Main Line Homes Blog

Michael Main built home in Villanova area of Lower Merion just listed. Harriton High School, Welsh Valley Middle School and Gladwynne Elementary are the local schools. First time on the market since the original owners purchased the home in 1989, recently remodelled and updated, new roof, new windows, wine cellar and tasting room, updated bathrooms. See full details

But one of the things that really makes this home great is the location on a quiet and peaceful cul-de-sac off N. Spring Mill Rd. Set back from major roads and surrounded by trees and professional landscaping this home is really quiet.

To top it off the owners have also added the most amazing wine cellar and Tuscan style tasting room. Not only can you store your wine in the temperature controlled cellar, but you can enjoy it with friends in this very romantic tasting room.

See all the details of this home and set up an appointment with us to tour this home privately.

Another interior design post from our series by Deborah Bettcher of Decorating Den Interiors

A beautiful home doesn't just happen.  Good decorating is the result of good planning and should start by developing a comprehensive, detailed decorating plan. 

What should be included in your decorating plan?  Everything that needs to be done, including timing priorities and budget.  It's vitally important to write down everything and be as specific as possible. 

Most people feel they need assistance in creating and implementing their decorating plan.  Professional interior decorators have the talent, experience and specialized knowledge to help you pull it all together.  They can also save you time and money.  After all, the most costly furnishings you will ever buy are the ones that prove to be mistakes!  Here are a few suggestions that will help you understand your own preferences and prepare you to work with a decorator.

Begin by collecting decorating magazines - or design books.  Consider cutting out photographs of furniture, styles, window treatments, color schemes, floor and wall coverings, etc., that appeal to you. 

Then, compile everything you've collected into a notebook and organize it into sections for each room you'll be doing.  If you chose to work with a decorator, your preplanning will make it much easier for you to communicate your likes and dislikes.

Evaluate your present furnishing and decide what you would like to keep, eliminate, and re-do.  Write down the various items in your notebook.  What will be your overall color-scheme?  Does the carpeting need to be replaced?  Which room do you want completed first?  What budget have you established for each decorating project you wish to undertake.  Knowing this information will prove valuable in working with your chosen interior decorator.

And remember - no matter what your lifestyle - your home should be a reflection of your tastes - your likes and your interests!

Deborah Bettcher, Decorating Den Interiors,
Studio:610.964.8403
www.DecDens.com/dbdesign

*Making the World More Beautiful-One Room at a Time*

One of the things I love about our area is that there are so many things to do in Chester County and the surrounding area. Restaurants, coffee shops, shopping, sports, movies, nature, hiking just to name a few

I recently came across Play-a-Round Golf in Malvern, PA. This is a unique concept that allows you to play golf and stay dry whatever the weather. I met with Steve Graves Sr. the President of Play-a-Round Golf this week and the video below gives a short overview of the facility.

You can use it a sa driving range or play 38 different courses without having to travel. Play-a-Round Gold is having a Fall Harvest Charity Classic for which you can sign up right now. But whatever time you can enjoy a round of golf, wind, rain or shine without getting wet, hot or bothered. Give them a try.

And if you want a home on a local course just give us a call and we will help you find the perfect place.

Buyers are so used to the services of the buyers agent being explained to them as "FREE, I get paid by the seller!" that they have no loyalty in many cases because agents do not explain the buying and transaction process correctly. Many buyers do not understand that agents are on a commission and do not get paid unless they sell a house and that as a buyers agent they represent the buyer and their loyalty and fiduciary duty is to the buyer..

How about if the buyer paid a retainer, would they select their agent more carefully? What about paying on an hourly basis like an attorney? What fee structure as an agent or as a buyer would you prefer?

Agents representing both the seller and the buyer for many years have been paid by the seller at settlement. This is so ingrained that many people find it hard to look at it any other way. Even with the introduction of buyer agency this has not dramatically changed.

Sometimes it is merely a matter of looking at the issue through a different lens. For example if the buyer does not fund the transaction there is no money to pay the agents. So maybe it is the buyer who really pays for the seller's representative as well as his own buyer's agent.

Whilst it might be a strain to pay the buyer's agent out of pocket, would it be acceptable for the mortgage company to fund the deal with the buyers agency fee included? In a sense they already do. That way the buyer pays for their own agent, allowing for a price reduction in the current scenario, only for that price to be corrected to include the buyer agent. It is actually a wash but for many attorneys a more correct procedure removing any vestige of conflict of interest.

Whilst we discuss buyer agent fees, how about a flat fee rather than a % of purchase price. Do agents really give more care to a buyer of a larger and more expensive house. Whilst the multi million dollar buyer may require and demand different treatment, the care used in the negotiations and the transaction should not alter. What is a fair price for your services?

Open to ideas and suggestions.

To continue our decorating series. Any ideas what the universal decorating question might be?   Well, here it is!

 "I want to redecorate but need help picking a color/s.  I just don't know what color/s to use"!

 So, here are a few color tips that I hope you find helpful in beginning the color selection process.  And, don't forget, a professional decorator can provide you with valuable assistance in making these all important color decisions!

1.  Decide on your dominant color.  You might want to repeat that color elsewhere - at least once.
2.  Use colors unequally for better color proportion and balance.
3.  Color-connecting adjoining rooms is a must!
4.  Stay with light colors for a feeling of spaciousness.  Lighter color tones reflect light rays instead of absorbing them.
5.  Bright, strong colors have the opposite effect.  They create a warm, cozy feeling especially in large rooms
6.  Emphasize desirable architectural details with strong color
7.  Camouflage architectural defects with neutral paint colors.
8.  Notice how colors are affected by their neighbors, and be guided by what you see.
9.  Take wood tones into consideration - they are apart of your color scheme.
10.  Base your choice and use of warm and color colors on the atmosphere you wish to create.

 I hope these few tips will give you some a bit of knowledge when working on developing your own personal color scheme.  And remember, I'd be happy to help with your selections, as well as help you prevent costly mistakes!

For help with your decorating on the Main Line in Philadelphia call Deborah Bettcher of Decorating Den INTERIORS at 610.964.8403, www.DecDens.com/dbdesign Making the World More Beautiful-One Room at a Time

Below are the market statistics for Tredyffrin Easttown (T/E) for the previous 12 months. Days on market have increased during the year although they seem to be dropping currently. Sales volume has dropped, although this also has started to pick up in the past couple of months. Listed volume has decreased recently although compared to last year it is roughly equal. Invnetory accumalation, the time it is estimated it will take to sell a house if no more houses were to come on the market is 7 months, 6 is considered balanced, neither buyer or seller market. There are currently 286 home son the market in the school district. Houses are selling for about 92-93% of asking price, although this number may be skewed slightly if agents relist a home at a lower price rather than reducing the price.

Monthly Statistics for the Date Range Selected

Inventory Accumulation for the Last 12 Full Months

*Current Inventory is based on the actual available properties on the date this report was created.

**Average Monthly Sales is the average sales for the last 12 full months

***Inventory accumulation (in months) = Current Inventory Units / Average Monthly Sales

Pricing Details of Sold Units for the Date Range Selected

Lots of good issues raised here and I presume they apply across state borders. Especially important to note is the part at the end of the original post about short sales and who you are negotiating with and whether they truly have the right to approve an offer.

Ever wondered who are those people on the wall in Berwyn?

Painted in 2005 over the summer on the wall of a building opposite Clay's Bakery on Waterloo Avenue the mural depicts a Fourth of July parade and was commisioned by Earnest Eadeh and painted on the side of a building Earnest owns in Berwyn, PA. There are a host of people who many may not know. But thanks to C. Herbert Fry a local historian the information is available.

It is a colorful eye catching patriotic piece of work with flags flying. The 20 faces from right to left are Gene Williams, Easttown Township Manager, Carol Williams, Secretary for Surender Kohli, Carolyn Carter, Easttown Volunteer, John Thomas owner of the barbershop on whose wall the mural is is painted, Denise bones, owner of Clay's Bakery, Keith Martin, a Wayne electirician, Chantal Eadeh Goldberg daughter of Earnest Eadeh and carrying her young baby, Lydia Corinne in her left arm and leading her 2 year old daughter, at the time, Jocelyn Sarah with her right hand; Clay Carter, husband of Carolyn Carter, Bill Connor Sr., owner of the the former Connor's Pharmacy; Bill Fritz, president of Fritz Lumber in Berwyn; Leslie Eadeh, wife of Earnest Eadeh; Earnest Eadeh; Surender Kohli, of Kohli & Associates and Easttown Township Engineer; Heather Eadeh; daughter of Earnest Eadeh; Jack McCormick, a Berwyn Roofer who prepared the roof of the mural building; recently retired Tom Armstrong then Easttown Police Chief.  The 3 horses, Chancellor, Derby and Rocky are from Fox Meadow Farms. Jim Stowell, Sr owner of Jim's Berwyn Sunoco in Easttown and Jim's Berwyn Aito Repair in Strafford is driving the horses and standing at the back of the turn-of-the-century steam pumper fire engine is Dave black, facilities manager for Earnest Eadeh.

Three buildings are also depicted, Berwyn Train Station, the former Connor's Pharmacy, and the Berwyn Primary School. The mural was created by Karl Yoder and ainted by a graduate of Pratt Institute in Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.

We made a trip to Washington this last Monday. It was a beautiful day, bright sunshine, hot and the roads were light with traffic. It was a trip I had dreaded the previous five years to have to make. It was for a funeral at Arlington Cemetery.

We all assembled close to the grave as the attendance was so large. For four years we wondered day in and day out whether we would be attending the funeral of our own son here. But last year he completed his enlistment in 2nd Recon Battalion based in Cam LeJeune, NC. His last tour in Iraq he had been very close with his gunny sergeant and commanding officer who he reported to. Whilst Jeremy left the corps and went to school his friends carried on their service to our country.

July 8th we heard that his old gunny sergeant now  Master Sergeant John E Hayes had been killed in action in Afghanistan along with another Marine. We were touched by how many people were at the funeral, this was a man who had touched many lives during his career and everyone wanted to pay their respects.

Several images remain with me from that day, MSgt John Hayes wife, his high school sweetheart saying good bye to her husband as everyone left and she knelt beside his casket, an image filled with poignancy and love. Secondly, at the reception following another Marine, standing to give a eulogy choking up over the friend he had lost. As I have thought on these two images through the week it left me with the following thought.

No greater love...

Semper Fi MSgt John Hayes, Thank you and rest in peace.

Have you ever questioned how to select a decorator? Many times the only option has been to hire a decorator who charges a fee for her time. But what happens if it's obvious within the first hour or two that you just aren't going to click with that decorator? Unfortunately, you're left feeling very uncomfortable -sometimes intimidated- and you're back to square one, having accomplished nothing.

With today's overwhelming choices in home furnishings, a professional decorator is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. A Decorator's role is to professionally assist you in creating the décor of your choice in your home. The more your know about your own tastes and personal style before selecting your decorator, the more productive your decorator will be in working with you. Here are a few tips to help you truly enjoy working with your decorator.

*Do your homework. What are your color preferences? Styles? Basic priorities?

*Look through magazines. What catches your eye?

*Give some thought to your budget. This guideline will save you lots of valuable time.

*Think about your needs and your decorating desires for your room.

Select a decorator who is interested in making YOUR dream home a reality! With a little forethought and planning, working with a professional, caring decorator can be a truly pleasurable experience.