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Author: Michaelle Bond

  • See what $1 million can buy you in Medford, the New Hope area, and Queen Village | The Price Point

    See what $1 million can buy you in Medford, the New Hope area, and Queen Village | The Price Point

    The Price Point compares homes listed for similar sale prices across the region to help readers set expectations about house hunting.

    In the Philadelphia area, a home on the market for $1 million or more is uncommon.

    As of Sept. 2, roughly 1,070 homes across the Philadelphia metropolitan area were for sale at this price point, according to the multiple listing service Bright MLS. That was about 8% of all active home listings.

    Many of these listings highlight elements that have become standard in luxury homes, such as double vanities and soaking tubs in the primary bathrooms and quartz or granite countertops in the kitchen.

    Location, outdoor spaces, and special features make million-dollar homes stand apart.

    Here’s what a buyer can get for $1 million in Solebury, Bucks County; Medford, Burlington County; and Philadelphia’s Queen Village neighborhood.

    A large lot near New Hope with a pool

    When it comes to this house in Solebury, “the neighborhood and the area and the school district are amazing,” said listing agent Lisa DePamphilis, broker associate with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, Realtors.

    The property, located between New Hope and Doylestown, is within walking distance of Peddler’s Village and nearby cafés and restaurants. And it’s just off Route 202.

    The home is on one of the biggest lots in its development and has an in-ground pool and a large yard that includes a storage shed and a play set. There’s also an attached two-car garage.

    The house includes hardwood floors, two fireplaces, two laundry rooms, a finished basement, a generator for the entire house, and a newly renovated kitchen with granite countertops. The primary suite’s bathroom has a soaking tub.

    “It’s perfect for a family,” DePamphilis said. “It’s just a great house.”

    One of the biggest draws to the area is the school district.

    New Hope-Solebury School District’s high school was ranked No. 4 in Pennsylvania and No. 1 in Bucks County by U.S. News & World Report for the current school year.

    The district’s middle school was one of three in Pennsylvania and 39 nationwide to be named a 2026 “school of distinction” by the Association for Middle Level Education.

    The home was listed for sale for $1 million on Aug. 20.

    Newly renovated house in Medford

    Robert Playford, a salesperson for RealtyMark Properties and owner of this Medford home, fully renovated the property through his flipping business, Skyliner Homes LLC.

    The home has a new roof and heating and cooling system and also new laminate flooring and carpeting. It has newly installed gas service and a finished basement.

    The renovated kitchen includes quartz countertops, an island, and double ovens. The family room has vaulted ceilings with exposed, painted beams and a fireplace. The primary suite’s bathroom includes a soaking tub and separate makeup vanity.

    A back patio with a fire pit looks out onto a large yard that includes a pond.

    The property has an attached two-car garage, which isn’t unusual. But it also has a 2,400-square-foot heated detached garage. A buyer could use it as a garage or workshop or turn it into an indoor soccer field or pickleball court, Playford said.

    “It’s a really nice home,” he said. “It’s a really nice location.”

    The home is up the street from Johnson’s Corner Farm. It’s on Hartford Road, a main thoroughfare, but has a long driveway and is far enough from the road that the owner would have privacy.

    The property is close to Routes 70 and 38 and a roughly 15-minute drive to the Centerton Square shopping center.

    The home was listed for sale for $1.15 million at the end of April. In the months since, a sale fell through, and the price has dropped. As of Sept. 4, the property was listed for sale for $999,900.

    Newly built townhouse in Queen Village

    There aren’t a lot of newly built homes in the Queen Village neighborhood, so this townhouse presents buyers with a rare opportunity, said co-listing agent Arvind Balaji, associate broker with the Mike McCann Team.

    The house is one of three that make up the Estates at Queen Village community, and it comes with a full 10-year tax abatement.

    “It’s a good quality home,” Balaji said. “In years to come, it will just increase in value.”

    Neighborhood residents can walk to restaurants, cafés, parks, the farmers market at Head House Square, and the Italian Market. The tree-lined blocks around the home have a residential feel, which “is very important to the person spending a million dollars on their home,” Balaji said.

    In addition to the location, potential buyers have liked the size of the bedrooms and the amount of natural light.

    The roof deck is also a draw. It offers “unbelievable unobstructed views,” he said.

    The home also has a kitchen with an island and quartz countertops, two laundry areas, and a backyard patio. It was built with materials that muffle sound between floors and from the outside.

    The primary suite spans the third floor and includes a bathroom with a soaking tub and heated floors.

    The home was listed for sale in May for $1,039,900. The price dropped to $1 million last month.

  • New York renters want to come to Philly and vice versa, Zillow says

    New York renters want to come to Philly and vice versa, Zillow says

    Renters in New York are looking to come to Philly and vice versa, according to an analysis of rental search trends in 50 metropolitan areas by Zillow.

    The Philadelphia metro area’s top out-of-town market for rental searches was the New York area, as of July. And the New York area’s top out-of-town market for rental searches was the Philadelphia region.

    Slightly more than 7% of views on rental listings in the Philadelphia area came from people in the New York metro. In the New York area, which was the market most driven by local searches, 1.6% of views came from residents of the Philadelphia region.

    The Philadelphia area has long been a destination for New Yorkers looking for relatively more affordable homes.

    Overall, two in five views for a rental in the Philadelphia area came from outside the region. Most searches — the other roughly 61% — came from locals.

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    In the Philadelphia area, the percentage of rental listing views from out of town grew slightly — by 0.6 percentage points — from last year.

    Shares of out-of-town rental searches grew the most — a few percentage points — in the Buffalo, Chicago, and Houston metro areas.

    “Renting is often how people try out a new community before committing,” Mischa Fisher, chief economist at Zillow, said in a statement. “When we see a market with a growing share of rental searches coming from outside the metro, that tips us off to a developing pipeline.”

    In hot spots such as Raleigh, N.C.; Hartford, Conn.; and New Orleans; out-of-town rental hunters outnumber locals searching on Zillow. These places have been destinations for people living in coastal metros with higher costs.

    In the New York metro, more than three in four views on rental listings came from locals. Rental markets in the Los Angeles and Chicago areas also are mostly driven by locals. These three markets are the biggest in the country, so their population sizes fuel higher local search traffic.

  • Creating shaded outdoor havens | Real Estate Newsletter

    Creating shaded outdoor havens | Real Estate Newsletter

    In the heat of summer, shade can mean the difference between relaxing on your patio or deck for hours or feeling your skin cooking in the sun for 30 minutes before you’ve had enough and head back inside.

    With housing costs as high as they are, homeowners are looking to get the most out of their properties. And they’re turning outdoor space into living space they can use for most of the year. That means adding shade.

    Options range from budget-friendly DIY shade sails and simple pergola kits to custom structures that can cost tens of thousands of dollars or more.

    A couple in Washington Square West spent about $140,000 to extend their living space into their yard with a fancy pergola.

    Keep scrolling for that story and more in this week’s edition:

    — Michaelle Bond

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    Shaded outdoor living spaces

    When Amy and Bob Kothari moved from Ambler to Washington Square West, they wanted city living but didn’t want to give up the outdoor space they loved in the suburbs.

    The historically designated home they chose has an 800-square-foot yard they wanted to make the most of.

    They spent about $140,000 to transform the space. A pergola includes a ceiling fan, heaters, and a roof with slats that automatically close in the rain. The couple added lighting, brickwork, flagstone, and landscaping.

    The yard is not only a spot to relax and entertain, but it also functions as a home office.

    Homeowners like the Kotharis are extending their living spaces and keeping cool in the summer with pergolas, awnings, motorized retractable shades, screens, and UV-resistant fabric strung up for shade.

    Keep reading to learn about options and what to keep in mind.

    📮Have you done something with your outside space that makes you use it more? Tell me about it.

    Philly apartments are shrinking

    If you’ve noticed that newer Philly apartments seem smaller, you’re not imagining things. They are.

    In fact, among the country’s largest cities for renters, Philly has some of the smallest new apartments. The city ranked 88th in a list of 100.

    That’s according to a new report by RentCafe, the nationwide apartment search website.

    New Philly apartments, which the platform defined as those built between 2016 and 2025, span an average of 747 square feet — 163 fewer square feet than the national average.

    And although apartments across the country got slightly bigger last year, in Philadelphia, they’re shrinking.

    Keep reading to learn how much space apartment renters have lost and why Philly’s in-demand rental market means smaller homes.

    The latest news to pay attention to

    Home tour: Gardens in Merion Station

    I’d give myself a solid C+ in caring for plants.

    My home is filled with greenery, and my spider plant makes more babies than I know what to do with.

    But I accidentally killed the vine my mom had grown for decades. (My fault for bringing it to the office.) I couldn’t keep my money tree alive. (Is that a bad sign?) And I’ve recently learned — on my second attempt — that I can’t handle lilies. (How could drooping leaves mean I either gave them too much water or not enough?)

    But many people I’ve featured in my newsletter have had green thumbs.

    When Laura White and her husband, Boots Levinson, bought their Merion Station home, the yard didn’t have much life. Now, it’s filled with thriving flowers, and gardens surround the house.

    White learned to garden from watching her dad and, more recently, seeking advice from neighbors.

    Take a look at the fruits of the homeowners’ labor and learn what goes into maintaining their gardens.

    📷 Photo quiz

    What is this building in the foreground?

    📮 If you think you know, email me back.

    Last week’s quiz featured a photo of the Market Street Bridge.

    Bob D. and Heidi O. were among the readers who got that right. Heidi told me her grandfather worked in the Peco building in the background for 50 years.

    In case you haven’t heard, the Market Street Bridge will be closed to cars for more than a year.

    Enjoy the rest of your week.

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

  • Philly apartments are shrinking

    Philly apartments are shrinking

    If you’re looking for a place to rent a spacious new apartment, Philly ain’t it.

    Apartments across the country got slightly bigger last year, but in Philadelphia, they’re shrinking.

    Apartments in Philly are already relatively small. Of the country’s top 100 cities with the largest apartment supply, Philadelphia ranked 88th in apartment size, according to an analysis by the nationwide apartment search website RentCafe. The report was based on apartments in buildings with 50 or more units.

    New Philly apartments, which RentCafe defined as those built between 2016 and 2025, span an average of 747 square feet — 163 fewer square feet than the national average.

    But in Philadelphia, the average new apartment shrank by 104 square feet compared to apartments built during the previous decade — basically the loss of a home office, according to RentCafe.

    Philadelphia’s position as a desirable rental market and demographic trends help explain the shrinking, according to Veronica Grecu, research analyst at RentCafe.

    “In high-demand markets, developers often prioritize studios and one-bedrooms because they can deliver more apartments per building and meet the needs of a growing number of single-person and smaller households,” Grecu said in a statement. “… the upside is more availability in markets where inventory has historically been tight.”

    Apartments currently under construction in Philadelphia average 627 square feet, according to RentCafe.

    The platform found that Philadelphia’s new three-bedroom apartments actually grew in size — by 93 square feet — as studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments shrank. But not many developers are building three-bedroom units. They made up 3% of the city’s supply of new apartments, according to RentCafe.

    Why is it so hard to build family-sized apartments in Philadelphia?

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    How Philly compares to other cities

    Cities in the Northeast and West dominate RentCafe’s list of places with the smallest new apartments.

    Pittsburgh was one of the top 10 cities where new apartments shrank the most in the last decade. The average size decreased by 142 square feet. But the average new apartment was 804 square feet, still larger than the average in Philadelphia.

    Seattle has the smallest new apartments. Those built in the last decade average 645 square feet, as more studios and one-bedroom apartments have been built.

    Philly has some of the smallest new apartments in the country (From 2024)

    Portland, Ore., and Tacoma, Wash., have the second- and third-smallest new apartments, averaging 665 and 684 square feet, respectively.

    Tallahassee, Fla., has the largest new apartments. They average 1,156 square feet.

    Gainesville, Fla., and Baton Rouge, La., have the second- and third-largest new apartments, averaging 1,126 and 1,042 square feet, respectively.

  • New Jersey outpaced most other states in typical housing wealth in a national study

    New Jersey outpaced most other states in typical housing wealth in a national study

    The typical homeowner in New Jersey has one of the highest levels of housing wealth in the country, according to a study by LendingTree, an online loan marketplace.

    The state was one of the top five where homeowners reported having the most home equity in the first quarter of the year, according to an analysis of more than 965,000 anonymized inquiries for home equity loans and home equity lines of credit submitted through LendingTree.

    Home equity shoppers in New Jersey reported having a median of about $295,000 in equity, meaning half had more and half had less. The Garden State tied with Washington state in the rankings, but New Jersey had a slightly higher share of homeowners with at least $200,000 in equity — almost three in four shoppers.

    Home equity, also referred to as housing wealth, is the difference between how much a property is worth and how much the owner owes on their mortgage. Equity increases when home values rise and/or owners pay down their mortgage. It’s money that belongs to the owner, but it’s not the same as having cash, noted Matt Schulz, LendingTree’s chief consumer finance analyst.

    “Accessing [equity] generally means selling the home or borrowing against it, and borrowing comes with costs and risks,” Schulz said in a statement. Equity fluctuates with the market. Before borrowing against a home, owners should verify how much equity they have and how much the loan will ultimately cost. And they shouldn’t borrow more than they need, he said.

    Property owners take out loans and lines of credit against a home’s equity to do things like consolidate debt, pay for school, and repair or renovate the home.

    How equity compares

    Home equity shoppers in Hawaii reported having the most housing wealth — a median of about $425,000, according to the LendingTree analysis. More than 80% of these homeowners had at least $200,000 in home equity.

    California came in at second for median housing wealth — about $350,000.

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    Pennsylvania ranked 34th. Home equity shoppers on LendingTree’s platform reported having a median of $180,000.

    Of the 50 states, West Virginia and Iowa were tied for last place. Home equity shoppers in these states reported having a median of about $130,000 in equity.

    Differences among states “are a reminder that the home equity story can look very different depending on where you live,” Schulz said.

    “For some homeowners, their house can provide a huge financial cushion,” he said. “For others, there may be far less wiggle room.”

    But in total, U.S. homeowners “are sitting on an extraordinary amount of housing wealth,” Schulz said.

    Across the country, households had $34.9 trillion in home equity as of the first quarter of 2026 — $48.7 trillion in real estate assets and $13.8 trillion in mortgage debt, according to LendingTree’s analysis of Federal Reserve data.

  • ChatGPT said to move to Ardmore | Real Estate Newsletter

    ChatGPT said to move to Ardmore | Real Estate Newsletter

    All my apartment searches have gone roughly the same way.

    I pull up rental listing websites and play around with the filters, starting with where I want to be, how much I’m willing to pay, and how many bedrooms I want.

    I scroll through tons of listings. Once I find apartments that are available when I want them and seem promising, I move over to their websites for deeper dives into the properties. Then I figure out which ones I want to tour.

    But as AI chatbots have gotten more popular, some renters are going to sites like ChatGPT as their first step.

    One woman told me the chatbot helped persuade her to move to Ardmore from Mexico.

    Keep scrolling for that story and more in this week’s edition:

    — Michaelle Bond

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    Apartment searching with AI

    JoAnne Kim is a regular user of AI chatbots. So when the Jersey native decided to move from her home in Mexico to the Philadelphia area, her first step was to open ChatGPT.

    She told the chatbot what she and her husband were looking for, and it suggested they consider Ardmore, Bryn Mawr, and Chestnut Hill. Once they settled on Ardmore, Kim asked for a list of apartment buildings that fit their requirements.

    This month, the couple moved into their new home.

    National apartment search websites have developed their own AI chatbots. Philly is one of the cities where RentCafe is testing its AI assistant, Ren. And Apartments.com launched its tool this summer.

    A leasing agent at a local property management company changed its website to give its properties a boost in generative AI searches.

    Keep reading to learn how chatbots are changing apartment searching and what stays the same.

    📮What do you think about using AI tools to find a home? Let me know.

    A proposed apartment tower along the Schuylkill

    A new high-rise apartment building could be coming to the current site of a popular Phillies mural.

    Philadelphia’s largest apartment owner, PMC Property Group, wants to build a 31-story tower at 24th and Walnut Streets.

    The former industrial building that’s there now is best known for its mural celebrating the Phillies, created in 2015 by artist David McShane. Walnut Bridge Parking & Storage calls it home now.

    PMC’s new building would include 372 apartments and overlook the Schuylkill.

    The company’s development activity is unusual given the recent development slowdown in Philly.

    Keep reading to learn more about this latest project and why it’s not a done deal.

    The latest news to pay attention to

    Home tour: Ocean City beach cottage

    In 2015, Steve and Regina Pannepacker got a call they’d been waiting for since the ’80s.

    A real estate agent in Ocean City said there was a converted detached garage the couple could turn into their dream beach cottage.

    It had been so long since Steve asked to be kept in mind for properties that the agent said he found the couple’s contact info in his old-school Rolodex.

    When the Pannepackers bought the former garage, it already had a two-bedroom property on top. The couple turned the garage space into three rooms: guest room, storage area, and work space.

    The Pannepackers have filled the home with treasures — but no TVs. There’s no Wi-Fi either.

    The cottage is a Shore retreat for the family. Take a peek inside.

    📷 Photo quiz

    Which bridge is this?

    📮 If you think you know, email me.

    Shout-out to Lars W. for knowing that last week’s quiz featured a photo of a shell sculpture at the entrance of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.

    Enjoy the rest of your week.

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

  • How ChatGPT helped persuade one couple to move to Ardmore from Mexico

    How ChatGPT helped persuade one couple to move to Ardmore from Mexico

    From her home in Mexico, JoAnne Kim started searching for a Philadelphia-area apartment by opening ChatGPT.

    Kim, a regular user of the generative artificial-intelligence tool, told OpenAI’s chatbot what she and her husband wanted: a quiet place in Pennsylvania that was walkable and dog friendly with good transit access, a strong sense of community, cafes and restaurants, and a lot of things to do.

    ChatGPT suggested Ardmore, Bryn Mawr, and Chestnut Hill. The couple chose Ardmore, and Kim asked the chatbot for a list of apartment communities that fit their criteria and included outdoor space.

    ChatGPT “helped me become a better apartment hunter, because I was able to use all the data to help me make a decision,” said Kim, a 64-year-old career mentor for university students.

    This month, the Kims moved into Montgomery Plaza near Suburban Square.

    Generative AI tools are becoming increasingly popular as more people use them to write emails, summarize documents, and recreate pictures of pets. And, like Kim, renters are also using AI chatbots to find apartments.

    In Philadelphia and beyond, the growth of AI is changing the way people search for homes — and it’s prompting some in the industry to change how they do business.

    JoAnne Kim used ChatGPT to find the apartment she moved into this month.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

    In April, Philadelphia became one of 15 cities where RentCafe, a national apartment search website, rolled out its AI assistant, Ren. The platform is preparing to make the tool available nationwide. Apartments.com launched its latest AI tool — Apartments.com Ai — in June and started an advertising campaign in August to get more renters to use it.

    Property managers, too, are trying to find ways to reach people who use AI.

    Charlie Marshall, a leasing associate at the Ardmore-based property management company Harrison Richards, which manages Montgomery Plaza, has been tweaking the company’s website to try to get its seven properties more prominent placement in generative AI search results.

    Marshall said the handful of people who said they found a building using AI tools seemed more informed and committed than other prospective tenants.

    “It was immediately clear they had a good idea of the places they wanted to lease at,” he said. “It was not like some people you see that are touring seven or eight properties. They had narrowed it down to like three.”

    Stuart Richens, vice president of product at Apartments.com, said because the company’s AI tool “is immersive and kind of keeps guiding you and helping you, renters are getting much deeper into the search more quickly.”

    “And that’s helping them get to that short list more quickly,” he said.

    Kim and her husband, a senior data analyst who uses AI, worked with ChatGPT to focus their search. But to find a place that felt like home, Kim also watched local real estate agents’ YouTube videos, read reviews, watched local news coverage, and talked to property managers.

    Kim said that because she started with virtual conversations on ChatGPT, “I spent more time thinking about the kind of life we wanted to have. It wasn’t just about finding the apartment. It was the neighborhood, the vibe.”

    JoAnne Kim shows the ChatGPT online tool she used to find her apartment.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

    ‘A more advanced Google search’

    AI tools can only do so much.

    Vee Gordon, a rental agent with Philly Home Girls, said she worked this year with a New York City couple in their 20s who wanted a two-bedroom home in Philadelphia. They insisted on seeing places that were hundreds of dollars over their $6,000 monthly budget. During a meeting with Gordon, they pulled up ChatGPT.

    “They were asking it how to negotiate a rental price down,” she said. “I feel I have more insight on that than what ChatGPT was saying.”

    Gordon has worked exclusively with renters — many in their 20s and 30s — for four years in the city and its suburbs. She estimates she has helped sign almost 500 leases.

    “This is my expertise,” she said.

    The couple didn’t end up finding a place through her.

    Jack Olmanson, 27, doesn’t regularly use generative AI tools. But this year, when he and his girlfriend needed to move from Washington, D.C., to the Philadelphia area for her work in the equestrian industry, he turned to Anthropic’s Claude for help.

    The couple used it “as a more advanced Google search,” said Olmanson, who works in business management.

    “You can be very customized in your asks,” he said. Claude “was good at giving us everything that’s out there that meets our initial criteria.”

    The couple wanted a two-bedroom apartment in a walkable area and a building that welcomed Mya, their yellow Labrador retriever.

    Olmanson and his girlfriend are originally from Minnesota and didn’t know the Philadelphia area, so they asked Claude to compare suburban towns here to those they knew in the Minneapolis area. They also asked it to make a map of locations with reasonable commute times.

    Once they got suggestions from Claude, they did their own research, exploring websites, looking at photos, reading reviews, and taking tours. And they still reviewed Zillow listings they got through email alerts.

    They moved into an Ardmore apartment building managed by Harrison Richards in May.

    Olmanson recommends renters verify everything an AI chatbot tells them to make sure it’s not making things up. And remember, he said, it’s just a tool.

    “You’re still in charge of making sure [a home] is the right fit for you,” he said.

    How AI has changed apartment listing websites

    When Philadelphia renters begin searching RentCafe’s website of home listings, a button prompts them to “Ask Ren.” Apartments.com encourages them to “Meet your Ai rental adviser.”

    Renters using AI tools tend to start broadly with a location and budget and refine searches through a virtual back-and-forth to get to a smaller number of the most relevant listings. Renters can type or talk. Apartments.com’s chatbot supports about 50 languages.

    RentCafe found that people who use its tool are twice as likely to click into a listing and 50% more likely to contact property managers than people who use traditional search tools. Users of Apartments.com’s chatbot request 144% more tours.

    “Conversational search, we’ve seen, has been very helpful for renters,” said Samantha Skrobot, renter advocate at RentCafe.

    This image provided by RentCafe, a national apartment search website, demonstrates how a renter could use its AI assistant, Ren.RentCafe

    Renters can use it to figure out realistic budgets and determine locations accessible by public transit. They can search for requirements that aren’t included in traditional filters on apartment search websites, such as proximity to a laundromat or library. Users can ask AI tools to compare properties’ amenities and tell them about nearby schools.

    Through the chatbots, renters can prioritize certain property characteristics (say, gets a lot of natural light) and indicate where they’re flexible, which they can’t do with traditional search filters. AI chatbots can suggest locations a renter may not have considered that meet their requirements.

    On newer 3D tours on Apartments.com, renters can tell the AI chatbot to remove furniture from a room and give dimensions of a space.

    Apartments.com’s homepage encourages renters to use its generative AI chatbot, Apartments.com Ai.Screenshot

    Adjusting for AI

    Because of the growth of generative AI tools, Richens at Apartments.com said that for property managers, “having a very complete listing with every piece of data about the property … is very important because that’s what renters are asking for.”

    “And if you don’t have it, how is the AI going to answer?” he said.

    Apartments.com is working with property managers to beef up listings.

    At Harrison Richards, Marshall has worked to improve how the company’s properties show up in generative AI searches. He asked questions that a renter would ask and noted when the company’s properties did and did not appear.

    A Redditor posted a couple years ago looking for Ardmore-area apartments, and someone said they’d lived at the company’s Montgomery Plaza property and liked it.

    “That was apparently gold for ChatGPT,” Marshall said.

    The property management company has changed heading sizes and where information shows up on its website, so AI tools can more easily pull out answers for renters. Marshall has noticed a difference.

    After the changes, he said, the AI tools “would draw out the things we think are important and the things people might have questions about.”

    Harrison Richards, an Ardmore-based property management company, has adjusted its website to better position its properties, such as Montgomery Plaza, in generative AI search results.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
  • A 27-acre compound with two homes and pools is for sale for $9 million in Chester County

    A 27-acre compound with two homes and pools is for sale for $9 million in Chester County

    Three properties that span 27 acres and include two homes, two pools, and a two-story barn are for sale for $8.95 million in Willistown Township, Chester County.

    The three parcels, situated among the area’s pastures and horse farms, together form the largest package of land currently for sale along the Main Line whose use is not restricted by a conservancy, according to listing agent Karen Strid of Compass Real Estate.

    “Each parcel is worth something, but together they’re worth so much more,” Strid said.

    That a buyer can do whatever they want on the land, including building more homes, “is what makes [the listing] so rare,” she said.

    “It’s such a special purchase for someone who really understands the area,” Strid said.

    The three combined parcels for sale at 416, 418, and 420 Dutton Mill Rd., spanning 27 acres in Willistown Township, are outlined in red.Billy Kyle

    Willistown Township, which neighbors Malvern Borough and includes the 19th-century village of Sugartown, is a desirable location for people who want land and a more rural feel and also access to mountains, beaches, and major cities, Strid said.

    These parcels are “appealing to the people who want privacy and can have whatever they want and don’t want to be in the middle of nowhere,” she said. “You’re really close to everything, but you feel like you’re in your own world.”

    The seller owns all three parcels, which together are called Sugartown Springs Farm. Strid said it would make a good family compound. Across the parcels, buildings and property features are “spread out in a really nice way,” she said.

    The parcels were privately listed for sale on the Compass and Redfin platforms the second week of August.

    Two homes and a two-story barn

    At 418 Dutton Mill Rd., a stone main house dating to the mid-1700s offers four bedrooms, four full bathrooms, and one half bathroom. The primary en suite bedroom includes a fireplace, soaking tub, shower, and double vanities.

    The stone main house at 418 Dutton Mill Rd. has four bedrooms and a two-story solarium that serves as the dining room.Billy Kyle

    The 7,559-square-foot house features interior stone walls, exposed timber beams, hardwood floors, and more fireplaces throughout. The two-story solarium serves as the dining room and highlights views of the grounds. The home also has an elevator.

    The 10-acre property includes an in-ground pool and a spring-fed pond. A detached garage off the circular driveway can fit six vehicles and also includes a full bathroom and a second laundry room.

    The 10-acre property at 418 Dutton Mill Rd. includes an in-ground pool and a detached garage that can fit six vehicles.Billy Kyle

    To the right of the main house is a two-story timber-frame barn at 420 Dutton Mill Rd. The barn was once used as an art gallery for Andrew Wyeth’s paintings.

    The structure features a glass atrium, a room that could be a bedroom or office, 1½ bathrooms, a kitchenette, and multifunctional space. The upper level has beamed ceilings and gathering spaces.

    The upper level of the barn at 420 Dutton Mill Rd. can be used as a gathering space.Billy Kyle

    The property includes a stone-walled courtyard and spans 12.8 acres.

    These two parcels are listed for sale for a combined $5.975 million.

    A second home at 416 Dutton Mill Rd. is listed for sale for $2.975 million. The Colonial spans 6,032 square feet and was built in 1963.

    The home has six bedrooms, three full bathrooms, two half bathrooms, formal living and dining rooms, and a walkout finished basement. It features fireplaces and brick wall accents and has a finished attic.

    The 4.2-acre property includes a rear stone patio, a detached three-car garage, an in-ground pool, and a timber-frame barn built in 2024.

    The home for sale at 416 Dutton Mill Rd. in Willistown Township features an in-ground pool, a timber-frame barn, and a detached three-car garage.Billy Kyle

    This home is currently being rented for $9,000 per month under a lease that ends in early 2028.

    Strid said standing on Sugartown Springs Farm highlights why people value the lifestyle it represents.

    “It’s so serene and calm and beautiful,” she said.

  • Backyards become watch party venues | Real Estate Newsletter

    Backyards become watch party venues | Real Estate Newsletter

    Watching movies outside is one of my favorite summer activities. It’s happening everywhere, from community viewings hosted by neighborhood groups to private backyard setups.

    Homeowners in the Philly area are part of a larger trend of folks adapting their properties for outdoor TV watching. For some people, that’s as simple as setting up a projector and a tarp. Others are spending a lot of money to turn their backyard into the ultimate watch party venue.

    This week, we have your guide to watching movies and TV in your backyard, just in time for Eagles season.

    Keep scrolling for that story and more in this week’s newsletter:

    — Michaelle Bond

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    How to watch TV in your yard

    During the pandemic, I thought it would be fun to get a projector, hang a sheet on the side of the Center City rowhouse I was renting, and watch movies outside.

    I never did it, but if you’re more committed to the idea of hosting outdoor viewing parties, we’ve got tips from folks with experience.

    Kate Evans and her wife built a pergola behind their Roxborough rowhouse where they watch games and movies.

    Anthony Farina hauled a TV from his living room to his front porch almost every day for four years before his family gifted him a new TV and mounting system.

    Zach Kades in Bryn Mawr uses a projector and the back wall of his garage to create a “camplike feel.”

    Read on for their advice for watching TV and movies in your yard.

    Creating a home’s mural

    A couple months ago, I wrote about homeowners who put murals on the sides of their properties.

    I learned that these days, most murals are pieced together on special cloth and assembled later on a wall.

    I wanted to see the process in action and figured you all would too. So I asked the talented folks on our video team to show us.

    Gabe Coffey created a beautiful video that shows what goes into installing the art we see all over Philadelphia — including on more than 1,000 private homes.

    The mural he featured is called A Legacy of Dance Excellence and celebrates Black dancers and dance educators. Watch how the piece came together.

    And learn more about the mural’s inception here.

    The latest news to pay attention to

    Home tour: A Cherry Hill retreat

    We’ve written a lot about Plaza Grande, the 55+ housing complex in Cherry Hill that took almost two decades to complete.

    This week, we’re going inside one of the apartments there.

    Barbara Zucker was shopping at Nordstrom Rack when she saw a sign for an open house at the property. She and her husband, Fred, were looking to downsize from the Delran house where they raised their kids.

    They found that the Plaza Grande was the perfect new home.

    Their apartment is on the top floor, which means no noisy upstairs neighbors, and there’s enough closet space for Barbara’s shoe collection. One of the Zuckers’ favorite features is their balcony, where they drink coffee and people watch.

    They’ve become close friends with their neighbors and take advantage of the property’s amenities, which include:

    📽️ a moving theater

    🏋🏾‍♀️ a gym

    🎾 tennis and pickleball courts

    🏊🏾 indoor and outdoor pools

    Barbara said their home has become a retreat that feels “sort of like summer camp.”

    📷 Photo quiz

    Do you know where this photo was captured?

    📮 If you think you do, email me back.

    Last week’s quiz featured a mural by artist Paul Carpenter at 20th Street and Oregon Avenue.

    Shout-out to Bruce R. for knowing that.

    And enjoy the rest of your week.

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

  • City commits to being ‘part of the solution’ to preserve affordable rental homes in West and Southwest Philly

    City commits to being ‘part of the solution’ to preserve affordable rental homes in West and Southwest Philly

    Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration met formally for the first time Friday with the owner of hundreds of rental homes in West and Southwest Philadelphia whose federal affordability requirements are expiring and committed to working to preserve the homes.

    Jim Levin of Neighborhood Restorations plans to sell 925 homes where tenants pay below-market-rate rents, and he wants to keep them affordable. But he needed assurance that the city plans to work with him, said Angela D. Brooks, Parker’s chief housing and urban development officer.

    Brooks gave him that on Friday, she said, telling Levin “we’re in this, we’re going to be a good partner, and we’re going to move this forward.”

    “We are committed to being part of the solution,” Brooks said in an interview Friday.

    About 3,000 people live in the 925 rental units in West and Southwest Philadelphia. The homes were developed through the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit program, which requires reduced rents at the properties for three decades.

    Can City Hall keep 925 West and Southwest Philly homes affordable?

    The city’s initial focus will be on 225 of the homes: the 63 that are no longer required to be leased for below-market-rate rents or will lose the requirement by the end of the year, and the 162 homes where affordability requirements are set to expire within the next three years.

    Agreements for reduced rents at the other 700 homes are set to expire between 2030 and 2040.

    Across the city, Philadelphia is at risk of losing more than 7,500 subsidized rental homes during the next decade as federal affordability agreements expire, according to an analysis published last fall by the Housing Initiative at Penn.

    When agreements end, property owners can choose to continue charging below-market rents, charge higher rents, or sell their properties in potentially lucrative deals to take advantage of the city’s rising property values.

    Levin told tenants and city officials a year ago that he planned to sell the properties.

    The city will not buy the homes, Brooks said, and it has not made a spending commitment toward its goal of keeping the properties affordable once they’re sold.

    But a steering committee that began meeting at the end of last year and includes members of the administration, elected officials, and housing policy experts recommended that the city provide $36 million over five years to help preserve Neighborhood Restorations properties.

    Over the next few months, the committee plans to start evaluating the conditions of the properties and identifying funding sources, Brooks said.

    Three days before Brooks’ meeting with the property owner, tenants who fear losing their reduced rents and their homes rallied at City Hall to push the administration to help save the properties.

    Brooks said preserving all 925 homes could cost more than $260 million.

    In a statement, Parker said, “There is no simple or immediate solution at this scale.”

    Affordable housing across Philadelphia could be at risk as subsidies expire (From 2023)

    “The city remains committed to doing our part and continuing the work,” she said. “But preserving these homes will require all of us, including strong intergovernmental support that includes resources from local, state, and federal government.”

    Tenants have partnered with the grassroots social justice nonprofit OnePA to push the city to keep the homes affordable permanently and to give renters the opportunity to buy their homes for below-market prices.

    In a statement, tenants thanked Parker and her administration “for making an initial commitment to saving our homes.”

    “We know there is still a long way to go before our homes are safe, and we urge the city to act quickly before it is too late,” they said. “We look forward to working with Mayor Parker and others, and we will continue organizing until all 925 units are protected and no one is displaced.”