Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

1) Rivers Edge Condos at 2301 Cherry St: There can be little argument that prices and demand for the building are on a huge upswing since residents have implement and paid for assessments for improvements made to 2301. Just look at the sales in the MLS. And it makes sense- a killer location in the 19103 zip with parking. Winning!

2) The Coronado at 2201 Chestnut St: Facade overhaul – even decorative elements of this lovely pre-war are being removed and recast…including ironwork and window frames. Foyer and front entrance being studied to include doors, lighting, canopy and tile restoration work. And they have limited their allowable rentals-BRAVO!

3) WaterFront Square at 901 N. Penn St: In the middle of some really groovy renovations to the entrance including an attractive water feature and improvements to the larger of the two dog parks. The entrance was benign and bland. Not any more…

4) The Plaza at 1901 Walnut St: Assessments are finished and interior (behind the walls) work done to common elements. New entrance and foyer area work completed as well as mail room. I think 1901 is poised for real value growth.

5) GrandView at 1100 Vine St: Recently refinished the lobby area..and holy crap is it stunning. Someone here had a good eye.

Also plans for redoing the entire 2nd floor (common area) to include new/expanded gym, yoga studio and commercial kitchen areas. First floor commercial offices being rented out as well- which will help curb appeal. Smart Center City Condo building- one of first to put a severe hold on rental ratio. Very smart indeed.

6) BridgeView Place at 315 New St: Finished the common roof deck and exterior brick work (some time ago).

7) Hopkinson House at 604 S. Washington Sq: A face lift project to the front entrance plaza area is well underway as well as installation of a handicap ramp and the repair of deteriorating underground structural beams and expansion joints.

8) The Academy House at 1420 Locust St: Upcoming improvements include lobby and arcade renovations. Fabulous!

And the employees recently rejected the idea of “going union.”

Of course I get tons and tons of folks emailing me looking to move into a Center City condo…no surprise there. But you might be surprised by who is actually buying in town. Here are some common groups of buyers who I see buying condos in Center City.  Certainly others exist, but this is a generalization of what I see:

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1) The Returnees – Grew up in Philly, moved elsewhere, and now returning. Being close to friends and family is often the draw.

2) The Empty Nesters– Shedding themselves of 75,000 pounds of unused house. They can often be very happy happy buyers who are starting a new chapter in their lives. I enjoy working with and watching them get excited for a move into town.

3) The Weekend Warriors– They have done the shore, now they spend their weekends in town. Much more common than you think.

4) The Kids Who Have Parents Who Have $$ – Very common. Very.

5) The Transferee– Maybe came to town via a promotion- and wants to be close to work. Moving to town wasn’t on the radar. Doesn’t matter- he or she is here now.

6) The Growing Families– It used to be that young adults would get married , and get a dog, two kids, a station wagon, and BOOM- off to suburbia they went. No longer the case. They now often represent our move up buyers in Center City.

7) The Investors– Who know that the city is the place to be, and that their investment will provide a handsome return year after year after year. Unless say Univ. of Penn moves to say the moon…a condo may easily be a magnet for a tenant.