown. Apartments ranged in price from $187,500 for a 2 bed 2 bath apartment in Chesterbrook to $419,900 for a 3 bed 2 1/2 bath apartment in Arbordeau a gated community in Devon. Town homes were priced from $319,000 for a 3 bed 2 1/2 bath home in Paoli, to $425,000 for a 3 bed 2 1/2 bath home in Waynesbrooke West. Easttown actually had the least priced and the highest priced town home in the last week. 15 Single family homes of all styles and types came on the market this week, from split levels, ranches and Victorians, the least priced home was in P...
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By Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543, Selling the Main Line & Chester County
(Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055)
We had a wonderful evening at The Paddock at Devon on Wednesday with colleagues from our office. Whilst I did not end up with any "great" wines to enjoy they definitely had some good drinkable house wines. Also the ambiance was pretty good, although the acoustics make it a little loud. So if you are looking for somewhere to go over the weekend why not try The Paddock at Devon. The bar is large and generally well staffed, you can eat at the bar or sit at a table. Generally well attended the noise level can be a little loud but plenty of parking. Other restaurants close by Aneu in Berwyn, a colleague who plays music was playing there Thursday this week, Nectar in Berwyn, Alfredo in Berwyn, Frankie's Fellinini's Restaurant in Berwyn, The White Dog Cafe in Wayne, Christopher's in Wayne, Ter...
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By Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543, Selling the Main Line & Chester County
(Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055)
So you are probably reading this whilst I am out enjoying Happy Hour with my office at The Paddock In Devon today and hopefully able to try out some different wines. But this week, I got to try out another Viognier, this one  from Cougar Crest Estate Winery in Walla Walla Valley, sounds like it should be Australian, bit it is actually West coast Washington State. This is the 2007 vintage. As you may remember i had a bottle of the Cline Winery Viognier last week and to be honest was underwhelmed. This had much more flavor, way more fruit on the nose and was a nice heavy wine as you drank it. It left me with a little of a metallic taste in the mouth, which I found odd, but ended up watching this wine library tv tasting of the 2006 wine and Gary V mentions the taste of a stone, and that wo...
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Devon, PA Real Estate Professionals