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Tredyffrin Easttown home buying is like finding a bed on the Camino!

By
Real Estate Agent with Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055 PA License - AB067198

Sign for a pilgrim shelterI walked the Camino de Santiago last year from Lisbon to Santiago de Compostella,the Camino Portugues and then on to Muxia and Finisterra, a distance of 532 miles. What I love about the different Camino routes is the hostels that are along the route for Pilgrims, as the walkers are called because these are all ancient pilgrimage routes.

Each day you have an intention of where and how far you are going to walk. At the end of the day you hope you will be able to find a bed in a hostel, municipal or private, or resort to a hotel. The hostels on my route were not as prevalent as along the Camino Francaise. Many days you would need to walk a distance of at least 18 miles to reach the next lodging. I walked on average 23 miles a day, with just three rest days. 

When I was young I had camped, but I also stayed in some beautiful hotels over the years as I traveled for work and vacations. I was not sure what to expect, although I had read about these hostels. I tried not to have expectations.

My first day walking, I reached a foundation that was listed as having a hostel for pilgrims. It took me some time to find and alas I was told they are no longer providing lodging. I had already walked 20 miles and did not feel like walking to the next hostel which was several kilometers further on. So I backtracked to some small hotels nearby. I ended up in a nice room, but I was now a little worried about finding a hostel each night. I also had not seen any other pilgrims on my route this first day.

HostelMy second day, I met up in the afternoon with a Dutch pilgrim who was on his 11th camino. We ended up at the same hostel, a room with 12 beds, co-ed, two shared bathrooms, no air conditioning, a basin for washing your clothes and a line to dry them. I was learning about the procedure, on arrival, shower, wash your clothes, find a place for dinner,serving a pilgrim meal, usually a 2 or 3 course dinner for ten euros, then back to your bunk, get yourself ready for heading out in the morning and fall asleep.

Private hostelMy next day, I again got to a church, after a very long days walking to find again because it was weekend that they were not providing lodging, once again I found a private hostel nearby, which fortunately had a bunk, and luckily it was on the bottom as I did not think this day I would have been able to climb to the top.

My journey was varied, walking for several days with a Frenchman, Andre, he preferred to stay in hotels mainly although we did stay in a couple of hostels.

After Porto it got busier, more pilgrims start from Porto, and some of the hostels were larger as well. This room had 40 beds in it. 

Large hostel

Another night I slept on a mattress on the floor as all the bunks were taken. Hostels don't give much privacy, and you often are woken early by other pilgrims getting up to leave before it gets too hot to walk. So, sometimes a hotel was a choice to have some privacy and solitude. But some of the private hostels provided lovely beds with curtains like a sleeper train. Like these which also had real sheets and blankets, rather than paper ones, a shelf and socket for your phone so you could charge it, luxury indeed.hostel bed with curtains

How does this apply to real estate in Tredyffrin Easttown and the surrounding Main Line area. The market right now in the low to middle range priced homes does not have enough inventory, that is $150 - $700,000.

There are plenty of buyers looking, but not enough homes to satisfy demand. So every buyer, like me looking for a bed is looking for a home with the right feel, number of amenities they want etc. Just like me, some of those buyers are not finding the home they want so they are adjusting by looking in different areas, changing what it is they want from a house so that they can find a home to buy. Our job as Main Line and Tredyffrin Easttown Realtors is to provide both our buyers and sellers with options and information so they can make those decisions with confidence.

If you need help in Tredyffrin Easttown or along the Main Line selling or buying a home contact Nick Vandekar, Selling the Main Line with Long & Foster Real Estate Inc. office 610-225-7400, cell or text 610-203-4543, email Nick@VandekarTeam.com, website www.SellingTheMainLine.com.

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Nick Vandekar
Nick is a Tredyffrin Easttown Residential and Commercial REALTOR selling The Main Line, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties.

Giving you the confidence to make
the right decisions.

225 W Uwchlan Ave
Downingtown , PA 19335
Office 484-237-2055
SellingTheMainLine.com
Mobile: (610) 203-4543 [call or text me]
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If you are buying or selling on or around
Tredyffrin Easttown or along the Main Line, 
I can help you, contact me.

Comments (8)

Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Napa Consultants - Carpinteria, CA
Luxury Real Estate Branding, Marketing & Strategy

Nick,

What a lovely analogy given your lack of inventory in Tredyffrin.  There is no doubt that your Camino journey made you wiser, and gave you a depth of character and an understanding of the human condition.  A

Feb 15, 2019 08:40 AM
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Hello Nick - I like your comparison as well as the explanation of your trip's lodging details. 

Feb 15, 2019 08:53 AM
Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543
Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055 - Downingtown, PA
Selling the Main Line & Chester County

Ron and Alexandra Seigel thank you. Since I came back my world is a little bit topsy turvy as I examine my life. Trying to make sense of lots of different feelings.

Michael Jacobs thank you, it was encouraged by Amanda S. Davidson and as I thought about how to write about the lodging it came to me to connect it with lack of inventory.

Feb 15, 2019 08:56 AM
Amanda S. Davidson
Amanda Davidson Real Estate Group Brokered By Real - Alexandria, VA
Alexandria Virginia Homes For Sale

Nick, I really enjoyed reading about finding a bed on the Camino. Love your analogy to low inventory, it goes perfectly and really puts things in perspective.  I'm so glad you wrote about it, reading about your trip has been fascinating to me and I can feel from your words that it's changed your life in many ways.

Feb 15, 2019 11:20 AM
Brian England
Ambrose Realty Management LLC - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

I don't know if I could rough it like that, going from hostel to hostel and 23 miles per day is more than I have ever walked in a day.  If I am ever going to do that pilgrimage, I better train for it and be ready to adapt to being out of my comfort zone for sure.

Feb 16, 2019 07:52 AM
Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543
Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055 - Downingtown, PA
Selling the Main Line & Chester County

Amanda S. Davidson it was an experience, most of the hostels were co-ed, some did have male and female rooms. I know my first night in a hostel, the one with the green bunks, I was sleeping next to an Australian woman who lived in France, who had changed into a rather flimsy night dress, across the room were two English women, wellone was Scottish a little older who wore much more unrevealing nightwear.

Brian England I did not think I could either, but you adjust and get used to it. You definitely learn to be more accepting of what life offers.

Feb 17, 2019 09:24 AM
Amanda S. Davidson
Amanda Davidson Real Estate Group Brokered By Real - Alexandria, VA
Alexandria Virginia Homes For Sale

Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543 the co-ed adds another layer to different cultures coming together in one space. For me it would feel strange sleeping with males in the room but, it just goes to show we always need to keep an open mind. Just because it's not what we're used to doesn't mean we shouldn't experience it. I admire your courage to step out of your comfort zone. It says a lot about you.

Feb 17, 2019 04:11 PM
Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543
Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055 - Downingtown, PA
Selling the Main Line & Chester County

Amanda S. Davidson you got used to it, but those women all snored more than the men, I heard it myself. Usually you were so tired you did not even notice, you ate and then crashed.

Feb 18, 2019 02:04 PM