Kim Wood - Greater Chester County PA Real Estate

Some people have a natural gift of Listening. Others have to work at it. Jeff Turner is one example of a good listener. I've had the pleasure of meeting Jeff a few times now, it's true what they say, when Jeff is talking to you in a crowded room, you feel like you are the only person around. This is Jeff talking to my daughter, AChrome21. He was explaining who Jeff Turner really is. We were all standing around laughing - Jeff was talking and focused on her.

Hank Baskett #84 of the Philadelphia Eagles is a friend of my daughter's. We got some time with him (while he was signing autographs) after The Eagles Training Camp.

A woman came over to him and said, "Mary's Mom is over there. She can't get to you".  "I'll be right there" Hank replied.

When he was finished signing everyone's stuff (he does that).... he walked over to the woman. They embraced each other and tears flowed from her. Sobbing.

You could sense there was pain. It was a private moment, yet so touching to witness. Goosebumps. As you can see in this picture, Hank's eyes did not wander. He listened to her so focused that nothing else mattered.

It was a lesson for me. A reminder. Being a good listener is focus. I have to work at this, its not a natural thing for me. My eyes wander. I get distracted by other people around me. I interupt. Not good, but I try to work on it. I know its important for all facets of relationships. Clients, family, friends, servicepersons, etc.

I challenge you (and me!) to work on this today. Whomever you are with - LISTEN. No distractions.

This topic was also featured here.

Have you been in a hospital or doctors office and noticed when a nurse might be “burned out”? He/She just doesn’t care about you as a human – in and out – that’s what matters.

Real Estate Agents have the same problem.  Not only being stuck in a rut, but also with burn out.

Some agents have been practicing for a while and they are just plain tired of it. Sorry to say – it shows! Comments are overheard at the water cooler, “ugh. I have six showings tomorrow.” “Why do I have to let the appraiser in the house” “Darn paperwork is getting ridiculous.”

If you are not passionate about what you do as a real estate agent, find something else to do. You owe it to yourself. You owe it to your clients.  Maybe you just need some time away. Whatever it is – figure it out. Don’t let your burned out attitude rub off on others.

What happened with West Chester, PA Real Estate Sales in 2008? The 1st Quarter has ended, so let's have a look at the sales from January-June 2008 in West Chester, PA - zip 19380.

111 Homes Sold (Single Family, 1+ years old)

Average Price $417,241 (Highest $925,000/Lowest $174,000)

Average Days on Market 73

The neighborhoods represented in this report include: West Chester Borough, Wyntre Brook,  Kirkland Manor, Sunset Grove, Gary Terrace,  Indian King, Banbury, Knollwood,  Whiteland Woods,  Polo Run,  Ryerss Hunt, Woods of Brookfield,  Tattersall,  Deerfield Greene, Harmony Hills,  Kenmare, Creekside,  Heritage at Parke Farm, Oak Hill, Parkchester Estates, Merriwether Farm,  Suburban Village,  Greenhill, Hamlet Hills,  Caswallen, Scots Grove,  Northhill, Idlewild,  The Pines, Fresh Meadows,  Kirby Woods, Sturbridge,  Brandywine Knoll, Pemberly,  Hidden Meadow, Hershey Mills, Waterview Farms, Rockland Village,  Pin Oak, Vista Farms, Charter Chase,  Hunt Country, Bow Tree, Wentworth, Ivy Hill, Deerfield Knoll, unnamed.

For a personalized report of your town or neighborhood in Chester, Montgomery or Delaware County, PA - just send your location and email address.

Week Eight Assignment for the Makeover2Takeover competition is our last one! I might have withdraws... it's been an awesome contest and I'm so honored to be among Desiree Daniels/Brian Block & Midori Miller/Jeanette Neerpat with Missy Caulk in the Top Three!

This week's assignment was to demonstrate with creativity the Value of Using a REALTOR(R). How do you do that in a Single Page Word Document & 3 minute (max) video?

It's not possible. You can't. However, you can do your very best - and go with it. That's what I've done.

Now it's nail biting time until we receive the results at Inman Connect in San Francisco - I hope I'm not sick with anxiety for the announcement. But you know what? I've done my best- and I'd be very happy if any of the remaining teams were crowned the Makeover2Takeover ActiveRain Winners!

"I want a Foreclosure"

I hear this frequently from Buyers, but I don't think its really what people mean. During my round of questions, what Buyers really want is more phrased as follows, "I'd like a steal of a deal that I can get into below market value."

Here are some quick notes to consider:
The deals are out there, rarely does a "steal-of-a-deal" reach the market in the West of Philadelphia Suburbs of Chester County.  Homes are selling for the high 90%'s of the asking price. Exact statistics available upon request.

I know, I know, you've heard the news reports that you can pick up a foreclosure property for pennies on the dollar..... I know, I know, the banks have repossessed so many homes that there are plenty on the market.  This is true in many different areas, Chester County is not one of them. There is not a heavy saturation of foreclosed homes. Again, there are some deals that are out there, and with the right Buyer's Agent working for you to find them - you can get into a property for a great deal right now.

For the homes that have gone through the foreclosure process, the banks usually ask 2-4 Real Estate Agents and/or Appraisers to come in and do a Comparative Market Analysis Report.  They use these numbers to determine their asking price.  Most of time, this is competitive or slightly below the fair market value.

Most foreclosures (I am generalizing) need work.  The occupants that vacated the home were not happy campers.  Many times the homes have sat dormant for quite some time.  I'm usually left with a feeling of "sadness" after viewing these properties, because so often they were just not taken care of.

Purchasing a house to call your home or for an investment can be done at a fair price. When I work for you as your Buyer Real Estate agent, I'm working to get you the very best deal possible.  Whether it be with a foreclosure or not.

Let's say Happy Birthday to Upper Uwchlan (YOU-clen) Township ! 

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Located in the Western Philadelphia Suburbs Upper Uwchlan Township was broken off from Uwchlan Township in 1858 after it was determined to be too large at 22.52 square miles. The township's main access by road is via Rt. 100 and Little Conestoga Rd.

Help Eagle, Downingtown and Chester Springs as they are celebrating 150 years as Upper Uwchlan Township - what a fun day of events are planned!

Saturday, July 19th (raindate is Sunday 7/20)
Village of Eagle

9am-Fun Run & 3K Walk
5pm-Parade
6pm-Local Bands
         Amusements (Pickering Valley School) Featuring Sponge Bob Square Pants

Food Vendors (You can get a $5.00 wristband for food!)

930pm- Fireworks

Chester County was rated one of the best places to raise a family and Upper Uwchlan is no exception!   The neighborhoods in Upper Uwchlan listed from North point, clockwise include: St Andrews, Reserve at Eagle, Windsor Ridge,  Eagle Hunt, Byer's Station, Pickering Springs Farm, Koppenhaver Estates, Hunter's Ridge, Lakeridge, Davenport, Lyndenwood, Marsh Harbour, Heron Hill, Bordeaux Estates, Waynebrook, Somerset, Greenridge, Cannon Woods, and Stonehedge.

If you would like any real estate market activity/statistics/reports from any of the above areas, I'd be happy to email you a copy upon request.

What would you look for if you had to chose the best county to live if you are raising a family?

I chose Chester County as the place I wanted to raise my family. For so many reasons.... the schools, the activities, the opportunities, the close proximity to beach/mountains/NYC, and so much more. We moved to Chester County seven years ago, my husband, myself, my daughters (22, 19, and 5) have never looked back!

Zack O'Malley Greenburg with Forbes magazine looked for school districts that have "good" funding (at least half of per-pupil spending comes from property tax) and SAT scores of 1,050+. Then he narrowed down the 97 counties remaining by looking at the following: Cost of Living, Graduation Rate, Standardized Test Scores, Home Price, Property Tax (what percentage of median home price), Percentage of Owner Occupied Homes, Per Capita Income, Air Quality, Crime Rate, and Commute Time.

Here are the results........

1. Hamilton County, Ind.
2. Ozaukee County, Wis.
3. Johnson County, Kan.
4. Geauga County, Ohio
5. Delaware County, Ohio
6. Morris County, N.J.
7. Hunterdon County, N.J.
8. Waukesha County, Wis.
9. Montgomery County, Pa.
10. Chester County, Pa.

That's right! Two of the counties that I serve for Real Estate needs made the Top 10 List!!! I'm so proud!

Mr. O'Malley Greenburg has a presentation with maps on each of the featured counties and a description of why it was chosen.

"Located 30 miles west of Philadelphia, Chester County borders Montgomery County along the Schuylkill River. Chester's median home price of $328,400 is a bit pricey, but families are rewarded with a high school graduation rate of 96% and average SAT scores of 1,075." Mr. O'Malley Greenburg stated regarding Chester County, PA.

If you don't think you want to pick a house in the Chester County, PA or Montgomery County, PA area, I have a great network of associates from around the country. I can help you select someone with expertise in the area you chose.

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It's not the most fun thing to think about when you move to a new area, however, knowing where the closest hospitals are located is something you should think about when moving to Chester County, or anywhere else for that matter.

Chester County has five hospitals for General Care:

Brandywine Hospital
201 Reeceville Rd
Coatesville, PA 19320
(610) 383-8000
Licensed Beds: 198

Chester County Hospital
701 East Marshall Street
West Chester, PA 19380
(610) 431-5000
Licensed Beds: 220

Paoli Memorial Hospital
255 West Lancaster Avenue
Paoli, PA 19301
(610) 648-1000
Licensed Beds: 208

Phoenixville Hosp-Univ Of Pa Health Sys
140 Nutt Road Box 809
Phoenixville, PA 19460
(610) 983-1000
Licensed Beds: 175

Jennersville Regional Medical Center
1015 West Baltimore Pike
West Grove, PA 19390
(610) 869-1001
Licensed Beds: 51

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Hopefully it will be a thing of the past, however, as of right now, Chester County does not have a trauma center in the county itself. A Chester County Trauma Center Task Force has been formed with volunteers that are looking into the details about a location and operation of a possible Trauma Center. As the most populated county in Pennsylvania, Chester County right now requires that persons needing trauma service in Chester County have to travel an extra distance, which unfortunately could impact their health. The closest trauma centers to Chester County are:

• Lancaster General Hospital (Lancaster, PA)
• Reading Hospital (Reading, PA)
• University of Pennsylvania Hospital (Philadelphia, PA)
• Abington Memorial Hospital (Abington, PA)
• Crozer Chester Medical Center (Chester, PA)
• Christiana Hospital (Christina, DE)

There are ways that you can help! Probably the easiest being... pass the word!

For any information on the Real Estate and Homes in the Western Philadelphia Suburbs of Chester County visit my website at www.KimWood.net

Chester County has eight (8) different options if you are looking to pursue higher education whether you live in the West of Philly Burbs or you are considering a relocation to the Greater Chester County Area. According to the Census 2000, 42.5% of the population in Chester County attained Bachelor's Degrees or higher.

• Cheney University of Pennsylvania; Cheney, PA
• Delaware County Community College; Exton & Downingtown Campuses
• Immaculata University; Malvern, PA
• Lincoln University; Lincoln University, PA
• Penn State; Great Valley, PA
• Troy University; Exton, PA
• Valley Forge Christian College; Phoenixville, PA
• West Chester University; West Chester, PA

If you would like more information about the Houses for Sale in Chester County, you can reach me directly at (610) 692-6823. I can also provide you with the prices that homes sold for in the Greater Chester County area.

As I was driving to an appointment this morning, I found myself delayed in traffic. I allowed extra time for myself, but not for a traffic delay due to a fire on Rt. 3 in between West Chester & Newtown Square, PA.

I heard on the radio there was a fire. "Deep breath, Kim. There isn't anything you can do, and hopefully no one was hurt." I told myself.

As I approached the scene there were many firetrucks and response teams. I looked over, THE RE/MAX CONNECTION OFFICE!  What? Burned to barely some bits of the walls around the office of the shopping/strip center.

My heart was compassionate before knowing who/what happened after I heard it was a fire. But then, it was a Real Estate Office!  It was a RE/MAX office!  Oh dear!  I remembered the compassion and comaraderie shown when Melissa Grant had her brush with a fire in the family home around Christmas time. I know its a little bit different because we "knew" Melissa.

The documents, the pictures on desks, the files, the computers, the memories.....

I'm not sure what you can do... right now, I'm only aware that you can pray, send good vibes, thoughts their way. People were affected.

RE/MAX CONNECTION 5022 W Chester Pike
PO Box 599
Edgemont, PA 19028

Something like this makes you step back from life for a moment..... be thankful. I'm grateful for being shown to keep my priorities right today.

The story

No pictures, no links, no points please. Just your thoughts....