Tredyffrin Easttown Seniors are blessed to have Surrey Services for Seniors in the area.  Rather than needing to move, they can age in place, no rush. Located in Devon with locations in Media and Broomall as well, this local charity just received four stars out of four for the fourth year running by Charity Navigator.One of the things about Surrey is the number of volunteers who give of their time and energy to the charity. This allows them to keep their costs down and to help more people. Started around a kitchen table, it now has multiple local locations and provides lots of services for seniors.As you age, things can become more difficult, but with home care, lifts, a gymnasium specifically designed for seniors, lunch services, meals on wheels and multiple classes and events there is... 03/11/2017

Tredyffrin Easttown Market Report February 2017                   This is a real estate market report for Tredyffrin Easttown School District for the month of February 2017. As a Tredyffrin Easttown Realtor we have noticed the market has not slowed down over the winter period, encouraged by the warm weather buyers have been busy and there is a shortage of homes for sale at several price points. This has been resulting in many homes receiving multiple offers. Homes for Sale  This report is made as of March 4th, there are 90 homes for sale showing active in the MLS. Of these 16 are under contract, and 4 more are active but with no showings allowed. The lowest priced home is a 1 bed 1 bath condo for sale on Drummers Lane for $138,500. The highest priced home is a 9 bed 7 full baths and 2 p... 03/04/2017

Tredyffrin Easttown Drug Drop?The problemEver have left over medicine? Of course you do and it sits around in your medicine cabinet because you know you don't want to flush it down the sink or the toilet. But what do you do with it? Theft of medicines at Open houses is one of the top things we warn sellers about when listing their homes. So knowing how to dispose of unwanted medication is information you need to know about as a home owner.The AnswerSome pharmacies will take returns and dispose of them, but most will not. But in Tredyffrin and Easttown Townships home owners can now drop off unused medication at their township offices in these secured drop boxes. Having had estate listings and dealt with relatives of deceased family members who are overwhelmed already to then have to deal... 02/28/2017

Trdyffrin Easttown Condo Sales February 2017Tredyffrin Easttown Real Estate is primarily single family homes but does consist of townhomes, apartments and some condos. This report features on Tredyffrin Easttown Condos which are located all around, but mainly in Tredyffrin Township. These communities differ in their facilities, some have community pools and tennis courts and some don't. The list of homes for February for sale, pending and settled come from: Drummers Lane in Glenhardie, these are arranged as apartments in a building with a central corridor and with a shared laundry room on each floor. Old Forge Crossing, these are apartments with some town houses, their own entrances, and in unit washer and dryers. Paoli Pointe a 55+ community, these are apartments, 2 bed 2 bath, in apar... 02/27/2017

Tredyffrin Easttown Real Estate - Single family homes January 2017The Tredyffrin Easttown Real estate market is strong and healthy.There are currently 126 single family Tredyffrin Easttown homes for sale. 12 of these homes for sale are under contract. Prices range from $215,000 for a 3 bed 1 bath home to $8,000,000 for a 9 bed 7 full baths and 2 half bath home. So you can see there is a large difference in the types and price of homes available. Price Range # <300,000 1 301- 400,000 2 401 – 500,000 10 501 – 600,000 13 601 – 700,000 15 701 – 800,000 21 801 – 900,000 10 901 – 1,000,000 9 1,000,001 – 1,500,000 22 1,500,001 – 2,000,000 17 2,000,001 – 3,000,000 4 3,000,001 – 4,000,000 2 >4,000,001 1  There are 29 homes Pending and 15 homes Settled during January ranging in price from $329,00... 02/17/2017

I woke up this morning and had received an email from a past client. They had moved into the Tredyffrin Easttown area a few years ago buying a home and settling into one of the developments in the area.These clients called because they had read my blog and were on my website where I had a page about this particular development they were interested in. After a breif conversation they asked could I meet with them. At the time I had just finished mowing the lawn in the middle of the summer so was not presentable. Thinking they were not in a particular rush I asked when they would like to meet. Now was the answer. Well an hour later after a quick shower we met in my office.We discussed what they wanted to buy in Tredyffrin Easttown, went over their wish list and talked about their current h... 02/11/2017

Tredyffrin Easttown Frequently Asked Real Estate Questions - What do you charge?Tredyffrin Easttown Realtor Nick Vandekar answers the questions what do you charge, covering it from both a seller and a buyers perspective.   Sellers- Commission is spelt out in the listing agreement and covers how the commission is split between the listing broker and buyer broker.  Why you need your own buyers agent and how approaching the listing agent will not save you money as the commission is set in the listing agreement before the home is listed for sale. Buyers - Commission is paid by the seller, as explained above this is in the original listing agreement, also covered in What Homes can you show me? is how an agreement can be structured to cover the buyer agent commission for For Sale by Owners or... 02/10/2017

When it comes to real estate, there are always going to be upswings in the market that will have an impact on your mortgage payment and overall financial health. However, with a fluctuating market here to stay, you may be wondering how you can guard your biggest investment and your finances against rate increases. If you’re concerned about rates on the rise, here are a few tips to test out you’re fiscal well-being.Calculate Your Debt-To-Income RatioIt’s beneficial to determine your DTI ratio prior to purchasing a home, but since debt and housing costs are always fluctuating, calculating this number again can be a wakeup call. By adding up your monthly expenditures (including any debt), and dividing that number by your pre-tax income, you’ll be able to determine your DTI percentage. Whil... 02/10/2017

Tuesday's phone callNick: Hello, this is NickCaller: I am calling about your listing on M....view RdNick: That is not my listing but I can help you.Caller: But I clicked call agent, who are you?Nick: I am an agent and can represent you as a buyers agent.Caller: But I want to talk to the listing agent. So you are not the listing agent.Nick: You realize the listing agent represents the seller, and has no duty to you as a buyer only to their seller.Caller: I'm not stupid. Ends call. Why you need a buyer agent representing youWhen buying a Tredyffrin Easttown home, you need a local experienced Tredyffrin Easttown Realtor to represent you. This Realtor has a fiduciary duty, that is the highest level of care you can have, putting your interests ahead of everyone else, including their own.  Mo... 02/08/2017

Tredyffrin Easttown Public Schools Tredyffrin Easttown is a combination of two townships, Tredyffrin and Easttown to form one school district, currently rated in 2017 as the #1 School district in the nation on Niche. It consists of one high school, Conestoga High School, two middle schools Valley Forge Middle and Tredyffrin Easttown Middle, and 5 elementary schools, Beaumont, Devon, New Eagle, Valley Forge and Hillside. The area primarily consists of single family homes and includes Paoli, Berwyn, Daylesford, Devon, Strafford and Wayne including Chesterbrook. It consists of 38 square miles all located in Chester County.  Conestoga High School  Located on Irish Road in Tredyffrin Township, Conestoga has plenty of activities available for its students. School starts at 7.20 am and finishe... 01/28/2017

Frequently asked real estate questions - How long does it take from offer to settlement?In Tredyffrin Easttown we often get asked by buyers how long the real estate process is for buying a home. Obviously, it depends, a buyer needs to find the right home. But Nick Vandekar, a Tredyffrin Township resident and Main Line Realtor can answer how long it takes once an agreement is accepted to settlement.Generally, if the buyer is using a mortgage, the time is 45-60 days. Most mortgage firms since TRID implementation in the Tredyffrin Easttown area require a minimum of 45 days. This allows for appraisals, the home inspections etc. If buying with cash it can be much quicker and I have recently had two deals which closed in about 14 days each.Some local mortgage bankers,those who use their own f... 01/27/2017

Frequently Asked Real Estate Questions - What is the consumer notice?This video by nick Vandekar, Main Line Realtor with Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. answers the question What is the consumer notice?The Consumer Notice should be explained to a consumer by any real estate agent they meet for the first time and discuss their real estate needs. The purpose is so the consumer understands who the person they are talking with represents.At the most basic level, the agent will represent the seller, the buyer or be independant of either. If a buyer and you are talking with the listing agent who represents the seller you need to be conscious of the fact that this agent is gathering information on behalf of the seller.There are situations where an agent and/or the broker may be a dual agent, o... 01/25/2017

Old Forge Crossing in Devon PA 19333I have a lot of different buyers who purchase homes in Old Forge Crossing. First time buyers who like the size of the apartments and the on site community pool, widows and widowers who are downsizing to something smaller, but want some space and amenities. small families looking for somewhere in the Tredyffrin Easttown School District; investors looking for a solid well looked after community where they can obtain a decent rent and tenants as well who want somewhere that is well located for where they work and want to go after work. Old Forge Crossing satisfies all of these.Located on 40+ acres, the community has walking trails, a swimming pool, and three tennis courts. The Chester Valley Trail runs alongside the community and they have created their ... 01/21/2017

Jenkins ArboretumThere are those places you drive past often without realizing what you are missing until you stop and visit. Jenkins Arboretum and Gardens is one of those places in Tredyffrin Township. A small gem hidden away off Berwyn Baptist Road and trickling down the hillside to Devon State Road. Sometimes when the day is busy and I need a moment I will stop off here.Entrance is free. Yes, no charge for this wonderful attraction, which if you have young children will easily tire them out and give you some rest when they fall asleep, after making their way back up the hill to the car. As you wander down the paths making your way down the hill to the pond, you will in the Spring notice the Azaleas and Rhododendrons. Jenkins is famous for breeding them and using native plants, they e... 01/17/2017

Do you buy a new home or sell your current home first?In today's real estate market with low inventories at almost all price points other than the $1 million to $2 million range the question asked by many potential home buyers is "Do we buy first or do we sell first?"It is highly competitive out there buying a house today and for sellers when they list a home there is a big chance they will get multiple offers to select who the next owner of their home might be if it is correctly prepared for sale.I decided to take this question to Mike Graff of Prosperity Home Mortgage, LLC to see what he suggested and if he had any answers.So two suggestions from Mike, 1) Make an offer conditional upon the sale of your home, as Mike admitted this is often rejected by sellers who have just listed and a... 01/10/2017

Old Forge Crossing, Devon, PA 19333 2016 Sales DataThe table below gives sales data for 2016 sales gathered from Trend MLS for Old Forge Crossing.Net price shown is Sold price- any seller concessions  Address Net price Bedrooms Den BathsFull BathsHalf 527 Old Forge Crossing $102,000 1   1 0 331 Old Forge Crossing $130,950 1   1 0 219 Old Forge Crossing $132,000 1 Yes 1 0 228 Old Forge Crossing $134,000 1   1 0 196 Old Forge Crossing $134,000 1   1 0 245 Old Forge Crossing $135,000 1   1 0 514 Old Forge Crossing $135,000 1   1 0 377 Old Forge Crossing $135,000 1 Yes 1 0 479 Old Forge Crossing $137,500 1   1 0 28 Old Forge Crossing $141,000 1   1 0 513 Old Forge Crossing $145,000 1 Yes 1 0 203 Old Forge Crossing $148,000 1 Yes 1 0 135 Old Forge Crossing $149,900 1 Yes 1 0 486 Old Forge Cr... 01/06/2017

Never split the differenceNegotiating as if your life depended on it by Chris Voss with Tahl Raz I saw Chris Voss interviewed on The School of Greatness, worth watching if you have the time and got his book above from the library.I realized right away this was a book I needed to own, and have been recommending it to everyone. Many people avoid negotiation. In our job as Realtors it is a big part of what we do.We negotiate with our clients, with other Realtors and on behalf of our clients with buyers and sellers. We negotiate with our brokers as well in fact if you are honest with yourself we negotiate for everything, with our kids, spouses, friends etc.This book is excellent. Chris Voss was an FBI hostage negotiator, in that situation you cannot split the difference, you have to win. Th... 12/19/2016

I'm thankful for Old Forge Crossing!Within a five to ten minute drive of my home sits Old Forge Crossing. This is a most delightful condo community of 1 and 2 bedroom apartments and a number of 2 bedroom townhomes as well with 1 cottage. Located on the site of an old farm, this development was built as apartments by Prudential in the late 60's early 70's and then was turned condo.It is a delightful setting on 40+ acres, with walking trails, a reflecting pond, community pool, tennis courts and also keyed access to the Chester Valley Trail. When our son moved back here from Florida we suggested he rent here which he did and he was so grateful because it is close to everything and everywhere you want to be on The Main Line. Located in Devon, PA it is about 2 miles to the Devon SEPTA statio... 11/23/2016

I'm thankful for Jenkins Arboretum!Do you notice a trend here in what I like and am thankful for...nature, I find it immensely relaxing. The Jenkins Arboretum is located in Devon, PA and sits on a wooded hillside plot filled with Azaleas and Rhodedendrons. I may get this wrong, but I believe all Azaleas are Rhodedendrons, but not all Rhodedendrons are Azaleas, or the other way round. Anyway, come Mothers Day this garden open to the public is a riot of color, with some rare hybrid types of great color. Enjoy a short walk with me.Happy Thanksgiving, Spring will be here soon and this wonderful hillside garden located in Devon PA filled with native plants and hybrid azaleas will once again amaze us with a beautiful display of color. Looking for a Main Line home close to Jenkins Arboretum, l... 11/22/2016

Do you decorate or collect?When you buy a house, you begin to turn it into a home. Whilst I am a big believer in a home is made by people rather than things we all inevitably gather things around us as well. Some people are decorators, they artfully mix and merge things from all over the place and blend them together. They take Aunt Mary's old table and mix it with a new piece from Restoration Hardware for example and it is as if they were made to stand next to each other. Others become collectors, some in an extreme way, having a period home and everything in it must be of the period so it becomes a reproduction of the time. Others begin by buying something, like the spill vases above, a pair of English Derby porcelain spill vases from the early to mid 19th century because they liked t... 11/15/2016