Think Spring! - 03/21/08 05:20 PM
Spring arrived yesterday!  The vernal equinox is here.  It didn't feel like Spring yesterday, what with the cold winds and temperatures in the 30s.  Today in Lancaster County, PA the day started in the 30s as well - but it warmed up and the sun is out!
Buyers, who may have been hibernating for the winter, have been timidly emerging from their caves and testing the housing waters again.
Spring is a time for rebirth.  It's always been my favorite season.  You can actually smell the difference in the air.  There's an excitement, a feeling of possibilities, an energy that seems … (19 comments)

Preparing Your Home For Showings - 03/20/08 06:37 PM
In this very competitive housing market, where only well priced and well prepared homes are selling, what can you as a potential seller do to improve your chances?  Here are some time-tested suggestions for success!
CURB APPEAL:  How long do you think you have to convince a buyer looking at the outside of your house that they would like to see it?  Would you believe that buyers will assess whether your home is worth looking into in 15 to 20 seconds.  Your house needs to be a "happy" looking home before people will step inside!
Remove clutter from your lawn, keep the … (16 comments)

A Log Home That May Get Raised Instead of Razed! - 03/19/08 05:20 PM
I was passing by the Chesapeake Crab Connection yesterday on Columbia Avenue near Centerville Road, Lancaster, PA.

Next door to it was a house in the process of being torn down (you can see it in the corner past the sign).
                       
The roof had already been torn off.  As I passed by, I noted, to my surprise, that underneath the clapboard, the home was an eighteenth century log house!
                                           
I was dismayed, thinking that yet another piece of Lancaster County history was about to be destroyed.  I turned around, which in rush hour traffic on … (24 comments)

Lancaster County, PA Firsts and Biggests - 03/16/08 11:04 AM
Robert Fulton, born in Lancaster County in 1765, was the first to make navigation practical with a ship powered by steam.  Fulton did not invent the steam engine, but he made history with his steam powered voyage on the Hudson River in 1807.   A township in southern Lancaster County is named after him.
Milton S. Hershey, whose name has become synonymous with the chocolate bar, actually started his first milk chocolate factory in Lititz, Lancaster County, PA.  Hershey learned his trade in Lititz, before founding the famous factory and town that was named after him in nearby Dauphin County.
The Stehli Silk Mill … (10 comments)

The Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Conestoga Wagon - 03/16/08 09:45 AM
Did you know that the Philadelphia to Lancaster Turnpike, first completed in 1794, was the first successful turnpike in the new American nation?  It was built with the help of Conestoga wagons from Lancaster County!  The cigars that the Conestoga wagon drivers smoked became known as"stogies".
Turnpikes were originally built as for-profit enterprises with private money.  A toll taker would rotate a pike or timber that blocked the highway, after a toll was paid, clearing the way for a vehicle to pass - hence the name of "turnpike". 
Later on, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, started in 1938 and completed in 1941, became the first … (10 comments)

Why Buy an Historic Home? - 03/14/08 03:29 PM
I know, I know - I've heard all the practical arguments.  Old Houses are drafty.  They need constant maintainance.  They don't have up-to-date conveniences.
I can't argue with the people who bring up reasons why living in a modern house has many advantages.  Yet, there is a mysterious attraction in historic homes.  For those of us who are smitten by the homes built by our ancestors, nothing can compare to their charm.
Homes built many years ago by highly skilled artisans cannot be economically duplicated in newer homes.  Certainly skilled craftsmen still exist, but their work would be prohibively expensive for … (15 comments)

Lancaster City Living - 03/10/08 06:50 PM
The City of Lancaster, PA has been undergoing a renaissance for the past several years.  I have written about the Lancaster County Convention Center, the Lancaster Fall Art Walk,  the Eastern Market,  First Friday in Lancaster, PA, Musser Park, and many other aspects of the County Seat of Lancaster County. 
Last Fall, Lancaster City Living was created.  This organization, formed to improve homeownership in the City of Lancaster, is composed of three facets.
First of all, a website was created as a resource for anyone wanting information about the history, cultural opportunities, restaurants, and residences of the city.
Second, a physical "storefront" has been … (6 comments)

Wonderful Testimonial - 03/06/08 02:33 PM
Yesterday I received this testimonial from a client.   Their sale of an investment property was complicated by the poor housing market, yet we were able to bring the transaction to a successful conclusion.
"Brian,  I just want to thank you for all that you have done for my husband and myself.  It has been a real pleasure dealing with you.  You have responded to all our questions and concerns with promptness, and have given us great advice.  We so appreciate all you have done in helping us to buy and sell our rental property.  The whole process went very smoothly, and … (14 comments)

 
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Brian Schulman - Your Lancaster County, PA Real Estate Expert

Lancaster, PA

More about me…

Coldwell Banker Select Professionals, Lancaster PA

Address: 1000 N. Prince Street, Lancaster, PA, 17603

Office Phone: (717) 735-6265

Cell Phone: (717) 951-5552

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Lancaster County PA real estate news, homes, communities, information, local events plus useful advice on buying and selling your home!



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