Main Line Homes Blog

Today is the Surrey Services for Seniors annual gala, themed as a Block Party it will be held at a local country club Waynesborough Country Club to raise funds for this worthwhile charity which helps seniors to age in place and remain in their own homes as long as possible.

This annual event is well supported by the local community and is one of the major fund raising efforts through out the year for Surrey Services. The other is The Main Line Antiques Show held at the Valley Forge Military Academy and College in November with a great group of dealers from the East Coast who exhibit with an Opening Night Party for sponsors and guests.

Todays event wil feature a silent auction and usually has a few items that are auctioned live as well. Having been the auctioneer in previous years, I know it is a fun event with lots of opportunity to obtain some great items.

Having coffee this morning and saw these two colorful Pileated Woodpeckers pecking at our stumps. They were big about 17 inches long. Garden is full of birds, bird song and the flowers and shrubs are bursting with life.

Trudy and Istopped by the Royal Tea House this afternoon in Berwyn and met the owner Eileen Hoban. What used to be the Berwyn Coffee Shop has been transformed into a tea lovers haven or even heaven. Multiple teas of all types, black, green, caffeinated, decaffeinated, fruit teas, herb teas etc. Every type of tea you want, and if you don't see the one you love let them know and they will get it in. Unlike a traditional coffee shop Royal Tea House is really aimed at having you buy your tea rather than just stopping by for a "quick cuppa" as we British would say.

However, that being said there is a seating area and more and more people, tea lovers especially are discovering this resource on the Main Line. Located in Berwyn on Lancaster Avenue on the corner with Knox it is well worth stopping by. If you consider what you pay for a small box of specialty tea at Whole Foods you might find the opportunity to buy loose tea here a welcome relief, plus an education.

Eileen shared with us that the Germans are the largest tea drinkers in Europe, followed by the Irish. Also all the teas are checked to European standards making sure they are free from pesticides and several are organic. You also have the opportunity to buy a tea pot from the display and they come in all shapes and sizes.

And while you are in Berwyn, wander around, we have many interesting shops, restaurants and businesses.

When selling your home you want to avoid mistakes made by sellers whose properties either expired or were withdrawn as both mean the property did not sell. Below is a list of some of these mistakes. Let us know of any you have come across either as an agent or a buyer.

1. Over improve their home. always consider if improvements you are making are pricing your home above the fair market value for your neighborhood. Will that extension make your home the largest? This leads to homes that don't fit a neighborhood or won't appraise because of lack of comparative homes for the appraiser to use.
2. Over price their home. Many sellers want a higher price to test the market or to leave room for negotiation or because they are unwilling to listen to the market believing their home is different. Buyers see all homes and the best time to sell your home is when it first comes on the market, make sure it is considered value for the money or you will miss showings and miss an opportunity to sell.
3. Don't look at their home through a buyer's eyes. What a seller is willing to accept because they have for several years, a buyer might not. This can range from wallpaper, to color of paint, or carpet instead of hardwood floors, try to see your home as a buyer will when they first come in, is it making a good impression.
4. This leads to our next point, not keeping the house clean. Buyers like clean houses, it implies the house is looked after and if it is clean it most likely will have been maintained as well. So wipe down those counters, make the beds, and clean the floors and baseboards.
5. Another similar issue is clutter, if there is too much stuff it prevents a buyer from seeing the space, they get distracted and reject a property that might work well for them. The same for closets, thin out the clothes you don't wear, donate them or store them so closets look spacious. Counters, if you don't use something daily remove it and in some cases you may still need to remove it even when you use it daily.
6. Lack of maintenance records and utility bills. Often a buyer wants to know the cost of the utilities of a property that interests them, provide it ahead of time, it shows you have nothing to hide which encourages trust if the transaction moves forward. Also keep track of when you have had things maintained through the home, heater, a/c, chimneys, roofs all allow the buyer to build trust in the property.
7. Light bulbs out or lack of lighting in rooms. If a room is dark it causes buyer to think the seller is trying to hide something. Put plenty of lights in all rooms and if possible have them on for showings.
8. Sometimes our homes have unusual traits that we overlook, it may the shape of a room, or it may be a door that sticks and needs to be opened in a certain way, these can be distractions and either need to be taken care of by hiring a contractor before listing or use a stager to make better use of these unusual spaces.
9. Overlooking landscaping issues. A little color goes a long way to create a good first impression, make sure the flower beds are weeded and mulched, clean up last years leaves and purchase some cheap colorful plants to place around the front door.
10. Animal odors. When you have a pet you get used to the smell, buyers notice it right away, so empty litter boxes, deep clean rugs and use an odor neutralizer when needed.

Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahon, Michelle Wie, John Daily, Sandra Bullock

 Five of these people are getting more press than Tiger Woods.  That is until February 19^th...the day Tiger walked on the world stage and admitted he was supposed to be like everyone else - and wasn't, in his own mind.  

Rickie Fowler has been the talk of the 2010 PGA Tour.  He's a rookie who plays like a veteran.  He's a rookie who plays fast enough to make Rory Sabbatini happy.  He is a rookie who has the nerves of a seasoned assassin.  He has the confidence of an early Jack Nicklaus.  His sartorial splendor is reminiscent of Doug Sanders and Walter Hagen.  His eventual playing record will equal and exceed all those names above

Hunter Mahon has finally come into his own and is getting the press to match.   Last week he won in Phoenix and proved that his past scrapes with the top spot were not a flash in the pan.  His days in the after round press tent with increase.  So will the number of logos on his hat, shirt, collar, glove, shoes, bag and caddie's back.  Look for him in the coming months to garner more press than Tiger, even when he returns.

 Michelle Wie ventures out from the Stanford classrooms, the local malls and late night dorm room girl chats to solidify her position as the top interesting standard bearer of the LPGA tour.  When she plays, the press shows up.  When she plays the television rating go up.  Probably double or triple, or more, because the base is so low.  Even at the height of Tiger's popularity, certainly before last Thanksgiving, 2010, he didn't have that media power.  Wie is the future of the LPGA.  However, she should stay at Stanford at least as long as Tiger did.

Then there is John Daily.  Who can't love a guy like him?   Look at the pants he wears.  Even curlers at the Olympics wore them this year.  Even with all his success he has never had four rounds in a tournament under seventy.  Last week his first three rounds were in the sixties and then came Sunday, eighty-one.  Booze, diet Cokes, cigarettes, women, none of these got in the way of his Sunday performance.  Just pressure from lack of competition.  He didn't finish in the top ten.  But Big John got the press. 

And my favorite, Sandra Bullock.  I don't even know if she plays golf.  But she sure sits a mean motorcycle and graciously holds an Academy Award.  I fell in love with her in "Speed" and never stopped.  She is a secretly stunning beauty that grows on you.  A person who would be comfortable at a parent-teacher meeting, my dinner table or in a garage or on the Red Carpet. 

All of these people handle the press very well - except Tiger Woods.  He has to realize that the press is not his enemy (I'm not talking about the poporotizi.).   You certainly have the "staff" on your team to coach you.  Learn what the really "LOVED" athletes have known for a long time...be quotable, good quotable, and you'll get all the good, loveable, quotable ink you could ever want your children to read.       

Picture Caption:

 (From L to R): Nick Vandekar and Terry Kirkwood accept the inaugural Distinguished Achievement Program award from 2010 Suburban West REALTORS^® Association Chairman Bill McFalls.

 Janet Rubino, Vice President and Manager of Long & Foster Real Estate's Devon office, is pleased to announce that Nick Vandekar of the Devon office has recently received the Suburban West REALTORS^® Association inaugural Distinguished Achievement Program award.  This honor is in recognition for his exemplary commitment to his career, clients and community in general. 

To achieve this honor, Nick demonstrated the importance of going beyond the boundaries of his real estate career to develop the skills, professionalism, and vision necessary to help the needs of the Berwyn and Devon communities.  For consideration of the award, Nick:

•  volunteered extensive hours to professional real estate associations; including serving on various Suburban West committees and as a Director of the Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS^®; 
•  actively participated in the democratic process on local, state and national level; including serving as a Director for the Suburban REALTORS^® Alliance legislative organization and as liaison to Tredyffrin township municipal government; and
• has been consistently involved in his local community through organizations and causes; including serving as President of the Berwyn/Devon Business and Professional Association and an Main Line Antique Show Committee member.

During the presentation of the award on January 20, current Suburban West REALTORS^® Association Chairman Bill McFalls commented, "Nick has shown an extraordinary drive and willingness to give of himself.  For this, both the organization and community is fortunate to have REALTORS^® like Nick that are willing to give of themselves in this way."

Nick currently serves as a Director of the Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS® for District 2 covering the Suburban West REALTORS® Association. Nick holds the ABR (Accredited Buyers Representative) and e-PRO designations, and is a multi-million dollar producer. He can be reached at 610-203-4543 direct or at the office at 610-225-7400. Also visit his website, www.VandekarTeam.com. 

More and more people are not paying their mortgages. we are hearing more and more stories of a rising number of homeowners deciding to pay down or off credit cards before making a payment to their mortgage. Believing that the banks already inundated with foreclosures and short sales will not take action quickly many homeowners are choosing to hold off on a payment to get their other debts reduced.

Hoping that baks will be willing to modify loans, and many banks won't modify or talk about modification till a homeowner is behind on payments, credit card debt is being reduced across the country.  Whilst being late on payments will affect credit scores, reducing their high interest credit cards may be a savvy way forward. This tactic if credit card debt is paid off frees up more funds for mortgages from their paychecks. So when they do speak to the bank they are in a better position financially.

However, on top of this are many older executives who are out of work are finding it hard to new positions and are using up savings to avoid foreclosure. Having accessed these funds these homes are coming on the market as short sales and even those areas that have not been hard hit by foreclosures and short sales are seeing rises in the number of homes on the market tagged as bank owned, short sale or foreclosure sales.

This provides opportunities for those qualified buyers who are willing to be patient and work their way through the improving system of short sales, foreclosure and bank owned properties. Banks at last seem to be getting systems in place to get properties sold rather than have them sitting on their books.

At some stage also banks should be able to know what the cost of these mortgages truly are and be able to refinance them in the market using their past sales as proof of price for these investments allowing them to then make further profitable loans.

Just last night a quick search of two counties, Chester and Delaware counties, here on the outskirts of Philadelphia came up with over 200 homes tagged as being short sales, bank owned or foreclosures. These homes are good for those who are pre-approved for mortgages or those investors looking for rental properties that will when the market truly stabilizes and begins to improve will give an excellent return on investment.

Price just reduced to $292,000 great value close to downtown Media, wonderful historic home.

2010 is the 4708 Chinese Year of the Tiger.  All of the stars were aligned properly for the Asian/American golfer Tiger Woods to make it his personal "Year of the Tiger".  He has won fourteen (14) major professional championships.  Only Jack Nicklaus, one of his idols is ahead of him with eighteen.  Three of the four 2010 major championships were to played at favorite venues of Tiger Woods...the Masters at Augusta, the US Open at Pebble Beach and the British Open at St Andrews (the PGA is at Whistling Straights).  Tiger was on track to win at least one, or more, major championships this year. 

However, 2010 turned out to be a "paper tiger" for Mr. Woods.  He is probably not coming to California for the Open (unless he warms up at Nicklaus' Memorial tournament) and the Masters appears to be out of the picture unless Elin lets Tiger come out to play in Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Classic as a warm-up. 

Tiger said in his February 19^th monologue at TPC's headquarter's location to forty carefully selected friends, supporters and six hand picked press that his central focal point was his marriage, his family and his future life.  Less than a mile away at the Sawgrass Marriott the rest of the "press in attendance" watched and listened to Tiger Wood's well scripted (I hope he wrote most of it) fourteen minute comments, during which it could be said, "The lights went out."  You see there were two television feed cameras in the room.  One head on and the other to his left.  Could there have been any symbolism to the straight on camera malfunctioning and the other camera having to pick up his comments.  (You could have laid a wager at a British betting parlour that Tiger would cry during his remarks.  Now the area below his eyes was hidden.)

Probably the most incredible part of this entire situation - to date - is that ABC, CBS, and NBC stopped programming for Tiger's remarks.  What have we come to when an athlete's remarks are more important to network television that all of the cable alternatives they have created to fill air time?