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Lancaster, PA Real Estate News

It seems like the homeowners and residents of Lancaster City's northwest neighborhood can breathe a sigh of relief - for now.  Mayor Gray has stepped up and announced that he has withdrawn as a supporter of the proposed zoning plan that would group Franklin and Marshall students in local neighborhood rowhomes.     A developer has teamed up with Franklin and Marshall and has proposed to renovate existing rowhomes in the Northwest Lancaster City area to create additional off-campus housing.  Living quarters in these newly renovated homes would be awarded to students via lottery.  A winning lottery meant that the student can choose which classmates he/she would want as housemates -- clearly an invitation for a bad scene as far as the local neighbors are concerned.    This doesn't mean the ...
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A week ago I wrote about a transaction that was just barely Hanging On by a Thread.  The seller had not disclosed certain defects and was hard to get in touch with, let alone act responsible to getting repairs done in a timely manner.  The listing agent was no better!  This transaction was for a Lancaster City multi-unit investment property.  This transaction is no longer hanging on by a thread, but by now has completely unravelled!  You know how you find a thread hanging loose, and then you pull it?  And keep pulling it?  And it doesn't end... it will just eventually cause the cloth to unravel completely while you're feeling like you're getting tied up in knots?  That's what this entire transaction was like! Not only were there a number of code violations and repairs that needed attent...
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By Jeannie Kontis
I have a deal that is just barely hanging on by a thread!  What could have helped to move things along a bit would have been for the Seller's Agent to have actually visited the property -- let alone reviewed the Sellers Disclsoure document -- before actually taking the listing!   Major defects that came up on the inspection were completely ignored by the seller and listing agent - such as leaky main waste lines - eewww.  Major items indicated on the MLS sheet were completely out of line with what was factual.    A little fact like "who pays for heat" in a tenant-occupied property "is" a big deal when it's mis-stated.  When finally reviewing the actual bills from the utility company, they were completely out of line with what was estimated verbally to us. My investor buyer has been very ...
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How much love can someone have for their home?  Is it just something to be considered as 'shelter'?  Or do we wrap our lives and memories around these four walls and a rooftop we call "home"?  How do we take that with us when we sell our home? I took part in a settlement yesterday that had some ups and downs along the transaction -- stressful moments for both, buyer and seller alike, I'm sure.  Of course the buyers are concerned about getting the value of their hard earned money, without question.  The seller, undoubtedly, is also concerned about a new buyer seeing the value of his beloved home.  But it dawned on me that many times the seller is not only concerned with monetary value, yet it can also be important for him to know that his past memories and life in this home will be value...
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U.S. News and World Reports recently released their study of the Nation's Top High Schools.  Is it any wonder that Manheim Township High School was awarded as such a high ranking school?  For years, Manheim Township has scored highly on standardized tests, but this year we received a very nice surprise when US News and World Reports included High Schools in their yearly ranking analysis, and we found that our very own Manheim Township High School was a winner.  Believe me, it's not something we already didn't know!  Usually reserved for higher education and Colleges, this year U.S. News and World Reports decided to analyze over 18,700 high schools in over 40 states in their 2008 report.  Of the high schools they analized, they narrowed it down to the top 505 schools, awarding Gold, Silv...
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Residents of East Hempfield Township have been placing "NO to TND" signs in their front yards for months now.  And they're concerns have been heard! Kudos to the East Hempfield Township supervisors, who voted unanimously to discontinue any further studies for the TND (Traditional Neighborhood Development) that builder & developer Charter Homes & Neighborhoods was hoping to build.  The plan was for Charter Homes to build more than 3,000 homes and a large commercial center on 309 acres in East Hempfield.  What they considered to be a "neighborhood" development, many residents feared would actually turn into a logistical nightmare. Some of the concerns also centered around how the Hempfield School District would accomodate such a large influx of students -- understandably a major concern f...
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By Brian Schulman, Lancaster County PA RealEstate Expert 717-951-5552
(Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Lancaster PA)
What Future For This Historic Lancaster PA Farm House? For years I have passed this vacant and boarded up stone farm house on Charlestown Road, Lancaster, PA.                             When I first saw it, there was farm land on both sides of the road.                                                    Now there are commercial property and municipal projects nearby.                                                     This is the old barn on the property.                      There is a matching stone outbuilding next to the farm house.  Perhaps it once was a carriage house.                                 The style of the farm house indicates that it was probably built circa 1780 or 1790, during or shortly after the American Revolution.  One can only imagine how much history this home...
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Lancaster City landlords -- listen up!  Realtors need cooperative tenants and cooperative landlords in order to sell your listed Lancaster City investment properties.  I was showing some multi-unit investment properties today in Lancaster City.  Some were kept in fairly good condition considering these properties are well over a century old.  Others are clearly in need of some maintenance.  These were mid-priced investment properties in popular areas of downtown Lancaster City.    Landlords, my question to some of you is:  Do you do anything to maintain these homes?  I know that Lancaster City is stomping down on "slumlords" and Mayor Gray has a hard-at-work rental taskforce, that we are all going to be very appreciative of.  I have to admit that the properties I viewed today are not on...
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I have received two Lancaster Real Estate testimonials from clients today. I like to think that I live my life and run my real estate business by these words, and I hope it comes across to the people I meet and assist with their real estate needs: "You can have eveything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want." (Zig Ziglar)    "Because of my husband's job, we had to relocate to the area from out of state.  Jeannie was amazing!!  We immediately felt completely comfortable with her and knew that we could trust her to find exactly what we were searching for (and that wasn't an easy task!)  With Jeannie's help, we were in our ideal home in the perfect neighborhood for the price we wanted - all within our timeframe.  She continued to be a wealth of kno...
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I've spent the afternoon raking leaves at my Manheim Township home.  Yes, I realize that it is January... but these darn leaves didn't finally fall off of the tree until sometime between Christmas and New Years.  The leaf collection organized by the township has come and gone, so now I'm left with all these leaves!   While I was out there toiling away, I was busying myself thinking about how much I hate these pin oak trees that grace my yard.  Everyone else's trees drop their leaves on time, but no - not my stately pin oaks.  They hold on to them, even while the wind whistles around their branches and limbs.  Those leaves, brown and dry, hold on.  I walk the dogs past the neighbor's homes in my Manheim Township neighborhood, Milton Estates, who all have their piles of leaves neatly arra...
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By Merle J. Sollenberger, GRI, CRS
(Prudential Homesale Services Group)
Homes are still selling in Lancaster County, PA.  On December 7 I searched in the Lancaster County MLS and learned the following:Nov 1 through 30      # Under Agreement             # Settled2007                            334                              398                               (-26.1% from 2006)            (-16.0% from 2006)2006                            452                              4742005                            420                              5052004                            428                              5192000                            375                              389 As of December 7, 2007 Active listings totaled 2,509 in the MLS for Lancaster County (down slightly from 2,594 in November), Under Agreement listings totaled 606 (down from 709 in Novembe...
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I have been saving this special post for my 100th post -- because it's big news and I've just about been busting trying to be patient about writing about this.   A few days ago, I became an official member of The CORE.  The CORE is a network of Lancaster County women who are working together to empower women with real estate.  The brainstorm of Trish Kimmel of Arlington Capital, and her assistance Jacqui Howard, The CORE will be working together to assist women, and empower them, through their purchase of real estate.   If you are a single woman, a single mother, a woman who is making a very important decision about either the purchase or the sale of real estate -- whether it is a home or a commercial property to start or expand your own business -- you now have a group of professional ...
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By Brian Schulman, Lancaster County PA RealEstate Expert 717-951-5552
(Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Lancaster PA)
  Work continues on the Lancaster County, PA Convention Center and Marriott Hotel, as the steel framing takes shape!            The steel framing for the Exposition Level (main floor) is on track to be up by Thanksgiving.                               The concrete work for the entry level below the main level is already well under way.                                                                                     Above is the start of the concrete elevator shaft.    There will be five main levels including the Convention Center.  The fifth level cuts back toward the tower.            Floors six through nineteen of the tower will be the Marriott Hotel.  (There will be no 13th floor.)                                         Completion of the entire project is planned for 2009.  Copyr...
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By Jeff R. Geoghan, REALTOR, Marketing Manager
(Coldwell Banker Realty)
On October 5th Lancaster City finally got what was coming to it...it's very own renovation and salvage warehouse!  Tony Nies & Marty Hulse opened Building Character on that day to a first-friday crowd and have been rolling ever since.  I stopped by this week with Carole Wilson from Lancaster County Planning Commission to meet these entrepreneurs and tour their one-of-a-kind shop at 342 North Queen Street (Warehouse B).The store already has a large selection of home fixtures and trimwork in inventory.  Owner Marty Hulse commented "I've always been a lover of 'old things' and much of these items come from my collection".  Marty has been collecting for many years and it shows in the choices available on the warehouse floor.    Not only does Building Character have lots of home renovation f...
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By Brian Schulman, Lancaster County PA RealEstate Expert 717-951-5552
(Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Lancaster PA)
The Manor Shopping Center, located on the west side of Lancaster ,PA on Route 999, the Millersville Pike, is in the process of undergoing some major improvements!  This is a great example of an older shopping center being modernized, rather than precious farmland disappearing into  new shopping centers.    The McDonald's at the entrance of the shopping center is closed for demolition and upgrading.The Weis market remains open during construction of a total enlargement and remodeling project.  The new addition will house the customer service department among other features, and new locations in the store will boast a brand new deli section and an expanded bakery.                                The project is expected to be completed next year.  Other interesting recent additions to the M...
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By Jeff R. Geoghan, REALTOR, Marketing Manager
(Coldwell Banker Realty)
Nestled along Oregon Pike near Landis Valley Farms is Valleybrook Estates, one of the only true condominium communities in Lancaster County.  If you're looking for maintenance-free living with a great location, with low monthly fees, then you should consider Valleybrook for your next home.Built between 1971 and 1974, Valleybrook Estates homes are 1-floor living units set in a quiet, semi-wooded property.  Some of the units are 1-story, and some are 2-story arrangements (that is, 1 unit and 1 unit down).  While the convenience factor is very high, and the 2 bedroom units offer what amounts to double masters, the overall condition of these condos is somewhat dated.  For some reason owners don't seem to want to upgrade the interiors (at least on the units that have been on the market).  If...
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By Jeff R. Geoghan, REALTOR, Marketing Manager
(Coldwell Banker Realty)
Today I'm going to spend a little time talking about a popular neighborhood in Lancaster Township called "Hamilton Park".  Where'd the name come from?  Well, a relative of Alexander Hamilton named James Hamilton was the founder of old Lancaster City, and the employees of the nearby Hamilton Watch Company (named after James) had a lot to do with the housing growth in what is known as Hamilton Park.  Lancaster is a diverse Real Estate market and Hamilton Park brings a wonderful dimension with stately brick homes, neat rows of semi-detached homes that are wonderful for first-timers, tree lined streets and a family-friendly atmosphere.  Hamilton Park is situated south of Columbia Avenue and west of West End Avenue just on the outskirts of Lancaster City.  The zip code is all 17603 here - if...
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By Brian Schulman, Lancaster County PA RealEstate Expert 717-951-5552
(Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Lancaster PA)
Lancaster, PA Fall Art Walk Friday through Sunday October 5-7 was the Lancaster, PA Fall Art Walk.  47 different art galleries were on display.                                                                                                              On Friday Night, the Mayor's office sponsored a special dinner, held in the Art Garden at Prince and Chestnut Streets.  The dinner was held in The Dome, an inflatable structure 30 feet high and 60 feet in diameter.  Food, drink and live entertainment were the order of the evening, and the event was sold out before it started, with over 300 tickets sold at $30 each! On Saturday morning, a Harvest Breakfast was held at Lancaster's Central Market.  Catered foods were available, as well as  musical entertainment and dance demonstrations.     ...
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By Jeff R. Geoghan, REALTOR, Marketing Manager
(Coldwell Banker Realty)
For those of you who were down on Prince Street for Lancaster First Fridays last night - it sure was crowded, wasn't it?  I took the fam down to Senorita Burrita, 227 North Prince, for a dinner of BIG burritos.  The place was packed - I was happy for them.  They make some of the best food available in the city. After wiping up our hands, we bundled the baby in the stroller and headed down Prince along gallery row, which is the 0 and 100 blocks of North Prince.  The crowds were incredible.  Half the fun was bumping (literally) into people we knew.   Tonight was the first day of the 2007 Lancaster City Artwalk.  We especially enjoyed the work on display at Christianne David.See you on the next First Friday! 
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It's times like this that I can drive myself crazy.   I consider myself a true professional when it comes to helping buyers and sellers in Lancaster.  I've successfully purchased and sold investment properties personally with my husband in and outside of Lancaster County.  And, I've taken great pride in assisting senior citizens and active adults with the very emotional and overwhelming task of downsizing to a smaller, more manageable home.  But how in the world do I help my parents, senior citizens that they are, do the same?  I've assisted them in purchasing a nice commercial investment property last year, which has been successful for them.  But now, after my father's recent illness, they are toying with the idea of putting their very nice Manheim Township home on the market for sale...
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