The Philly Home Show will be at The Convention Center this weekend. This year there will be a City Studios feature showcasing three looks from area designers that will focus on making the most of small spaces in creative ways – could be useful for anyone living in, say, a Rittenhouse Square condo with a lovely view.
Closets by Design will have an interactive social media challenge where you can try to organize a closet in under 2 minutes. And for all the animal lovers out there, Providence Animal Center will be there to share some design ideas for your pets.
Here are a just a few scenarios you could encounter without the protection of title insurance:
– Forgery or fraud in connection with the execution of previously recorded documents
– Incorrect representation of marital status of grantors
– Undisclosed or missing heirs
– Wills that have not been properly probated
– Mistaken interpretation of wills and trusts
– Incorrect legal descriptions
– Unsatisfied mortgages, liens, or judgments not shown on the record
– Deeds executed under expired or false powers of attorney
– Confusion due to similar or identical names
– Unknown rights of ex-spouses or former owners
– Clerical errors in recording legal documents
– Incorrect filing of condominium declarations.
Some of these things may sound crazy. However, in my 29 years of selling Philadelphia Real Estate, I have come across more than a few of the above situations.
Email us if you have any questions about purchasing title insurance or any of the other steps involved in the home-buying process.
Graduate Hospital has been a really hot growth area for new construction townhouses and condo developments! Just south of Rittenhouse Square, you will find this hotbed of new construction here in Center City. The City’s tax abatement program has really helped this area grow. Easy access to the Square, restaurants, and shopping make the Graduate Hospital area a real attraction to buyers. The new Bloc 23 project and 2400 South condo projects are the latest additions to the area.
A 15-unit project, Ravello Philly, is set for the 14xx block of Clymer Street…a small block nestled between Broad and 15th, Fitzwater and Catharine. According to Curbed Philly, “The development will include five three-unit buildings with dark brick facades in front and aluminum paneling in the back. In total, there will be 10 three-bedroom, bi-level units clocking in at about 1,800 square feet. There will be another five one-bedroom units about half that size. Each unit will have outdoor space, too.” [Read More Here…]
Mark Wade
BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors
530 Walnut St. #480 Phila., PA 19106 www.CenterCityCondos.com
So, you have decided to load up the truck and move to ‘beverly, eh? Please know that before you go, you are probably going to get busted by your buyer’s home inspector for a number of issues. Here are the most common issues that I see sellers neglect when they sell their Philly condo:
1) Your air filter to your heating and air conditioning system needs replacing. It is old…super old…and has been restricting flow to your HVAC system, or it is improperly sized, or even non-existent. I see this ALL the time. Go to the Home Depot, and spend the $25 to remedy this….Now.
2) There is a missing TPRV on your hot water tank. This is another “under $25” fix. Again, go to Home Depot, and look in the plumbing section for a Temperature Pressure Relief Valve. Simply put, it is an “L” shaped thick metal pipe that measures about 1’ by 4’ and directs hot water down and away from anyone standing nearby, should the pressure relief valve open on its own.
3) There are double taps, and under/oversized breakers in your electrical panel box. I don’t really know what that means. I do know that it means you should call an electrician and have your electrical system looked over and remedied. Again, happens in a good percentage of the past 2000+ home inspections I have seen in my career.
4) Missing grout, or worn grout, and /or caulk in the shower and tub. Another $20 fix in most cases. This is preventive maintenance stuff here, and you will get called on it, if applicable.
5) Water stains on your ceiling. You need to fix the cause of the leak- and more often than not in Philadelphia condos, it is caused from a leaking bathroom above (should you NOT be living on the top floor, perhaps).
Now clearly, there is a possibility that none of these issues apply to you, but I would have to say that these are the most common issues cited by home inspectors in the 29 years I have been selling condos in Philadelphia.
So, when you are ready to add your condo “Just Listed” site, give me a call at 215.521.1523 or drop me an email at Mark@CenterCity.com. We can talk about the possibility of some of these issues before the home inspection takes place, this way your potential buyer won’t nag you with the small stuff!
Mark Wade www.CenterCityCondos.com
BHHS Fox and Roach REALTORS®
530 Walnut St., Suite 480 Philadelphia, PA 19106
A Renovation Mortgage allows home buyers to finance renovations as opposed to having to pay cash out of pocket for upgrading their recent purchase. If you’re looking for a condo that needs a lot of work after closing, this loan program can provide the funds for renovations and repairs for a primary residence or for investment properties by using the “after improved value” with a single loan at closing.
For more info on FHA 203K or Homestyle Renovation Loans, click the following links for a breakdown of each program’s details from Jason Griesser at Guaranteed Rate and Jeremy Durkin at Trident Mortgage.
This is rare! I haven’t seen these loans in YEARS.
If a rehab loan sounds right for you, please call me, send smoke signals…whatever works best for you.
Mark Wade
BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors
www.CenterCityCondos.com
Mark@CenterCity.com
Automobiles, clothes, and condos all need maintenance to look and perform their best. Assessments imposed on owners of given buildings are used to make capital improvements and are a necessary evil. How might that affect value?
I think in the short term, an assessment can lower demand for a building. Who the hell wants to pay for some electric behind a wall or an elevator motor which they are never going to see? (Uh, no one.) Though assessments to fix up interior hallways, and maybe a lobby, are much easier to swallow. In the long run, assessments can be the best thing to ever happen to a building as the costs of the capital improvements are overshadowed by the long-term value growth.
Look no farther than 2301 Cherry St. (River’s Edge) as an example of that argument. When the assessments were first implemented, the demand dropped because no new buyer wanted to pay for the needed improvements. But today…the money spent is bouncing the value of each unit MUCH higher than individual unit’s assessments. It’s not a hard equation to figure out. And the new lobby at the Academy House? C’mon… you can’t tell me that the individual unit owner cost to do that lobby wasn’t worth it…The value added was huge….
So yes, assessments suck in the short term but are very beneficial in the long run in terms of value and demand.
(ps – YES, per the agreement of sale- any assessments that have been approved must be disclosed to a buyer.)
Note Regarding Pet Policies in Pet Restricted Condo Buildings:
The Fair Housing Act allows residents of almost every type of property (apartments and condos) to have an emotional support dog or a specially trained service dog if you get the proper medical documentation from your doctor, despite restrictive Pet Policies.
SO….If you see “No Pets” allowed on www.CenterCityCondos.com under any particular building- please know that there are exceptions to the rule!
I tend to think we have a variety of buyers here in town. Spending 28 years hauling folks around town, I have learned a thing or two. Here is what I know when it comes to categorizing buyers:
1) The Prestige Buyer – Only wants to see condos that will look good on him or her. There are a number of buildings in town. Most offer town-car service. These buyers are generally fun to deal with.
2) The Value Driven Buyer – Wants lots of square footage. Location often the first to go for these buyers. No one appreciates a good deal better than I do!
3) The Loft Buyer – High ceiling, exposed brick and large windows fulfill this kind of buyer’s needs, soft loft or hard loft buyers often are just looking for something that is NOT cookie-cutter.
4) The I Don’t Want To Pay High Condo Fees Buyer – Best suited for a single family home, or maybe a Brownstone styled condo. High rise units not an option.
6) The Need To Steal It buyer –These tend to be the most unrealistic buyers if ONLY for the reason that they can’t identify when a property is already drastically under valued. And they lose in multiple bid situations (usually).
7) The “One level living” buyer – VERY common. Very.
8) The Buyer Who Buys For Kids Going To An Area School. – Very common.
9) The I’m Not Really A Buyer, But I Want To See Condos Anyway – I love referring these buyers to my competition. LOL
