Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

Hopkinson House – The Toyota of Center City dependability.

Ten Rittenhouse – Really amazing value growth & demand.

1830 Rittenhouse – It’s 1830. Enough said.

River’s Edge (2301 Cherry St.) – Buy! I think they’re undervalued.

Waterfront Square– Peace & Tranquility. Views for miles.

Murano (2101 Market St)– Prices & demand continue to escalate.

Naval Square – Huge demand. Huge.

Rittenhouse Hotel & Condominiums– What’s not to like? Really.

BridgeView Place (315 New St)–  It’s just hot money. Buy Now.

Philadelphian (2401 PA. Ave.) – Values driven by interior condition & view.

Tivoli (1900 Hamilton)– Some Penthouse finally being sold off.

Center City One (1326 Spruce) – Best floor plans & Great Values!

The National (112 N. 2nd) – Soft lofts at reasonable prices & parking.

St. James Court (Society Hill) – User friendly & Cool Mod. Still Relevant.

9xx-10xx Spruce – Townhouse styled and Jefferson adjacent. Bingo.

Two Liberty (50 S. 16th St) – #1 Views and #1 model units – Gorgeous!

Mark Wade

Mark@CenterCity.com

CenterCityCondos.com

‘Cuz I call BS on some of these claims:

1) Concierge Services – Just because you have someone sitting their butt in a chair at the front entrance of your building doesn’t mean you have a concierge. In all honesty, only about SIX buildings in town have true concierge services in my opinion…though they all say they offer such an amenity.2) Includes Parking – Deeded parking is a term thrown around often that doesn’t ring true…often the space may not be reassigned, sold or rented out. And sometimes MLS listings says the unit includes parking, then in the small print it says “Seller pre-paid parking for one year.”

3) Hardwood Floors – Is it really? I mean technically, even pine isn’t hardwood…it’s categorized as a soft wood. The term ” hardwood floors” is seen often and you shouldn’t always believe it to be true. Could be laminate, or engineered flooring.

4) Penthouse – Is that really a penthouse? Just because the unit is on one of the top 3 floors doesn’t make it a penthouse. You’ll know a penthouse when you see one. Usually adorned with nice outside space, higher ceilings and maybe fireplaces.

5) We’re 72% sold! – A very common lie. Please don’t believe it unless the developer can whip out all legally binding sales contracts…otherwise may not be true.

6) Square footage claims – DO NOT rely upon the square footage of a condo based upon a “Fact Sheet” you get from your Realtor. You don’t know where that figure came from- The appraiser? The seller? The listing agent? The city? The man on the moon?? Come on…

7) “Fact Sheets” in general – I think it is fair to say that about 75% of the info listed on a flyer is true. The other 25%..perhaps not as much. DO NOT rely on those fact sheets. You should double check the accuracy for yourself!

If I have sold you a condo, then you probably know my trusty contractor Mario. We have worked together for almost two decades and ALMOST ALL of my buyers LOVE him- which is nearly impossible odds, but they do. Here are some inside tips he puts out there:

1) Don’t hover- but please ask questions me questions. It is important that our expectations are on the same page.
2) Don’t assume something will be done if it’s not discussed and in writing. So please, let’s review our agreement and cement our understanding and expectations prior to starting the job.
3)  If you add extra work, don’t be surprised it’s costing more money and your final bill is higher than the original estimate.
4) When it comes to pricing, you get what you pay for. And I
can ‘t go around other contractor’s work….what’s done is done, and to undo and start over is not going to inexpensive.
5) Treat customers how you would want to be treated. Usually I don’t care how the customer treats me… I’m the one who’s always nice. It’s just good for business and makes everything go so much better.
6) I can only work during certain hours and days in most high rise condo buildings. No way around that.

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And here is what I tell my buyers who want work
done to their new condo :

Plan the “fly” and fly the plan.
…If you are looking to add time, money and frustration to the job- Just change your mind as the job goes along  🙂

Mark Wade

Mark@CenterCity.com

CenterCityCondos.com