Musings From Westmoreland County PA

812 Depot Street YOUNGWOOD, PA Nicely updated 3 bedroom Cape with fully finished basement and 2 fireplaces. Excellent access to Interstates 70 & 76. 3BR/2BA Single Family House $115,000 Year Built 1955 Sq Footage Unspecified Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Floors 2 Parking 1 Car garage Lo...

In a perfect world a seller takes care of both beautifcation and nuts & bolts issues when preparing a home for market.  The world is not perfect as we all know too well. There is always a trade-off.  Do we update the kitchen with granite, tile and stainless, and maybe re-paint those chartreuse wa...

SOME WONDERFUL RESTAURANT OPTIONS IN GREENSBURG, PA A couple nights ago I visited my son Erik (my real estate partner and sometime bartender) at One Eleven and "forced myself" to enjoy a glass of an extraordinary Ridge Vineyards Paso Robles Zinfandel while I waited for their new featured appetize...

We all love our pets.  They are perfect!  How could anyone not love little "Fluffy"?  She's never had an accident!  I will tell you who doesn't like little "Fluffy" - a large cross section of Landlords, that's who.  Actually "Fluffy" in this case was a baby alligator kept mostly in a bathtub.  Fo...

Westmoreland County PA - Hempfield Township - 2010 Summary Real Estate Year In Review The year in review for real estate activity in Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County PA, shows some interesting data that is just a bit counter-intuitive. There were fewer homes sold in 2010, in all price segm...

The Food Network was an infant.  YouTube had yet to be born.  Yet upon his arrival here in Westmoreland County in 2002 David Kadagashvili, known affectionately to one and all as Chef Dato, quickly became a remarkably public food icon through the force of his personality and the intensity of his v...

The year in review for real estate activity in Westmoreland County PA shows some interesting data that largely confirms what many feel intuitively. In Westmoreland County as a whole, 2010 saw the fewest home sales overall in the last 4 years.   2010 sales of 2566 homes were over 16% below the pac...

As we in "the Burgh" get ready for our beloved Stillers to begin the quest for another Super Bowl ring we can actually add some great cultural events to the week's activities.  Don't let it be said that a love for the Gridiron can't mix with a little music, theater and museum time! If you haven't...

I am ever more convinced that this real estate business bears a remarkable similarity to my prior life as a restauranteur and hotelier.  Both require absurd hours of focused work to be successful and both are subject to a righteously fickle public. But perhaps the most remarkably similar characte...

So you have gotten past the first hurdles and you believe know you have the financial strength to buy the property, make the renovations and carry it while it is on the market. So what do you do next?  You rush right out and buy that home or building because you know you can make it work.  Wrong!...