The Pittsburgh Rare

Improve Your Home for Less than $1,000

2009-08-12T18:55:55Z

Many home improvement projects can be accomplished with a modest amount of cash and yet deliver lots of value, particularly when it’s time for you to sell your house. From the Money Pit, here are some upgrages that will cost under $1,000:

Replace kitchen counter tops - Cook up a new look by upgrading kitchen work surfaces with one of the many sleek, budget-friendly materials available.

Accessorize the bathroom for comfort and safety - If you plan to stay in your home for many years to come, start making small changes that create easy access for family members of all ages and abilities.

Brush on a new look - Paint is one of the most affordable home improvement products around, so make it your go-to technique for updating a living space.

Spruce up an outdoor room - Expand both your living space and your home’s value by building a small deck or a patio of brick, natural stone or cement pavers.

Enhance curb appeal - Your front yard is an instant register of home value for every passerby, so green it up for a lush, lively look.

Improve energy efficiency - The climbing costs of home heating fuel make penny-saving improvements all the more valuable.

Accessorize to organize - Make more space by clearing away clutter and installing organization systems.

Read the entire article.

Pittsburgh’s South Side: Home Sales Increased Again in July

2009-08-12T18:24:03Z

Here’s the list of 13 homes that sold in July on Pittsburgh’s South Side (up from 10 in June):

Address	List Price	Sold Price
2619 Stromberg Street	289,900	283,000
2905 Sarah Street	285,000	280,000
1709 Edwards Way	194,000	184,500
2516 Mission Street	195,000	183,000
2334 Larkins Way	169,900	162,370
51 Pius Street	154,900	158,000
143 S 19th Street	159,900	140,000
429 East Carson Street	139,900	130,000
102-104 Handler Street	91,000	84,000
1911 Baldauf Street	57,000	49,900
2623 Stromberg Street	44,900	25,000
45 Sterling Street	36,100	12,000
2411 Salisbury Street	9,900	9,900

Upper St. Clair Home Sales Nearly Tripled in 2 Months

2009-08-12T18:56:32Z

Real estate sales in Upper St. Clair showed good growth over the last two months. From 13 homes sold in May, to 22 in June, sales jumped again in July with 37:

Address	List Price	Sold Price
2001 Murdstone Drive	540,000	540,000
1700 Ewing Circle	395,000	395,000
1836 Tragone Drive	394,900	382,500
2080 Outlook Drive	399,900	375,000
1802 Tragone Drive	389,000	375,000
2677 Gloucester Drive	349,000	340,000
435 Cadberry Court	349,900	315,000
2146 Meadowmont Drive	300,000	295,000
3416 Brookdale Drive	295,900	295,000
217 Carriage Lane	279,000	260,000
2384 Rexford Drive	274,000	251,000
1317 Manor Drive	265,000	250,000
1188 Sky Ridge Drive	242,500	239,468
1220 Ridgewood Road	250,000	237,875
1809 Taper Drive	259,900	235,000
504 Trotwood Ridge Road	259,900	233,000
2433 Huntington Drive	225,000	228,000
1604 Terrie Drive	229,900	225,000
2631 Old Washington Road	229,900	222,000
2304 Weston Drive	224,900	220,000
1603 Seegar Road	224,900	220,000
1721 Partridge Run Road	229,000	216,300
368 Lorlita Lane	219,900	215,750
2140 Clairmont Drive	229,900	215,000
471 Laredo Drive	229,000	215,000
1166 Billings Drive	221,500	212,000
219 Lesnett Road	189,900	200,000
1321 Rose Circle	210,000	197,000
210 Johnston Road	194,900	194,900
14 Keifer Drive	184,750	177,500
2513 Partridge Drive	174,900	174,900
3507 Myrna Drive	174,900	168,450
2274 Washington Road	179,900	165,000
103 Royanna Drive	156,000	156,000
153 Highview Drive	149,000	143,500
1329 Sun Ridge Drive	140,000	139,000
472 Long Drive	125,000	125,000

Call me today if you are ready to buy or sell a home in Upper St. Clair, or in any of our great Pittsburgh communities.

Water Your Home Lawn the Green Way

2009-08-12T18:55:17Z

Do you water your lawn … and the sidewalks and street? From Best Green Home Tips, here are some rules for eco-minded summer lawn watering:

Many lawns only need about one inch of water per week to thrive and, in areas that see more rain, your lawn may need even less.
Timed sprinklers can help you water less and more efficiently.
Water in the morning or in the evening. If you water midday, most of the water is evaporated by the hot sun and can’t actually do its job.
Set your sprinklers up to cover actual vegetation areas, not the sidewalk or street.
Use recycled water – easy if you have a rain barrel.
Use a hose or watering can for smaller areas vs. a sprinkler. When doing this, water slowly which helps the roots to get the water they need.
Create an earth-friendly rain garden.
Water less by planting native plants and by eliminating lawn areas where possible.

Peters Township Real Estate Sales Dip Slightly in July

2009-08-11T20:14:17Z

There were 24 homes sold in Peters Township during the month of July, compared to 28 in June. Here’s the July list:

Address	List Price	Sold Price
Lot 24 Windsor Court (New Construction)	699,900	741,250
1131 Moccasin Drive	619,900	570,000
Lot 610 Wild Briar (New Construction)	373,068	568,900
620 Sagewood Drive	559,900	520,000
202 Fox Run Drive	534,500	510,000
41 Lintel Drive	514,900	510,000
203 Bridle Trail	500,000	485,000
208 Windermere Court	495,900	475,000
317 Buffalo Ridge Road	475,000	460,000
163 Druid Drive	432,900	432,000
139 Elm Grove Drive	429,900	429,900
404 Bridle Trail	439,900	405,000
113 Blackmore Drive (New Construction)	395,000	395,000
218 Walnut Drive	369,900	375,000
116 Spring Meadow Drive	339,900	330,000
105 Standing Rock Drive	330,000	325,000
595 Bower Hill Road	299,900	283,500
352 E McMurray Road	281,900	270,000
133 Marble Drive	255,000	258,000
106 Lampliter Lane	248,745	250,000
202 Grandview Drive	249,900	242,000
122 W Edgewood Drive	239,900	239,900
120 McClintock Drive	227,500	227,500
516 E McMurray Road	225,000	210,000

There are a lot of great Peters Township homes on the market, so give me a call if you want to take a look at what’s available.

Do You Need a Home Security System?

2009-08-05T18:18:18Z

One of the first investments that you should consider after buying a new house is a home security system. Protecting your home with a security system provides a much safer environment for your family and eases your mind in 4 areas:

1. Dissuasion – if a burgler sees a home security label on your window, he may move on to an easier target.

2. Minimum loss – if someone enters your home, he won’t stick around very long when the alarm sounds.

3. Avoiding confrontation – if you arrive home and the alarm is sounding, you know not to enter the house.

4. Protection against fires – smoke detectors can be incorporated into the system.

For more information, read the Home Alarm Systems Buying Guide.

Mt. Lebanon Home Sales Are Still Going Strong

2009-08-04T14:25:26Z

Mt. Lebanon real estate sales were strong again in July (52 homes sold, slightly better than the 51 sold in June). The last time more than 50 homes sold in Mt. Lebanon was in August 2007.

Address	List Price	Sold Price
3 Forest Glen Drive	630,000	630,000
253 Morrison Drive	489,900	480,000
734 Pinoak Road	449,000	402,000
347 Parker Drive	425,000	385,000
257 Vee Lynn Drive	375,000	375,000
194 Mayfair Drive	399,000	370,000
142 Crescent Drive	387,500	365,000
448 Parkview Drive	389,900	352,500
121 Mayfair Drive	349,900	340,000
850 Macarthur Drive	335,500	325,000
33 Altadena Drive	319,900	299,000
248 Orchard Drive	325,850	298,500
1431 Mohican Drive	296,900	286,000
114 Woodhaven Drive	274,900	265,000
844 Foxland Drive	273,000	264,000
108 Bradley Court	269,900	259,000
555 Sandrae Drive	265,000	256,525
460 Willow Drive	255,000	245,500
813 Hillaire Drive	249,500	241,000
870 Bridgewater Drive	259,000	240,000
1145 Pinewood Drive	259,900	239,000
99 Newburn Drive	229,000	238,500
1206 Pinewood Drive	235,000	230,000
1017 Larchdale Drive	269,900	226,800
115 Seminole Drive	224,900	217,000
282 Magnolia Place	219,900	212,750
1305 Firwood Drive	209,900	212,180
110 Shady Drive West	219,900	208,000
439 Marlin Drive	214,900	207,000
760 Gypsy Lane	209,000	205,000
487 Duquesne Drive	208,500	196,500
109 Elatan Drive	199,900	195,000
138 Poplar Drive	194,000	195,000
1159 Driftwood Drive	197,900	190,000
32 Academy Avenue	189,900	190,000
273 Roycroft Avenue	192,500	189,000
698 Fruithurst Drive	194,900	178,000
106 Morrison Drive	199,900	175,000
26 Rosemont Avenue	174,900	174,900
618 Crystal Drive	169,900	172,120
331 Jonquil Place	169,900	165,000
211 Altoona Place	168,350	165,000
774 Lebanon Avenue	168,900	164,375
719 Kewanna Avenue	159,900	160,000
800 Ella Street	154,900	154,900
619 Moreland Drive	150,000	149,000
610 Briarwood Avenue	138,500	142,500
517 Clemson Drive	139,900	142,000
472 Sleepy Hollow	134,000	133,560
460 Broadmoor Avenue	134,900	130,000
1347 Sylvandell Drive	127,900	118,000
938 Segar Road	119,900	117,000

If you are ready to buy or sell a home in Mt. Lebanon, I live in the community and know it well – so give me a call today.

Take a Weekend to Make Simple Green Home Changes

2009-07-15T14:14:52Z

If you’ve got a weekend, then you have enough time to green your home. According to Best Green Home Tips, here are some small changes you can make quickly:

Clean your refrigerator coils - Your fridge coils may be costing you in both energy and money. Dirty coils have to work harder to cool your fridge which pumps up your electricity use, and in turn your bill. You can easily clean off the dust and grime with a long brush and your fridge will run better.

Hang a clothes line - With warm summer air here, you’ve got no excuse not to hang a clothes line. This will save energy and money plus is a super cheap fix to start with. It’ll only cost you about $10 for a decent clothesline and about 50 clothespins either online or at your local hardware store.

Clear out some plastics - Go through your kitchen cupboards and clear out some toxic plastic dishes and containers. Aim to ditch plastics #3, 6, or 7 first as these are the most toxic. Cleaning out toxic plastics leaves you space to stock up on some eco-friendly food storage containers.

Read the entire article.

South Side Real Estate Sales Increase in June

2009-07-15T13:42:21Z

Here’s the list of 10 homes that sold in June on Pittsburgh’s South Side (up from 6 in May):

Address	List Price	Sold Price
148 S 17th Street	419,900	395,000
1101 Sarah Street	275,000	250,000
2705 Josephine Street	239,000	232,500
1823 Sarah Street	235,000	225,000
506 Bingham Street	177,000	170,000
1818 Jane Street	159,000	150,000
1513 Sarah Street	119,500	110,000
200 15th Street	87,500	87,500
62 Magdalena Street	31,000	31,500
1014 Warrington Avenue	29,500	25,000

Home Buying and Single Women

2009-07-15T14:08:27Z

Are you a single woman looking for a new home? Well, you’re not alone. According to the report, Buying For Themselves: An Analysis of Unmarried Female Home Buyers, single women drive at least 20% of home sales.

If you’re like the average woman in this report, your home buying requirements may be a little different from your partnered female friends. Instead of looking for more space or a change of locale, most single women simply want to own their own home. Friends and family are important to these women and they tend to buy closer to these people. Single women are not as likely to give up location or neighborhood quality as they are amenities and home size.

For more information, visit the National Association of Realtors’ website for its Field Guide for Women Homebuyers. And, if you’re ready to buy a home, give me a call today so I can help you find a house that matches your priorities.