I've seen quite a number of vanilla homes lately, you may know what I am talking about. White walls, white molding, beige carpet, beige countertops, beige tile. Some of these homes are priced pretty high, but they leave so little impression on a buyer that they are easily forgotten. While I agree that you should not personalize your home so much that it won't appeal to most buyers I think it's equally important to give your home some personality. Your goal is to create an inviting, warm homey space that anyone can imagine themselves living in and yet so many (especially new) homes forget to add anything to make their property stand out among the others. When preparing you home to sell, try to add a few things that catch a buyers attention. It could be new, interesting door pulls in the ... 11/23/2010

11/21/2010

Mt. Washington Pittsburgh PA continues to be a popular City of Pittsburgh neighborhood offering homes, condos and town homes for sale in a variety of price ranges. Centrally located just minutes to Downtown, the South Side, Duquesne University, University of Pittssburgh, UPMC and easy access to the airport and many other locations. Contact Mt. Washington real estate specialist, Liz Caplan (Liz@Pittsburghhomesite.com, 412-302-2645) to assist with selling your current home or condo or assist with buying a home or condo in Mt. Washington, City of Pittsburgh or other neighborhoods in Allegheny and Butler Counties. Visit us on the the web, www.Pittsburghhomesite.com for your Pittsburgh real estate and marketing needs. Frames not supported 11/20/2010

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Pittsburgh, PA Homes for Sale and Downtown Pittsburgh Condo SpecialistLocation: Pittsburgh, PAThe Caplan Group, Pittsburgh PA, Downtown Luxury Lofts, Condos and Homes For SaleLooking to buy or sell a Downtown Pittsburgh condo or loft? Contact Pittsburgh PA top Downtown Pittsburgh, PA Realtor, Liz Caplan to learn about all of the available options Downtown in Downtown Pittsburgh. We can assist with buying or selling condos and lofts in new and existing buildings like Otto Milk Condos, 151 First Side, Piatt Place Condos, The Carlyle, Gateway Towers, Keystone Lofts, Chatham Towers and others. Visit our website, www.Pittsburghhomesite.com to learn more about Downtown Pittsburgh condos for sale and contact Liz Caplan to assist with your buying and selling needs.InformationContact Information... 11/19/2010

I've been taking pictures around the Allegheny West streets lately and I put together this tour. Enjoy! I have an interesting redevelopment property, The Stables Building, for sale in the neighborhood. Interested in a buying or selling home in Allegheny West? Call Christa Ross from RE/MAX Select Realty, at 724-933-6300 x214 (office) or 724-779-1437 (direct) or visit my website at www.bestpittsburghhomes.com. 11/01/2010

Yahoo Real Estate just named Pittsburgh the #1 Best City To Move To based on our affordablity, arts and college scene, good jobs and low unemployment. Of course, I could have told you that already but you can click here to read their version. Relocating to Pittsburgh? Looking for a historic home on the Northside, a cool condo in Shadyside, a beautiful bungalow in Regent Square, a sweet suburban address, or anything in-between, I'm here to help you make it your home. Call Christa Ross from RE/MAX Select Realty, at 724-933-6300 x214 (office) or 724-779-1437 (direct) or visit my website at www.bestpittsburghhomes.com. 10/29/2010

The Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, in cooperation with the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh and Mainstreets Pittsburgh, will be hosting a Walking Tour of Allegheny West this coming Saturday, October 30th, starting at 10am at the corner of Brighton and Western Avenue. The itinerary will include a walk down Allegheny West’s main street on Western Avenue, its handsome Victorian residential district along Beech Avenue, and its once-thriving commercial district along W. North Avenue where historic structures await new uses. We’ll see a private garden, brownfield development, and the former Allegheny City Stables. The Stables building is currently for sale for residential redevelopment. More information on the building can be found at www.thestablesbuilding.com. The tou... 10/25/2010

On midnight October 13th Pittsburgh's 2010 Day of Giving officially starts. This unique event is an opportunity for Pittsburghers to have their donations matched by The Pittsburgh Foundation and their supporters. The Pittsburgh Foundation has a pool of $500,000 in matching funds for 433 organizations. Each donation made to these organization will receive a commensurate share of these matching funds that will enable every gift to be matched and every participating organization to receive a share. Here is an amazing chance to make your money go further to help many of Pittsburgh's best causes and organizations. I want to give a shout out to a few of my favs you can make a donation to...Bike Pittsburgh, the Green Building Alliance and WYEP, but there are hundreds of other deserving organiz... 10/11/2010

If you are looking to purchase a new home in Pittsburgh give RE/MAX Select Realty's Mobile Search a try. Next time your drive by a home that is for sale, no matter who it's listed by, just text the word "Select" and the house number to 32323 on your mobile phone. Within a few minutes you will get a text back with information on that home, price and photos. (Just please don't do it while you are driving.) It's a great way to satisfy your curiosity when you find yourself saying "I wonder how much that house costs". Even better, our mobile system ties into our website. So when you get home you can go to www.selecthomefinder.com on your computer, login with your mobile phone number, and see all the houses you looked at on your phone right there on your computer screen. So now if you drive p... 10/06/2010

Coming soon to your mailbox, Higher Electric Bills! Many years in the making, Western Pennsylvania's energy market will be deregulated effective January 1, 2011. What this means to consumers remains to be seen but for the parts of the state that were deregulated earlier in the process it has meant increases between 10-40%, depending on who you ask. Previously, energy was generated by just a handful of companies that had a monopoly on our energy. In an effort to create a competitive marketplace the state decided back in 1996 to deregulate the PA energy market. In an effort to soften the blow to the existing energy companies who had invested in infrastructure the state enacted rate caps that have been in place for all these years. The hope was that in the meantime, other energy generation... 09/28/2010

Yesterday was a perfect fall day here in Pittsburgh. 78 degrees, perfect blue skys and the leaves starting to turn. So instead of getting my lunch and tapping away at my computer I went out to the local community park and took a hike. It gave me the opportunity to come up with some new ideas and was probably more productive than sitting in front of the computer. It also reminded me why I think it is so important to own and build homes that are healthy for our families and our planet. Because some places are not meant to be bought and sold. They are places that add value to our lives, our spirit, our communities and ultimately to our homes. Smart growth development, environmentally friendly homes and energy-efficiency are not just fads, they are the ideas that will determine if we can co... 09/21/2010

If you are relocating to Pittsburgh, or already live here and want to live in the city, a great new website, www.pittsburghcityliving.com, is loaded with information to help you make your move. Links to resources and activities, benefit of city living and a section to help you "Find Your Perfect Neighborhood". Click on the attributes you are looking for, from "Quaint and Quirky" to "Trendy Spots" to "River Views" and see what areas would be the best place for you to call home. When you are ready to buy, give me a call. I help my clients find homes that are are good for their wallet, health, family and planet. Call Christa Ross from RE/MAX Select Realty, at 724-933-6300 x214 (office) or 724-779-1437 (direct) or visit my website at www.bestpittsburghhomes.com. 09/10/2010

Calling all Pittsburgh Mountain Bikers! The legendary Month of Mud begins it's 21st year of fall cyclocross and mountain bike races on September 19th. The largest and oldest off-road series in Western Pennsylvania. Short, fun races within an hour of the city are what this series is all about and it's a great way to end the cycling season. You can find the complete schedule and history of the event at www.monthofmud.org. 09/09/2010

Are you planning to sell your house in the near future? Are you concerned about how you should do things, what you should do and what you should avoid doing in order to impress your prospective buyers? Are you concerned about the etiquette you should follow during the time you have visitors in the house? Well, here are some pointers to help you conduct your home staging successfully. If you know what the ideal home staging scenario is, you will be able to apply it to your own situation. Let’s first look at the preparation you need to make for the home staging. We will assume that the house is made ready for the purpose. Give it one last check to ensure that everything is in order. Place a bouquet of flowers near the entrance and play some soft music. If you have small children or pets i... 08/24/2010

On August 2nd, the Pennsylvania EPA announced it was increasing the state rebate that is available to homeowners that want to put a new high efficiency furnace, boiler or gas water heater into their home. If you are considering an upgrade to your home heating equipment this may be the best time ever to do it. For a 90% AFUE gas furnace you can get a rebate of $500 (up from $200) and for a 95% AFUE gas furnace you can get a rebate of $1000 (up from $300). You can view rebates for qualifying equipment here. These rebates are available on top of the Federal Tax credit for high-efficiency appliances that is worth 30% of the cost, up to $1500. The catch is that the rebates are only available as long as the money lasts. As of today, August 6th, there is only 69% of the fund left. So if you a... 08/06/2010

On Monday, August 9th all guests will be admitted FREE to Pittsburgh's beautiful Phipps Conservatory courtesy of a donation from the Buncher Family Foundation. If you have never been to the Conservartory then this is a great chance to see the Gothic Gargoyles nestled in among the plants, wander through the butterfly forest and check out the flowering Agave americana, which grows to bloom only once in its lifetime. Buying a home in the Pittsburgh area? Call Christa Ross from RE/MAX Select Realty, at 724-933-6300 x214 (office) or 724-779-1437 (direct) or visit my website at www.bestpittsburghhomes.com.   Photo Credit: Some rights reserved by KitAy 08/05/2010

If you are planning a move to Pittsburgh and have school-aged kids then one of your biggest concerns may be the school district. If so, then a good place to start is at www.greatschools.org. GreatSchools is the country's leading source of independent information on school performance. You can use the site to search for and compare schools in a particular area. A recent look at Pittsburgh area high schools turned up a group of schools that scored a 10 on the GreatSchools rating system. These included: North Allegheny Bethel Park Fox Chapel Area Hampton Mount Lebanon Pittsburgh High School for Creative and Performing Arts Quaker Valley Upper St. Clair Peters Township South Fayette Beaver Area Hopewell Franklin Regional Buying a home in the Pittsburgh area? Call Christa Ross from RE/MAX S... 07/31/2010

The Metropolitan Shadyside Condominiums Located in the affluent East End Pittsburgh neighborhood of Shadyside, The Metropolitan is one of the premier condominium complexes available today. 42 exquisite residences within in a six-story marvel of modern architecture benefit from a premier location and incredible amenities. The Metropolitan Shadyside condominiums are indeed some of the finest residential options to choose from in this incredible community.The Metropolitan Shadyside condominiums all feature high ceilings, floor to ceiling windows, and spacious plans that are the perfect canvas for even the most exacting design enthusiasts. Add to that a luxurious master bedroom and master bath, private balcony, and a kitchen with all the state of the art appliances you need, and you have th... 07/20/2010

Highland Park is both the community and the name of one of Pittsburgh’s major city parks located northeast of the city. The grand homes of Highland Park neighborhood line North Highland Avenue and the central business district is on Bryant Street, which features a few small shops and restaurants. One of the nicest things about Highland Park is it’s proximity to so many things to do. It’s the home of the Pittsburgh Zoo, the city's only long-course pool which occupies an impressive 13,600 square feet, the Super Playground, a cycling track, walking trails galore and the Highland Park Entry Garden. Highland Park is great for walking and cycling since most of the area is flat, it is also well served by public transportation and an easy commute to the universities and hospitals. The median s... 07/20/2010