Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

Fine. No problem. Just please make sure that one of those agents is NOT me. I am just not interested. Now I don’t mean to be a snob here, or anything, it is just that I am not interested in spending time with you, getting to know your likes and dislikes and teaching you all I can in the time we spend together, in order for you to take that knowledge, and spend it with someone else. I get buyers who say, “Well, I am not going to work with just one Realtor“…and that is fine. I don’t think you are doing yourself any justice but working with many Realtors is your choice. Just please, leave me out of that mix.I tell buyers that they may work with any Realtor they choose, and if I am not doing my job, we don’t happen to click, or you are just plain sick of me, then PLEASE….go find another Realtor. It would be best if you did. I hope you and I don’t have to cross that bridge, but if the case does arise, I suggest you go find another Realtor. But not while you and I are in the process of searching for your new Philadelphia condominium. Working with a Realtor is like dating. You are free to choose whomever you’d like. But double dating is just crossing the line in the minds of many Realtors.

I hope I earn your trust and dedication through my hard work, my honesty, and my knowledge of all Philadelphia condominiums. And if I should let you down, or if you find someone who you like better than myself, then I would encourage you to “jump ship” to that other Realtor, but please….let me know if you plan on seeing two Realtors at the same time, and allow me to back out before anyone gets their feelings hurt.  

My goal is to focus on your wants and needs, and spending time with you in order to learn from you, and really spend the time setting appointments, picking up keys, etc. Nothing is worse than setting up appointments for a buyer who says “I saw this unit yesterday”, or “my other realtor say blah blah blah….”
Yeah, uh…no thanks. But if you are a buyer who may be ready to make somewhat of a “commitment” please give me a call at 215.521.1523 or drop me an email at Mark@CenterCityCondos.com. 

Mark Wade
www.CenterCityCondos.com
Prudential Fox and Roach REALTORS®
530 Walnut St., Suite 260 Philadelphia, PA 19106

Stop reading this blog, and go take a look at the inside of the closets in your Philadelphia condo. Or, if you are a renter, look at your existing closet space. Kinda’ cluttered, eh?  Closet organizing systems are relatively inexpensive, easy to install, and can be found at IKEA, Lowes, and Home Depot. You needn’t spend top dollar on these organizers.First…go to one of the stores mentioned above, and pick out a style, color, and any groovy add-ons…like drawers, hampers, valet hooks, etc. Get measurements of your existing closets, and go estimate the price to purchase. Next, go to my website, and click “Vendors“…and call either Mario or Dave. You might want to have them meet you at the store, haul them back to your Rittenhouse Square condo, or Old City loft, and have them assemble the shelving/organizing units. WHY organize your closets?      

Simple….first of all, your will probably double the actual usage of your closets. With “double hanging” your clothes (one high rod, one low rod), and adding shelves, etc. you will certainly get more usage out of the space your have on hand. And your closets will not only look better, but you will be better organized in order to find your things when you need them (aka- you are late for work). but most importantly, you will benefit greatly in terms of resale value. Buyer LOVE LOVE LOVE closet space. Especially closet space that is well organized, and looks efficient. If a buyer walks into your Center City condo, and it appears that your CRAP is strewn about, and that you are growing out of your space, then they will assume the worst, and guess that the closet space will not be enough for their needs as well. Give the gift of a good first impression. Organize your closet space, get rid of the crap you don’t need, use, or want, and allow that heavenly closet space to have an effect ( a positive one!) on the buyer who may be considering purchasing your Philadelphia condo or loft! For a fast $1000 investment, I am sure that you not only will get more $$ back in resale, but you also get the use and enjoyment of having a more organized life!

Mark Wade
www.CenterCityCondos.com
Prudential Fox and Roach REALTORS®
530 Walnut St., Suite 260 Philadelphia, PA 19106

One of the big decisions you will make when moving in or out of your Center City Condominium is whether or not to keep your current furniture or purchase new.  Sometimes the furniture that looks fabulous in your Rittenhouse Square Condo, just doesn’t quite fit in well with the style of your Old City loft.  So, what are you going to do with the furniture you won’t be using any longer?  And where are you going to shop for replacements?  This wonderful organization here in town, “Uhuru Furniture & Collectibles” at 1220 Spruce St. can be an excellent resource!

They are a nonprofit, used, furniture store in Center City Philadelphia and they have relationships with a number of condominiums, property managers, and apartment complexes in and around Philadelphia. They pick up donations…FAST and FREE and all donations are tax deductible!  The folks at Uhuru pride themselves on being a highly professional, committed, personable, tenacious, and punctual team of staff & volunteers whom you and your customers will come to appreciate greatly. They are also flexible in order to meet your particular needs.

Uhuru Furniture is raising funds for the African People’s Education and Defense Fund, Inc. (APEDF) a non-profit organization. When you donate to or purchase from them, you are supporting their efforts while benefiting at the same time!  So whether your interested in donating or purchasing something to jazz up your place….check them out!! Mark Wade
www.CenterCityCondos.com
Prudential Fox and Roach REALTORS®
530 Walnut St., Suite 260 Philadelphia, PA 19106

Mark Wade
www.CenterCityCondos.com
Prudential Fox and Roach REALTORS®
530 Walnut St., Suite 260 Philadelphia, PA 19106

I see these violations all the time. And it’s not like there are condo police hanging outside your doorstep to see that all the rules are followed all the time. Except in this one Old City condo building I know of …

1) Most condo doc rules state that 70% of the floor area must be covered with carpeting. I can’t tell you how many times this rule is violated. I would have to guess about 95% of the time. Could mean more noise transferring throughout the building…..

2) All Philadelphia condo doc rules state (all that I am aware of) that you cannot have a BBQ or grill on your deck. At least from the way I understand it, a BBQ that uses anything other than gas or propane to heat the food. A good strong wind could blow away hot BBQ bricketts, I think is the logic there. Violated all the time.

3) No loud or offensive noise coming from a TV, or stereo, or just loud rowdy behavior after say 10 or 11pm. Like that never happens….

4) No smoking in common area. Remember back in the 70’s or 80’s when you would get into an elevator with someone who was smoking, and it was acceptable? It’s not anymore. Or in the foyer, or the common hallways.

5) Pet Restrictions. I see weight limits being skirted all the time. I actually am in favor of this, as some pets get old, and like a few K-9’s I know, overweight. I think old dogs should be exempt from this rule, even if they are large to begin with.

So it begs the question, should you, or should you not closely police the rules and regulations of your current Philadelphia condominium documents? You decide….I would have to guess that the most annoying complaint of all the above would be the lack of quiet after a certain hour of the night. I think if I were in charge of the association, I would be crackin’ the whip on that issue.

Mark Wade
www.CenterCityCondos.com
Prudential Fox and Roach REALTORS®
530 Walnut St., Suite 260 Philadelphia, PA 19106

I have been in countless number of Philadelphia condominiums over the years, and I would have to say that a few of the coolest things I have seen in these homes, are some very cool, almost James Bond like features to Center City condos.

1) The hidden wall safe. Cliché in nature, and a bit trite, but very cool. I have even seen wall outlets that are little mini safes. Very discreet.

2) Fingerprint door locks. Simple to install, and very hip, these locks open only when you press your thumb over the scanner, and the scanner recognizes your thumb as belonging to you. Hopefully.

3) The secret room hidden behind a door that swings on a piano hinge. I once saw this in a condo in Queen Village years ago, and it about knocked my socks off. Like a kid’s dream come true….

Just thought I would share with you a few things I have seen in this town that were a bit on the unusual side of things…..and very sure to scratch the itch of every spy novel fan here in town…..

Mark Wade
www.CenterCityCondos.com
Prudential Fox and Roach REALTORS®
530 Walnut St., Suite 260 Philadelphia, PA 19106

Not too long ago, in a not too distant galaxy (that being Philadelphia, Pa.), we used to sell real estate the old fashioned way. We busted our humps. Now I am not saying we do not work hard, but in looking back to when I began in the business, it does seem that life has gotten a little easier. Or maybe it is just as difficult, handling more deals at one time than I used to be able to do.

For instance, there was a time when lock boxes didn’t exist here in the Center City real estate landscape. If you wanted to show someone else’s listing, you had to go pick up the key. Multiply that by 12 condos you want to show, and it seemed an afternoon was spent picking up keys, the next afternoon showing those Center City Condos, and the next day returning those keys to various offices throughout town. Our MLS system had yet to be computerized, and the “books” would come out once a week. I remember those one dozen weekly 60 page catalogues of Center City condos and homes. With just one photo, and jumbled abbreviations to describe the property, it was a wonder we were ever able to identify properties that would fit our buyer’s needs. Comparables were very difficult to illustrate, as the information just wasn’t there. A lot of hearsay was used to support value. And appraisers….how did they ever do their job? The way we really got our information was via flyers that listing agents would drop off to our office in the hope of promoting their listings to get some showings (from cooperating realtors). But a hot listing was another story, and there were a lot more “in-house” sales. It was pretty much a given that a hot, well priced, nice home was going to sell within that particular office that listed it. How were the other agents to find out about it? Especially if you missed the weekly deadline for the MLS book that week. Then the word wouldn’t get out for almost two full weeks that you had a new hot listing.

Juggling emails, text messages, and being in contact with my buyers and sellers almost 24 hours a day now is equally taxing-much more efficient, but certainly a lot busier. Lockboxes abound, as fax machines, and efaxes. But work is work, and in the broader light of day- things here in the Philadelphia real estate game really haven’t changed that much.

Mark Wade
www.CenterCityCondos.com
Prudential Fox and Roach REALTORS®
530 Walnut St., Suite 260 Philadelphia, PA 19106

Now that is a really good question. Is that two bedroom unit- be it a loft or not, really a two bedroom unit, or is more like a one bedroom with a den, or even just a large open space, where a bedroom could go “here” and another bedroom ”there”?

As a long time Philadelphia realtor with Prudential Fox and Roach Realtors, I have seen a fair number of condos in Center City that really aren’t what they are advertised to be. Odd that realtors can be creative, and crafty, eh? Now I am no saint, and I am well aware of the fact that I may have stretched the limits of reality when I exclaim that my new “two bedroom” loft is either this or that…..

It seems that the laws governing the traits that constitute a bedroom vary from state to state. I have heard many things from many realtors across the country. Sometimes I hear that in order to be a true bedroom, a room must have a closet. Or to be a bedroom, it must have a window. Or a window and a closet. I am really not sure what does and does not constitute a bedroom in a condo in Philadelphia, but I pretty much do know a bedroom when I see one. Here is what I believe: If it looks like a bedroom, and operates as a bedroom, then I think it is fair to call it a bedroom. Although I will usually make a notation somewhere that “legally, this center city condominium may be a one bedroom, but it does play like a two bedroom.”

For instance, I have sold a number of units along Spruce Street and Clinton Street in Washington Square West in which the second bedroom does not have a window, rather that room is open ended- and the “second bedroom” overlooks the living room in a loft like fashion.  But it does have a door, and a closet, and I do find that a lot of buyers who are in the market for a 2 bedroom condo will find this arrangement acceptable. What I find objectionable, as do many of my buyers looking to purchase a condominium in Philadelphia is the open loft space that has NO defined bedrooms, but is advertised as a two bedroom unit.  Perhaps the listing agent of that loft condo thinks that we are so clueless that we will somehow miss the fact that there are no bedrooms. It hasn’t happened to me yet, but there is always a first time for everything.
In most cases of Philadelphia loft bedroom count issues, the question is a fairly simple one: Does a loft bedroom, open ended and not completely closed off constitute a bedroom? I think that it does, and I think that most of my Center City condo buyers agree.

So when your interested in looking for a loft or condo here in Center City Philadelphia, with or without a "bedroom", give me a call at 215.521.1523 or drop me an email at Mark@CenterCityCondos.com.

Mark Wade
www.CenterCityCondos.com
Prudential Fox and Roach REALTORS®
530 Walnut St., Suite 260 Philadelphia, PA 19106

How?  Easy.  Drive your car off a cliff. With the proliferation of the car sharing companies here in Center City  Philadelphia, you might want to ask yourself, seriously, do I really need to own a car? You might be surprised. Most parking lots around town now have designated spaces for these hourly rental cars.Let’s look at the general/average monthly cost of a new car here in town:

Parking $200

Insurance $300

Car payments $400

Tickets, gas, etc. $100

Cost of being carless: Priceless!

With nearly $1000 a month in saving, you have now transformed your Philadelphia condo shopping possibilities from a one bedroom to a two bedroom.  Or maybe you have gone from an existing somewhat “used” condo to a new bright shiny, never before lived in, say, Rittenhouse Square condo.

Being carless is something that is hard for most Center City condo buyers to imagine. Like freckles, or unmanageable hair, it is something that we possibly have lived with all of our lives. Imagine the freedom you can mentally experience without the burden of owning a car. I did it here in town for five years, and let me tell you- it was a joy!

So to all those Philadelphia loft or condo buyers who are struggling to find what they want, think about the possibility of shedding 2000 pounds of ugly fat. Drive your car off a cliff. Or sell it. Whatever. If you simply look into the easy and availability of the new car sharing programs here in town, you just might be pleasantly surprised at what you can now afford in the Center City condominium market!

Mark Wade
www.CenterCityCondos.com
Prudential Fox and Roach REALTORS®
530 Walnut St., Suite 260 Philadelphia, PA 19106

As a maven, devotee, fan, fanatic, aficionado, supporter, and all around nut-bag with all things “Center City Condos”, I believe I am aptly centered to give my opinion on the subject. Some human beings can cite sports scores and statistics of their favorite sports teams or players, and simply confound you with their knowledge. My sport happens to be Philadelphia condominiums. Go figure. Here is what I believe is happening in our market as of 1/1/08…..

Those buyers who have been waiting by the sidelines will jump into the market. They now realize that perhaps the “sky isn’t falling” as earlier predicted, and they buy and sell. Happened the same way in 2006. And I can tell already by the number of people who are visiting my site, the length of time they stay on the site, and number of return visitors, and the number of those who ask for additional information, or say they are now ready to shop for their new Philadelphia condo.

Mark Wade
www.CenterCityCondos.com
Prudential Fox and Roach REALTORS®
530 Walnut St., Suite 260 Philadelphia, PA 19106