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Your Center City Condo Newsletter-July 2016

Crap I know about Real Estate 
in Center City
-Insider Tips and Clues
 
I am generalizing here but you'll get my drift...

1) When a couple get into my car- the quiet one in the backseat is usually the one making the decisions. The one in the front seat just thinks he or she is doing so.
2) I like to look for listings that say "corporate addendum" attached. This usually means the condo is owned by a non-emotional third party who is generally more motivated to sell.
3) Some of the best deals are the condos that have been on the market for a long time with continual price drops. Might signal a fatigued seller.
4) When a buyer says to me "I have to see the condo today" or "I have to buy a condo by tomorrow" - usually these are non buyers and rarely ever turn out to be a real buyer.
5) If you think that getting a mortgage from a bank where you hold a savings or checking account is a bonus- it isn't. Ever.
6) Wall art does not magically levitate on a wall. Yes there will be nail holes in the wall when you move in. It's just logical to assume.
7) Within a specific building, condo fees are based on the square footage. But that same square footage in any other building will result in different condo fees.
8) Most sellers don't need to be at settlement. Most buyers do.
9) You almost always have to pay 2 months into the condo pot when you buy. You don't get that back when you sell.
10) The old real estate saying "buyers are liars" is usually not the case.  More often they just don't know their options in terms of what is available to buy.
11) I like to look for listings that are with specific agents in town- the ones who primarily work with foreclosures and Relo properties.
12) I put up with a lot of sh*t in my job. You being late for an appointment is not one of them :-)
13) REMEMBER ONE THING IN REAL ESTATE:
All is well that ends well. The middle part of the transaction may suck but the end result is the goal. In a month from now, you will forget what a pain in the ass this transaction has been for you. I promise.
   

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Hard VS Soft Lofts
   
    Almost any  Center City condominium with a smattering of exposed brick may attempt to pass itself off as a loft. Often sought after as an expression of one's own style, loft living has taken off in downtown Philadelphia. Lofts vary in look, layout, and location throughout Center City. Some loft condos impress mightily while others are cheap imitations of highly unique urban treasures hidden in pockets of  Old City, Bella Vista, and  The Loft District around 13th and Vine Streets.

   The best example of a hard loft in Center City might be The Old Shoe Factory at 314 N. 12th St. From an unadorned cavernous lobby area, up to the eighth floor via a converted oversize warehouse lift, the units are characterized by huge windows, exposed brick, minimalist kitchens and bedrooms that are open to the living area. Fantastic city views, high ceilings  and a few units with polished cement floors. Minimal at best, these condos truly tag at the definition of a live/work open space where room size is valued over room count.
A fair example of a soft loft might be BridgeView Place at 315 New St. in Old City. With the prerequisite high ceilings  and touches of exposed brick these condos have been compartmentalized to include bedrooms, walled off kitchen areas  and walk-in closets. Some units at BridgeView do indeed have a loft bed perched above the living space  but those units are few and far between. The conversion to condominiums in the mid 1980's at 315 New St. is a good example of a reasonable living space with a bit of "lofty" flair.

   A Center City Philadelphia loft can come in a variety of sizes, styles, and locations throughout downtown. Some more true to their "lofty roots" than others and loft living of all proportions is gaining popularity among the empty-nester set moving into town from the suburbs and elsewhere. Many of the available loft condos today didn't exist in the early 1990's when the very first empty nester/baby boomer began trickling into Center City. And judging from the success of many loft and loft-like sales throughout the area, buyers are finding individuality can be expressed through the (loft) style in which they choose to live.



                                                                                                                                                    MarkNew  

Mark Wade 
Still at the same firm for 27 years.
They have yet to grow tired of me. Shocking.

 


BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors
Society Hill Office
215.627.6005

215.521.1523 direct
Mark@CenterCity.com

CenterCityCondos.com

The best time to get me is in the AM 
when I am hopped up on four
cups of Maxwell House.