Yardley and Bucks County, PA – Our History
Most people who live in Bucks County, PA know and appreciate the rich history of the area. Named by William Penn after his hometown in England, Bucks County became known for its importance during the Revolutionary War.
For those who are new to the area, or are thinking of moving to Yardley, Newtown or any of our wonderful Bucks County towns, there are many opportunities to immerse yourself in our local history.
Here are just a few:
The Old Library in Yardley
Opened in 1878 on land donated by William Yardley’s heirs, the Yardleyville Library is situated on Lake Afton in the town of Yardley. It was used as a library for the community until 1977, and can now be rented out for events. Visit the website of the Yardley Historical Association for more information on the library and other fun Yardley history-related happenings.
Historic Fallsington
The village of Fallsington grew up around the first Falls Friends Meetinghouse built in 1692 it became significant as a social, market and religious center. This 300 year old village is now a Nationally Registered Historic District, and preserved by Historic Fallsington, Inc. Step back in time and enjoy the restored homes and visit the museum. Visit the Historic Fallsington website for more information on hours and pricing.
Washington Crossing Historic Park
The site where, on Christmas Night, 1776, George Washington and the Continental Army crossed the icy Delaware River. The park also features the 19th-century village of Taylorsville, Thompson Neely House and gristmill, Bowmans Hill Tower, and picnic areas. Visit the park’s website for more information.
Pearl S. Buck House & Historic Site
Pearl Buck spent most of her life in China, and is famous for her book on Chinese peasant life, The Good Earth. Pearl lived in Perkasie, PA with her second husband from approximately 1935 – 1960. Enjoy a guided tour of the Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning author’s circa 1825 farmhouse and intact collection on a picturesque 68-acre estate. A National Historic Landmark with gift shop, cultural center, beautiful gardens and seasonal special exhibits featured. Find out more info at the Pearl S. Buck International website.
Contact me for more information on living in this wonderful area of Bucks County, PA.
Continue Reading > Add a Comment |New Listing – Walk to the Makefield Township Golf Club
Golf Lovers in Lower Makefield Township:
Introducing….
This is a beautifully appointed home on a large one acre lot with golf course views!
This 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 4364 Sq Ft home in Lower Makefield Township has many upgrades and features, including custom wainscoting in the formal living room, airy den that could be used for office or playroom, two-story great room with extravagant riverstone hearth, bright kitchen with granit counters, stainless steel appliances and a freestanding island with barstool seating.
Upstairs, the spacious master suite offers a separate sitting room, jetted tub, separate shower and double vanity with makeup area. All other bedrooms are on the second floor, and are spacious and bright.
The professionally finished basement is well lit and offers a separate office, ample storage space and endless space that can be used as a play or game room.
This home won’t last long with its great location, features and price of $688,000. Contact me to see this home, or any other great homes for sale in Yardley, Newtown or other areas of Bucks County.
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Lowest Interest Rates in History – What it Means to Bucks County, PA
Interest Rate News
Freddie Mac announced on May 3, 2012 that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage interest rate is at an all time record low. Lowest-ever rates and still-recovering property values are creating an interesting real estate market for both buyers and sellers.
According to Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist at Freddie Mac, “Signs of slowing economic growth and inflation remaining subdued allowed yields on Treasury bonds to ease somewhat and brought most mortgage rates to new all-time record lows this week.”
The national 30-year fixed rate averaged 3.84%, down from 3.88% last week. 15-year rates averaged 3.07%, down from 3.12% last week. Freddie Mac has been keeping records of interest rates since its inception in 1970. See Freddie Mac’s site for more interest rate history.
What it Means to Bucks County
As I have been observing for the past few months, the real estate market in Yardley & Newtown and all over Bucks County has experienced the most active spring market, especially for sellers, in years.
Correctly priced houses are selling much quicker than they have in the past few years, and we have even seen a few multiple offer situations.
Everyone knows that interest rates have been incredibly low, for some time. The recent announcement by Freddie Mac, confirms exactly how low, historically, interest rates are.
I believe that one of the factors that may be helping the increase in activity this spring, is that buyers are slowing coming to the realization that interest rates will not stay at this level forever. I think that we are seeing a bit of an increase in buyer motivation, because many buyers do not want to miss this incredibly opportunity to take advantage of lower home values, along with incredibly low interest rates.
I also believe that many sellers are afraid of the market, because of all of the negative publicity, so sellers who can avoid selling in the current market environment are not putting their houses on the market. So in many cases we see lower inventory, along with increased demand.
This is not to suggest that we are back to the double digit, crazy days of real estate. I am suggesting that the dynamics in the Yardley, Newtown and Bucks County real estate market are much more balanced today than they have been in years.
Continue Reading > Add a Comment |Yardley, PA real estate market update
So what is happening in real estate in Bucks County, and Yardley?
First quarter real estate market results are in, so lets take a look at what is happening.
First, looking at Bucks County real estate, what is really striking, is that the number of houses for sale, was more than 7% lower at the end of March this year, than last year at the same time.
I have blogged a couple of times recently, about the changing dynamics in the market. It seems as though more houses are selling faster than they were last year, and based on the decrease in inventory levels, that makes sense.
The other extremely striking statistic, in the Bucks County real estate market, is in pending sales. Pending sales represent homes where the seller has accepted an offer, but the house is waiting for closing. Pending sales in Bucks County were up by an incredible 26% at the end of March, compared with last year.
I am not quite sure what to make of that number, yet. I sense that buyers are more motivated, and more buyers are coming to the realization that 4% interest rates will not be around forever.
Check the chart, for Bucks County real estate details.
Bucks County real estate market in a shapshot
Yardley Real Estate
In the Yardley, Lower Makefield Township real estate market, the number of homes on the market is actually about 2% higher at the end of March than it was last year at the same time.
Inventory was up by almost 12% from the end of February, which is to be expected, as we entered the spring market.
I think that there are still an abundance of houses in Yardley that have been on the market for a long time, because they are overpriced, given current market conditions. Even though inventory levels are higher, there is definitely more activity in the real estate market right now.
It is also interesting to note that the average price of a house on the market in Lower Makefield Township was $476,000 thie year, compared with $481,000 last year.
In addition to that, it may surprise people to know that the average price of a home sold in 2011, increased slightly in 2011, and is up by 5% this year, so far.
In Lower Makefield Township, there still is about an 8 month inventory supply, which indicates that factors are still favorable for buyers. We consider the real estate market to be balanced, when there is about a 6 month supply of homes on the market.
Yardley real estate appreciation chart
In summary, the real estate market in Bucks County, and especially in the Yardley-Newtown areas, is showing the most encouraging signs that I have seen in about 4 years. There are still homes that have been on the market for months and months, because they are overpriced. However, homes that come on the market that are priced realistically, based on current market conditions, are selling much fast than they have at any point in the past 4 years. If you are getting ready to put your house on the market, please ask me for a copy of my ebook, 450 ideas to help get your home sold quickly. Send me your email, and I will email it to you. My email is: Marty@MartinMillner.com.
Continue Reading > Add a Comment |Selling real estate in Yardley or Newtown; listing photo disaster?
When you’re thinking about hiring an agent to help you market and sell your home, it’s probably a good idea to ask to see listing photos of homes they’ve represented in the past. A true real estate professional will go the extra mile to make sure there are plenty of high-quality, detailed photos to help market your home online. This is true when doing video, as well. That is why I hire a professional photographer & videographer to ensure that my listings images are as good as they can possibly be.
At the minimum, the photos should be well-lit, the homes should be tastefully presented, and the photographs should appear to be taken by a professional. Less than that, and you might want to consider looking for a new agent. I have seen some pretty funny house photos, and the price of the house often does not matter. There are, of course, major red flags you’ll want to look for in sample listing photos.
Consider some of the following:
- No owners sunbathing in the pool in Speedos.
- No attic rooms cluttered with personal massagers and ashes/dust.
- No master bedrooms with lingerie models lounging in a red velvet four-poster bed.
- No bathroom shots in which the photographer appears in her bra in the mirror.
- No pics featuring the owners engaged in questionable activities in the background.
- No creepy dolls by the fire place.
- Seriously, no creepy dolls anywhere, not even in the living room!
- No stains of murdered bodies on the bare floors.
Now, it may sound like I’m joking, but I’m being 100% honest when I say these are flaws seen in actual listing photos represented by real agents. What’s more, I can prove it.
See every single one of the above listing photo disasters in this slide show:
Incredible, isn’t it?
Please, whatever you do, be sure to hire an agent who takes their listing photos seriously. After all, you home is your largest investment! I’d be glad to treat it with the respect it deserves. Let me help you market your home the right way: Marty@MartinMillner.com 215-519-1399
Buying a Home in Yardley or Newtown, Bucks County? 10 Important Questions for Your Home Inspector
Maybe because the weather has been so warm and snow-free, it seems as though the so-called “spring” real estate market in Yardley, Newtown and all over Bucks County has started early. I have written a few recent posts on changes in the Yardley, Newtown area real estate market.
When working with buyers, I always stress how important it is to have a thorough and complete home inspection. For any buyer of real estate in Bucks County, it is critically important to know that any offer you make on a house, can be made contingent on the results of a home inspection. Over the years, I have worked with many area home inspectors. I thought it would be interesting to review what I think are 10 great questions to ask your home inspector.
There are a number of highly qualified, experienced home inspectors in the Yardley, Newtown area, and there is nothing wrong with interviewing more than one. Here are the questions:
1. What does your inspection cover?
At the time of the inspection, most home inspectors will give you a document to sign, that explains, among other things, the limits to what they will be inspecting. The inspector should ensure that their inspection and report meets all applicable requirements for Pennsylvania. They should also ensure that the report will comply with the local standards of practice and code of ethics. If you have specific concerns about something in the house, or an area in the house that you are concerned about, make the inspector aware and be sure that those things are covered in the inspection.
2. How long have you been practicing in the home inspection professions and how many inspections have you done?
This should not be a problem for the inspector to answer. You should be able to review their history in the profession, and perhaps get referrals.
3. Are you specifically experienced in residential inspection?
If the inspection is for a commercial property, you should ask the same question. The inspector may have a construction or engineering back round. but there is no substitute for training and experience in the unique discipline of doing home inspections.
4. Do you offer repairs or improvements based on the inspection?
In some states, this is specifically outlawed. Years ago, in Bucks County, inspectors often did work on repairs, and I never liked that idea since there was an obvious conflict of interest. For the most part, this is no longer an issue with home inspectors in the Yardley and Newtown area.
5. How long with the inspection take?
I have found that the average inspection in our area takes between tw0 and three hours. For the purposes of budgeting your time, you should have a general understanding of how long the inspection should take.
6. How much will it cost?
Costs can vary from inspector to inspector, and it is one of the questions that you should ask, so that you are not surprised the day of the inspection. There are also some variables in terms of what inspections are needed, that will impact the cost. If you need a septic and/or water and well inspections, the cost will be somewhat higher than if those inspections are not needed. When I meet with buyers, I include an approximate cost for the home inspection in my closing cost estimate.
7. What type of inspection report do you provide and how long will it take to receive the report?
I think it is a good idea to ask for samples of the inspectors report, so that you are comfortable with the format, and that you can understand the report language and style. You also need to be sure that the time parameters meet your needs. In our Pennsylvania agreement of sale, there is a time limit to the inspection contingency. It is critically important that the report be available to you in enough time that you can evaluate it and respond to the seller appropriately.
8. Will I be able to attend the inspection?
I always encourage buyers to attend the home inspection, and I would be highly suspicious of any inspector who did not encourage that. I have never actually encountered a problem with an inspector suggesting that a buyer not attend the inspection, but you should ask the question, just to be sure. The inspector will share maintenance information, as well as explaining any defects, and attending the inspection gives you a great chance to learn about the house.
9. Do you maintain membership in a professional home inspector association?
There are actually tw0 national home inspection associations, and in Pennsylvania, the inspector needs to be a member of one of them in order for their report to be used as a basis to negotiate with the seller as a result of an inspection report. There should be no problem asking the inspector whether they are a member of one of the organizations.
10. Do you participate in continuing education?
I think this is a good measure of the inspectors professionalism and service. The more knowledge an inspector has, the better they should be in evaluating any unusual or unique condition in a house.
I hope that these suggestions are helpful if you are considering a home inspector for a house in Yardley, Newtown or anywhere in Bucks County. I would love to hear your thoughts. I can be reached at 215-519-1399, or Marty@MartinMillner.com. If you are considering buying a Yardley or Newtown home, please let me know if I can help you.
Continue Reading > Add a Comment |Three Amazing Design Sites for Yardley, Newtown, Bucks County Homes!
I spend a great deal of time going in and out of houses all over the Yardley and Newtown areas in Bucks County. I talk to a lot of sellers, as well as buyers. I’ve posted recently about how the market dynamics have changed in our market, over the past month or so. Buyers are complaining again that there is “nothing to see.”
I suspect that there are potential sellers who, because of where the Yardley and Newtown real estate market has been over the past few years, have decided to put off selling.
If you’re are thinking about renovating the interior of your home, or if you are moving and want to create your own new fantasy home, I thought it would be fun to put together a list of three great sites to help inspire your imagination. So, when you have time, check out these great websites.
Houzz.com (http://www.houzz.com)
Houzz is a leading destination site for home design enthusiasts, both professionals and homeowners. The Houzz site and mobile apps feature more than 250,000 high quality interior and exterior photos, along with literally thousands of highly engaging articles written by design experts. It also includes product recommendations and social tools to manage the remodeling and decorating process.
Freshome.com (http://www.freshome.com)
This site was launched in 2007, and is a weblog devoted to finding and sharing the latest and greatest products in architecture and design. The primary focus of this design publication is to provide inspiration to make your home more beautiful, organized and healthy. I believe that a calm, healthy, beautiful home creates a great foundation for happiness and success.
Getdecorating.com (http://www.getdecorating.com)
This site is devoted to inspirational home ideas that you can choose, save and email to a friend or supplier. Every picture has a story, whether you are thinking about renovating, remodeling, decorating a new house or an existing home, perhaps buying new furniture, window treatments, or maybe just a color change, this is the place for you.
So, bottom line, stop flipping through pages and pages of magazines for a couple of interesting photos, and check out these sites with literally tens of thousands of fantastic, colorful ideas to spark your imagination. From staging to renovation, these are great places to get started.
If you are thinking about selling your old home before pursuing a new design, I would be happy to help. Connect with me this week at 215-519-1399.
Continue Reading > Add a Comment |3 Bedroom Home For Sale In Yardley Situated On A Beautiful Corner Lot
Welcome Home To 1912 S. Crescent Boulevard in Yardley
3 bedroom Colonial with so much to offer and filled with charm and character!
An abundance of counter space in the kitchen is complemented by a beautiful breakfast nook.
Comfy and large living room boasts a brick fireplace. This room is perfect for entertaining!
Upstairs, 3 bedrooms await. One bedroom also features access to an attic, which will provide you with additional storage.
Contact Martin Millner today for more information on this home, or any other home in our area.
Continue Reading > Add a Comment |4 bedroom Home For Sale In Washington Crossing Feels Like A Retreat
Welcome home to 105 Glenwood Drive in Washington Crossing
Located on a 0.75 acre lot in Washington Crossing, this home will win you over with it’s charm!
Soft, warm colors throughout, with natural light in many rooms allow this home to feel like a peaceful retreat.
A sun-filled kitchen boasts an abundance of cabinet and counter space. You will enjoy the breakfast room which overlooks the landscaped backyard!
Relax in the comfortably-sized family room, enjoying the brick fireplace as well as each other’s company.
The master bedroom is spacious, and offers ample closet space as well as an adjacent bath.
A beautiful sun room with walls of glass allow you to enjoy the beauty of your backyard on chilly days, or any day!
A large deck offers more space for cook-outs and gatherings.
For more information, please view the virtual tour for this amazing home!
If you would like more information on this listing, or any homes for sale in Bucks County, please contact me.
I’ll be happy to assist you with all of your real estate needs!
Continue Reading > Add a Comment |4 Bedroom Home For Sale in Yardley Hunt Is Filled With Natural Light
Welcome home to 1247 Dickinson Drive in Yardley
Located in Yardley Hunt, this is a stunning 4 bedroom home which offers natural light throughout most of the home. As you enter the home, enjoy the brick wood burning fireplace in the family room. Natural light fills this room every day. Enter the remodeled and spacious kitchen, which boasts granite counters, a double oven, stainless steel appliances and custom cabinets. Entertain your guests in the formal dining room, located directly off the kitchen.
The lower level of this home is also finished, adding more space for your family to relax and enjoy time together.
Upstairs, the master suite includes a sitting room, which could be used as a reading retreat, office space, or an exercise room.
3 spacious bedrooms are upstairs as well.
A beautiful brick paver patio awaits you outside, and overlooks a semi-private backyard. Located close to many attractions in Bucks County, this is one home you don’t want to miss!
Watch the virtual tour for this property
Please contact Martin Millner for more information at 215-321-2375 Ext 140, or send me an email for more information on this or other great homes for sale in our area.
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