Back to the dog Park and ritual

We were on vacation and the dog needed to stay somewhere. We had used this kennel before with no issue. This time Maya came back with kennel cough and we know more about it now. Our routine was changed and we were walking Maya for a good 30 to 50 minutes around town to give her time. Not the same for her as going to the dog parlk with her pack or for us with our pack. I am looking forward to getting to the park this morning.

Out of the habbit

I must say that this blogging thing is something you must keep up with, like taking your vitamins in the morning. When you have your health and you forget to take the vitamins it is difficult to rejuvenate the habit of taking them. Same happened here with the Blog. At first I was on it and having a great time including events and happenings. Then I thought no one was reading any of what I was putting out here and there are so many other sources for what is happening. What I failed to realize was it is my view which is different. I was reading a book about happiness recommended by a friend - Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert. My take away was in situations where you are unsure ask for an opinion of someone who has been in the situation you are about to enter before you make your choice and then follow the advice. I thought okay well this Blog afford me the ability to give an opinion from time to time on situation in the neighborhood and around the area. I will be getting back on the horse and will try to make this blog a bit more exciting at the same time.

OPEN HOUSE 255 N Aberdeen Ave Sunday 1-3pm

Hi All - Just wanted to give you a heads up about the open house taking place at 255 N. Aberdeen Avenue this Sunday 3-14-2010. (I have to keep writing 2010 just to get used to it still.) Come out and see this beautiful home and the amazing work that has gone intop it. New utilities, new appliances, new windows, carpets and floors. Just move right in. IT even has a new high efficiency furnace. Also I just check it again and the walkability score on the property is 83 out of 100.

Spring is finally coming to the Main Line

This weekend on of the harbingers of Spring, the 8th grade musical at Radnor Middle School is taking place. Come out and see a great production put on by the 8th grade. I have a daughter in the cast so I may be a bit biased. See you at the show

Happy Thanksgiving and washable paint?

Thanksgiving is a great day to meet friends and renew the family bonds. While awaiting our trip to friends I was scanning the web and came across this article on a new type of Low VOC scrubbable paint it is Ceramic Wall Paint. There is lots of information out there on this and I was hard pressed to not follow the trails leading to other green topics all done through the links in each article. Have a fun investigative journey.

Theater on the Main Line

Friends of ours have talented children who perform with many theater groups in the area. The Wolf PAC has a performance of Charlotte's Web occurring December 11,12 &13 in which some of them are performing. I think it will be a great show if it is anything like the other Wolf PAC shows we have seen. Maybe we will see you there.

Another area amateur production is by the
Marple Newtown Players present Disney's Cinderella Kids
Location: Gauntlett Community Center West Chester Pike and Radnor Rd
Date: Nov 21, 22, 27, 28, & 29, 2009
Time: Fridays & Saturdays 7pm / Sundays 2pm
Tickets: $7 - reserved / $5 - general
For more information, call (610) 353-9181, email mnplayers1@yahoo.com

or visit our web site

New Tax credit passed the Congress

President signs homebuyer tax credit into law
President Obama has signed into law an extension and expansion of the current home buyer tax credit. The measure extends the present $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers through April 30, 2010. Current homeowners are eligible for a $6,500 tax credit through April 30, provided they have lived in the home they are selling, or have sold, as principal residence for five consecutive years in the past eight years. If potential home buyers have a binding contract on or before that date, they will have until July 1 to close the transaction. Income limits for eligible home buyers are expanded to $125,000 for single buyers and $225,000 for couples. The purchase price of the home cannot exceed $800,000. To help guard against fraud, buyers are required to attach documentation of purchase to their tax return. Click here for a side-by-side comparison of the expanded tax credit and the current version. Get all the basics about the extended and expanded tax get credit.

Radnor Township Leaf Pickup Schedule

Here is the link to the township website where the Leaf collection schedule is posted by street and date and

The rules are explained. Here are two rules to remember when looking at the list by Street

Residents who live on street names listed in CAPITALS must place their leaves in the gutter line of their street. The Township's crew will only pick up the leaves that are placed on the street on these roads.
Residents who live on streets listed in regular type are required to place their leaves on their property and off the street (that is, behind the curb). The Township will remove the leaves from that location.

Real Estate boost extended for First time home buyer Maybe?

Senate Approves Extended U.S. Homebuyer Tax Credit (Update1)
By Brian Faler
Nov. 4 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Senate approved a $45 billion plan to expand a tax credit for first-time homebuyers, extend jobless benefits and provide tax refunds to money-losing companies.
Lawmakers voted 98-0 for the measure, sending it to the House, where Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland said in a statement it will receive a vote as early as tomorrow. The bill then would be forwarded to President Barack Obama for his signature.
The plan would be the first major extension of provisions in February’s economic stimulus plan. The $8,000 homebuyers’ tax credit, slated to expire this month, would continue until April 30 and be expanded to include people with higher incomes and some who already own homes. That would cost about $10 billion in the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, according to Congress’s Joint Committee on Taxation.
The measure includes $2.4 billion to extend unemployment benefits for as many as 20 weeks, enough to aid the jobless through the holiday season. It would loosen tax rules for homebuilders and other money-losing companies to let them claim an estimated $33 billion in tax refunds this year, according to Joint Committee on Taxation estimates.
The legislation had been delayed for weeks by Republican demands for votes on amendments to the plan.
“Republicans used every trick in the book to slow and stall and ensure we can’t do important work,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, said today.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, has said the legislation could have been approved last week if Democrats had agreed to his colleagues’ demands. Republicans sought a vote on an amendment to end the Treasury Department’s Troubled Asset Relief Program.
Other Stimulus Measures
Lawmakers are still considering whether to extend several other elements of the stimulus package, including subsidies to help the jobless buy health insurance and increased funds for food stamps. Obama has called for sending seniors $250 checks because they won’t get a cost-of-living increase next year in their Social Security checks.
Michael Mundaca, nominated to be assistant secretary for tax policy at the U.S. Treasury Department, said the administration may seek to extend the interest-subsidized Build America Bonds created as part of the stimulus package. Mundaca told the Finance Committee today the initiative is “too successful to allow to go away.”
The Treasury Department estimates that more than 1.4 million Americans have taken advantage of the homebuyer credit at a cost so far of about $10 billion.
Increased Credit
The Senate plan would allow homebuyers who have lived in their residence at least five years to receive a $6,500 credit. Couples earning as much as $225,000 a year and individuals earning up to $125,000 would qualify. That is up from the current $75,000 limit for individuals and $150,000 for couples.
Those buying homes worth more than $800,000 wouldn’t be eligible for the credit. Those who sell their new home or stop using it as their main residence within three years would have to repay the credit.
The credit “really does provide some economic lift in the country at a time when we desperately need economic lift,” said Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat.
He said expanding the credit to those who already own homes would help create jobs because “the move-up buyer is more inclined and capable of buying that furniture, maybe building a porch, putting a garage on, a new roof” and making the “kinds of investments I think is going to be a job-creator across the country.”
Waste of Money
Senator Christopher Bond, a Missouri Republican, called the tax credit a waste of money, saying studies show that most of those claiming the break would have bought homes anyway.
“For the vast majority of cases, the homebuyer credit amounted to a free gift since it did not affect their decision to purchase,” he said on the floor this week. “The homebuyer tax credit is a terribly inefficient, irresponsible and poor use of scarce taxpayer resources.”
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said in a research note yesterday that the credit probably spurred 200,000 home sales that otherwise wouldn’t have occurred.
Extending the credit to people who own homes wouldn’t reduce the excess housing blamed for the slump because “every buyer taking advantage of the move-up credit would necessarily be a seller,” Goldman Sachs said. It said the plan may increase housing prices by 1 percent because “sellers are likely to incorporate a fraction of the credit amount in their sale prices.”
Unemployment Extension
The bill would provide 14 additional weeks of unemployment benefits in all states, plus another six weeks in states with the highest jobless rates. The extension would be the fourth since the recession began. The share of unemployed people who have been out of work at least six months has reached the highest level in at least a half-century, according to the Labor Department.
The legislation also would expand provisions in the stimulus package allowing companies to apply their losses to previous years’ income, thereby reducing their tax bills and allowing them to claim refunds. Banks and other institutions receiving assistance from the Treasury Department’s TARP program wouldn’t be eligible.

Open House for 255 N. Aberdeen this week 11/1/09 1 - 3pm

Hi Friends,



This week I will be having an Open House on Sunday November 11th for a wonderful home at 255 N. Aberdeen Ave in Wayne. The hours for the open will be from 1pm till 3pm. It is a wonderful little place with 3 bedrooms and 1 bath. Everything is new basically, from heater to light fixtures from door knobs to gutters.

Here is a link to a four minute youTube video of the place.

H1N1 (Swine advice)

This information came from a friend in the City --

Simple steps to take -



Prevent Swine Flu - Good Advice

Dr. Vinay Goyal is an MBBS,DRM,DNB (Intensivist and Thyroid specialist)
having clinical experience of over 20 years. He has worked in
institutions like Hinduja Hospital , Bombay Hospital , Saifee Hospital ,
Tata Memorial etc. Presently, he is heading our Nuclear Medicine
Department and Thyroid clinic at Riddhivinayak Cardiac and Critical
Centre, Malad (W)..
The following message given by him:

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global
epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into
contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not
so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1
infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms
and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not
fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced
(instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official
communications).

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any
part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).

3. * Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't
trust salt)... *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the
throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms.
Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt
water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an
infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful
preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with
warm salt water. *Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti
(very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but *blowing the nose
hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in
warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*
Neti pots and sinus rinse kits are available at the drug store and
relatively inexpensive....under $15



*Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C
(Amla and other citrus fruits). *If you have to supplement with Vitamin
C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.
*Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can.
Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the
reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat
into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

I suggest you pass this on to your entire e-list. You never know 20 who
might pay attention to it - and STAY ALIVE because of it...

Harvest Fest at the Willows Cottage

This Sunday from 1 to 5 is the 1st annual Harvest Fest at the Willows Cottage and Park. This will be a fun time for the family and will help in the fund raising for the sustainable farm and education center. The CSA is the ancor tenant for the sustainable life style education center. Please come out to havbe fun and support the center.

Activities include :

Hot Air Baloon Rides -
Needle in a haystack (for kids)
Sack races -
Work shops on Canning, Bees, Word working,
Pumpkin decorating (kids and adults)
A Pie making contest
Hay rides
Apple bobbing
Prizes
Live music
Culinary delights provided by a select group of restaurants

Tom headed to Utah

I feel extreamly that I have the support of my family as I head to Utah to participate in the Huntsman Games in Volleyball. Great group of guys going. We call ourselves NO DIVAS but they may have us listed as Spike Force Black. Wish us luck

The Willows Cottage is the site for the Radnor Conservancy's Harvest Festival taking place this year on October 25, 2009. The day should be a blast. Special events - food and beverages for all ages, activities for the young and the young at heart! Follow the links above for more information.

Best Soccer Game I have seen in a long time

The game between Radnor high and Ridley high tonight was one of the most exciting soccer games I have ever seen. The girls out there left it all out on the field. The game ended in a 1 to 1 tie after two full halves and a 10 minute overtime.

View from the Telluride Film Festival

Well the Lowy's just returned from a great Labor Day in Telluride Colorado at the 36th annual Telluride Film Festival. There were stars, premiers old films silent films and great discussions both scheduled, in the streets, in restaurants and bars and on line. Definitely worth the trip.

Here are my pics from what I saw of the more than 40 choices.

Movies to see from Telluride -
1 The Road --Cormac McCarthy novel from people in the same screening who had read the book “ very very true to the book”
2 A Prophet - Coming of age story of a young ½ Muslim street kid
3 Farewell --French / Russian / American true story of ending the cold war
4 Red Riding – English 3 part crime/police corruption drama best watched in sequence in one sitting about 4.5 hours – good theme for a movie party.
5. Bright Star – If you like a slow English period piece about Keats and his love
5. Sampson and Delilah - Very tough to watch (slow paced) but gives you a great feeling of the life of aboriginal people in Australia.

6. The Last Station – More Hollywood like- Great performance by Helen Mirren worth watching for that – the rest is about the last year of Tolstoy with no Russian accents at all.

7. Bad Lieutenant: Port of call New Orleans – Hollywood meets Herzog -Great performance by Nicholas Cage as a rogue Officer in NO after Katrina. (directed by Werner Herzog – see if you can pick out his touches)

8. An Education – English school girl coming of age

9. Up in the Air - Lite entertainment – Comic story of life on the road and pursuit of trying not to be so lonely.

10 Vincere – Italian film about Mussolini’s mistress

11 Coco Before Chanel - Her Story from the beginning to success nice not to exciting either way

Not as great – in My humble opinion
The Jazz Barroness – Self-indulgent story by her niece Hannah Rothschild of the relationship between Monk and the Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter)

My Son, My Son What Have Ye Done – Werner Herzog trying to film a Greek tragedy set in LA – played well to European audiences

Some Housing Statistics for the Main Line

I thought since the media is national and we live here locally on the Main Line. It would make sense to get some statistics out for you on Housing Activity in this area. I researched statistics for two local school districts,

Radnor Schools

and Tredyffrin/Eastown.

If you would like me to run the same statistics for a school district which is in our MLS area (most of the 5 county Philadelphia MSMA) which I have not covered here please call me using 610-254-9292 x12 and let me know which one or e-mail me using tom@tomlowy.com Either way I am happy to research and provide them to you.

If there are other statistics you would like to see or if you have real estate questions again, please call or write. I am happy to help.

Radnor Conservancy

The Radnor Conservancy Gala will be held September 26th Please save the date.





As part of the Big Tree Project which is a collaboration between Radnor Township, Chanticleer and the Conservancy trees were planted along Route 30. I had the privledge of checking to see if they were in need of water. The "gators" around the trees are filled with water. They function to slowly drip water into the soil to nourish the trees.

Cut Your Energy Costs - Simple tips for saving resources, money and the planet.

Cool your home naturally: Open windows on cool summer nights. Use energy-saving compact fluorescent bulbs (they emit less heat). Hang washing out to dry, and grill food outside. Install window awnings.

Plant deciduous trees on the east and west to shade your house and cool it by as much as 20 degrees.

Install an Energy Star–certified ceiling fan (50 percent more efficient than others) and comfortably keep your home four degrees cooler in the summer.

Consider switching to a natural-gas water heater (which uses less than half the energy of an electric one) and turn the setting down to 120 degrees.

Seal your house: Close the fireplace damper; install a timer (available at hardware stores) on the bathroom exhaust fan; seal ductwork.

Potential savings: About $500 a year.

Green point: If one household in 10 bought Energy Star–rated heating and cooling equipment, the change in greenhouse-gas emissions would be equivalent to taking 1.5 million cars off the road.

Source: Real Simple

These are the signs you want to see at your home...if!!

These are the signs you want to see in front of your home if it is for sale. Pictured below is Anne Dalk who sold her house this past July. It was on the market for less than a month.

Pictured here is 110 Croton Road. This home sold in less than 3 weeks!!!

Pictured here is the sign from 407 Eagle Road. This home was bought by first time buyers and allowed the sellers to move to their dream home.

This is a great time to be in the market either buying or selling. The homes shown above all sold this past July!! Eagle Road was within 5% of asking, Croton Road sold at asking, and Oak Lane sold above asking! If you would like an estimate of the value of your home, please call me. My office number at Duffy Real Estate is 610-254-9292. I look forward to speaking to you.

South Wayne Ave opens!!!

Great Moving Company

Hello all,

Just thought I would tell you about Logan Moving and Storage. I used them when I moved from Manayunk to Wayne and have been recommending them to people I know if I hear about their need to move. They can do small or large homes and local or cross country moves.

What is best is they show up on time and take good care of your possessions.

Best meal at the beach Bedrock Cafe in Avon By The Sea

It was an amazing night. Saturday 6:00 eating early because many in our parety were over 60 including my mother, father, and Great Aunt Hazel. We were seated right away, the red wine (BYOB) we brought was poured and the fresh hot bread was delivered. Great Aunt Hazel (90) wanted white wine. The owner cam back to us with a glass of wine he procured from his own cellar- or who knows where. This was service beyond excellent.

The food was good too - specials to long to remember from when they began repeating them and a special by the day as well. This is a full dinner with salad vegetable and desert. Range of the food was pork chops to soft shell crab, lasagna to crab cakes. They even have a choice of 6 things on the kids menu. Highly recommend this place if you are anywhere near Avon By the Sea
Their phone number is 732-502-4455

Green outdoor activities.

I know it sounds redunbdant to have a spot for Green outdoor activities, but this site was a link from the Active.com Site where I found out about the scavanger hunt race Susanna and I did last year.

Green Ideas for the Hotel Industry

Found a site for greening the hotel and hospitality industry, Was lost in their website for a while and enjoyed it. Thought you might want to check it out

Pond Blog site for questions about Concrete Ponds

Well I have been working on the pond for almost a year and am about to get fish in it. There seems to be a slow leak in the main pool so I went looking for answers. One product I came up with was Pond Armor. I also discovered a blog which speaks about pond problems. Now I have a place to go.

GREEN representative to Realtor® Panel

On Thursday, June 18th the Association of REALTORS School held the first Achieving Real Estate Success Education Exchange. The Exchange was developed to help REALTORS make informed decisions about where to spend their education budget. At this session, Tish Maloney, Chip Plumley, Tom Lowy and Joe Sheehan provided a behind the scenes look at CRS (Certified Residential Specialist), ePRO, green and SRES (Seniors Real Estate Specialist) respectively. In addition to making real life sense out of the programs, the four panelists provided money saving tips about discounts and grants available to REALTORS seeking education.
Prior to this informative program, Chairman-Elect Bill McFalls presented certificates of achievement to 13 REALTORS who recently completed a designation or certificate program. The honorees were: Deana Clymer, Linda McDermond, Linda Rosander, Carole Felton, Wally Heppenstall, Patricia Moyer, Shelby Charles, Lee Greenwood, Linda Luker, Charles Stauffer, Debbie Clamer, Morgot Mohr Teetor and David Hinkel. Click here to see pictures from this event.

Just found a new Site For the National Trust for Historic Preservation

Just found this site for the National Trust for Historic Preservation It looks very interesting. They are having a seminar on the 18th of June 1 to 2 pm Virtual that is --

Rescheduled: Webinar "Green Main Streets: Practical Steps You Can Take Now"

You can call the local Philadelphia area Office using 215-848-8033 or scan the web site.

Good Luck

House is under agreement 407 Eagle Road

The real estate market in these parts still has three important parts to it Location Price and Condition. Times have changed a little and a great home in a great location which is over priced is not going to sell. I have found the market to be very punishing to those who think their home is an exception to this rule. When you make the decision to sell your home - my view - price it to sell it for if you do not you will not. If you are thinking of selling please send me a note or comment on this blog.

Martins Dam Swim Club Open for the Season

Hi All - It was a great day this past Saturday for the members of the Martins Dam club. 10:00 on the dot is when the pool first opend and the brave few jump in first.
More to come from Martins.

110 Croton Rd -New Listing in T/E Deepdale neighborhood

110 Croton is now for Sale! Price is $535,000. Settlement can be as soon as you want to settle. This property will be in the MLS by Monday 5-25-09.

27 Pine Street Newtown Square is SOLD

Settlement took place today for 27 Pine Street. Both the buyer and the seller were very happy.

Happy Memorial Day

I just want to wish everyone a happy Memorial Day. I imagine I will be walking in the parade in Wayne, just not sure with whjich group yet.

GRASS at the Middle School

There is Grass at the Radnort Middle school. It is being installed as this is being typed. Here are some pictures.

407 Eagle Road in Wayne is under agreement!!

407 Eagle Road which has been for sale since April 17 is now under agreement to be sold. The owners are still open to potential buyers looking at the property. If you would like to look at this townhome please call Duffy Real Estate at 610-254-9292 to schedule your appointment

Attend a Class and Learn something

I was able to attend a class this morning 5-5-09 at the Suburban West Headquarters on technology in the Real Estate industry. It was taught by a very competent and funny instructor Mike Salvaggio. He pointed us to a web site city data com which is a site where you can look up lots of data on where you live or where you want to live.

May is Electrical Safety Month!!

Well I did not know this until I read a newsletter from Chris Early of Inspect-It 1st: The Nation’s Premier Property Inspection Company He is nice enough to send me a newsletter with tips every month. Within the letter is a link to the Electrical Safety Foundation International web site. Now you have it here. Chris's franchise sponsored letter is worth a read. Happy Electrical Safety Month!!

St Davids Choir sings the national Anthem at Phillies

It was a great night for a group of families when the St Davids combined choir sang the national anthem at the Phillies game last night April 29th. Unfortunately the Phillies diod not wind, but over 700 folks enjoyed the park, the food and the music. Here is one video of the event.

407 Eagle Road Energy Efficient Home

What would you pay for a home like 407 Eagle Road with:

Bamboo floors, Corian kitchen counter, New carpet on 2nd and third floors,

Three bedrooms - Two and a Half Baths --

Private Deck - Check out the slide show of the property

407 Eagle Road - NOW FOR SALE

407 Nort Wayne Townhome

407 Eagle Road - WOW - An upgraded, energy efficient Townhome

It has a with a "walk to and from” Wayne location, including the R5 Wayne station, the Radnor Middle School and the Wayne movie theater!! Upgraded kitchen,new windows, 2.5 upgraded bathrooms, upgraded "green" bamboo flooring in both dining room and living room, upgraded lighting, and new sliding glass doors open to:

the new wooden private back deck. Low average utility bills (current owners average less than $140/month). There is new wall to wall carpet throughout the second and third floors. All the rooms have been painted within the last three years. The basement has eight foot ceilings, laundry facilities and plenty of storage space. This home is considered part of the historically certified North Wayne neighborhood. This is a great opportunity to own a special home in one of the region’s most desirable neighborhoods

Spring Break was Great - Williamsburg VA

The Lowy's finally took advantage of the time share generously given them by grandmother Alice Tomann. We too the driving vacation down to Patriot's Place just outside colonial Williamsburg. Arrived Sunday late left Friday noon and had way too much fun in between.

Jamestown on Monday after the rain stopped - Dad learned how to tie knots with one old salt doing the teaching.

Tuesday we were out early at Busch Gardens for 10 hours -- and lots and lots of Roller Coasters. In fact the girls from 7:30 to closing time 8pm rode the Griffin 6 times in a row!!

Wednesday and Thursday Williamsburg and history - a mock trial at the court house, tour of the Governors mansion, tour of the Payton Randolf home, the wig shop, a reenactment of history and a ghost tour were the highlights.

Helping Linda from Rhode Island

Linda - if you were working in Pomfret is this the map for your driving distance?

Lowys visit Brooklyn

We just returned pre snow to Philadelphia from a short trip to visit friends Dave and Sarah in Brooklyn. They live in the Park Slope neighborhood. Really nice home. Saturday afternoon we arrived, we settled in and walked to the Brooklyn Bridge went across and back. Dinner at a local restaurant, Scottadito where the food was good and it was very family friendly.

Sunday we subway’d to Manhattan and SOHO for brunch with Julie and Olivia, We all then took the subway to Times Square, Toys are us Ferris wheel, then the M&M Store, then the Hershey’s store, farewell to Julie and Olivia. We then walked to the Empire State building – Up to the 86th floor observation deck, Lunch at the restaurant on the ground floor of the ESB. After lunch we headed to Macy’s for dress shopping, the cab to Sacks on 5th Ave for more shopping and Rockefeller Center, Back to Brooklyn and then the drive to back to Philadelphia. A great trip Pictures of the Trip

Willows Cottage and Skunk Hollow Community Farm

There will be a volunteer oportunity for you this Saturday the 28th of February to help work on restoring the Willows Cottage in Wayne PA. This cottage will be the eventual hub of the Radnor Skunk Hollow CSA. It will also serve as the home for the farm's farmer and his apprentice. For more information on the Radnor CSA please visit Skunk Hollow Farm

Obtaining an EcoBroker certification

I am in the midst of obtaining an EcoBroker certification so I may better represent my clients when it comes to environmental issues and their sale or purchase of a home. An interesting spot I have just found on a "field trip" in the course is at the USEPA.GOV site which is a guide to ALL ABOUT RADON

Open House @ 415 1st Avenue Canceled

The open house for 415 1st Avenue Scehduled for January 25 from 1-3pm has been canceled. The owners have accepted an offer on their home. All contingencies are not yet satisfied, so the house is still available to be seen by appointment. Please call 610-254-9292 to schedule your appointment.

Open House this Sunday 415 1st Avenue Newtown Square

415 First Avenue will be open this Sunday from 1 pm till 3 pm.

They know their home is small and they know the rooms are small. The house is the right size for you to begin raising a family. Or, maybe your brood has left the nest and you want a cozy place to relax and entertain friends which has low overhead, easy maintenance and which would make a great home base for you as you travel around the country or world. Then come see if this is the home for you.

WOW Factor -- Modern Extermination Company

I have to tell you how Modern Exterminating produced a WOW for my client and me. My client was closing on a home on a Thursday afternoon at 3:00 pm and the mortgage company which we had not used before required a termite certification at the last minute 9:00 am notification on the day of closing. My client had not had an inspection done. Once again , we were scheduled to close on the property at 3:00 this same day. Long story short, Modern was able to come out to the property, do the inspection, quote for the treatment AND on my clients say so and payment, do the treatment for active termites by 3:00 that day!!!!!! WOW. Their website is linked above.

Green Question

I am currently working on becoming GREEN certified as a Real estate agent. I am not sure where this will take me, but the more I study the better I feel about the type of information I am learning. It will enable me to help my clients find the information and the resources to let them create a greener lifestyle. I am learning about many websites which exist on the web such as the site Greenandsave.com or the reuse people .

The courses presents you with ideas about size of houses, site location considerations and about incorporating new ideas using new/ and old construction methods both for new construction and in retrofitting and remodeling. Shrinking your carbon foot print by using CFL (compact Florescent lights) and LED lighting and/or reducing you water consumption by using Dual Flush toilets and other methods are easy to implement. There is so much to talk about and it is really exciting. I will get you more information as I learn more.

Filter cleaning question

I was reading a column I recieve on a regular basis. In it the author was encouraging the home owners to change their heating filters one or twice a year. Once if your system is for heating and cooling only, twice at the beginning of each season change if your system is both cooling and heating. My thought on this was always check on the filter once a month, and if it is dirty, change it. The heat/cooling filter (according to the home inspectors I listen to when I tour home with my buyer clients) acts to keep the heating/cooling equipment clean and running efficiently. It is not an air filtration system for the house hold air.

A second cool thing I just found to help my listing clients is a web site called postlets. It helps syndicate the listing to many real estate based web sites like Zillow and Trulia as well as giving me other tools for marketing the property. Click her to view a sample

Teagarden Holiday Dog Picnic

Teagarden Holiday Dog Picnic - what a great time Sunday morning December 21st. More than 20 dogs brought their owners out to an early picnic in the park. The dogs were treated to pigs ears, a stolen doughnut or two and lots of cookie treats. Barks echoed off the hills and romping was the rule of the day. Big Thanks go to Liz High & Lori Friel who provided the donuts, coffee, hot cocoa, & other necessities.

Support a local business this Holiday Season

Hi all,

Seems there is a local business in Wayne which needs our support. The predicament of the Readers Forum on N. Wayne Ave may not be unique to Wayne or to independent small businesses, but our response of support can be. I would like to see the Wayne business district remain a vibrant-diverse collections of business which draws people from around the area to support our local economy. To me Wayne and it's character are important. By supporting the Readers Forum in Wayne when we buy or order books we as local consumers can make a difference to the survival of a small business in our community. The situation was brought to my attention by some friends who were kind enough to include me on their e-mail. Below is e-mail chain which was the catalyst for you receiving this note from me. Thank you for your attention.

Sent: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 9:19 pm Subject: Re: Readers Forum in Wayne
Books make such wonderful holiday gifts...hostess gifts...teachers...mail carriers...
Why don't we brainstorm this next week at our meeting for other ideas? I so agree with the sentiment in the email below.
Christi

On Nov 13, 2008, at 5:41 PM, name withheld wrote:
Please pass along- I'm wondering if there is anything That Book Club could do...

And the original message
Sent: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 2:27 pmSubject: Fwd: [Fwd: Fwd: Readers Forum in Wayne]


I stopped by yesterday to pick up a book and was distressed to see the shelves=2 0looking a little bare. Ed, one of the two staff members who is always there, mentioned that things were a little touch and go financially. How sad to see not only a Wayne icon on shaky ground – but one of the few independent bookstores still left perhaps in its last days. So of course I bought two books and luckily had enough cash so that I didn't need to use plastic. (More profit for them). This is just a simple plea, that if Wayne is convenient for you and you will be purchasing books in the near future, that you give your business to Readers Forum on North Wayne Avenue – right In the hub of town…..walking distance to the movies or a number of good places to eat. If you feel even remotely as strongly as I do about this, will you please spread the word.

Halloween Parade was Great

There was a bit of a competition for parade space. In Philadelphia there were approximately two million people trying to get a view of the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies. Back on the Main line in Wayne parents were stacked two or three deep craning to get a look at their child as he/she paraded around the oval in front of the school. What a great day!! Laughs, sighs and there were some awesome costumes too. I think the parents around the oval had the better idea. Here is a link to the album of shots

415 First Avenue, Newtown Square 19073--Price reduced by $9000

The owners of 415 First Avenue in Newtown Square want to move. They have just reduced/adjusted the price of their house by another $9000 down to $265,900. Please check this link pictures of 415 First Avenue to see more pictures of this wonderful value.

410 Oak Lane Wayne Pa 19087 Open house 10-26-08

There will be an Open House at my 410 Oak Lane listing this Sunday 10-26-08 from 11:00 am till 1:00 pm. I look forward to seeing you there.

Tom Lowy Awarded a 2008- 2009 Pennsylvania REALTORS Education Foundation (PREF) Scholarship

PREF Scholarship Winners Announced
The Association would like to congratulate the following members on their award of a 2008- 2009 Pennsylvania REALTORS Education Foundation (PREF) Scholarship:
Terry Kirkwood
Thomas Lowy
Carol Martin
Barbara Mastronardo
These four recipients were selected on the basis of their REALTOR activities, real estate courses, community activities, business accomplishments, and statements of scholarship value. The scholarship will provide each recipient up to $500 which can be used for tuition to any REALTOR designation or Broker course. Congratulations again to the recipients!

How big is your carbon footprint

Many of the items posted here have to do with Real Estate as that is my profession and my passion. I do have other passions as well and from time to time something interesting pops up that I like to pas on. I was reading this morning with my coffee next to me when I came upon a link I would like to share - a calculator by UC Berkley for estimating your carbon footprint. I did not have all of the information handy at first, but will be going back to fill in the rest. See how you do. Go to http://bie.berkeley.edu/calculator.html - Good luck. This is one time having a small foot is good. On my end, my inefficient home heating is something I need to work on.

Apples to pick near Wayne Pa

I sent out a list of Apple picking places in Pa. One of the recipients of the e-mail responded that too many of the places were too far away. He also clued me in on two other fun things to do which are nearby

"On Fri, we had an interesting time picking apples at Hopewell Furnace Nat’l Hist Site (fascinating if you’ve never been – I often find the closest things are the things I’ve never seen) – they have ~40 varieties on ~200 apple trees, up to 100 years old – some real heritage varieties. The apples are $1 a pound.

We rented a cabin in French Creek State Park for the a recent fall Holiday (Weds nite, Thurs, Thurs nite + Fri). $50 a nite! ! It slept 6 in two rooms. Electric stove + fridge, plus flush toilet + hot water showers, all in the cabin. And only a gallon (or two) away! "

Maybe these two places will help you create some great Fall 2008 memories

Regards,

Bill Gardiner- Wayne PA

Bird Habitat created at Wayne Elementary in Wayne PA

Thank you to the Audubon Pennsylvania, The Radnor Conservancy, The WES PTO, and all the teachers, children and parent volunteers who worked this past Saturday October 4th to create an experimental classroom/ native plant bird sanctuary and a separate bulb garden for the kids.

A big thank you to Ginny Kreitler from the Radnor Conservancy, Steve Saffier from the Audubon PA, to Heather Reilly and Helen McGrane from the WES PTO and to all the parents and kids who volunteered to spend their Saturday for all of their support.

Here is a list of the native plants donated by the conservancy
Large Circles =Small Trees Eastern red cedar (1), Pitch Pine(1), FloweringDogwood (1)
Row 2 – Large Shrubs Staghorn sumac(2), Red Chokecherry(2), Inkberry(2)
Row 3 – Medium or Slow growing Shrubs New Jersey Tea(3), Coralberry(2), Arrowwood viburnum (1)

Also worked on this day was the revitalization of the outdoor classroom and and the schools bulb garden located between the other second grade class rooms and the cafeteria. Teachers who helped here and on the other projects were Mrs Kniffen and Mr Gray. Here are a few shots of the Bulb Garden. Just wait till spring!!!!!

This corner will be an area where many students will get their little hands in the dirt!!!

Mortgage Rate Links

If you are interested in current Mortgage Rate links here is one source. I am working on more.

http://www.acqhomeloans.com/MortgageRates.aspx Link to Acquisition Home Mortgage

Open house at 27 Pine Street Newtown Square

The owners of 27 Pine Street in Newtown Square are have their house open to the public on Sunday September 27th from 2pm till 4pm. This is a home where seeing is believing. The owners have upgraded the floors the windows, the porch, the deck, the appliances, the closets and the bathrooms, kitchen and bed rooms. Refreshments will be served.

415 First Ave, Newtown Square $10,000 Price Adjustment

The Owners of 415 First Ave have reduced the price of their home by from $284,000 down to $274,000. That is a $10,000 reduction or more than 3%. They are ready to move.
Are you ready to move in and take advantage of low mortgage rates. Here are some more pictures of the house

410 Oak Lane Wayne Pa 19087 Beautiful Victorian Home for Sale - New listing

Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 2 1/2
Style: Victorian
Garage: 1 car Attached
Basement: Full, Unfinished
Age: 120+/ -
Zoning: Residential
Township: Radnor
Construction Stone /Frame
Water/sewer: Public
Heat: Oil, Steam
Hot Water : Gas
Cool: window units
Assessment: $ 278,740
Taxes: $7266+/-
Lot : 60 x 225 .31 acres

At 410 Oak Lane you will be living in the heart of Wayne. This lovely North Wayne home is located on a quiet tree lined street, a pleasant 7-minute walk from the Wayne train station and the center of Wayne. This classic Victorian home features bright, airy well-lit rooms, hardwood floors throughout and some original leaded glass windows. Quality craftsmanship and interesting detail can be found throughout this vintage home. The back yard is partially fenced and includes a creek. Its convenient location provides easy access to major highways, rail transit, and is within walking distance to many local parks and the Radnor Trail.

27 Pine Street

I have never seen so many peaches on one tree check out this tree!!!

27 Pine Street long view

Just a wee bit closer!

Check out the 2x4 holding up the branch!

For more information about 27 Pine Street

one of my current listings of homes for sale

house click here

To see the 27 Pine Street Blog

See the 27 Pine Street Realtor.com page

Philadelphia Fringe Festival

Hi you all-

I asked a friend of mine which performances would be appropriate for my daughters Susanna (12) and Natasha (9) and here are the ones he suggested. The Philly Live Arts and Fring Festival is something unique to Philly. It is modeled after the Edinburgh Scotland Festival

Fringe is just insanity, but a couple more weeks and it’ll be over. Some things you and the girls might enjoy –

Wandering Alice, Bethany’s in this one:
http://www.livearts-fringe.org/2008/details.cfm?id=2888
Tickets are really scarce, was sold out, but they just released a few, so buy them as soon as you can if you want to see it.

Karen Getz – should be a really fun and funny dance show,
http://www.livearts-fringe.org/2008/details.cfm?id=2873

Sebastienne Mundheim – visual puppetry dance theater, generally she’s really witty and accessible to kids and adults, this is a new piece
http://www.livearts-fringe.org/2008/details.cfm?id=2882

Tania Isaac – could be intense, but she’s a pretty smart modern choreographer
http://www.livearts-fringe.org/2008/details.cfm?id=2883

Leah Stein – improve dance with a 100 person choir, should sound spectacular and be beautiful
http://www.livearts-fringe.org/2008/details.cfm?id=3136

Car Wash for a good Cause

On my way home from my listing at 27 Pine Street I came across a bake sale / free car wash. As it turns out there was a member of the staff of the community in the Newtown Square Community Center (home of the Marple Newtown Players) who had died of Cancer. The car wash was free, but after the effort the local kids showed and the quality of the job they did I felt compelled to donate. By the way my car was very very clean. Here is a short clip of the event.

Vacation and Volunteer in Africa

I was having dinner at a friend's house the other night. His daughter who lives in South Africa was in for a visit. She is involved with an organization which combines vacations and volunteering for South Africa.. It is called Volunteer Africa 32 degrees south . This link goes to the home page.

Volunteer Africa 32˚ south (VA32) was formed in 2005 in response to the need to consolidate and expand on various humanitarian outreach initiatives, conservation drives and social development projects in the southern Wild Coast area of South Africa. Under the leadership of Sean Price and Michael Denison of African Heartland Journeys cc, an eco-tourism business specializing on the Wild Coast and involved in rural community tourism initiatives and small business empowerment projects, VA32 was introduced to the market. VA32 provides the vehicle through which the above initiatives continue to grow by accessing the international volunteering market. This market provides the much needed human resources and skills bank for the attainment of our stated objectives.

To answer some frequently asked questions click here The biggest question is why pay to volunteer. I remember when I was younger paying to volunteer to work on a very old hotel in Cape May, The Chalfonte. We were helping the owners get the hotel ready, keeping an historic structure in shape and in business and having fun as well as learning about life in the process. A multiple win situation for sure.

With VA32 it will be the same thing - learn about life, yourself and help others. Good luck.

New Listing 415 First Avenue in Newtonw Square

What a great little home. Three bedrooms two up one down with a full bath on each floor. This home has a double lot. In point of fact it is two separately deeded lots both of them are 50ft by 140 ft in depth. Not sure if you could build another home, you would need to check with the township on that, but you sure have a big yard. The back is fenced and it has a nice deck out back as well as a private front porch. Here is the Link

If you would like to see a whole lot of pictures of the place click here

Summer Camp Visiting Day

It has been a quiet two weeks with both girls off at summer camp. We are lucky enough to be able to send them to a sleep away camp. The camp had a visiting day on Sunday the 27th. Here is a link to the pictures from the day which included fried oreo cookies from a road side stand, put put golf, and a wonderful lunch providedby the camp. Grand ma and Grand pa also were in attendance. The camp is Camp Timber Tops located in Greeley PA Just north of Buskill falls and east of Lake Wallenpaupack

Playing Volleyball for a good cause

The WILLOWDALE STEEPLECHASE GROUNDS were the site this past weekend where this author dusted of his grass volleyball skills for a full day playing 4's. The best result was there was no trip to the emergency room. That is victory in itself. It was nice to see a tournament for a good cause - this was he 17th Annual Ball Hog Volleyball Tournament & Family Picnic - this benefit event continues to support the Child Abuse Prevention and Youth Programs of the Turks Head Exchange Club of West Chester. The combination of competitive play, picnic atmosphere and beautiful scenery makes this tournament one of the most unique in
the country. We had a lot of fun, good competition, and a beautiful day. One side note you as a player did not go hungry because the tournament provided the "picnic" - all the pulled pork, hot dogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob and watermelon we could eat. The site was the steeplechase grounds near Landalf Pa. There turned out to be more than 30 nets. With 4 or 5 teams on each net. That is a lot of volleyball for one day. Skill levels ranged from recreational 6 people per side, to just below professional (AA) using 4 people per side (same size court). . Form is good here. There were folks from a wide range of backgrounds all brought together in the name of fun and sport.