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Philadelphia Neighborhoods


Living in Society Hill
Living on Rittenhouse Sq.
Fitler Square Condos

Old City Condos
Condos Near U of Penn
Art Museum Area

Northern Liberties
Queen Village
Bella Vista

Philadelphia Condo Buildings


Two Liberty Place
The Barclay Condos
The Dorchester

Hawthorne Lofts
Hopkinson House
The Murano

The National
The Phoenix
The Winne Building

The Tivoli Condos
Waterfront Square
Le Grenier
     


Published Articles

1326 Spruce Street: CenterCityCondos.com Gets the Scoop that Center City One Condominiums is Undergoing Modern, New-Classical Upgrades
Center City One Condominiums will soon begin upgrading their common areas. This will be a wonderful and exciting change for the building, which boasts so many fabulous features [Learn More...]


 Deception by "Comparables", The Buyers are back... baby!!, Uttered Stupidity, and
2012- A Sellers Market in many segments of town
Don't believe everything you read, or every comparable you see. NOT all condo space is created equal, and not all two bedrooms in the same building are of the same value. Duh. [Learn More...]

60% Sold Out?! Yeah Bullsh**, Best Brownstone Buildings, and See Me on HGTV
 Some Agents for New High Rises may Claim Their New Condo Building is 60%Sold Out - And I Claim They May Have a Problem Telling The Truth. Not always, but I have seen this happen on more than one occasion. And just not here in Center City- A good friend of mine sells in Miami FL and he said he hears the same crap all the time. [Learn More...]

Crappy Philly Condo Blgds, Condo Assn's that Kill Value, Buy or get outta' my car.
There are a lot of well managed, well run condo buildings here in town, and there are a lot of crappy, hard to resell, impossible to finance, and just all around disasters- In terms of being an awful investment. [Learn More...]

Murano and The Phoenix...Post Auction
How are the two buildings doing in terms of sales, re-sales, and value retention?
After initial sluggish sales, both High Rise 19103 buildings (developers) opted for an auction to move unsold units with their building. I believe the long-term results were nothing short of a huge win for the condominium associations as a whole, and the Murano and Phoenix are now two of the hottest selling condos [Learn More...]

10 Best Center City Condo Buildings 2011
In no specific order, these are my picks for buildings that seem to rise to the occasion in terms of resale value, demand, and popularity in terms of requests for additional info on my website [Learn More...]


 Killer Views
Assessing the value of a Center City Condo View
If you are of a certain age, you recall that Eva Gabor on Green Acres just "Adores A Penthouse View" for which she and her husband no doubt forked over some big bucks to accommodate her desire. And who wouldn't love such a view? The question is- Are you willing to pay for such an amenity- and how do you know what dollar value to assign to such a Killer View? [Learn More...]


Ten Best Center City Condo Buildings 2011
Like Hair-Do’s and Trendy hot spots around town, the popularity and demand for specific Philadelphia condominiums can fall in and out of style. The following ten Center City condo buildings have withstood the test of time, and generally garner more interest from buyers than sellers. [Learn More...]


Buyers Should Scrutinize the Dealings of a Condo Association Too
A blind man knows when the sun is shining, and even a casual observer can spot a poorly operated condominium association. [Learn More...]


Defining Low Rise Condominiums in Center City Philadelphia
Here in Center City Philadelphia, low rise condominiums (LRCs) are numerous and are often favored by many buyers. LRCs are generally characterized by buildings that are less than four stories tall and generally have less than twenty condominium units in that particular association. [Learn More...]

Seven Road Blocks to Condominium Financing
...Condo Associations are becoming heavily scrutinized
We have all heard of the difficulties in procuring a residential mortgage - from the need for high credit scores to the down payment requirements. [Learn More...]


Maybe A Rich New Yorker Will Buy My Overpriced Condo
As a veteran Philadelphia realtor, I hear a lot of interesting things come out of the mouths of many sellers here in our marketplace. In a softening real estate market, seller sometimes have high hopes for their often overlooked condominiums. [Learn More...]

Emotion Equals Value in Some Segments of the Philadelphia Condominium Market
In many urban condominium markets like Philadelphia, the adage of Location, Location, Location may not be as important as Condition, Condition, Condition. [Learn More...]

Center City One Condos at 1326 Spruce St.
 A Great Value which could be improved!
With 182 individual condominium units, and 86 deeded parking spots, Center City One Condominiums have a great reputation for being a solid Philadelphia real estate buy. [Learn More...]


Condominium Pet Policies vary Building by Building
Every Philadelphia condo association has its own rule governing cats, dogs, giraffes, and other miscellaneous pets. Here in downtown Philadelphia, I find that almost all of these small associations allow dogs and cats. [Read More...]

Are Philadelphia Rittenhouse Square Condos Somewhat Passe?
 Or more aptly put, is it possible to offend a whole subset of Philadelphia real estate owners in one article?
I think the possibility of both is worthy of consideration. [Read More...]

Putting a Value on  Philadelphia Pre-War Condominiums Cache 

If the adage location, location, location were as etched in stone as it is etched in many buyers minds, then there would be little price difference between The Wanamaker House Condos at 2020 Walnut St., and it's high-rise condominium neighbor, "2135" Walnut St. [Learn More...]


Forget Location, Location, Location
 Today's Condo Manta should be: "Association, Association, Association"
Condominium Associations Policies Are Playing a Heavier Role In Value Determination. Many condo buyers are dismissing the old adage of "Location, Location, Location" as being the primary determining factor in the value of any given condominium in today's uncertain real estate market. [Learn More...]

Philadelphia Condo Auctions
 After the Murano, The Phoenix, and CU 257, who is next in line?
Step right up, Ladies and Gentlemen, and see the might tumble. Large chucks of unsold, high-rise, new construction condos are flying out the door in Center City Philadelphia via auction. [Learn More...]

Condos near Hahnemann University Hospital
Every spring, my website is abuzz with new interns, residents, and fellows moving looking to purchase a condo near Hahnemann University Hospital.  Be it parents, or students themselves, a number of priorities seem to be similar amongst those looking to buy a condo in the area. [Learn More...]

Philadelphia Loft Living for Empty Nesters
 Center City offers a buffet of living arrangements.
Almost any Center City condominium with a smattering of exposed brick attempts to pass itself off as a loft. Often sought after as an expression of one’s own style, loft living has taken off in downtown Philadelphia [Learn More...]


Philadelphia Condo Auctions
...a wave of the near future?
Without picking on one Philadelphia condo building in particular, there can be no argument that more than one condo building in Center City has not achieved its sales goals and projections. Blame it on a poor location, a snotty sales team that doesn't encourage realtor cooperation [Learn More...]


Can you handle living in a Philadelphia Condominium
 ...or does big city living give you the willies?
Having just lunched with an old college friend who lives in suburban Cincinnati, I am aware that suburban life and I are like oil and water. Though I covet her ownership of a three car garage, and unlimited access to parking at the local drugstore, I am aware that I would be "voted off the island" [Learn More...]

Best Philadelphia Condos- Top Ten for 2009
Much like fashion, restaurants, and bedspreads at Restoration Hardware, the popularity and demand for specific Philadelphia condo buildings does come in and out of vogue. Though essentially a buyers market, the following ten Center City condos have withstood the test of time, and generally garner more interest from buyers than sellers. [Learn More...]

 

Condos near Jefferson Medical School in Philadelphia

Every spring, my phone starts ringing off the hook with students and or parents of students who will be attending Jefferson Medical School. Many of these folks have figured out that buying a condo in the area is a wise investment, as opposed to a long term rental. [Learn More...]

 

The Sizzle Sells the Condo

The anticipation of a new condo project can outweigh the reality of the finished product, as buyers really aren’t sure of how the finished project is going to sell, once completed. [Learn More...]

 

The Cache of Many Philadelphia condo Buildings

...the path between the perception and value is a short one
If the adage location, location, location were as etched in stone as it is etched in many buyers minds, then there would be little price difference between The Wanamaker House Condominiums at 2020 Walnut St. [Learn More...]

 

Depreciation and Appreciation in the Center City Condo Market
As Heidi Klum would say, "One Day You Are In, and The Next Day, You Are Out". That notion, if stretched and reworked a bit, could be somewhat applicable to condos in Center City Philadelphia. [Learn More...]
 

Misguided Philly Condominium Developers
Big-brained idealists with little local real estate knowledge have been breaking ground new condominium developments in record numbers in the past decade here in the US. Not every ground breaking is indeed Ground-Breaking [Learn More...]

 Spruce Street condos and Pine Street condos in downtown Philadelphia
Along (what I have dubbed) the Spruce/Pine corridor here in Center City Philadelphia, there are a variety of low rise/Brownstone styled condominiums that have seemed to perform reliably well over the past decade. From studios to three bedroom units, these condominiums resell fairly well [Learn More...]

 

Your parents sold the house where you grew up and you are not welcome in their new penthouse in Old City
You can never go home again. Especially when your parents have unloaded that five bedroom ranch house in the suburbs in lieu of an urban penthouse in Center City Philadelphia. [Learn More...]

 

Buying New Construction Condos in Philadelphia can really be awful
Buying a new construction condo can really try one’s patience. From delays in proposed settlement dates, to varying opinions of what constitutes a finished product, can really be a pain in the butt. [Learn More...]

 New Philadelphia condos can depreciate
Similar to the initial depreciation when buying a new car, condos in Philadelphia can initially depreciate, once they have been purchased-even in a stable real estate market. There is clearly a value to buying something new, and not used. Be it a purse, a TV, or a condo. [Learn More...]
 

....but the home buying process may make you feel otherwise

As a veteran downtown Philadelphia Realtor, I am sometimes accused of being indifferent to the mental trauma thrust upon buyers, especially first time buyers, as they drive down the fairway in life knowing as the home buying process. [Learn More...]
 

Has the condo market been overbuilt, or overpriced?

Unless you live underneath a rock, it can be no surprise that the condominium market in particular has drawn the short end of the stick in the recent housing downturn. From high rise to loft/Brownstone styled condos, the market seems unyielding harsh to the presence of a growing number of unsold condo units. [Learn More...]

 

Center City Offers a buffet of living arrangements.
Almost any Center City condominium, with a smattering of exposed brick, attempts to pass itself off as a loft. Often sought after as an expression of one’s own style, loft living has taken off in downtown Philadelphia. [Learn More...]
 

Not giving an inch may cost you a mint in a real estate transaction.

Back in the 1960's, Tarryton Cigarettes had the saying "I'd Rather Fight Than Switch". Personally, I think I would give up my specific brand of cigarettes than take a solid punch in the face. But fighting is what some folks like to do, at least verbally, and this characteristic is often played out during the back and forth volleying of buying or selling a home. [Learn More...]

 Condominium Pet Policies and Resale Value
How might the former affect the latter in a Philadelphia condominium?
Pet policies throughout the Philadelphia condominium landscape are as varied as the associations who put forth their rules regarding pets. From exceedingly liberal, to exceedingly exclusionary [Learn More...]

        

 

 

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Mark@CenterCity.com

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