Sunday, 05/16/2021
The 19054 Zip code, is tied for the top score on the Greater Philadelphia Area Bright MLS Home Demand Index. The postal code covers all or part of 8 Levittown sections (Birch Valley, Elderberry Pond, Lakeside, North Park, Pinewood, Thornridge, Vermilion Hills and Willow Wood) in addition to the neighborhoods of Fallsington and Nottingham. Single family sales had a median sold price so far this year of $343,500 with a median days‑on‑market of just one week (7 days). [ The John McClintock Team, Realtors ]
Saturday, 05/15/2021
Guide to Protecting Historic Pennsylvania Property
Historic District Designations in Pennsylvania is a 2005 document containing information on regulation, protection, certified local governments, legal challenges, historic preservation plan, National Register of Historic Places, and preservation tax incentives. ... more.
In traditional vacation destinations such as Key West, Florida, Ocean City, New Jersey, and Traverse City, Michigan, online house shopping and pending sales are up relative to the country overall, according to a new analysis. [ www.wsj.com ]
Thirty-eight percent of Vermont real estate sales in 2020 came from out-of-state buyers. More than $3.5 billion in real estate was sold in the State last year, representing 10,483 properties. This year, it appears to be right on track to match that. So far, more than 5,000 have closed or are under contract. [ www.wcax.com ]
Friday, 05/14/2021
Summer vacation, here we come! With June in sight and states opening up across the country, real estate activity is buzzing—especially in the Northeast and Midwest, where buyers are jumping fully into the market earlier than usual. [ www.realtor.com ]
In Westchester, New York, the time from listing to closing was only two months for single-family homes this winter, while in Greenwich, Connecticut, there were 108 signed deals in February, compared to 42 in February 2020. [ www,mansionglobal.com ].
Thursday, 05/13/2021
For the 1st Quarter of 2021, the Northeast and West again had far higher levels of equity-rich properties than other regions. The top 11 states with the highest levels in the first quarter of 2021 were led by Vermont, (51.5 percent of mortgage properties were equity-rich), Idaho (50.6 percent), California (49 percent), Washington (44.5 percent) and Utah (42.5 percent). [ ATTOM Data Solutions ]
Denver Colorado is home to a wide array of restaurants, shops, and nightlife. You don’t have to look much further than the downtown districts LoDo and RiNo to witness this explosion. Denver has lifestyle in spades! Colorado embodies the great outdoors—and the city has easy access to it. Denver is on the front range, at the base of the mighty Colorado Rockies, with bounds of outdoor experiences just waiting for explorers. The greater Colorado region has skiing, mountain biking, fishing, hunting, hiking, biking, festivals, and even beaches. Yes, the water may be cold in the Colorado River, but beaches are still there. Lifestyle opportunities abound, and people throughout the country are increasingly becoming aware of this—and they want in. [ more ... www.ypn.realtor ]
Wednesday, 05/12/2021
The Speedway Neighborhood is a residential subdivision in Bucks County, PA that was named for a former automobile racetrack that once was a popular venie in the area.
The National Association of Realtors® said that last year at this time, when inventory better matched demand, 46 out of 181, or 25%, of the metro areas it was tracking saw double digit median price increases from the same quarter in 2019, compared with 163 out of 183 this time around, for 89%. Eleven metro areas with the biggest jumps range from Decatur, Illinois (up 27.5% to $102,400) and depressed-for-decades Youngstown, Ohio, (27.7%, to $119,500) to relatively prosperous Bridgeport‑Stamford‑Norwalk, Connecticut (34.3%, to $580,400) and Barnstable Town , Massachusetts (33.1%, to $567,000). — [ www.fool.com ]
Tuesday, 05/11/2021
Nationally, home prices increased 11.3% year over year in March. No states posted an annual decline in home prices. The states with the highest increases year-over-year were Idaho (25%), Montana (18.8%), and Arizona (18%). [ CoreLogic Home Price Index ].
The Old Ferguson West Historic District developed primarily a residential neighborhood located west of Florissant Road in the City of Ferguson, Saint Louis County, Missouri.
Chat with a few real estate agents based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania — a city ninety minutes from Baltimore and two hours from Philadelphia — and a similar topic will undoubtedly emerge: the capital of the Keystone State has become one of the most popular places to move to in the entire country due to low home prices. [ www.housingwire.com ].
Breaking down the top 10 U.S. metropolitan areas with the greatest seller profits in the first quarter of 2021, ATTOM Data Solutions reports six of them are in California, two in Washington and one each in Utah and Tennessee.
The number of Noblesville, Indiana closed home sales increased 8.9 percent last month, selling 36 days faster than this time last year. The average Noblesville home sale price also increased by 13.1 percent to an average price of more than $342,000. [ thetimes24-7.com ]
Monday, 05/10/2021
SouthFlorida real estate market still booming in 2021
Florida draws the second highest number of immigrants from other states, following only Texas. According to the 2020 Census cited in the Q1 report, Florida gains a net 661 residents every day, one of 34 states where internal immigration is positive. Sixteen states including New York and California are losing population. [ www.floridatrend ]
Montgomery County Single Family Sales January thru April
The median sold price of more than 1,800 detached, single family homes in Montgomery County, PA was $410,000 with a median days-on-market of one week (7 days) according to Debra Granite, Realtors®.
Sunday, 05/09/2021
Denver Colorado Real Estate Records Set in April
The Denver Metro Association of Realtors market trends report shows 16 sales related records were broken last month. One of the records is the average price of homes being sold. In April, single family homes sold for an average of $623,825. The previous record was in March 2021 of $587,484. [ kdvr.com ]
Bucks County Single Family Sales January thru April
The median sold price of more than 1,400 detached, single family homes in Bucks County, PA was $410,000 with a median days-on-market of one week (7 days) according to The John McClintock Team, Realtors®.
Moving to Florida? Share your reason why. (feedback@livingplaces.com)
Experts predict that Florida’s population will grow to over 23 million people by 2025, an increase of 1.4 million new residents. Most of the gain is expected to come from new people moving into the state. — www.floridarealtors.org
Saturday, 05/08/2021
Top markets for home buyers amid the selling madness
Tuscaloosa, Alabama joins the likes of Miami Beach, Florida; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Las Cruces, New Mexico; and Iowa City, Iowa; among others, as places where buyers have a fighting chance. — [ tucaloosanews.com ].
Friday, 05/07/2021
This home on Hanover Court in the Sturbridge Neighborhood
was sold last month for $25,000 over list price. It was on the market for just four days. Sturbridge is an early 1980s neighborhood with homes by several builders including Toll Brothers.
184. That’s how many residents Austin Texas gained per day on average last year, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau released this week, for a total gain of 67,197 additional residents in 2020. It was the fastest-growing city in the country with populations of more than 1 million. — Forbes Business online May 6th
Thursday, 05/06/2021
Top U.S. Cities in Which to Find the Oldest Homes For Sale
Providence, Rhode Island has the highest number of pre war houses for sale, with almost 45% of the city’s overall listings built by 1940. Six other Northeastern cities—New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Buffalo, Hartford, and Pittsburgh—also have significant numbers of pre-war home listings. It’s worth noting that all seven of these cities have pre‑revolutionary roots and are home to some of the earliest European settlements of the United States. While today’s pre-war houses aren’t that old, it’s fitting to find so many of them in cities with such historic beginnings. ... [ www.homes.com ]
Out-of-staters are buying Oregon homes with cash and remodeling sight unseen. Few homes for sale, escalating prices and bidding wars are frustrating local buyers who have had offers rejected for a quicker cash sale. — [ www.oregonlive.com ]
Wednesday, 05/05/2021
The Borough of Hopewell may be in New Jersey, minutes from the cookie-cutter developments and traffic-clogged commercial strips the state is known for, but “it screams Vermont,” as The New York Times wrote some years ago, calling the village of around 2,000 residents “the most un‑Jersey‑like town in the state.”
Tuesday, 05/04/2021
The history of Chester Heights Borough predates grants of William Penn., when the Swedes had penetrated some distance inland from the Delaware River and had found the rich soil very conducive to productive farming.
Pennsbury Township began as part of Kennett Township which was one of the original towns of the grant to William Penn. The first surveys of the Township were made about 1686, but few people actually lived here until 1700.
Upper Darby Township was formed in 1786. Settled by Quakers, some of the most important and influential families were friends of William Penn.
The City of Atlanta, Georgia has a population of 506,000 with a 43.5% rate of homeownership. Atlanta has had an incredible business growth rate in the last few years, with some of the hottest tech giants setting up camp there. Today, Atlanta’s average home price is $313,000, which is on the higher end, but the rental market is large in this city, giving investors an incredible return on their investment. — [ www.bezinga.com ]
Monday, 05/03/2021
Carillon is a townhome subdivision circa built by Wilkinson Builders circa 2010.
Downtown Seattle, Washington price reductions show buyers have the upper hand
The median sold home price, year-over-year, would normally be the most telling of a downturn, and in the case of Seattle's downtown, that median sold price is down to $591,200, a 7.6 percent decline year‑over‑year. More striking though it the reversal in market demand for downtown properties: As of quarter one, downtown sales have declined 44.1% year‑over‑year, and those that did sell had to wait a long time to do so. — [ www.seatllepi.com ].
City of Austin experiences growing pains as one of America's hottest real estate markets. Laid-back and long known for its food and music scene, the City of Austin (capital of Texas) has become one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation. The downtown skyline is a ballet of cranes and new skyscrapers. Tech giants like Google and Apple are expanding their footprint, and Tesla is building a massive manufacturing plant here. — [ CBS This Morning ]
Sunday, 05/02/2021
There are more than 225 detached singles for sale in Iowa City, IA. As of this morning the median asking price is $350,000.
Indianapolis, IN is ranked the #1 most affordable place to own a home according to Norada Real Estate Investments.
Saturday, 05/01/2021
New, Record-High Resale Record
A home on Country Road in East Nottingham's Country Meadows neighborhood was just sold by Matthew Fetick, (Keller Williams, Kennett Square) for the highest resale price in the neighborhood, $367,000.
Princeton packs many charms into its 18.4 square miles. Halfway between New York and Philadelphia, it has long attracted affluent professionals, many enduring commutes of more than an hour in return for roomy, historic houses, old-growth trees that burst into flower in spring and the cultural riches of Princeton University. — Princeton: Historic Homes and Cultural Riches, The New York Times online.
Lenape Village is a residential subdivision in Bucks County's New Britain Township.
Friday, 04/30/2021
In middle Tennessee's Sumner County, the cities of Gallatin (37066) and Hendersonville (37075) both have just a 14 day supply of for‑sale homes inventory with the typical sale at 100% of asking price. — [wrkn.com]
Washington Hunt is a 1990s subdivision of detached singles in Robbinsville Township, Mercer County, New Jersey.
In our effort to make South Whitehall Township (Lehigh County, PA) the most unique and attractive place to live, work and play, we have constructed a one‑of‑a‑kind 20,000+ square-foot community playground in Covered Bridge Park! [www.southwhitehall.com]
Some survey notes from 2009 for the historic Duck Creek Hundred, Kent County, Delaware.
Thursday, 04/29/2021
Where are baby boomers looking to buy?
Boomers are the wealthiest generation according to the Fed. An analysis by LendingTree across the nation’s 50 largest metropolitan areas resulted in the "most popularl" list, below — [lendingtree.com].
| 01. Las Vegas, NV 02. Tampa, FL 03. Pheonix, AZ |
04. Miami, FL 05. Jacksonville, FL 06. Riverside, CA 07. Orlando, FL |
08. San Diego, CA 09. Virginia Beach, VA 10. Sacramento, CA |
Justa Farms is a residential subdivision of detached, single family homes in Lower Moreland Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania appoximately 4 miles north and west of Northeast Philadelphia.
Over the past year in Philadelphia's Garden Court Historic District semi-detached and end-unit row homes have sold between approximately $300,000 and $425,000.
Wednesday, 04/28/2021
The Borough of Ambler (Montgomery County, PA) is home to the Ambler Theater, Act II Playhouse and Temple University’s Ambler Campus, It is easily accessible via SEPTA, the PA Turnpike, and routes 76, 309 and 476. Plenty of green space as well as visitor parking options.
Tuesday, 04/27/2021
Coeur D'Alene, Idaho is number one on the WSJ April list
In order to help homebuyers decide on the best place to invest in a home, The Wall Street Journal collaborated with Realtor.com to rank housing markets that are expected to provide both a strong return on investment—and are a nice place to live.
Monday, 04/26/2021
Houston's real estate market reaches record levels
The Houston Association of Realtors reported a 24.4% jump in single-family sales last month, compared to the same time in 2020. One report even suggested investors, many of them new to town, scooped up almost a quarter of those homes. — abc13.com.
Sunday, 04/25/2021
Marion, NC
The area offers an affordable alternative to nearby Asheville, a popular destination known for its thriving arts, brewery, and dining scenes. The town’s historic Main Street is home to shops, restaurants and breweries, and a seasonal farmers market. There is also camping and fishing at nearby Lake James as well as several golf courses and a couple of water parks not far from town. — raltor.com
Saturday, 04/24/2021
Wilmington, NC Area Housing Shortage
"Last month, there were just 328 homes for sale under $300,000 in the tri-county region (Brunswick, New Hanover, Pender counties), down 74% compared to last year. “When you have that much of a shortage, it definitely skews things,” — Tom Gale, president, Cape Fear Realtors.
Between the years 1720-1730, a young man, from the eastern part of the [New Jersey] Province, more in quest of fortune than of fame, came to the location now known as Lambertville and settled along the banks of the Delaware River, and constructed a "Hut" in which to dwell.
Friday, 04/23/2021
Liberty Circle Neighborhood
Home on Ernie Davis Circle in this Philadelphia neighborhood sold in 5 days for over list price by Keller Williams Real Estate, Langhorne.
Buyers, You're Not Alone
Most people with an interest in residential real estate have heard by now about the estate home in Silver Spring Maryland that recently had 73 cash offers, selling ultimately for $185,000 over list price.
Counties with Housing At-Risk
A new report reveals that Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, Connecticut and North Carolina had 33 of the 50 counties most vulnerable to the economic impact of the pandemic in the first quarter of 2021. They included seven suburban counties in the Chicago metropolitan area, four near New York City, five in southern Florida and two around Hartford, CT. — ATTOM Data Solutions.
Thursday, 04/22/2021
Age of Housing Stock
Newer owner-occupied housing stock is mostly concentrated in the Sun Belt states where 14 out of 15 states, with the exception of California (43), have median owner-occupied housing stock age below the national median (39 years). While Nevada posts the youngest age of owner-occupied homes at only 23 years, it is followed by Georgia and Arizona, where half of all owner-occupied homes were built in the last 27 years. — National Association of Home Builders, www.nahbnow.com.
Vacation Home Rentals Surge
By the end of March, 90% of vacation homes listed on Vrbo for the New Jersey Shore and Cape Cod in Massachusetts were already booked for July — National Association of Realtors, Realtor Magazine.
Condo Insurance
A new report from insurance website AdvisorSmith calculated the average cost of condo insurance, or HO-6 insurance, in each state. The analysis found that Florida was by far the most expensive state for condo insurance — marketwatch.com.
Wednesday, 04/21/2021
City of Allentown, PA
Much of the charm in Pennsylvania's third-largest metro area comes from its vast collection of historic homes and buildings, commercial structures and century-old industrial buildings. Architects have modernized and converted many of the closed mills and manufacturing buildings into apartments and lofts.— realestate.usnews.com.
Tuesday, 04/20/2021
The Ohio City and County (Columbus / Franklin) initiated a competition for design concepts to address housing access and affordability in central Ohio. First prize is $5,000. (Details Here).
Why the City of Austin? A huge part of the appeal: Austin is one of the most significant cities in the country for entrepreneurship and a recognized hub for startups. “Austin attracts annually about a billion dollars in venture capital investment and another billion dollars in corporate entity investments,” says Angelos G. Angelou, who used to be the vice president for economic development for the Austin Chamber of Commerce, as well as its chief economist. — www.forbes.com.
Monday, 04/19/2021
Due to the relatively small number of typical transactions, monthly pricing stats for Bargersville, IN (46106) vary over shorter time periods. Over the past year however, the median home value for the zip code has risen more than 10%.
In Philadelphia, home ownership rates among single women have outperformed rates among single men during the last 15 years. In the metro area, single women own roughly 73,000 more homes. — Philadelphia Inquirer online
An analysis from mortgage provider LendingTree shows that Tampa has the highest share of homes owned by single women at 17%—followed by Cleveland and New Orleans, where 16% of homeowners are single women.
Sunday, 04/18/2021
Best of the Best State Capitols
We made a rankings table of the top 10 state capitols in which to live from the lists presented by Far and Wide, Wallet Hub and Rent Lingo. We assigned a rank # in reverse order. Number City is 10, number two city a 9, etc. Then we totaled the numbers for each city and created our best of the best ranking. Each ranking entity of course has a different primary focus on their criteria for choosing. Below are our top 5 state capitols and their cumulative scores.
Saturday, 04/17/2021
The City of Kingston is the latest hot housing market for NYC Expats
The Hudson Valley of New York has gone from a dream retirement location to a housing hot spot for those leaving New York City. In Kingston, a city on the Hudson River two hours north of Manhattan, homes are being snatched up by New York City residents pining for more space. — (housingwire.com)
In a well‑crafted blog post yesterday from the WAV Group's Victor Lund, we note the following interesting comments. "California leads the nation in people leaving the state. According to Evan White of the UC Berkley Policy Lab, 267,000 people left California in Q4 of 2020. They took their home equity and traded it for homes in Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and other western states that offer housing at 1/4th of the price. ... I would be willing to wager that the dollars Californians save when swapping their $750k home for larger homes in Texas for $250k is heading straight into the stock market. Like the housing market, over-valued." — Blame California for Rapid Home Price Increases Nationally.
With 10.3% of its workforce in the industry, New Hampshire ranks seventh in the nation when it comes to tech employment, and the sector is primed to continue growing in 2021, according to a newly released report from CompTIA, the Computing Technology Industry Association. — nhbr.com
The Northern Virginia Association of Realtors (NVAR) was established in 1921 as the Alexandria ‑ Arlington ‑ Fairfax Real Estate Board. NVAR subscribes to the Bright MLS system.
Friday, 04/16/2021
According to the most recent figures from NJAR (New Jersey) the state‑wide median sold price was 5.6% over the asking price. Compare asking to sold prices for Active Adult homes in Mercer, Burlington and Camden counties.
Thursday, 04/15/2021
According to the Wall Street Jurnal this week, big foreign investment firms that buy office buildings, hotels and shopping centers around the world have a new favorite real‑estate play: single‑family homes in American suburbs. These institutions are partnering with U.S. housing companies to buy or build rental homes by the thousands. In suburban neighborhoods near cities such as Atlanta, Las Vegas and Phoenix, blocks of families are sending monthly rent checks to ventures backed by Canadian pension funds, European insurers, and Asian or Middle Eastern government-run funds.
Wednesday, 04/14/2021
The City of New Ulm, Minnesota topped the list of realtor.com's 2021 edition of the most affordable small towns in the country (populations under 50,000). According to the report the median listing price was $139,000.
Tuesday, 04/13/2021
Five of the 10 most-popular states to which millenials are migrating all have no income tax (Texas, Colorado, Washington, Arizona and Florida). This according to smartasset.com. We find it interesting that Pennsylvania is sited as the #10 place to which they are moving, which, of course, does have an income tax.
Saturday, 04/10/2021
Highest and Lowest annual single-family Property Taxes
By dollar amount at the state level, New Jersey had the highest average property tax on single-family homes at $9,196, followed by Connecticut at $7,395; New York at $6,628; New Hampshire at $6,596; and Massachusetts at $6,514. The states with the lowest average property tax on single-family homes were Alabama at $841, followed by West Virginia at $849; Arkansas at $1,147; Tennessee at $1,202; and Mississippi at $1,241. — ATTOM Data Solutions
Friday, 04/09/2021
Best Markets for First Time Buyers
An article yesterday from Realtor Magazine offered it's pick of the top 10 cities for first time buyers that offered home availability in addition to job opportunites.These cities are:
Wednesday, 04/07/2021
Looking to Buy a Vintage Home?
The age of housing stock can vary dramatically across the country. For example, New York has some of the oldest homes, with a median age of 60 years. Massachusetts follows, with a median age of 56 years, and Rhode Island with 55 years. Washington, D.C., has a median age of more than 79 years for its housing stock, but housing experts point out the District of Columbia is a smaller urban area compared with other states. — Realtor Magazine.
Sunday, 04/04/2021
Farmland Prices Rise
Farmland values increased during 2020 as higher grain prices buoyed revenue for farmers. Land prices in the region that covers parts of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin saw a 6% increase last year, which marks the largest hike since 2012, according to the Federal Reserve Banks. — Realtor Magazine.
Sales of homes built more than 100 years ago in the New York area climbed 16% between 2019 and 2020, according to data from realtor.com. The median sales price of these types of homes is $236,000.
Friday, 04/02/2021
As work-from-home becomes more of a national norm, prospective homebuyers are seeking better home values in small towns that still offer a lot of amenities. One of those is Bay City, Michigan ‑ a town of approximately 33,000 ninety minutes outside of Lansing — that’s one of the 25 hottest MSAs in the country. With a median listing price of $92,000, Bay City is luring people from all over the country. — housingwire.com.
Thursday, 04/01/2021
According to realtor.com's Market Outlook, only San Jose (+48.1%), San Francisco (+39.1%), Los Angeles (+19.7%), and New York (+6.9%) saw newly listed homes increase on a year-over-year basis. However, each of these metros was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent drop in selling activity earlier than others across the country this time last year. Overall, newly listed homes in the largest 50 metros decreased by 24.3% compared to last year.
Wednesday, 03/31/2021
ATTOM Data Researchers cited Bibb County, Georgia as number 1 among the 61 single-family identified rental growth counties where average wages increased over the past year and the potential 2021 annual gross rental yields are 10% or higher.
Tuesday, 03/30/2021
Updated Neighborhoods
Chester County, PA
Delaware County, PA
Monday, 03/29/2021
New on Living Places
Fox Business web reports that new millennial homebuyers are flocking to smaller 'lifestyle' centric cities such as Houston, Aspen, and Miami.
Franklin County Pennsylvania is perhaps most notable as the home to historic Chambersburg Borough, the county seat. Year-over-year (past 365 days) the median time to sell a single family home dropped to half — 15 days vs. 31 days.
Sunday, 03/28/2021
Sometime in the 1950s Kansas passed over the 50 percent urban threshold. From that point to the present, the urban reality has clashed with the romantic myth of rural Kansas in the minds of state residents.
High Cost of Living
While not as much of a national trend, the rising cost of living in the Northeast has made both ends of the homeownership process difficult to afford. For first-time homebuyers, the high cost of housing in states like New Jersey, paired with high property taxes and rising student debt burdens, can make homeownership nearly impossible for many.
For seniors on fixed incomes, rising property taxes and an increasing cost of living make it difficult to maintain a high-quality of life in their long-time homes. Additionally, the McMansion and larger home trends that defined the ‘80s and ‘90s have caused many seniors to suddenly face the daunting task of maintaining large, mostly empty homes by themselves. (www.rebusinessonline.com).
The City of Chicago was ranked as the second most attractive metro area to buy a home based on a comparison to the costs of renting versus home ownership. However, hopes that a surge in new home construction could partially address the continuing inventory shortage were dashed in February when bitter cold weather throughout much of the country limited activity. In the Midwest, new housing starts were down 35% compared to January. Further, significant increases in lumber prices have added more than $24,000 to the price of the average, new single-family home, and nearly $9,000 to the price of a multifamily home since April 17, 2020 according to the National Association of Home Builders. (March 2021, Illinois Housing Price Forecasts [PDF])
In Texas, the Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) is an "unincorporated area that is contiguous to the corporate boundaries" of a city. (See detailed definition [PDF])
Saturday, 03/27/2021
Popular U.S.A. Boom Towns (Read More)
Counties with the lowest potential annual gross rental yields for 2021.
In an article earlier this weeek, the website homebuyinginstitute.com made its' foray into the 2022 real estate market prediction game. It's opinions were grouped under four main points.
Friday, 03/26/2021
Landreth Manor is an early 20th century residential neighborhood in Bristol Township, Bucks County, PA.
Burlington County in New Jersey is the Delaware Valley's leading open space county with more than 42% pf its total area. (County Comparison PDF).
Pennsylvania Public School Districts listing by district name/county.
Thursday, 03/25/2021
Realtor Magazine daily news sites the City of Vallejo, CA (Solano County) as #1 among the top 15 housing markets right now. The median listing price is $510,000.
This month the real estate Investment company Norada released a report titled Housing Market Overview: Philadelphia Metro Area. (Read More)
The Anderson South Carolina Historic District is getting noticeable attention on Living Places this month with search engines and social media (including google, yahoo, bing and duckduckgo, facebook) referring over 50 different vistors combined from more than 20 different cities. The large majority of the visits were yesterday.
Wednesday, 03/24/2021
The Fairfield Historic District includes portions of the original town's four Squares. It includes all buildings bordering the Old Post Road from the Post Road to Turner Street and it includes the buildings southeast and northeast of the Town Hall on both sides of Beach Road to a point just before the Old Burying Ground which is on the southwest side of Beach Road
Tuesday, 03/23/2021
John McGrath, a popular developer of 55+ communities in Bucks County, PA, had the following to explain why he's so bullish here. "Bucks is one of the least-transient counties. People move here and stay put. While most communities have approximately 15% senior citizens, Bucks is closer to 30%." Browse 55+ homes for sale, pending and sold in the county at Bucks County Active Adult
Wither goest the residential real estate marketplace ... Really? (Read More)
According to the housing researchers, Zonda, orders for new construction homes and average sales per community are up more than 52% across the Philadelphia area, year‑over‑year. As impressive as that is, the Jacksonville area is up more than 80% for the same measurement.
Lansdown Borough tackles correcting 2021 sewer bill overcharges. (More (PDF)).
Palm Beach County. FL single‑family luxury ($1‑million‑and‑up) transactions jumped 62.3% year‑over‑year to 172 sales in February 2021. Palm Beach existing condo luxury ($1‑million‑and‑up) sales increased 93.8% year‑over‑year to 93 transactions. — Source: Miami Association of Realtors as reported in The Word Property Journal.
Monday, 03/22/2021
Heritage Creek — circa 2001, 55 plus carriage home on Maxwell Manor sold in 5 days for over list price by Nadine Simantov, Keller Williams Real Estate, Langhorne. Call for details. (215) 858‑2068
Warminster Village — circa 1951 home on Green Road sold in 5 days for over list price by Keller Williams Real Estate, Langhorne. Call for details. (215) 757‑6100
Home Builders Slow Production
“Despite strength in buyer traffic and lack of existing inventory, builders are slowing some production of single-family homes as lumber and other material costs, along with interest rates continue to rise,” says Chuck Fowke, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders. “Shortages of lumber and other building materials, including appliances, are putting future construction expansion at risk.” — Source: Reator Magazine.
Bradford Woods Borough (Allegheny County, PA) was incorporated on May 3, 1915 when it separated from Marshall Township. It was developed as a result of the construction of an interurban line, the Harmony Shortline, which extended northward from the old town of Allegheny into Evans City Borough in Butler County where it forked, with one branch going to Butler and the second to Harmony.
Sunday, 03/21/2021
Real Estate Sales Commissions
According to various news sources, it appears more lawsuits are lining-up challenging real estate commission structures and practices. Complaints challenge what they refer to as "inflated costs to consumers." Have you had a chance to come across any of these? Whether you have or not, we would love to hear your opinion on real estate commissions. Let us know at feedback@livingplaces.com.
Saturday, 03/20/2021
The Hudson River rises by two main branches in the mountains west of Lakes Champlain and George. The east, or Schroon branch, passes through Schroon Lake, and the other branch rises farther west by various head streams, the two uniting in the southern part of Warren County.
An article in the New York Times online has a headline: Hudson Valley Real Estate Market Still Overheated with an introductory outset "New Yorkers scouring northern towns for second homes have pushed prices up and made it harder for locals to find affordable homes.
Friday, 03/19/2021
Turnberry Farm is a residential subdivision of detached singles built from the late 1990s through the early 2000s in Upper Pottsgrove Township by Rotelle Builders.
Single Women Homeownership Rates †
In the Philadelphia area, which includes Camden and Wilmington, the homeownership rate for single females is 51.3%, compared to 47.5% for males. Single female homeowners are older by a decade, at 67 years old, compared to 57, and men outspend women on their homes by about $10,000, at $212, 362 verses $202,954.
Homeownership rate for single women is higher than the rate for single men by 0.5% in the Wilkes-Barre, Scranton and Hazleton area. In northeast Pennsylvania, the homeownership rate for single females is 54.6%, compared to 54.1% for single male homeowners. The median age for a single female homeowner is 69, while it is 58 for men. Single males tend to spend more on homes, the median is $127,706, compared to $120,212 for women.
In the Harrisburg and Carlisle region, single women own more than single men by 1.2%. In the area, 53.2% of single females own, while 52% of single men do. The median age of a single female homeowner is 66, while the median age for the single male owner is 60. Male homeowners spent about $5,000 more on their homes at $155,901, compared to $150,755 for women.
In the Allentown, Easton and Bethlehem metro area, the homeownership rate for single women is higher than the rate for single men by 0.3% in the area, with 55.4% of single females owning, compared to 55.1% of single males, while the median age is older for females, at 69 years old compared to 60 years old for men. The median home price is comparable, with females spending $167,679 and males spending $170,677.
† Source: Kelly Leighton, Pennsylvania Asspociation of Realtors.
Thursday, 03/18/2021
A recent real estate magazine feature article covers what it calls "untethered" workers who it is claimed comprise 5.6% of the county's workforce. For those who consider a move, we refer to as "location independents." While this include many new home‑workers due to recent changes in corporate operations, there are other types of location independent movers as well—folks seeking a move considering a wide variety of geographic destinations. Realtor Magazine summarizes the following cities with the largest number of people in the untethered class. San Francisco, California; San Jose, California; Austin, Texas; Los Angeles California; Seattle, Washington; Washington, DC; New York, New York; Boston, Massachussets; Denver, Colorado; and San Diego, California.
The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) just released a Pedestrian Portal which includes a dataset, an interactive map anyone can use to view the data, and resources that support the development of more pedestrian connections.
Wednesday, 03/17/2021
According to Canada's Fraser Institute. over the course of a year, a net of 788,381 people moved to Florida, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, the "freest" five states in America, according to the Fraser Institute’s annual Economic Freedom in North America index — www.fraserinstitute.org/
Tuesday, 03/16/2021
The City of Gila Bend (Maricopa County, AZ) was relocated several miles south of the Gila River, just north of the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way in the 1870s.
Sunday, 03/14/2021
Photo of a circa 1940 home on Mill Road sold in 3 days by Keller William, Newtown; it is located in the Woodmere Neighborhood (Delaware County)
A study of the 50 largest Metropolitan areas by the online mortgage marketplace LendingTree shows that Tampa, Florida has the highest share of homes owned by single women at 17%, followed by Cleveland, Ohio and New Orleans, Louisiana where 16% of homeowners are single women.
Saturday, 03/13/2021
Radcliffe Court is a subdivision of about 70 townhomes located along the Delawre River in Bristol Borough, Bucks County.
The Laurel Hill Historic District is characterized by a linear development paralleling the river along Laurel Hill Avenue and a few side streets.
Friday, 03/12/2021
Sycamore Farm is a 1980s-1990s residential subdivision of 40 homes built by George Michal and Richard Zaveta.
Counter to the national trend, those states that saw a decline in completed foreclosures from last month, included: Indiana (down 75 percent); Colorado (down 75 percent); South Dakota (down 67 percent); Utah (down 67 percent); and Alabama (down 56 percent). [source: Atom Data Solutions]
Thursday, 03/11/2021
Burgundy Hills is a 1950s-1960s residential subdivision comprised of appoximately 900 homes.
Wednesday, 03/10/2021
Tarnsfield is a 1980s subdivision comprised of detached singles, twins and townhomes. Access from Rancocas Road onto Lancaster Drive or Tallowood Drive.
The town of Cummington, Massachusetts is home to the William Cullen Bryant homestead, a National Historic Landmark.
Tuesday, 03/09/2021
Poet's Walk is a residential subdivision of detached, single family homes in Northampton Township constructed by Judd Builders beginning ca. 2006.
Coltsfoot is a limited access subdivision of six detached, single family homes in West Bradford Township, Chester County, PA.
Miami-Dade County's exclusive Indian Creek private. island enclave became a globally known location when Jared Kushnew and Ivanka Trump purchased a $32-million home there from famed singer, Julio Iglesias.
Greater Las Vegas sets Median Home Price Record
Las Vegas Realtors® reported that the median price of existing single-family homes sold in Southern Nevada through its Multiple Listing Service (MLS) during February 2021 was $355,000. That breaks the all-time record set in November and tied in December 2020 and again in January 2021. February's median home price is up 12.3% from $316,000 during the same month last year. (source: worldpropertyjournal.com).
The top five states comprising the hottest housing economies at the end of last year were: Utah, Montana, Nebraska, Idaho and Indiana. (source: bankrate.com)
Jersey City's Hoboken Street will be home to a redevelopment resulting in 238 luxury apartments. (source: re-nj.com.
Monday, 03/08/2021
This Village Shires single was sold for asking price ($450,000) by Keller Williams, Newtown after being on the market for just a single day
A development team has taken the wraps off a new 90-unit affordable housing property in Plainfield, New Jersey while bringing new life to what was a blighted commercial property. (re-nj.com).
George Ratiu, realtor.com senior economist, cited the following 5 areas that favor buying a home over renting. These are: Cleveland, OH, Chicago, IL, Pittsburgh, PA, Riverside, CA and Miami ‑ Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Sunday, 03/07/2021
Legacy Oaks is an active adult (55-plus) community in Warrington Township, developed by Barness Builders from the late 1990s thru the earlu 2000s.
Paradise Township, Monroe County Pennsylvania is home to the National Register's Parkside Chapel. Built in 1893 the Victorian, vernacular chapel shows influences from the Romanesque style including arched, tall windows, exterior flat buttresses and brick masonry.
Saturday, 03/06/2021
Meadowview Estates (sometimes known as Washington Meadows) is a residentia sudivision in Upper Makefield Township, Bucks County. The most recent resale was this past December for a 3,600+ sqft. home that sold for $979,000.
Yardley Borough was originally known as Yardleyville. It began to develop into what Americans call a village about 1807.
Wednesday, 03/03/2021
Home prices have posted double-digit annual gains virtually everywhere, but realtor.com® researchers uncovered six markets in the U.S. that are seeing prices fall. Most of these cities rely on tourism and college sports for their local economies, which have been impacted during the COVID‑19 pandemic. The cities noted are: Destin, Florida, Bloomington, IL, Erie, PA, Shreveport, LA, Honolulu, HI, and Terre Haute, IN.
Monday, 03/01/2021
The All Saints Historic District is located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (very unique among all U.S. States during these times). The District is comprised of 2 schools, a park, and more than 200 residences.
Some Hot Markets So Far in 2021
Topeka, KS, Concord, NH, Fort Wayne, IN, and Rapid City, SD contain some of the spillover areas as defined recently by Realtor® Magazine. The publication states: "The markets are close to these large metros but can offer lower home prices. They’re among those dominating realtor.com's rankings of the hottest housing markets so far in 2021."