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Bigger Than It Looks!
• 1 bath, 3 bdrm single story "One Floor Living" -  MLS® $104,900 - Priced to Sell East Washington, Washington - Don't judge a book by it's cover - this house is so pretty and very well maintained. There are some newer windows, an updated kitchen, bathroom, electric service, fresh paint, hot water tank and more. Lots of charming features including built in bookcases, a ceiling arch between living room & dining room and gleaming hardwood floors in living room & dining room. Huge 21x12 screened porch.
The home includes a carport and a long driveway for off-street parking for multiple cars. It is located near Rt. 19, W & J College and the Washington Hospital. A HSA Home Warranty is included.
Call today - this is a great house for the price! Property information
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So I traded my Lexus 330 for a Toyota Camry Hybrid. I've had the Camry for a couple of weeks now and felt the need to share how GREAT this is all working out for me. When I considered trading the Lexus - I had three goals in mind: to lower my payment, use regular unleaded gas - not premium, and get better gas mileage. Wow - have I succeeded! Wish all goals were this easy to achieve. I'm only on my second tank of gas (yes, REGULAR unleaded) - have driven over 600 miles and I'm getting close to the 34 mpg touted by Toyota for this car. If I could stay off the highway - I know I'd be getting more as this car loves the stop and go and lower speeds of city driving. It's pretty fun to drive - you can watch the gauges to see when the car is using gas, when it's using the battery and when the battery is charging. Very fascinating stuff. Great acceleration - fantastic turning radius, nice quiet ride; for someone who hasn't driven anything but vans & SUVS for over 10 years - it's definitely different in a good way. I thought I would have to give up a lot of luxury and features with the Toyota but that's not so. This car has everything my Lexus had except a back up camera and memory driver's seat. It's solid and quiet and the inside feels just as luxurious as the Lexus. It's actually longer than the Lexus and there is plenty of interior room for myself and passengers. Anyway, I'm really impressed and happy. Love the color, too - Barcelona Red - which for me translates to Northwood Red. So this blog entry really is about Pittsburgh real estate. I'm driving all over Allegheny and Washington County selling houses in a red car that matches my company's colors and getting great gas mileage while doing my part for the environment. It just doesn't get any better than this. Thanks to Mark Petrosky - General Manager at Rohrich Toyota for a great deal and a great car!
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The Almanac Professionally Speaking Column 8/29/2007 - Expanded Jesse from Muse asks: All I hear on the news is how bad the housing market is – why would anyone want to sell their house now? Jesse, I get asked this question all the time. Fortunately, for the Pittsburgh and surrounding areas, the facts don’t support the news media claims. West Penn Multi-List, which tracks homes sold by area Realtors, show the average sale price for homes in Allegheny County in July at $169,383, up 6.3 percent from last July’s $159,364. In addition, 1432 Realtor assisted homes sold last month compared to 1416 in July of 2006. Pittsburgh does not experience the big “highs” in the real estate market; consequently we are not experiencing the very low “lows”. Thankfully, we have one of the more stable real estate markets in the nation. To see the full Post Gazette Now Business Article, go to: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07236/811727-28.stm Recently I worked with a couple looking to buy in Peters Township in a high price range. The husband kept asking "who is buying all of these houses" and "where do the people who buy these houses work?". He shared some of the information he is hearing on the news and reading in magazines about the housing bubble and how he believes the real estate market is going to get worse and not recover until 2009. He felt he should wait to buy and next year the price of houses would be much lower than the current prices, especially new construction. I did some research in the West Penn Multi-List data base. I used January through August 20th as my time period and $500,000 and up as my price range with Peters Township as my search area. In 2005, 32 houses sold. In 2006, 30 houses sold. In 2007, 31 have sold and another 6 are "under contract" with sales pending. This is just one example - I'm sure I can go into lower price ranges and different areas and come up with similar results. Our market is not as "easy" as it was in 2004/2005. Back then, there was less inventory and buyers were very motivated to make decisions and pay at or above list price to make sure they were the ones who became the new owners of a desirable just listed house. If they waited, they might lose out and the news media helped play a role in that by reporting on how great the housing market was and how, in certain areas of the country, sellers were getting unbelievable prices and buyers couldn't find a home to buy. Now, we're on the other end of the spectrum with doom and gloom and all negative forecasts for the foreseeable future. We have the news reports about the subprime lending issue and the real estate decline in major cities around the country. Locally, there is more inventory and buyers are taking their time, exploring the market and looking for the "bargains" they think are a result of the terrible housing market. If sellers believe their houses are worth the asking price and buyers are looking for bargains with low motivation, it does make it more difficult for the real estate professional to bring them together to complete the sale. Even with more inventory on the market, in certain price ranges and areas - there are still not enough quality homes available for sale. I have several buyers with strong motivation, willing and ready to buy and there isn't anything on the market that works for them. The biggest adjustment for me is working with buyers who believe there are an abundance of desperate sellers unable to sell their homes - who think they should be able to pick up a great house at a truly great price. Even with foreclosure properties, there are few "bargains". Houses are selling at market value and in most areas, market value is higher in 2007 than it was in 2006. They may take a little longer to sell, but houses are selling and there are no deep discounts. I do not agree with the chicken little economic forecasters and newscasters who seem to be adding to the hype. The sky isn't falling, the bottom hasn't dropped out of our local market, houses are still selling, buyers are still buying - things are just a little bit....different. As the market corrects and adjusts, so do our marketing strategies and sales plans.
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According to a study by Bizjournals, a company affiliated with the Pittsburgh Business Times, Pittsburgh is among the strongest in the country when it comes to long-term income growth. Pittsburgh ranked 19th out of the nation's 100 largest metropolitan areas in income growth over the past 25 years. Birmingham, Alabama was number 1, Philadelphia was 17th and Cleveland was number 89. The study based on different time spans between 1980 and 2005 used data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis regarding per-capita income, or the average amount of money received by each resident in a given area in a given year. This included salaries, interest payments, dividends, rental income and government checks. Jim Futrell, vice-president of market research and analysis for the Allegheny Conference on Community Development attributes the income growth to a shift in hiring employees in higher paying industries, i.e. education, health care, finance, and management, pointing to PNC, the University of Pittsburgh and Mellon Financial as dominant business anchors with solid growth over the last 25 years.
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Ashley from Bethel Park writes: How can I make sure my home shows well to potential buyers? Ashley, real estate experts agree that "staging" your home to show it in the most favorable light is well worth your time and effort. Staged homes generally sell faster than non-staged homes. Beyond the pre-sale cleaning and organizing, successful staging includes strategically arranging objects and furniture, adding decorative touches and more. Add a pot of fresh blooming flowers to the entry way, brighten rooms by opening blinds and place fresh baked cookies on an attractive serving dish with a note for buyers to "Please Enjoy". One of the first recommendations I make to home sellers is to go outside, stand across the street and look at the house through a potential buyer's eyes. How does it look? Fix anything that detracts from the overall curb appeal. Freshen landscaping, remove leaves, weeds, and clutter from sidewalks, porches and decks. You want to make a good first impression. Many buyers will "drive by" - if they don't like what they see on the outside, you will never get them to look at the interior of the home. Walking into the house, make sure the entry way is bright and well lit. Put an inexpensive light colored throw rug over dark floors, freshen paint, and use higher wattage light bulbs. In a family room or sitting room, use an afghan or blanket and an open book as props to make the room look welcoming. Liven up the living room by angling the sofa to open up the space. As always, remove clutter. Set the dining room table with dishes, glasses and serving items, including a pretty centerpiece, to help the buyer experience your home's hospitality. Keep the kitchen clean and clear. More open counter and wall space will make the room look bigger. Make sure the bathrooms are clean and sparkling. Dirty bathrooms are a major buyer turn off. In a master bath, create thoughts of relaxation by displaying candles, a wine bottle and some glasses. Statistics show that staged homes may sell 75% faster and for 3-6% higher than the asking price.
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Pittsburgh is once again the Most Livable City, according to the 25th anniversary edition of "The Places Rated Almanac". We surprised the nation in 1985 when we first achieved the title of "Most Livable City", but to repeat 22 years later? Pittsburgh truly is "someplace special". This is the first time a city has repeated the number one spot. And, Pittsburgh is the only city to finish in the top 20 every year. Editors look at various factors such as housing, transportation, jobs, education, climate, crime, health care, recreation and ambience. For those of us who have lived in the Pittsburgh area all of our lives, this is nothing new. But we're grateful for the good publicity.
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Jim from Canonsburg writes: How long will it take to sell my house? Jim, some properties will sell in a few days; others may take months. Recognizing key factors that influence marketing a home will give you more control over market time. These factors are location, competition, timing, condition, terms and price. Location is the single greatest factor affecting a home's value. A neighborhood's level of desirability is critical to a property's fair market value. Competition occurs when buyers compare your home against others for sale in the neighborhood. If there are many homes for sale, home prices may go down to compensate for increased competition. If few houses are for sale, home prices may go up. Timing may reflect a "buyers" (many houses on market - few buyers) market or a "sellers" market (few houses on market - many buyers). Timing may also reflect the time of year - winter versus summer; holidays when the market slows down, etc. Market conditions cannot be manipulated; an individually tailored marketing plan of action must be developed for each property. The condition of the home will affect price and speed of sale. Optimizing physical appearance and advance preparation for marketing will help maximize value. The more terms available, the larger the market, the quicker the sale and the higher the price. Terms structured to meet your objectives are important to successful marketing. The most common "term" for the Pittsburgh-Washington, PA area is for a seller to pay a portion of the buyer's closing costs. The last factor is price. If the property is not properly priced, a sale may be delayed or even prevented. A professionally prepared Comparative Market Analysis will assist you in determining the best price possible. You can’t control the location of your home but you can present your home to buyers in top condition with a wide range of terms at a competitive price. A REALTOR® can assist you in developing a strong and successful marketing plan; as well as proper preparation of a Comparative Market Analysis.
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Janet from South Park, Pittsburgh, PA writes: How much should I ask for my home? Janet, proper pricing is just the first step in selling a home. A REALTOR® can help you
determine an asking price by reviewing complete and comprehensive information about homes
similar to yours which have recently sold in your area. Knowledge about current market
trends is critical to making an informed decision. Today’s buyers are extremely
knowledgeable in their price range and purchase by comparison. You will need to offer pricing,
terms and conditions that are competitive in your market. This will help you sell faster and
get full market value. Make sure you establish a good price for your home. Improper pricing is the most common mistake made by home sellers - a mistake that may cost you thousands of dollars. If the price is too high - your home will not sell and as week after week go by, it may become "stale" and "shopworn". On the other hand, price it too low and you may give thousands away to a total stranger. When pricing your home, be objective and remember selling your home is a business transaction. You will need to put your personal feelings and attachments aside. Potential buyers are not looking to buy your home, they are looking to buy a house they can make into their home. The value of a home is determined by supply and demand. If there are a lot of sellers and few buyers, prices tend to go down and homes take longer to sell. If there are many buyers and few homes for sale, prices will rise and homes will sell quickly. A REALTOR® can provide you with valuable information about the current real estate market and let you know if you will be selling your home during a Buyer or Seller's market. A Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) is a report prepared by a real estate agent that estimates your home's value by comparing your property to similar properties on the market. Included in the report are homes recently sold through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and homes currently for sale through the MLS. This report is an estimate of value based on features and condition of your home compared to other homes in your area. Carefully gather information to help you make an informed decision and remember the following: Agents do not control the market. Our job is to supply information to you to help you make the best decision possible. There is no "exact" price for real estate. The market determines value. Based on the current market, buyers will ultimately determine the sale price of your home.
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• 2 bath, 3 bdrm 1 1/2 story
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MLS®
#659964
$259,900
South Franklin Township, Washington County
Property information
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• 2 bath, 3 bdrm 2 story
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MLS®
#658823
$189,900
Scott Township, Allegheny County
Property information
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