Dormont's Dor-Stop Restaurant - 10/31/08 09:56 AM
The Dor-Stop Restaurant in Dormont was featured on the Food Network a couple of days ago with host Guy Fieri. Way to go! 
Locally, Pittsburgh Magazine had this to say about it:  "This quaint, family-run diner couldn't be better situated than its place along a beautiful tree-lined street. Dor-Stop began serving homemade potato pancakes, one of its biggest breakfast hits, in 1986. The friendly atmosphere is evident as soon as you enter through the original screen door when the owners and staff greet you with a smile.
Diner favorites include a litany of original-recipe pancakes, including oatmeal cakes, which have the taste … (4 comments)

Finding a Good Real Estate Agent Shouldn't Be Scary - 10/30/08 02:45 PM
Some things are meant to be scary, like horror movies, suspense novels and, of course, Halloween.  But finding a trustworthy Realtor shouldn't be scary. 
With over a million and a half brokers out there, it's not hard to find a broker - the challenge lies in finding a good one.  Here are some tips from wikiHow on how to do that:  
Meet agents out in their working environment, not in their offices. Good agents spend very little time at their desks.
Another good method is to contact the agent with whom a friend or relative worked. If this agent produced positive results for … (0 comments)

Pittsburgh Makes List of Best Cities for Riding Out a Recession - 10/29/08 09:12 AM
According to a ranking by BusinessWeek, Pittsburgh was #6 on its list of the best cities to live during a recession.  Cities with a strong presence in health care, education, law, energy, and the government will feel the impact of a downturn less than others. 
"[E]ven in a recession some communities will fare better than others. And it's not necessarily just the rich ones. What will be most important will be to find communities where the local economy will be relatively unscathed. That means that in the near term people who work in critical fields such as health care and education are likely to … (0 comments)

Tips for Avoiding Home Buyer Remorse - 10/28/08 11:46 AM
Me, using Oprah as a source of information?  Well, I stumbled across these tips on how to "Reverse Home Buyer's Remorse" and thought I'd pass them along:
Pick your real estate agent carefully.  
If you are moving to a new area, find an agent who has experience working with buyers who are relocating. 
The Internet is a great source of information. (There are a lot of these sites, including Realtor.com, Trulia, and even Craigslist.)
If you're buying or selling a home with a partner, divide the workload so that you don't duplicate efforts.
Moving always seems to come at an inconvenient time, but try to keep … (0 comments)

Halloween in Pittsburgh: Trick-or-Treat Times for 2008 - 10/28/08 09:31 AM
Although Halloween falls on a Friday this year, some communities are holding their trick-or-treating on another day.  Here's the schedule for some of Pittsburgh's neighborhoods:
Baldwin Trick-or-Treat:  Oct. 31, 6 to 8 pmBethel Park Trick-or-Treat:  Oct. 31, 6-8 pmBridgeville Trick-or-Treat:  Oct. 31, 6 to 8 pmButler Trick-or-Treat:  Oct. 31, 6 to 7 pmCanonsburg Trick-or-Treat:  Oct. 31, 6-7:30Carnegie Trick-or-Treat:  Oct. 31, 6 to 8 pmCastle Shannon Trick-or-Treat:  Oct. 31, 6-8City of Pittsburgh Trick-or-Treat (all neighborhoods):  Oct. 31, 5:30-7:30 pmCollier Trick-or-Treat:  Oct. 31, 6 to 8 p.m.Crafton Trick-or-Treat:  Oct. 31, 6 to 8 p.m.Cranberry Trick-or-Treat:  Oct. 31, 6-8 pmDormont Trick-or-Treat: Oct. 31, 6 to 8 p.m.Edgeworth Trick-or-Treat:  Oct. 30, 6-8 p.m.Elizabeth Trick-or-Treat:  Oct. … (0 comments)

The Classroom Restaurant in Peters Township - 10/28/08 09:29 AM
The Classroom Restaurant in Peters Township has been designated a historic landmark by the state of Pennsylvania.  It has been restored by Chuck & Shawn Davis, a husband and wife team "who believe in combining a fresh new approach to food with historic charm."
Here's what FoodCritics.com has to say about the Classroom Restaurant:
"If you are searching for the perfect place to indulge in an elegant and upscale dining experience look no further. The Classroom Restaurant impresses in every way making it the perfect destination for any special occasion. Welcome to The Classroom Restaurant, McMurray's premiere destination for gourmet cuisine … (0 comments)

Pittsburgh’s South Side: Which Homes Sold in August and September? - 10/22/08 08:46 AM
Here is the list of 13 Pittsburgh homes that sold on the South Side during August & September:
 Related Posts: 
Which of Pittsburgh's South Side Homes Sold in July? Home Sales on Pittsburgh's South Side for June … (0 comments)

What a Neat or Messy House Says About Your Politics - 10/21/08 09:46 AM
As pointed out on mental_floss Blog, "a new study in The Journal of Political Psychology looks at the state of your house - are you messy or a neatnik? - and what that says about your politics. According to the study, liberals are messier, conservatives neater. Liberals' homes tend to be ‘colorful and awash in books about travel, ethnicity, feminism and music, along with music CDs covering folk, classic and modern rock, as well as art supplies, movie tickets and travel memorabilia.' Items you're more likely to find around a conservative's home include ‘calendars, postage stamps, laundry baskets, irons and sewing materials.'"  … (0 comments)

Upper St. Clair Home Sales Remain Steady in September - 10/17/08 03:42 PM
Real estate sales in Upper St. Clair didn't change much from the previous month.  There were 21 homes sold during August, and this increased slightly to 23 for September.
Related Posts: 
Upper St. Clair Home Sales Slide Again in August Upper St. Clair Real Estate Sales Decrease in July  Upper St. Clair Homes that Sold in June … (0 comments)

5 Questions to Ask Before Remodeling Your Home - 10/15/08 09:19 AM
An article in the WSJ Real Estate Journal wisely recommends that you make sure you know exactly how big a renovation you can afford and whether it justifies the time you intend to spend in your revamped home. Before making any big changes to your home, The Nest, a home-improvement Web site, says you should ask yourself these big questions:
1. How long do I plan to stay in my house after the renovations?
The longer you plan to live there, the more creative you can be. But if you're planning on selling the house in the next five years, keep potential buyers in mind … (0 comments)

Peters Township Real Estate Sales Decline in September - 10/14/08 03:04 PM
When we looked at Peters Township last month, we saw that 28 homes sold in August.  This number has dropped for September, with 17 properties making the list:
 Related Posts:
Peters Township Real Estate Sales Hold Steady in August Peters Township Homes that Sold in July Which Peters Township Homes Sold in June? … (0 comments)

Dormont Hosts 2nd Annual Street Fair & Blues Festival - 10/08/08 12:26 PM
Join the Dormont community for its 2nd Annual Street Fair and Blues Festival on Saturday, October 11.
The Festival starts at 5:00 on Potomac Avenue with multiple street vendors and lots of fun for all ages. There will be a variety of food available, as well as free activities for the kids. This year, the Blues are supplied by Pittsburgh legend Billy Price, Shari Richards, and Dormont's own Brendan Neary. You can take the ‘T' to the event by getting off at the Potomac Avenue stop, right in the middle of the action.
For more information, visit Dormont Borough's website.
… (0 comments)

Home Sales in Mt. Lebanon Are Lower for September - 10/07/08 10:31 AM
Mt. Lebanon dropped from 39 homes sold in August to 32 for the month of September.  But check it out - a million dollar sale made the list:
Related Posts:
Mt. Lebanon Home Sales Stall in August Mt. Lebanon Real Estate Sales: More Good News for July Mt. Lebanon Real Estate Sales Increase Again in June Home Sales in Mt. Lebanon Are Higher for May Which Mt. Lebanon Houses Sold in April? … (0 comments)

Pittsburgh Ranked Third Least Expensive for Homeowners - 10/07/08 09:00 AM
According to a recent ranking by Forbes, Pittsburgh is the third least expensive city for buying and maintaining a home.

In determining America's most and least expensive places to own a home, Forbes used data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2008 American Community Survey. It reported the 2007 median monthly home ownership costs in the country's metro areas with a population over 65,000. Home costs include monthly mortgage payments, real estate taxes, various insurances, utilities, fuels, mobile home costs and condominium fees.
They found that "those getting the real deal live in places like Pittsburgh ($1,187 a month), Columbus, Ohio ($1,060) and Cleveland, … (0 comments)

Upper St. Clair Home Sales Slide Again in August - 10/07/08 08:58 AM
I reported last month that real estate sales in Upper St. Clair dropped from 43 homes sold in June to 25 in July.  Well, there was another slight decline again for August - 21 homes were sold:
 Related Posts: 
Upper St. Clair Real Estate Sales Decrease in July  Upper St. Clair Homes that Sold in June … (0 comments)

Best Dog Breeds for Downtown Living - 10/07/08 08:57 AM
According to a dog training blog called The Daily Dog Article, there are 5 breeds you may want to consider if you live downtown and are thinking of getting a pet:
Pug - They aren't expressive, and neither are they stressful. They'll engage themselves in some physical activities for a short period of time, then fritter the majority of the day resting. Young pugs are known to be gentle and clever pets that will be trained and learn considerably.
Shih Tzu - Spoil this dog and she'll deem herself as higher than other dogs. Shih Tzu's are one of a small number of dog breeds … (0 comments)

Peters Township Real Estate Sales Hold Steady in August - 10/07/08 08:56 AM
Home sales in Peters Township remain consistent. There were 26 homes that sold in June, 27 in July and 28 for August (below).
 Related Posts:
Peters Township Homes that Sold in July Which Peters Township Homes Sold in June? … (0 comments)

Flip or Flop: 4 Tips for Making a Profit at Flipping Houses - 10/07/08 08:51 AM

A flop happens when unprepared or over-confident investors charge into a house flipping project without doing their homework. If you want to make money flipping houses, here are 4 don'ts you should keep in mind: 
Don't forget to check out the neighborhood before you buy.  You'll want to make sure that the property you're considering is a good fit for the neighborhood. You should also take time to make sure that the plan you have in mind for the property will match well with the other neighborhood residents in order to guarantee a quicker sale. 
Don't blow your budget without just … (0 comments)

 
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Casey O. Smith - Pittsburgh Real Estate

Pittsburgh, PA

More about me…

Realty Advisor Group at Keller Williams

Address: 3241 W. Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh, PA, 15216

Office Phone: (412) 512-0090

Cell Phone: (412) 512-0090

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Statistics and helpful info about the Pittsburgh, Mt. Lebanon, Upper St. Clair, Dormont, Peters Township, Scott Township and Nevillwood real estate markets.


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