Wine down Wednesday - 08/31/11 11:21 AM

Gnarlier Head Old Vine Zin Zinfandel what a name for a wine, "Old Vines make bold wines" is what greets you at Gnarly Head Wines website, and definitely this was not just a bold wine, but one with great depth and lots of fruit, berries, plums, raspberries with hints of vanilla, mocha and pepper is what the label describes. A delight to drink, even with fish off the grill it went well. You can see it had great depth of color and that depth was not just in the color. Well worth buying if you track it down.

No … (2 comments)

Solving problems is what our business is all about. - 08/30/11 05:04 PM

Last week just before Hurricane Irene, when I was busy making sure I got everything done in time for the storm I got an email from a contact of mine at an insurance company asking if I knew of any short term rentals in a specific area for a client of theirs who had been burned out of their home after a lightning strike. I could have chosen to stay focused on getting ready for the storm, or preparing for a settlement I had this week, but I thought what it must feel like to be living in a hotel, knowing … (0 comments)

331 Galway Drive, Village of Shannon, West Chester PA - 08/29/11 11:08 AM
Village of Shannon is a nice development in West Goshen, just a little north of West Chester off Boot Road. We have a new rental listing of a town home in here 331 Galway Drive . Freshly painted and carpets cleaned professionally it is a large three bedroom town home with 2 1/2 baths and a finished basement with garage and spacious laundry area.
Conveninet access to route 202 makes this a great location to live, with easy access to downtown West Chester for dinner out, Wegmans for groceries, and a few minutes drive to King of Prussia Mall, Valley Forge … (4 comments)

Old Forge Crossing has FHA approval pending - 08/25/11 02:44 PM
Condos today have a hard time selling as most buyers want to use FHA financing and many approved condo developments have seen their approval expire. Old Forge Crossing in Devon, PA is in the process of waiting for approval, having made application and fulfilled many of the steps required. It is a process not without cost, but as so many of these developments now charge a fee to buyers that goes to the condo association this cost can be recouped when sales of these condos becomes easier as FHA mortgages can be processed.
Currently, there are 7 single bedroom units available … (0 comments)

Check your home following that "small" earthquake - 08/24/11 07:04 AM
It is hard to believe that a home did not suffer damage during the "small" earthquake many of us on the east coast experienced yesterday. I have seen several posts by agents and home inspectors urging people to inspect their homes.
Yesterday just before 2 pm I was wrapping up a business persons public and brokers open we hosted with four other agents in Old Forge Crossing a local condo development. As I was sitting down, the room changed shape, the building shook and three waves ran across the floor, of course I wished I had thought quicker and whipped out my trusty … (1 comments)

Do you really want a mongrel real estate agent? - 08/23/11 10:23 AM

I have shown photos of these canna lillies before, but looking at the plant today I noticed how one flower is totally red and the rest are yellow. As Trudy said, they cut and splice bulbs together to make different hybrids or a mongrel flower, mongrel is a term used originally to describe two different breeds of dogs that have been mixed.
Made me think of all those real estate agents who have become mongrels, one part Realtor and and seven parts working another job to pay the bills. Can they really keep up with all the changes to the … (2 comments)

Business Person Open Houses at Old Forge Crossing Tuesday 8/23 11-2 PM - 08/22/11 11:57 AM
Several agents are holding a business persons open house at Old Forge Crossing on August 23rd Tuesday 11-2 pm, open to members of the public and to brokers many are serving lunch or snacks for those attending. Below is a list and map of the development with the locations marked showing where homes will be open. With FHA approval pending these condos are exceptionally affordable with plenty of storage and large spacious rooms, they never have trouble appraising and the development has plenty of facilities buyers love. So stop by tomorrow and check it out. 

Brokers & Buyers Please Join … (1 comments)

What an anti-climax! - 08/19/11 01:56 PM
I have a client who has wanted to see a home that was on the market but was not available to see. Every time it showed active and I tried to make an appointment I was told it was not available for showing. It has happened a lot recently on several other showings. Sellers have only specific times they want their house shown and I have written about this before but the point I want to make today is that when you can't have something you build it up in your own mind and it becomes something you think you must … (0 comments)

What you need to know about that deposit before you buy a home! - 08/17/11 08:52 AM
I was chatting with one of the mortgage providers I know and we got to talking about earnest money deposits when you are buying a home.
Here is just a couple tips to keep in mind when putting down that Earnest Money Deposits that will help the mortgage get processed efficiently:          
Personal Checks: make a copy of the front of the personal check and give to your mortgage provder; this is helpful to identify the source of where the deposits are coming from, but the front of the check alone will not satisfy underwriting. The mortgage provider will always need the cancelled check ( … (0 comments)

Wine down Wednesday - Paradocx Vineyards - 08/16/11 05:44 PM

Busy day tomorrow, so this post is a little early.
One of the good things about the Main Line and Chester County is the abundance of local vineyards. Today, I stopped by the tasting room for Paradocx Vineyard located at The Shoppes of Longwood Village, just outside Kennett Square. A great place for a visit the room has plenty of light and John Caldwell the tasting room manager will be glad to help you. The Vineyard is located at 1833 Flint Hill Road, Landenberg, PA 19350 if you want to take a drive out there.
I went with a bit … (1 comments)

Main Line rental market is pretty strong - 08/16/11 05:27 PM
I don't do that many rentals a year, but recently I have had several Main Line clients who are willing to hold properties and put them up for rent, a smart strategy if you can afford it. Obviously you have wear and tear and the need to keep track of any costs you have for painting and maintenance but it can be helpful if the monthly payment is not too high and you have a positive cash flow.
I have listed several rental properties along the Main Line this year and found they attract tenants quickly, one of the other things this … (0 comments)

Chester County PA market report - 08/15/11 04:46 PM

Chester County homes for sale now stands at a 12.3 month inventory. what this means is that if no other homes came on the market it will take 12.3 months to clear the backlog of homes for sale. That is 2 months more than July 2010. There are actually 4035 homes for sale according to the market data from Trend MLS, that is 85 more than this time last year. Making your home stand out in the crowd is difficult but not impossible. As you can imagine the days on market have increased as well as the absorption rate mentioned … (1 comments)

Old Forge Crossing rental opportunity - 08/12/11 11:46 AM
We just listed a very nice 2nd floor unit in Old Forge Crossing in one of the most sought after locations within Old Forge Crossing, a condo development located in Devon, PA in the tredyffrin Easttown School district. Right by the community pool, it is nicely painted with fresh colors and has a very modern feel. Packed with storage, this is one of the one bedroom condos with a den. One of the nice features about Old Forge Crossing is that you have your own laundry area within the condo, no more sharing or looking for coins, plus the condo fee, … (1 comments)

Community Development Mortgage Program - 08/11/11 11:41 AM
An alternative to FHA for those buyers with low down payments is the Community Development Mortgage Program. I sat down with Eric May one of the Prosperity Mortgage representatives in our office to discuss some of the benefits of this program.
 
 
,
… (1 comments)

VA Loans - some benefits and what you need to know. - 08/11/11 11:36 AM
VA loans for past members of the military are a great way to finance and purchase a home. I sat down and spoke with Jeremy Durkin one of the Prosperity Mortgage Representatives in our office to hear what are some of the benefits and what you need to obtain a VA loan.

… (0 comments)

For sale - Really? - 08/10/11 12:25 PM
In the past few weeks I have come across at least three listings where different buyer clients want to see properties and we have been told no appointments allowed, although each property is showing as being actively marketed. These are not short term issues either.
One property the agent contacted me to let me know I could show it on Thursday and Fridays only between 3 and 5 pm.
Another property the agent let me know the sellers are not allowing showings right now because they are also selling their business and it is all too much. I had been trying to get an … (2 comments)

Wine down Wednesday - 08/10/11 08:06 AM
Sangria - usually people think of Sangria as being cheap red wine with some soda in it, but it is much more than that, especially if you have ever been to Spain and enjoyed it there. As I mentioned last week, it is often drunk through the hot summer months and can be refreshing or even a stronger drink as I will discuss below.

Usually red, using red wine, it can be mixed with seltzer water if the wine is very sweet or a lemon lime soda, and oranges and lemons are usually steeped in the wine ahead of time … (6 comments)

Looking for local events - here is a great source - 08/09/11 02:52 PM
Ever wonder what is going on locally? A great source for finding out what is going on is the Valley Forge Convention and Visitors site http://www.valleyforge.org/#/visitors/events/ they cover all sorts of events from Cultural at The Philadelphia Museum of Art to TEDTalks at Phoeinxville Theatre and a host of others.
What a great resource if you need to know what to do and want to plan some fun in the area.
Where do you look for ideas for events?
A couple of others are Main Line Today at http://www.mainlinetoday.com/; another is Main Line Neighbors at http://www.mainlineneighbors.com/. An obvious one is the website … (3 comments)

John's Village Markets in Berwyn and Wayne - 08/09/11 09:35 AM
Everybody has their own "favorite" hoagie or sandwich shop along the Main Line, ours has been John's Village Markets located in Wayne and Berwyn. We generally always went to the original store in Wayne on the corner of Poplar and N. Wayne Ave, set back just a little from the traffic light, with wood floors, a counter either side, nothing fancy, but wonderful hoagies, sandwiches and cold cuts. Family run, the place is always packed. Last weekend one of my sons, Simon was in town and he asked if we could get hoagies at John's, as he and his wife are moving back to … (0 comments)

Conestoga High School and Newsweek School Report - 08/05/11 07:27 AM
Conestoga High School has always appeared in the Newsweek list of Best High Schools and I noticed when the list was released a few weeks ago their name was missing and had tweeted and commented on Facebook about this. Well obviously the school district was concerned as well. Last night I got the school district newsletter containing this article:
Newsweek Magazine's List of Best High Schools For the T/E community members who follow Newsweek magazine's annual America's Best High Schools story, you are aware that Conestoga High School (CHS) has been included in the list for the past several years, yet was absent … (0 comments)

Do you care who the broker is? - 08/04/11 09:37 AM
Under Pennsylvania real estate commission rules all real estate salespeople must work under a broker so they can be supervised and trained. But do you care who the broker is? Who do you employ, the broker or the agent?
When I speak with most of my clients they all say Nick I am employing you, not your broker, however, the contract they sign says exactly the opposite. I have even had one client alter the contract, he was an attorney, to state that the listing would stay with me if I moved or the broker sold the company.
But do you … (2 comments)

Wine down Wednesday - 08/03/11 02:51 PM
As you know if you read my regular columns about wine. I like Portuguese Rose wines and have written before about Mateus. In one of those posts I mentioned Lancers Rose and how I had drunk it in the past and found it a little sweet. But to be honest I had not drunk it in a long time, so could not resist when I was last at the wine store to pick up a bottle and compare it to Mateus rose.

This last weekend was perfect Rose wine weather, hot and humid. We certainly enjoyed the glasses we had of … (2 comments)

A photo that causes you to reflect! - 08/02/11 08:06 AM

Frank Glick © 2011 www.liketophoto.com A friend sent this to me yesterday, it was originally printed in the Minneapolis Star/Tribune,  I thought it was taken at the National Cemetry one morning in June, but the whole story is contained in the newspaper, just follow the link, it is very touching. Sends chills through you to see it. And if you think this has been photoshopped, read this follow up article in the Star Tribune.
… (5 comments)

Main Line Real Estate - New construction by in-fill - 08/02/11 08:05 AM
Along the Main Line there are not a lot of areas where you can build new, especially on large tracts of land. Most "New Construction" is further out, bringing with it all the trials of commuting on roads that get busier every year.
However, even further out we are seeing builders finding smaller lots to in-fill, like what is available to buyers further in along the Main Line. Whilst in Lower Merion, Radnor and Tredyfrring and Easttown this in-fill is usually limited to one or two new homes, further out the tracts of land may still allow 20-25 homes to be … (0 comments)

Main Line Stations - Wayne train station - 08/01/11 12:37 PM
Wayne, for many the best place to live along the Main Line, either North or South Wayne, the downtown with its coffee shops, restaurants and shops is a great place to visit. Its station was recently restored as you can see from these photos below.

The front of the Wayne Station, contains a coffee shop/cafe along with the ticket office and plenty of parking.

The station building from across the tracks

Old meets new, with the original Wayne station sign below the new Septa digital notification system.

Note the double heights of the platforms for the trains.

… (0 comments)

 
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Nick & Trudy Vandekar Realtors Main Line PA Homes for Sale Lic AB067198

Devon, PA

More about me…

Long & Foster Real Estate Inc

Address: 92 Lancaster Avenue, Devon, PA, 19333

Office Phone: (610) 225-7400

Cell Phone: (610) 203-4543

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