Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

I just saw one of the neatest innovations in painting that can save you a bungle of time, energy, and money. Huge secret here…it is called Behr.com. Behr is a paint company that has developed this online service in which you can pay $4.95, and upload a photo of any particular room in your new Rittenhouse Square condominium, or Old City flat. Then you simply click through their 3700 plus paint colors, to see how that room would look in any of those colors. From eggplant, to a nice sage green, this service is the ultimate “try before you buy” idea, and I think many first time buyers/painters could benefit from such a service.

How Fabulous! If you have painted any room in your Society Hill condo in the past, you know as well as I do how easy it is to “miss” the color you were going for. Even by a little bit, a soft yellow can appear just awful- perhaps the yellow you picked is a little bold, has too much green mixed in, or is just wrong for the  lighting you have in any given room. This service is going to allow you to see the entire color, on a larger wall surface of any given room you choose, to make sure the color is right for that particular room.

And you know as well as I do, that paint cans have a tendency to gather in your closets or storage areas of your Philadelphia condo, and can generally outlive human beings in general. Just think of how many paint cans you WON’T have lingering for decades in that dark corner of your basement storage area! And believe me, this way of “painting a room” is a lot easier to do while downing a Martini or two.  Painting and drinking can now go hand in hand! Yippee!

Give it a try, and see if you don’t agree!

Looking for an easier way to buy your future condo in Philadelphia? Give Mark Wade a call at 215.521.1523 and let him show you a few condos here in Center City.

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

As a longtime Philadelphia realtor, I am often asked a number of questions about various condos in Philly, and I want my blog readers to know a few things about buying or selling real estate in Philadelphia.

1) The “Days on Market” figure on any mls sheet (“DOM”) may be misleading. Sometimes sellers will pull their condo off the market for a few days, in hopes of resetting that “DOM” figure. Easily overridden by a realtor. Simply hitting the “History” button associated with that particular listing on the internet will give you a clear picture of the MLS history of that (say) Rittenhouse Square condo. So make sure you ask your realtor to show you the history of any given listing.

2) As I have said in prior blog entries and podcasts, make sure you measure the Center City condo you are going to buy to get your own idea of the square footage. Many MLS sheet omit this figure altogether, and are realtors are not required to submit such info to the MLS.

3) Parking- deeded, or assigned? Again, I did an entire blog on this issue. Many realtors will use those definitions incorrectly. Deeded means you have a separate tax bill, and you can sell the space off to anyone. Assigned generally means that the spot transfers with your title, which is not a bad thing.

4) Claims of a property being Historically Certified. Best story ever- once a prominent Center City realtor sold a Society Hill home, and claimed it was historically certified. Without being able to substantiate such a claim, when pressed, she declared the home to be “historically certifiable”. Nice. If such claims are made to you, get it in writing. Ask for documentation when writing the offer, should such a designation be of value to you.

So there you have it. If you are looking for more insight into the Philadelphia Center City condo market, give me a call at 215.521.1523 or drop me an email at Mark@CenterCity.com. I will be sure to fill you in on the information I have in my brain!

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

When I pretend that I have won the Powerball Pennsylvania lottery, I often think of what condominium in Philadelphia I would purchase. Well, I have made my decision…

The condominiums known as Ten Rittenhouse is now offering the 3rd, 4th, and 5th floor of the former Rittenhouse Club residence, listed in the Philadelphia Registry of Historic Places, which sits directly on the park. With ceiling heights of 11’6” and wide open space that you can design to include the finishes and details that fit your lifestyle.

World-renowned architect Robert A.M. Stern is doing this masterpiece, and when it sells, will undoubtedly be one of the finest Philadelphia condos – ever!  Some 5000 square feet of Luxury Rittenhouse Square living is being offered with this sale, and amenities include a 24-hour doorman, security and service staff, valet parking, world-class fitness center, indoor pool and sauna, concierge services and a gourmet restaurant which will provide room service offerings. Oh, and parking.

I have lived on the square for a number of years (in the lovely prewar 1900 Rittenhouse Square) and really liked living in the area. And who wouldn’t LOVE a newly constructed 5000 square feet condominium directly overlooking this lovely park? I would.

If you, or anyone you know, should happen to hit the Powerball on any given day, why not call me, and let’s find you the perfect Philadelphia condo to fit all of your needs? And know that I will happily work with any buyers in the $18,000,000 price range, whether you got there by hitting the Powerball or not :).

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

Oh the joys of being a Philadelphia realtor. I hear some of the dumbest stuff come out of the mouths of human beings…some realtors, some buyers, some sellers, and yes, sometimes I have even uttered the most moronic things even mentioned aloud.

Here are some of my favorites:

The roof only leaks during HEAVY rains…
Dear, everything goes with Formica…
Nobody does home inspections any more…
There hasn’t been a shooting on this block in weeks…
Yeah, but this is a very SPECIAL $700,000 studio…

And a few of my personal favorites, garnered from a television commercial:

Any closet is a walk in closet if you try hard enough…
No, the 3rd  time that house caught fire was arson, but I am pretty sure that kid is in jail now…

When shopping for a Center City Philadelphia condo, it is important to listen to what is being said around you. However, there are no guarantees that what is being said is intelligent, meaningful, or of this world.

Looking for meaningful repartee in the search for your new Center City Condo? Give me a call at 215.521.1523 or drop me an email at Mark@CenterCity.com and let’s laugh at some of the stupid stuff we are going to hear together! 🙂

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

After eighteen years of selling Philadelphia condominiums, I am still in awe of the common misinformation, unwarranted dislike, and general avoidance of two simple words in our English language:   Condo Fees.You would think the two words were similar to perhaps a monster from the swamps who has come to eat you, and steal your car. Generally speaking, that is not the case. Most studies have found condo fees to be harmless.

In fact, I pay condo fees and I couldn’t be happier.  These fees get me discounts on items such as a master insurance policy, yearly termite treatments, water service bills, and daily trash removal.  These condo fees also help level out some costs like exterior painting, roof repairs, and snow removal. They also enable me to put a portion of the monthly fees aside, for Rainy Day types of building expenditures.

I don’t have to do any repairs to the outside of my building, and I can have a professional management company handle all the common bill paying issues….all for less than if I had to “go it alone” and pay for many similar items on my own.

So I am happy to pay condo fees. And NO, they are not tax deductible. Is your water bill, exterior lighting bill, or your cost to remove snow from your front sidewalk tax deductible? I didn’t think so….

So, if you love the idea paying condo fees like I do, and you are interested buying a Center City Loft or Condominium so you can start paying your own, give me a call at 215-521-1523 or send me an email at Mark@CenterCityCondos.com and I’d be happy to help you find your dream home (condo fees included)!

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