I was hired to list this home 223 Letitia Manor Drive after it had been on the market for several months. Asked what I would do differently I mentioned what my marketing plan includes. My client mentioned that was a lot more than the previous agent ever did.It included blogging about this beautiful home in the wonderful Big Elk 55 plus community in West Grove. It included a 3D Matterport Tour so the home was always open for potential buyers to walk through. It included a YouTube video which likewise allowed buyers to get a feel for the home and its location opposite the vines of Casa Carmen our local winery. The floor plans allowed buyers to see the space the home provided. On top of all this holding an Open House where we had two potential buyers resulted in one moving forward with an ... 09/03/2026

Moving to a more rural location can make some buyers worry about internet and cellular services that are available. West Grove whilst being more rural, does have plenty of options for both internet and cellular service.I personally use T-Mobile for my cell phone provider and have had no problems living in West Grove. I know several others who use Verizon or AT&T also without issues. Obviously, when driving you may hit a dead zone where cell towers do not reach for various reasons. I know my wife said she used to drop service on Route 52 near Winterthur Museum when coming home from work in Wilmington.As for internet service, we use Verizon currently, but are considering switching over to a T-Mobile 5G service soon. Comcast is also available in most areas around here. Along with T-Mobile ... 08/06/2026

I just found and negotiated following home inspections on the perfect home for a buyer. I know she will love this home. Having moved away from Big Elk a year ago, she was missing all that the area offers and sought to find another home in the area. We found this lovely home in Roseview Village, submitted an offer, and after acceptance successfully negotiated some issues arising from the home inspection and the home is now pending.What my buyer loved abut this home was easy, low-maintenance living without giving up comfort or space, this beautifully maintained carriage home was well worth a look. Nestled in one of the area's sought-after 55+ communities Roseview Village and backing to peaceful open space, this home offers the convenience of one-floor living with 2 bedrooms, 2 full bathro... 08/03/2026

Well certainly all your well wishes were granted at my Open House this Saturday. I had two serious buyers attend the Open House and we signed an agreement yesterday. Sorry for those who were still thinking about this wonderful home. It did not hang around long. This was our first Open House. Welcome to 223 Letitia Manor Drive, West Grove, PA Built in 2024 and located in the highly sought-after 55+ Big Elk community, this beautifully appointed Ryan Homes Palladio ranch offers the perfect combination of modern design, comfortable living, and an active Chester County lifestyle. Only available due to employment offer. Featuring approximately 1,794 square feet of main-level living space plus an additional 1,083 square feet of finished lower-level living area, this home provides the space you... 07/28/2026

Welcome to 223 Letitia Manor Drive, West Grove, PA Open House this Saturday July 25th 12-2 pm.Built in 2024 and located in the highly sought-after 55+ Big Elk community, this beautifully appointed Ryan Homes Palladio ranch offers the perfect combination of modern design, comfortable living, and an active Chester County lifestyle. Only available due to employment offer. Featuring approximately 1,794 square feet of main-level living space plus an additional 1,083 square feet of finished lower-level living area, this home provides the space you need without the maintenance you don't. The welcoming foyer opens into a bright, open-concept floor plan designed for both everyday living and entertaining. The gourmet kitchen serves as the heart of the home, featuring abundant cabinetry, generous ... 07/23/2026

People moving to West Grove often feel they are moving to a rural area with no shops or restaurants nearby. This is so far from the truth as we have some excellent restaurants and plentiful shopping.Let's look at restaurants, Talula's Table in Kennett Square is often cited as a top restaurant in the Philadelphia region. And for good reason, it is very much one of the first farm to table options in the area. With only two tables it is also a very hard place to get a reservation. The menu is always fixed and while not cheap, the quality of the food is outstanding. The two tables allow for small and large dining. We have reserved the Farm table, which will seat up to 12, pictured above, twice and never had a problem finding people to attend. It is also a BYOB, so those who love their wines... 07/21/2026

Check out this cool 3D Tour of our listing at 223 Letitia Manor Drive.Welcome to 223 Letitia Manor Drive, West Grove, PA Built in 2024 and located in the highly sought-after 55+ Big Elk community, this beautifully appointed Ryan Homes Palladio ranch offers the perfect combination of modern design, comfortable living, and an active Chester County lifestyle. Only available due to employment offer. Featuring approximately 1,794 square feet of main-level living space plus an additional 1,083 square feet of finished lower-level living area, this home provides the space you need without the maintenance you don't. The welcoming foyer opens into a bright, open-concept floor plan designed for both everyday living and entertaining. The gourmet kitchen serves as the heart of the home, featuring ab... 07/18/2026

One of the many questions I get asked by homebuyers starting the search for a new home is "How Many Homes Should I View Before Making An Offer?"I like to sit down with all my buyers to discuss what they are hoping to find, the process and answer any questions they have about the home buying process. None of us likes change, but it is a fact of life that the home buying process is always changing.The last few years have seen a massive upheaval in the laws and rules approaching buyer agency. This was following the period during COVID when buyers needed to sign paperwork letting sellers know they were free of any symptoms of COVID.Recently, the change that is most different for buyers is the need to signa buyer agency contract to view a home, other than an Open House. If you are using a bu... 07/03/2026

One of the questions I get asked most often by home buyers in the Avon Grove School District is:"How much money do I need for a down payment?"The MythMany first-time and repeat buyers believe they need a 20% down payment to purchase a home. In many cases, they have heard that putting 20% down is the only way to avoid paying private mortgage insurance (PMI), so they assume that amount is required.The TruthThe reality is that many buyers can purchase a home with far less than 20% down. Depending on the loan program and your financial situation, some conventional loans require as little as 3% to 5% down.There are also government-backed loan programs that may allow qualified buyers to purchase a home with no down payment at all. Examples include VA loans for eligible veterans and USDA loans... 06/25/2026

Welcome to 233 Letitia Manor Drive, West Grove, PACheck out our new video walk thru of this beautiful home:Built in 2024 and located in the highly sought-after 55+ Big Elk community, this beautifully appointed Ryan Homes Palladio ranch offers the perfect combination of modern design, comfortable living, and an active Chester County lifestyle. Only available due to employment offer.Featuring approximately 1,794 square feet of main-level living space plus an additional 1,083 square feet of finished lower-level living area, this home provides the space you need without the maintenance you don't.The welcoming foyer opens into a bright, open-concept floor plan designed for both everyday living and entertaining. The gourmet kitchen serves as the heart of the home, featuring abundant cabinetry... 06/23/2026

How much does it cost to buy a home in West Grove today?I am often asked how much does it cost to buy a home in Avon Grove School District, which technically is larger than just West Grove itself. But due to the low inventory of homes for sale for this market report I am using Avon Grove School District for January 1st  2026 to the end of May 2026. This list includes all styles and types of homes including mobile homes and 55+ community homes tooThe Median listed price for homes in Avon Grove was $585,000 with 148 homes listed for sale during that period. The Median Sold Price was $574,517 a little less than the list price.On average just under 18 homes pended each month with 19 homes selling or closing which equates with the number of homes pending.More homes were listed in April and M... 06/11/2026

Time flies, it is hard to believe we are more than halfway through May already and approaching Memorial Day. Where do we sit with real estate in Big Elk?We currently have two homes for sale, a Palladio detached model, $599,000 on Letitia Manor and a Villa on Thomas Penn, this is one of the villas built on a slab with no basement $500,000.There is also a Villa home with no basement with a pending designation settling in June which was priced at $425,000.So far this year four homes settled, I am happy to say i was representing sellers on two of these. Two detached homes on Letitia Manor settled at $485,000. One of my listings settled on Hood Farm for $525,000 and another of my listings a Palladio detached overlooking the Casa Carmen Winery vines settled on Guglielma Springett for $672,500... 05/18/2026

No not that bird!Most days when Annie leaves for work and it is not too cold I take Jackie in her buggy for a walk up around the Christianacare West Grove Campus hospital. It allows me to get a great start on my steps for the day.Today as we walked around the hospital we saw the parking lot had a section blocked off and we also heard helicopter blades. Looking up we saw the helicopter was coming into land right in front of us. Jackie seemed non-plussed by all the noise, I was impressed by the flying skills. You can see those hereOne of our neighbors got to see this the weekend before last when he was experiencing chest pains, went to the hospital emergency room, there are ten beds for emergencies and ten beds if they keep you in overnight, what they term a micro hospital. However, if yo... 04/09/2026

Yes, it took longer than either of us wanted, but my seller understood the challenges and we worked well together as a team. He did not panic, and he listened to suggestions as we tried to find the right buyer. We got close a couple of times, but then offers just did not materialize. Selling in a 55+ community is different than selling regular real estate, you have a smaller buyer pool and that pool is motivated by completely different wants than regular buyers.   Review for Nicholas Vandekar   166 Hood Farm Drive, West Grove, Chester County, PA, 19390 Dedicated professional, communicative and knowledgeable Nick is very knowledgeable and guides you through the selling process without stress. Even when it takes a little longer than expected, he continues to organize open house events an... 04/04/2026

Sold and settled! 166 Hood Farm Drive, West Grove, PA 19390 – Big Elk Community, this one took a little longer than we would have preferred, but consistent marketing helped to find the right buyer.Welcome to 166 Hood Farm Drive, a beautifully upgraded single-family home situated at the highest point in the desirable 55+ Big Elk community in West Grove, PA. From this elevated location, you’ll enjoy sweeping views that flow gently down the hill toward Baltimore Pike—offering both privacy and a sense of space within this thoughtfully planned neighborhood. The kitchen is the heart of the home, featuring a spacious island with seating for four, upgraded stainless steel appliances, gas cooking, double ovens, and a microwave/oven combo, with under cabinet lighting adding a touch of warmth. Eve... 04/01/2026

I never thought it would take this long! When I took this listing in my development at Big Elk I thought this beautiful home would fly away.  But, last year was weird, with many listings just sitting. When I sold another listing in three days and the owner told me she had buried a St. Joseph figurine I felt I had to try the same for this client. Well, it didn't happen the way I had hoped, it still took a while longer, but we did get increased showings, and very positive feedback. And at last we went under contract, nothing came up on the inspections so we are now Pending with settlement set for the end of the month.166 Hood Farm Drive, West Grove, PA 19390 – Big Elk CommunityWelcome to 166 Hood Farm Drive, a beautifully upgraded single-family home nestled in the desirable 55+ Big Elk co... 03/04/2026

Review for Nicholas Vandekar 318 Guglielma Springett Drive, Chester County, PA, 19390 House sold in one day! Knowledgeable Calm Helpful Trustworthy Handsome I thank my client for the 5* review, I have had many compliments over the years in reviews, but, I think this is the first one mentioning me as handsome. Not sure how the handsome comment will pay off in the future, but who knows, maybe those single ladies will hire me! This home, one of the largest in the community, sits overlooking the Casa Carmen Vineyard, which allows for the most brilliant sunsets. It was priced accordingly and I thought we might have to wait for a sale, however, the first open house we had two customers who showed interest and one wrote a full price offer with flexibility for settlement date as my sellers wer... 02/06/2026

166 Hood Farm Drive, West Grove, PA 19390 – Big Elk Community   Opportunity knocks for those wanting to buy a home with Black Friday approaching. Seller has authorized a $15,500 price adjustment. Now, listed for $549,500 with the current interest rates this home on a premier lot with sweeping views of the valley is an opportunity to be grabbed. Welcome to 166 Hood Farm Drive, a beautifully upgraded single-family home situated at the highest point in the desirable 55+ Big Elk community in West Grove, PA. From this elevated location, you’ll enjoy sweeping views that flow gently down the hill toward Baltimore Pike—offering both privacy and a sense of space within this thoughtfully planned neighborhood. The kitchen is the heart of the home, featuring a spacious island with seating for four... 11/26/2025

The Stories Behind Big Elk’s Street NamesI had written a post about this when I first moved in, however, the builder added another road, so I wanted to update this post.When you drive through Big Elk, the street names might seem like just another part of the neighborhood. But here, many of them connect directly to Pennsylvania’s founding family—the Penns—and the history they left behind. With a little research, those street signs reveal a fascinating story that links our community to the very beginnings of Pennsylvania. Thomas Penn Drive Who he was: Son of William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania. Role in history: After his father’s death in 1718, Thomas inherited land and arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732. Notable event: In 1737, he orchestrated the infamous Walking Purchase, which cheated ... 10/01/2025

We may never know, but whatever it was the result was the same, a home under contract. I worked hard on my marketing for this property, as we had nine properties on the market in our development and this was going to be the highest priced by a long way. Yes, it was much larger and the view was spectacular, with tons of privacy too.I knew I had to come up with a different twist on why people should come and look at this home. So, I had latched on to "Multi-generational Living" pushing the concept and how this home would be perfect. My social media pushed the point further. Then my client used to stage homes for a living and she had been working hard since deciding to sell the home to get it ready. It looked perfect, calm, serene, inviting a place to relax and call home.So, I was hopeful ... 10/01/2025