Shadyside, Pittsburgh, PA Shadyside, named for its shady lanes and the 19th century railroad station that once stood in the area, is one of Pittsburgh’s most popular neighborhoods. Its proximity to the city, universities, and hospitals has made it an attractive choice for students, academics, young professionals and affluent families. A Fab Location This bustling urban area sits just 4 miles to the east of Downtown Pittsburgh and less than a mile from the campuses of the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and Chatham University and Carlow University. It also within 2 miles of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Magee-Women’s Hospital of UPMC, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and Shadyside Hospital. Other nearby attractions includes Mellon Park, Schenely Park... 07/05/2010

This 4th of July will be our country's 234th birthday. A cause for celebration? Absolutely! It’s a great time to celebrate living in the U.S.A., and especially in the Pittsburgh area! While the economy could be stronger, we have done much better than the rest of the country. Our home prices have been stable, our employment situation better than most, our city is full of great energy and we have roofs over our heads and food in our bellies. It’s worth being thankful for and it calls for a celebration! Wondering what’s going on this weekend, well, wonder no more… Event: The Pittsburgh Regatta featuring kids activities, dragon boating, skydiving, tunnel boat racing, concerts and more.Date: July 2, 3 & 4 Location: Downtown Pittsburgh, Point Park and North Shore Time: All Day More Info: htt... 06/30/2010

Here is a great site for the eco-friendly, The Black And Gold City Goes Green. It's an action plan from the the Pittsburgh Climate Initiative to raise awareness and engage Pittsburgh's residents. There is series of monthly actions, all with little or no cost, that individuals can take that to reduce the greenhouse gases they produce and their impact on our economy and health. The goal is to see a reduction of 5,000,000 lbs. of CO2 emissions. I got the latest email in my in-box this morning with suggestions as simple as running only a full load of dishes or laundry in my washers, insulating my hot water pipes or installing a rain barrel or tank-less water heater. When I log on to the site I can report my accomplishments, which are added to everyone else's and shows how we are doing as a ... 06/30/2010

As I was searching around today for an idea for a room in my home that I really want to renovate, I found a blog that is worth sharing. The blog, As I see it... is made up of some of the most beautiful, serene pics of home interiors that I have found, and full of great ideas. Enjoy!   Find your own beautiful place to call home. Christa Ross, RE/MAX Select Realty. Call me at 724-933-6300 x214 (office) or 724-779-1437 (direct) or visit my website at www.bestpittsburghhomes.com. 06/22/2010

If you are planning renovations to your home but don't know where to begin the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh is a great place to start. If you aren't familiar with them, the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh (CDCP) is a non-profit organization that improves quality of life through good design of the built environment. Among other things they are the the folks behind Pedal Pittsburgh but they also are involved in two other events - The Design Excellence Lecture Series and Pittsburgh Design Fair for House and Garden. But back to renovations... CDCP also offers a program called RenPlan. The RenPlan® program is a 2-hour, informal, planning conversation with a design professional (Architecture, Landscape Architecture, or Interior Design) to begin thinking and planning for your re... 06/22/2010

Car Free Fridays – East LibertyJune 18th Friday, June 187:30 am - 10:00 am Make a statement. Go Car Free on Fridays! Sign up for the June edition of Car Free Fridays at the following events and activities to receive the East Liberty discount voucher and enter the monthly raffle. Whole Foods Market, East Liberty – bicycle there and get breakfast! Meet Pittsburgh Bike Czar Stephen Patchan Minor biker repairs provided by Trek of Pittsburgh Fifth Avenue Place, Downtown – bicycle there and get breakfast! Minor biker repairs provided by Chris from Thick Bikes Green Gears Pedicab will provide complimentary rides from Port Authority’s Wood Street Station to anywhere in the Golden Triangle. William Pitt Union, Fifth Avenue, Oakland – bicycle there and get breakfast! Minor biker repairs provided ... 06/17/2010

Saturday, June 2610:00 am - 2:00 pm Mall at Robinson Parking Lot (100 Robinson Centre Dr., 15205) The Pennsylvania Resources Council, in cooperation with the Mall at Robinson, Construction Junction, Global Links, Liberty Tire Recycling, and eLoop llc, are hosting a hard to recycle collection Saturday, June 26, 2010. Items ACCEPTABLE for drop off include: tires, e-waste, useable building materials, medical supplies (no medications please), cell phones, alkaline batteries, CFLs, and Printer/Toner Cartridges. Please note there are some fees associated with dropping off certain items. For more information and additional dates, visit the PA Resources Council's community collections page.   Other upcoming events: Saturday, July 17th 2010Pittsburgh Mills 590 Pittsburgh Mills Circle, Tarentum, ... 06/17/2010

The homebuyer tax credit may be over but you can still get a nice chunk of change back from the government when you make your home more efficient. Federal tax credits are available until the end of 2010 for 30% of the cost up to $1500 for certain: Window, Doors & Skylights Insulation and Insulating Products New Furnaces, Boilers & Heat Pumps Efficient Central Air Conditioning Tankless Water Heaters Biomass Stoves Roofs and up to 30% with no limit for certain: Geothermal Heat Pumps Solar Panels Small Wind Turbines For more information and to see the exact requirements visit the ENERGY STAR website. Source: energystar.gov Find your green home in Pittsburgh! 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.greenh... 06/15/2010

  While most of the real estate news over the past two years has been gloomy there is one area that has seen growth - Green Homes. Over and over, market studies show that green homes are appraising for more, selling for more and selling faster.  Even more exciting is that those who buy a green home love living in it. A McGraw-Hill Construction report showed that 87% of home owners are more satisfied with their green homes than they were with their previous non-green homes. Their reasons ranged from the benefits of lower operating costs and lower bills to the feeling that they were living in a healthier home and a more sustainable lifestyle. For those that already own their home, 44% are now remodeling with green products. A good choice for increasing the resale value of a home since an ... 06/14/2010

Is it easy to get approved for an FHA mortgage in Pittsburgh?  Well, yes and no.  It is often easier to get approved for an FHA mortgage than a conventional mortgage but many of the guidelines for FHA financing have tightened up in recent years too.  FHA is still the way to go if you don't fit into the strict guidelines of conventional financing.  There are lots of reasons to ask your lender for an FHA loan instead of taking a conventional loan.  The three main benefits of an FHA loan are as follows.... Easier to Qualify - Because FHA insures your mortgage, lenders are more willing to give loans with lower qualifying requirements so its easier for you to qualify. Less than Perfect Credit - Even if you have had credit problems, such as bankruptcy, its easier for you to qualify for an FHA... 06/09/2010

Historic Redevelopment Opportunity Open for Viewing Thursday, June 17th from 3-5pm Please join the Allegheny West Civic Council, The Northside Leadership Conference and RE/MAX Select Realty for an Open House at the Stables Building located at 836 W. North Avenue in Allegheny West, 15233. The circa 1895 Stables Building once was home to Allegheny City's team of working horses, now its high ceilings, arched windows and brick walls make it a prime location for the development of residential lofts, a modern live/work space or artist studios. You are invited to come tour the building, view the Master Plan for a Loft District in Allegheny West, learn about tax credits and development incentives available for the redevelopment of the Stables Building and see first hand the growing momentum an... 06/07/2010

The North Side is the term Pittsburghers use to collectively describe the 18 neighborhoods that wrap around the northern banks of the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers and climb up the adjacent hillsides. This area of Pittsburgh was at one time an independent community known as Allegheny City, established as such in 1840. Before its annexation to the City of Pittsburgh in 1907, Allegheny City grew with solid representations of the wealthy and the working class. Reflections of that economic diversity remain today, as do the traditions of those who settled here in its early days, including British, Scotch-Irish, German, Croatian, Czech, Serbian, Carpatho-Rusyns, and African-Americans. Although the North Side is comprised of many neighborhoods, several are designated as historic districts and stan... 05/27/2010

There is no doubt that the real estate market is in the slum at the moment. While it does not mean that there are no qualified home buyers left, the fact remains that the market situation has completely changed the stance taken by home sellers in the past. So, exactly how do these market conditions affect the seller? And, how can you ensure that you get the best possible price for your property in these changing conditions? Today’s home buyers are looking for a lot more value for money than their counterparts from a few years ago. It is an established fact that there is more supply than demand in the real estate business at the moment and buyers and taking the highest advantage of the situation. Given that there are dozens of houses on sale within the vicinity they are looking to move ... 05/26/2010

NAR sent out a Mythbuster bulletin recently to clear up several untrue facts that are circulating. One of the false claims circulating is that homeowners would be required to have an energy audit or make energy retrofits to their home before they can sell. This is a false claim. The real information as explained by NAR is as follows... FACTS: Here are the two REAL provisions in the bill: Section 202 (Building Retrofit Program) would offer matching grants for home improvements. State government would administer the program, which is voluntary and available to all property owners. Section 204 (Building Energy Performance Labeling Program) would apply to new construction only and prohibit time-of-sale labeling. The original energy audit and MLS listing provisions were deleted as the resul... 05/10/2010

We buy houses Pittsburgh PA: Renovating your house to help with selling the house can cost a lot. When you want the renovation to help with a sale, you don’t always want to spend a lot on it and this is where tips on renovating on a budget will help you. Renovating to impress a buyer is all about making the house look good and new as nobody wants an old, unimpressive house. When you have a plan for the renovation, by doing your research right and by taking advice from the right people, you can save a considerable amount of money. eBay is a great place to look for accessories to the house like taps, basins, locks, doorknobs, etc. As long as you know the dimensions and other specifications of what you need, you cannot go wrong. Only go for a well reputed seller to make sure you don’t end ... 04/23/2010

I know that might sound a bit strange coming from a person who spends so much time focused on green and energy-efficient homes and building a green life. It's just that we hold up Earth Day as a time to focus on the environment, but does anyone really believe that one day is enough? The fact is everyday needs to be Earth Day. So how will I mark Earth Day 2010? I will recycle the paper my office generates I will recycle or refill the print cartridges my printer uses I will try to keep my files in digital form I will not print emails on paper I will turn off the lights in my home that the kids leave on I will change any light bulbs that burn out to CFLs or LEDs I will keep my computer set to sleep after 5 minutes of inactivity I will try to reduce the amount I drive my car I will take my ... 04/21/2010

As I build my business servicing clients that are looking for green and energy-efficient homes I keep bumping into the same problem…I have the interested client, they want a green home and I just don’t have much to show them. This is especially true for those that are looking for truly green homes, not just energy-efficient homes. I’m talking about homes that use sustainable and low-VOC materials, homes that consider indoor air quality, homes that include ecologically sound features like rain barrels, native landscaping even attention to details like composting areas and recycling space. And of course energy-efficiency, water efficiency and daylighting to reduce energy consumption. Of course many of these features are available in a custom build home and there are some great green cust... 03/28/2010

Are you in search of the right South Side PA Real Estate Agent? While there are many real estate professionals in the vibrant city of Pittsburgh, only a select few offer the range of services that can make your home search or sale a complete success. Choosing the right one doesn't have to be an extensive process, but keeping in mind some basic qualities you want to have in a realtor will help you determine who is best for your needs and goals. The right kind of South Side PA Real Estate Agent will, first and foremost, be looking out for your best interests. You don't need someone who will be working just to make the commission - your realtor should be concerned about matching the right property with the right buyer, and making sure that no little detail is ignored. Remember that it's th... 03/23/2010

1:00 - 3:30 PM United Methodist Church, 905 Mifflin Ave, at Whitney Ave. (Presentations from 1:30-2:30) Come join the Greater Park Place Neighborhood Association for our !THIRD! annual Spring workshop with the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh! I’m sure you’ve heard about all those tax credits and rebates out there for improving the energy efficiency of your home–well, we’ve rounded up a nice group of folks who can tell you all about them and help you decide what you should do and what will give you the most bang for your buck. The blurb: Eastern area neighborhoods are once again partnering with the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh to put on another free workshop for homeowners interested in improving the value of their homes. This year’s workshop will look at making homes more... 03/08/2010

New report shows proven untapped potential to save energy and reduce home energy bills [Pittsburgh, PA. February 24, 2010]- A new report released today finds that Pennsylvania families will continue to spend an extra $457 per year on their energy bills if strong energy efficiency policies are not incorporated into the climate and energy legislation before Congress. The report, released by Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future (PennFuture) and the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), shows that robust state and federal energy efficiency policies could dramatically reduce energy consumption and save Pennsylvanians $457on their energy bills every year. These policies would drive down energy costs for families in every state while jump-starting a clean energy economy across the country to put... 02/25/2010