Advice for Buyers

We regularly share the advice, ideas, insight, and assistance you need to buy a home in the Philadelphia community. From ideas on the best neighborhoods (for families, students, singletons, and more) to practical things like securing a mortgage in the Philly area, negotiating with sellers, and any obstacles common to our fair city specifically. We update the blog every day, so there’s sure to be a wealth of information that can help you on your home buying journey.

If you’re relocating here, we have a host of resources for you as well—buying a home in a new city can seem a daunting task, but our knowledgeable team has decades of collective experience in the Philly market, specifically. We share businesses tailored to relocated professionals, as well as full, hands-on services to help your move go smoothly—for you, and for your family!

We hope you enjoy the advice we offer here, and if you need additional information on anything, or to speak with one of our real estate agents, contact the CenterCityTeam: 215.440.2093

August 12, 2011

Philadelphia Real Estate National Housing Market News

Philadelphia Real Estate National Housing Market News With the debt ceiling resolution and the subsequent S&P downgrade there has certainly been no shortage of housing or housing related news this week. Here are some of the major stories: • Foreclosure activity has fallen to its lowest level in over three-and-a-half years, according to RealtyTrac. The July foreclosure market report, released […]

August 11, 2011

Philadelphia Real Estate and Beyond

Philadelphia Real Estate and Beyond CalculatedRisk had an interesting article that showed how the housing market is missing the move up buyer – defined in this article as buyers in the $300,000 -$800,000 price range. Home sales in this price range from June 2010 to June 2011 dripped 25.5% (the most of any price range) largely because the federal home […]

August 10, 2011

Philadelphia Real Estate July 2011 Eshowings Report

Philadelphia Real Estate July 2011 Eshowings Report Philadelphia real estate showings report for July was just disseminated compliments of Prudential Fox & Roach, Realtors. The report shows a monthly total of 2044 showings which represents a decrease of just over 20% from June 2011 and a 3% reduction from July 2010. The showings were right in line with seasonal expectations. Showings tail […]

July 18, 2011

Eshowings Update: June 2011

Eshowings Update: June 2011 Eshowings Update: June 2011 June Home Showings Increase, 83% of Properties Shown Under 500k Below are the June 2011 Center City EShowings Data. Eshowings is the automated service Philadelphia Realtors use to set up, schedule, and record showings of their listings. These charts are useful in gauging home buyer demand overall and in specific price ranges. It’s interesting […]

June 9, 2011

Buying Foreclosures and REO in Philadelphia

Buying Philadelphia Foreclosures and Philadelphia REO How to Buy Bank Owned Foreclosures Banks own Philadelphia real estate because the banks have acquired the homes through foreclosure. Homes on a bank’s books are called REOs, which is an acronym for “real estate owned.” Realize that when banks receive property deeds to homes through foreclosure, it’s because no one showed up on […]

June 9, 2011

8 Tips for Philadelphia REO Foreclosure Offers

8 Tips for Philadelphia Foreclosures and Philadelphia REO Offers How to Write Offers to Buy REO Foreclosures Lots of savvy home buyers want to hit the jackpot and buy that Philadelphia REO foreclosure, many of which are often under-priced. When banks price REO foreclosures under the comparable sales, multiple offers are often the response. This means you could be up […]

June 8, 2011

Three Major Philadelphia Real Estate Home Buying Mistakes

Three Major Philadelphia Real Estate Home Buying Mistakes Three Major Home Buying Mistakes – How to Avoid Home Buying Mistakes! Not every mistake in a real estate transaction can be reversed, much less fixed before closing. If buyers goof up and make an innocent mistake, they might very well be stuck with the consequences for a long time or, worse, […]

June 8, 2011

Philadelphia Real Estate Tips For First Time Home Buyers

Philadelphia Real Estate Tips For First Time Home Buyers Before You Buy Your First Home – Tips for a First-time Home Buyer. It’s not uncommon for a first-time home buyer to say to me, “Gosh, just last week I called you about buying a home and now I’m in escrow! How did this happen so fast?”The answer is it didn’t. […]

June 7, 2011

Philadelphia Real Estate Overpriced Listings

Philadelphia Real Estate Overpriced Listings It’s Not Always a Physical Defect that Drives Away Philadelphia Homebuyers. Common knowledge dictates that if a home doesn’t sell, there must be something wrong with it. That’s a true statement. In a market that is moving, there is something wrong with a home that doesn’t sell. But contrary to popular belief, it’s not always […]