Real Estate Trends in Media PA

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Media, PA, United States
Direct: 610-420-0498 Office 610-627-4937 BHHS Fox and Roach Realtors Email: Branka@BrankaDoych.com Visit my website: www.BrankaDoych.com

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

4th Annual Media Film Festival

The 4th Annual Media Film Festival will be held March 4th and 5th, 2011. Sponsored by the Media Arts Council (MAC), the competition is open to local, national and international filmmakers. Films will be accepted in four categories--Narrative, Documentary, Animation, Experimental, and three lengths--Feature Length (40 to 90 minutes), Short (5 to 40 minutes) and Short-Short (under 5 minutes). Three qualified members of the MAC will judge films based on the following categories: theme, writing, plot, direction, acting, cinematography and music. Respecting the mission of the MAC, Media and Delaware County resident directors, producers and artists will be given a special category of submission. For entry information and fees, go to http://www.mediaartscouncil.org/film_fest/

Monday, August 30, 2010

Low Interest Rates makes NOW the best time to buy a home!

Many buyers rushed to purchase their home by April 30th, 2010 before the $8000 federal tax credit expired. Well guess what? – the even lower mortgage interest rates available make now AN EVEN BETTER TIME TO BUY! Here it is in dollars and cents:


April 29 – interest rate of 5.06% (according to freddiemac.com)
August 17 – interest rate down to 4.42%

SAVINGS WITH LOWER RATE: $154 per month savings on a 30 year fixed rate mortgage of $400,000 and $55,510.00 savings over the 30 year life of the loan!

OR

A home purchased in 2005 with a $400,000 mortgage at an average rate of 5.87% has  payments of $2,365 per month. Refinance now and reduce your monthly payment:

SAVINGS WITH LOWER RATE: $508 per month savings (payment reduced to $1857 per month).

OR keep the payments the same and shorten the length of the loan.

SAVINGS: Tens of thousands of dollars in interest to be saved over the life of the loan.

There has likely never been a better time to buy or refinance! There are lots of homes on the market, and prices and interest rates are low, low, low! Don’t wait to see if prices go down as it is likely that interest rates will inch up! ACT NOW!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Is the McMansion Era Over?

More and more reports can be found that the American Buyers are displaying a preference for smaller sized home. Simply Hired and Trulia shared their opinion.  This report from Turlia speaks of this report in detail.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Media Farmers Market every Thursday thru November 11th

Local farmers, area residents and Media businesses come together every Thursday from 3 to 7 pm at the Media Farmers Market which features fresh food producers and borough shops and restaurants. Media Farmers Market generates appreciation for seasonal agriculture and encourages the support of neighborhood businesses, regional growers, and fair trade establishments. The Market is located in the Media Theater parking lot on the corner of State and Gayley Streets. There are no membership fees.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Linvilla Orchards Tomato and Pear Festival

Linvilla Orchards will hold its Annual Tomato and Pear Festival 9 am to 6 pm Saturday, August 21st. Pick your own tomatoes including the Brandywine and Pineapple variety and the unusual pear-shaped Japanese Black Trifele tomato. Chef Peter Woolsey of Bistro La Minette will perform a free cooking demonstration in the Linvilla kitchen. Numerous activities will be offered as well, including orchard hayrides, face painting, tomato toss, and Piccirillo Science, a program in which science is taught through stories. Pick up some salsa, juice, pie, and other treats made from Linvilla's own tomatoes and pears at the Farm Market and Linvilla Grill. Ice cream sundaes will be available too!

Friday, August 20, 2010

Transition Town Media presents the movie, 'Fresh,'

The movie, Fresh will be presented by Transition Town Media's Food Group on Sunday, September 12th from 1:30 to 3:30 pm at the Middletown Free Library at 21 N. Pennell Road, in Lima (near Media).  Fresh presents personal stories of business people, farmers, and thinkers who are re-inventing our food system by creating healthy sustainable alternatives to the industrial food system. It is an inspiring film featuring one of the most influential leaders of the food security and urban farming movement, Will Allen.  A time of discussion will follow the film.  For information visit http://www.transitionmedia.memberlodge.com/

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Nature's Enchantment exhibit at Tyler Arboretum, Media, PA

Explore nearly 30 unique exhibits along a one mile tree- lined route at the Tyler Arboretum in Media. This special make believe world includes adaptations from Tyler's hugely successful Totally Terrific Treehouse exhibit. The exhibit is open rain or shine during regular Arboretum hours and is free with the price of admission. It is available for the enjoyment of children and adults of all ages through October 31st. Capture the magic!  For more information go to the Tyler Arboretum website. http://www.tylerarboretum.org/

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Dining under the Stars continues in downtown Media

Every Wednesday night through September 15th, Media Restaurants along State Street set up their tables for outdoor dining along the sidewalk and into State Street, which is closed to vehicle traffic from 5-10 PM. Shops are open and live entertainment enhances this dining and shopping experience. 

Monday, August 16, 2010

4th Annual 'Out of the Ordinary' Photography contest in Media, PA

An annual photography contest, Media ICONS looks for unique photographs from local and regional artists, amateur and professional, with a focus on the town of Media, PA. Photograph may depict any subject matter as long as it was in Media at the time the photograph was taken. One First Place prize of $300, one Second Place prize of $150, and two Honorable Mentions of $75 each will be awarded. All finalists will be included in the October 2nd Saturday Media ICONS Photo Exhibit hosted by the Media Arts Council. Visit the Media Arts Council website for eligibility requirements and registration forms. Deadline to enter is September 3rd.  http://mediaartscouncil.org/icons10/

Friday, August 13, 2010

Prudential Real Estate Affiliates scores the highest in overall satisfaction for Home Sellers

PRUDENTIAL REAL ESTATE AFFILIATES, INC, RECEIVED THE HIGHEST NUMERICAL SCORE AMONG FULL SERVICE REAL ESTATE FIRMS FOR HOME SELLERS IN THE PROPRIETARY J.D. POWER AND ASSOCIATES 2010 HOME BUYER SELLER STUDY.

J.D. Power and Associates announced July 28 that the Prudential Real Estate Network ranked "Highest Overall Satisfaction for Home Sellers among National Full Service Real Estate Firms" in J.D. Power and Associates' 2010 Home Buyer/Seller Study. This marks the second time in three years that the Network ranked highest in seller satisfaction.

The annual study measures customer satisfaction of home sellers and buyers with major national real estate companies. Overall satisfaction is determined by examining four factors for the home-selling experience: agent (44%); marketing (30%); office (15%); and services (11%). Among home sellers, Prudential Real Estate scored highest on a 1,000-point scale and received particularly high ratings from customers in the marketing and agent factors.

PRERS Chairman Jim Mallozzi said the award speaks for the quality and consistency of the Prudential Real Estate Network. "Affiliate to affiliate, our sales professionals are the local-market experts who market and price homes right, while providing attentive service," Mallozzi said.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

2nd Saturday Arts Event in Media, PA - August 14th

Over 30 businesses on and around State Street in Media stay open late on the 2nd Saturday of every month as part of a free arts event. From 6:00 to 9:00 pm, shops, galleries and cafes host local musicians or display the work of local artists. Stroll the friendly streets of Media and use M.A.C.'s map to find music, art and participating shops. Pick up a map at participating businesses on 2nd Saturday; or look for it on the website a few days before 2nd Saturday. For more information, check out the Media Arts Council website:   http://www.mediaartscouncil.org/

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Green tip for the day!

Cleaning your dryer's lint filter can slash its energy usage by as much as 30%!

Most people clean the lint from the filter after every load of clothes....or so we think we do. Dryer sheets cause a film over the mesh filter which can burn out the heating unit or cause longer than normal drying times. You can't SEE the film, but it's there. The best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months. Your dryer could last twice as long!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Family movie night in Media

The Media Recreation Board will host another free Family Movie Night 8 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 14. The film, “The Iron Giant, will be projected on a giant movie screen in Barrall Community Park, State and Edgmont Streets. The audience is encouraged to bring blankets or low back beach chairs for seating. For further information, contact the Media Recreation Board at recreation@mediaborough.com or call 610-566-5210, ext. 255.

Monday, August 9, 2010

8th Annual Fine Arts & Crafts Festival coming to Rose Tree Park

The Wallingford Community Arts Center is planning its 8th annual Fine Arts and Crafts Festival. It will be held from 10 am to 5 pm Saturday and Sunday, September 25th and 26th at Rose Tree Park near Media. The juried festival attracts fine artists who offer only original art in ceramics, fiber, jewelry, mixed media, photography, wood, watercolor, oil, acrylic, mosaic, painted furniture, and printmaking. Visitors will enjoy live music, art demonstrations, and children's activities.  Fine food vendors will offer refreshments. Mark your calendars!

Friday, August 6, 2010

'Peachy' 'Festival at Linvilla

Linvilla Orchard's Peach Festival will be held from 9 am to 6 pm Saturday and Sunday, August 7th and 8th at the farm on W. Knowlton Road in Middletown Township. Children will watch Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey trained Officer Offbeat's stilt walking and juggling act, take a ride on the train or enjoy a pony ride. There will be a magician, contests, and other fun.  The market is featuring peachy treats and the Linvilla Grill will be open for lunch.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Message about Prudential Fox & Roach and our current market

From Larry Flick  August 4, 2010
An Invisible Wall

There are many conflicting signals about the direction of our economy. We have entered into a challenging, fragile time and I expect we will remain here for the next few months. Summer 2010 began without fanfare, but marked an important milestone for our real estate market: it’s been one year since it hit bottom. During this time more buyers and sellers came together as each tax credit expired. But now activity has dropped off quite a bit. It seems as if our market has hit an invisible wall.

It’s always been predicted that the recovery would be slow and choppy; however, it’s clear our economy is in recovery. In the past year, we’ve experienced:

• Employment growth Six out of last eight months

• Private sector employment growth Past six months

• Personal income Seven consecutive months

• Wages and salaries Seven consecutive months

• Real estate sales Twelve months of improvement

The data supports that we are in a recovery, yet many consumers believe we are still in a recession. They are paying down debt and spending less. Businesses are still feeling the sting from the worst downturn since the Great Depression. Their caution has resulted in slow job growth, and banks are lending less.

The benefits of the federal economic stimulus package and real estate tax credits are dwindling. While the financial woes of Greece and other parts of Europe are not a direct threat to us, they have contributed to a significant drop in our stock market. It’s no wonder consumer confidence dropped two months in a row!
Our Local Real Estate Market












As mentioned, we’ve had 12 months of improving real estate sales:

We anticipated that real estate sales would drop after the expiration of the tax credit, but in June and July the decline was more than anticipated. There is a silver lining, however. It appears that the pressure on the high end market has started to ease:
















Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Branka's August Real Estate Update

Here is a link to my "August Real Estate Update":


This Newsletter is full of interesting and useful information that I think you will enjoy whether you are a buyer, seller, homeowner, or renter.
This month's issue includes topics such as:
"Five Keys To Successful Negotiations";

"How to Recognize a Sellers Market";

"Most Neighbors Still Connect The Old Fashioned Way";

"Making Your Home Appealing On A Budget";

"Final Walk-Through Tips";


Plus a roundup of July real estate activity as well as much more advice and information.


I hope you enjoy this monthly newsletter. If you have any comments, please e-mail them to me. Or, if you would like to see a certain topic covered in future months, let me know that too!