Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

You call THAT an upgrade?

 
Since when are closet inserts an upgrade? When one buys an $800,000 condo, should you not be able to expect that some sort of clothes hanging mechanism would be included? Even the cheesy cheap wire mesh systems? I have seen developers try to pass off even the basic necessities as upgrades, and it is insulting. Perhaps Mr. Developer, you think my $800,000 buyer just fell off the back of a turnip truck? How the hell do you think he or she got to the point in their life where they could afford such a condominium without a brain cell or two? Dumbass.

And please stop with the patronizing “and you get lovely carpet in the bedrooms at no extra charge”. Again, you are an idiot.

And touting the virtues of a dishwasher, a garbage disposal, and/or doorbell for each condo unit?Yippee…where does my buyer sign?? If developers could take a minute or two to tour some of the condo offerings in Center City Philadelphia, and realize that the buyers I am bringing to your front door have seen almost EVERYTHING on the market, then maybe that developer could wise up, and compare apples to apples. Tell us about the significance of your location, the quality of your construction, or the fact that you are priced competitively. My buyers are not stupid, and I will not allow them to be uneducated. So wise up, and let’s make a deal. Because until you (Mr. Developer) come to your senses, my buyer’s desire to write an offer on one of your condos is going to be severely limited.

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

There are loft-like Philadelphia Condos, and there are LOFTS. And although the word is thrown around like a ragdoll being mauled by a dog, not all lofts are created equal.

I break them down into two segments-Hard Lofts and Soft Lofts. It is fairly easy  to recognize the difference, and I will make the distinction as easy as possible.

A hard loft is generally a converted warehouse space. Huge huge windows, rough finishes, and an open bedroom that overlooks the living area. Often times with cement floors, these hard loft condos lack the refined qualities that many buyers are looking for here in town, like designer kitchens and baths. They are truly open spaces that have been converted to living space.

Here are two examples of hard lofts:

Conversely, the soft loft, is more prevalent here in town, and what most realtors describe when they say “loft” in one of their ads. And it is what most buyers are really looking for (I find). They generally hold some elements of neat unique space, with high ceilings, exposed brick, and some degree of hip-ness.

Here are two examples of soft lofts:

    
         
The luxury is built into soft lofts, but they do retain elements of hip, cool kind of urban living.
If you are looking for either a hard or soft loft, give me a call at 215.521.1523 or drop me an email at Mark@CenterCity.com, and let’s go see what Philly has to offer!

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