Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

Like fanny packs, scrunchies, and “been there, done that”, the use of exposed brick in many Old City lofts is getting out of hand. Are buyers sooo over exposed brick that a decorating intervention needs to happen here? Though I personally like exposed brick, I like mine with a twist. I like mine painted.

I will never forget the time I walked into the 2nd floor condo at 131 Cuthbert St. and saw that the two owners had taken a pair of corner exposed brick columns, and painted them medium-darking gray. I thought I was going to have a stroke. It was so gorgeous. Really stunning! And everyone who came into the condo (we are talking EXPERIENCED Center City realtors, who have seen it all) was also really blown away by the simple addition of paint to exposed brick.

So think outside the box. Go big or go home. Just do it….. And other trite ad slogans. I encourage you to give your buyer something he or she isn’t going to see anywhere else.
Worse case scenario is you hate it, and end up painting it white (or pale powder blue). Oh, and painted exposed brick should never be done in a high gloss. EVER. I’m just sayin’.

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

Real estate and drama just seem to go hand in hand. Ugh. But drama can be a good thing if we are talking about the drama created when a Philly condo owner makes a dramatic improvement to the cosmetic or emotional appeal to their home. Here are a few of my favorite looks:

“When dramatic is Good”   

And in this photo below, I think the crisp and modern colors of the wallpaper add a striking definition to walls. Notice how the Philadelphia condominium owner did NOT put wallpaper on a perimeter wall- only an inside wall was enhanced.

If you’d like to go out and take a look at some dramatic Philadelphia lofts and condos, give me a call at 215.521.1523 and I’d be happy to show you a few more of my favorites!

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

Do you think we are new to this planet?

As a realtor in Center City Philadelphia, it really irks me to see some, perhaps dubious, claims made in the Real Estate section of the Sunday paper by various real estate developers. “We have been honored to receive”….”Voted best Priced”, or ” Nominated for Best this or that”. Perhaps some of the “award recipients” are under the assumption that those with the money to buy their products are all just a bunch of morons. Who the hell is giving out these awards? I have never heard of any of these groups.

From claims of prestige, awards, and even square footage calculations on some Center City condos, you may have to take that info with a grain of salt. Not always- but certainly sometimes. And when a developer/his or her sales staff tells you that their new construction building is 70% sold, you might want to check with me for accuracy on those claims.

Did I mention to you that I am now a member of the  JILLION dollar club? 🙂  Yeah right….

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

They’re baaaackkk! If the first 30+ days of 2010 are any indication of the activity we are going to see here in the Center City condo market, then I am one happy camper.

How do I know buyers are back? Simple- I look at how my website is trending with Google, and I see how many people are taking it one step further beyond just looking over my site, and actually email me for information or request a tour of some condos in Philly.

Here is what I think is happening:
Buyers have sat by the sidelines of the Philadelphia condo market for the past year. They have finally come to the conclusion that the sky is not falling, and the sun continues to rise every morning. They are getting on with their lives, and beginning to plan their future moves in terms of housing- but they are doing so with caution. The one thing I see is a clearing of the back inventory of existing condos that have been on the market for a while. Prices are getting better, and buyers are taking advantage.

Today’s Center City Condo buyers are not dumb-ass goofballs. They are not going to over pay. But they are willing to make offers on the properties that are competitively priced.

Smart sellers should take note of the increased activity, and of the buyers’ mindsets.

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

I don’t give a crap- I live in a condo and don’t own a snow shovel…

And I don’t need to stock up on milk and bread with the impending onslaught of a winter storm. I live in Center City, and the little corner grocery stores are always open in any  blizzard, as are almost all the restaurants. And who needs to shovel out the cars- there are plenty of taxis that will do my driving for me.
 
If you live in one of our fine suburbs- be it Gladmore, Havernova, or Bala Who-Knows-Where, and are getting tired of having to deal with the weather,or perhaps you own one of those lawnmowing things that I understand are used to cut grass (I have only heard of such contraptions)-Then isn’t it time you simplified and let someone else do the unpleasant tasks in life?
 
Yeah, I am a Center City Condo snob. I know it, and am kinda’ proud of it. Riding on a train to work, or driving on the Schuylkill isn’t something that is a part of my life….and the business of owning more than one car?! Uh, no thank you.
 
Want some bragging rights too? Then drop me a note, and lets chat. Lets get you into town, and into a more simple life. Membership into the “I am a Center City Snob” club is free 🙂

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