Special offer

Lehigh Valley, PA Real Estate News

By Brigita McKelvie, Associate Broker, The Broker with horse sense and no horsing around
(Cindy Stys Equestrian and Country Properties, Ltd.)
  Once again it is time to find out how the real estate market endured during the previous month.   Comparing the activity from September, 2008 to October, 2008, sales and prices once again declined.  During October, 2008, 413 sales were reported from 445 in September of 2008.  That was a drop of 7.2%.    The average price of a home dropped by 4.1%.  In September, 2008, the average price of a home was $221,000 as compared to October, 2008, of the average being $212,000.   The average time on the market for properties to be sold was 71 days, up from 67 days in September, 2008.   Here is a chart of the October Sales Distribution: Sale Price                                               Number of Sales    under $70,000                                                28$70,001 - $100,000    ...
Comments 0
By Brigita McKelvie, Associate Broker, The Broker with horse sense and no horsing around
(Cindy Stys Equestrian and Country Properties, Ltd.)
  Here's some great news!!  (I think we can use some at this point.)  The family owned grocery store chain, Wegmans, based is NY, is cutting back prices on many of their groceries.   Wegmans is anticipating price cuts in their products in the near future and, therefore, is cutting prices on chicken, beef roasts, canned goods and hundreds of other household staples.    Here are a few examples of the price changes: Whole Roasting Chicken:Old Price:   $1.29/lb.New Price:  $.79/lb Wegmans Country Sliced Packaged Bread:Old Price:   $2.69/loafNew Price:   $1.99/loaf Apples, 3 lb. bag:Old Price:   $3.49New Price:   $2.99 Chuck Roast (2 roast club pack):Old Price:   $3.49/lb.New Price:   $$2.49/lb. Wegmans Canned Vegetable:Old Price:   $.49/canNew Price:   $.39/can Wegmans is well known for the...
Comments 4
By Brigita McKelvie, Associate Broker, The Broker with horse sense and no horsing around
(Cindy Stys Equestrian and Country Properties, Ltd.)
  A study is currently underway to possibly connect the Lehigh Valley to the NJ Transit with a rail system.  Currently, there is no rail transportation from the area to NYC.  The only public transportation in place for communters is a bus system.    With the high costs of fuel, many commuters are looking for public transportation to get to work.  The park-and-ride lots are overcrowded.  People end up parking on the grass and the edge of the road.  Another type of public transportation to NYC is definitely needed.   A rail system would ease the overcrowded highways into the city and lessen the stress of the commute.  The trip would also take less time with a rail system.   A rail system was considered years ago, but was rejected because there would not be enough commuters to make it wort...
Comments 0
By Brigita McKelvie, Associate Broker, The Broker with horse sense and no horsing around
(Cindy Stys Equestrian and Country Properties, Ltd.)
  It's the beginning of September and the real estate market stats are in for August, 2008.  I'll give you a quick overview for the Lehigh Valley and I won't bore you too much with it.   According to the statistics, the average price of homes, new and existing, dropped slightly in August, down about 3.4% from July.  The number of sales also decreased from July's statistics, by .8%.    The average number of days on the market increased to 68 days.    What this means, is that it is still good news for buyers.  The homes are still affordable and plenty of inventory to choose from.   To all you home buyers, get out there are buy your home while the prices are low.  There is still plenty of inventory to choose from.   Now that wasn't too boring.  Was it?  It was quick and simple information....
Comments 0
By Brigita McKelvie, Associate Broker, The Broker with horse sense and no horsing around
(Cindy Stys Equestrian and Country Properties, Ltd.)
  The new U.S. Census number are in, and it shows that the Lehigh Valley is continuing to grow.   I know, you've heard the news say otherwise, but the new Census numbers are showing that the Lehigh Valley region keeps on growing.    The population numbers were released on Thursday for 2007 and it shows that Lehigh, Northampton and Monroe Counties are amont the 10 fastest growing counties in Pennsylvania since 2000.   Monroe County ranks 3rd, with a 17.8% increase, Northampton comes in 7th, with 9.7%, and Lehigh is 10th at 7.9%.   In regard to municipalities, Allen Township in Northampton County grew faster than all but 4 of Pennsylvania's 2,566 municipalities.   So, as far as the real estate is concerned, not all areas are in a slump.  It all depends on the individual areas as to how th...
Comments 3
By Brigita McKelvie, Associate Broker, The Broker with horse sense and no horsing around
(Cindy Stys Equestrian and Country Properties, Ltd.)
  This weekend, the Lehigh Valley wineries are holding a "Drink in the Pink" weekend.  This weekend, visitors to the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail can help cancer victims.   Just purchase a blush or rose wine from any one of the wineries, from 10AM to 5PM on Saturday, and noon to 5PM on Sunday, and $1 will be donated to the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition.  In addition, the wineries will match the dollar totals they raise from the customers and double the total the coalition will receive.   In 2006, a similar event was held and raised over $2000 for the coalition.   Special souvenir wine glasses will be offered for sale with the Wine Trail logo on 1 side and the individual wineries logo on the other for $1 per glass.   Plus, some of the wineries will be offering some assorted nibbles to...
Comments 2
By Brigita McKelvie, Associate Broker, The Broker with horse sense and no horsing around
(Cindy Stys Equestrian and Country Properties, Ltd.)
  "A tornado has just ripped through the area and has displaced a number of farm animals!  Possibility of more tornadoes coming through!  CART (County Animal Response Team) needs to relocate these animals to a safer area!" No, this was not for real, but it possibly could have been.    I, as a member of the Lehigh Valley Animal Response Team, attended 20 hours of large animal rescue training this past weekend.  We covered many topics and went through several field exercises, the last one being a drill of "the real thing".   We had horses, cows (and a bull), sheep. goats, pigs, donkeys and alpacas.  We all learned the behavior of the different animals and how to handle them in emergency situations, with hands on training.   We were also instructed on the procedures to follow during the em...
Comments 0
By Brigita McKelvie, Associate Broker, The Broker with horse sense and no horsing around
(Cindy Stys Equestrian and Country Properties, Ltd.)
  On Thursday, June 26th, a community meeting was held about the PPLsuper power lines running through several Lehigh Valley townships.  Amazingly, over 900 people from the community attended the meeting.  Most of the residents are against the power lines and wish to keep the open space as open space.    The communities had voted to pay higher taxes to keep these spaces open.  If PPL runs the lines through these spaces, the tax dollars have been wasted.   Another community meeting will be held on Monday, July 7th, from 6 - 8PM, at the Klecknersville Fire Company in Moore Township.  Petitions are being circulated in the Lehigh Valley to involve more residents and inform those that are not aware of what is happening.  The more we are able to involve in this, the less chance PPL will be suc...
Comments 0
By Brigita McKelvie, Associate Broker, The Broker with horse sense and no horsing around
(Cindy Stys Equestrian and Country Properties, Ltd.)
  I saw this news article in the local paper last week, and thought it interesting.  So, I thought I would share it with you:   A local businessman in Allentown, the owner of Jim's Appliance Service, had been driving a 1991 Chevrolet Astro van.  The van had been paid off a long time ago and averaged only about 11 miles to the gallon.   With gas prices rising, the businessman decided to check out a Scion last December.  Looking at a 2005 model, he found out that 5 of his tool boxes would fit nicely in the cargo area.  So, he decided to purchase it.    What he had figured out was that his Chevy Astro van got 11 miles to the gallon, therfore, costing him about $545 per month in gas, but no monthly car payments.  The Scion gets 28 miles to the gallon, costs $214 in gas per month with a mont...
Comments 12
By Brigita McKelvie, Associate Broker, The Broker with horse sense and no horsing around
(Cindy Stys Equestrian and Country Properties, Ltd.)
  The software firm, Synchronoss Technologies is relocating to the new Lehigh Valley Industrial Park VII, located at the old Bethlehem Steel grounds in south Bethlehem, PA.  Looking to expand, Synchronoss considered Kansas, Florida and Texas as possible sites.  After an 18 month search, the company decided to stay in the Lehigh Valley and make it's move from it's current site in Hanover Township, in Northampton County.   This move will create about 250 more jobs in the area, with salaries ranging from $30,000 to $150,000.  In addition to more employment, the company will also invest $5 million in new equipment, plus $12 million to build.    Pennsylvania provided $565,000 in incentives for the project, $270,000 in grants and $295,000 in tax credits.  Incentive packages are negotiated by ...
Comments 4
By Brigita McKelvie, Associate Broker, The Broker with horse sense and no horsing around
(Cindy Stys Equestrian and Country Properties, Ltd.)
  An historic home tour is scheduled for Sunday, June 22nd, from 1 - 5 PM in Catasauqua, a borough in the Lehigh Valley, in Pennsylvania.    The cost of the tickets is $13 in advance and $16 the day of the tour.  Maps will be included with the purchase of the tickets.  The event is presented by the Historic Catasauqua Preservation Association.   Thirteen homes, gardens and other buildings will be on the self-guided tour.  It will run through the borough's 2 historic districts, both of which are listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.   The architectural styles will include Victorian, Queen Anne, Italiante, Romanesque, Tudor, Gothic and Colonial Revival.  The buildings selected for the tour vary from year to year for variety.   The tour will be held, rain or shine.  Interior ...
Comments 0
By Brigita McKelvie, Associate Broker, The Broker with horse sense and no horsing around
(Cindy Stys Equestrian and Country Properties, Ltd.)
  The East Penn School District in the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania needs some help.  A taxpayer tea party is being organized to let the politicians know that it will either be food and gas money for the family or tax money for the government.  They are asking everyone in the Lehigh Valley to get involved to straighten out the confusion as to who is working for whom.   The following is a press release sent out asking for volunteers to help fight the East Penn School District tax hike:   Attention Lehigh County FreedomWorks Members:  Taxpayer Tea Party in East Penn!! There is a rapidly growing taxpayer protest in East Penn School District. Taxes have increased at 2 1/2 times the rate of inflation for the last decade. Spending has increased at 3 times the rate of inflation for the last d...
Comments 0
By Shawn Morrow
(Keller Williams Real Estate)
Below is an article published by the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation Lehigh Valley Climbs To No. 30 On Forbes "Best" List LEHIGH VALLEY, PA - March 27, 2008 - The Lehigh Valley jumped to 30th place on the annual list of "Best Places For Business and Careers" published this week by Forbes magazine, making it the only metropolitan region in Pennsylvania and one of only two in the Northeastern United States ranked among the top 50 on the list. The Allentown Metropolitan Statistical Region, which includes Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties in Pennsylvania and Warren County in New Jersey, got high marks for "Costs of Doing Business" and "Job Growth" and slightly lower in the "Educational Attainment" categories reviewed by the magazine and its economic research firm, Econo...
Comments 1
By Brigita McKelvie, Associate Broker, The Broker with horse sense and no horsing around
(Cindy Stys Equestrian and Country Properties, Ltd.)
  Big news for the Lehigh Valley area.  We are being invaded by the Transformers!!   Well, not really.  It turns out that the new "Transformers 2" movie, set to be released during the summer of 2009, is being filmed in south Bethlehem, where the old Bethlehem Steel blast furnaces are.  Filming started last night and will continue this evening and Wednesday evening.   The Bethlehem Steel plant is being transformed into a fictional, war-ravaged Chinese city or the movie.   The scenes from Bethlehem Steel will be featured in the opening of the movie, along with giant shape-shifting robots.   Many spectators from the area lined the streets to watch.  Some even traveled from Harrisburg, which is about 1 1/2 hours away, to see the movie making in action.   This is not the first time Bethlehem...
Comments 12
By Brigita McKelvie, Associate Broker, The Broker with horse sense and no horsing around
(Cindy Stys Equestrian and Country Properties, Ltd.)
  Freddie Awards!?  What are Freddie Awards??  Never heard of them.   Freddie Awards are given to the best High School musical of the year.    Every year, 40 agents (not real estate agents) attend the many HS musical performances held in the spring and rate them.  The scores are then tallied and at the end of May the Freddie Awards are presented at the State Theater in Easton for different categories.  Most of the area High Schools participate in it.   Of course, you also will enjoy the entertainment by some of the HS performers at the Freddie Awards Night.  Watching the many talented teens perform is amazing.    So, if you want something to do this evening, go out to the State Theater in Easton and find out who won the Freddies this year.  It starts at 7PM.  If you are unable to make i...
Comments 2
By Brigita McKelvie, Associate Broker, The Broker with horse sense and no horsing around
(Cindy Stys Equestrian and Country Properties, Ltd.)
  The Market Update for April, 2008, for the Lehigh Valley just came out and it is showing some improvement in the real estate market.    Home sales were up in April, 2008, by approximately 11.7%, from 444 sales in March, 2008, up to 496 in April.    The average sale price of a home was recorded at $229,000 for April 2008, where in March, 2008, it was $208,000.  That is an increase of 10.1% from the previous month.  Even new construction saw an increase. The average sale price of a 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath new home was $469,000 in April where as in March it was $418,000.   The average days on the market for a home in April, 2008, was 67 days, down from 73 days in March of 2008.   All in all, it looks like the market has taken a turn for the better in April, 2008.
Comments 11
By Brigita McKelvie, Associate Broker, The Broker with horse sense and no horsing around
(Cindy Stys Equestrian and Country Properties, Ltd.)
 As we move into spring, we find that the Real Estate business is picking up in the Lehigh Valley, PA.  Take a look at the market update and see for yourself.                                                                 During March, 2008, the sales have increased by 23%, reporting 444 sales, up from 361 in February, 2008.   Even though the sales are up, the buyers are still out looking to get a better deal in buying a home.  The average sales price for March, 2008, was $208,000, which is down from February's average sales price of $210,000.  The median sales price for March, 2008, was recorded at $185,000, while in February 2008, the median price was $193,000. The average time on the market for properties sold in March, 2008 was 73 days, a decrease of 1 day compared to February, 200...
Comments 6
By Brigita McKelvie, Associate Broker, The Broker with horse sense and no horsing around
(Cindy Stys Equestrian and Country Properties, Ltd.)
 Sunday, March 31st was the first exhibition game for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs in the brand new Coca-Cola ball park in Allentown, PA.  The game was played against the major league, Philadelphia Phillies.  It was quite an exciting game.   The teams played in front of a sell out crowd of 10,188 fans. Kyle Kendrick pitched 7 solid innings and Geoff Jenkins hit a 2 run homer by wrapping up their exhibition season by defeating the Iron Pigs with a score of 5-3. Kendrick earned the win.  He allowed 3 runs, 2 earned, on 7 hits, while striking out 7 and walking 2.  Taguchi hit a 2 run double for the Philllies. Ron Chiavacci gave up 3 runs, 2 earned, on 4 hits in 5 innings.  He struck out 5 and walked a pair.  Pete LaForest had an RBI single for the Iron Pigs. The Iron Pigs are opening their ...
Comments 8
   New Listings136  Back on Market16  Price Increases8  Price Reductions68  Contingents8  Pendings42  Solds43  Expireds9  Inactives39   Tired of searching for your new home?  We will provide you with a FREE list of homes for sale that match your buying criteria as soon as they come onto the market. The best homes often sell very quickly, often before you even get a chance to see them. To avoid this sign up for the Free House Hunter Program that does all the work for you http://http://www.freehousehunterprogram.com/or call 24/7   877-735-3527  ID # 1071 Buy a home for less than $1200 with Zero Money Down "Now you can realize the dream of owning your own home with zero down payment." The Zero Cash Down Payment Program offers you a way to buy a home with no down payment. That's right zero ...
Comments 0
By Brigita McKelvie, Associate Broker, The Broker with horse sense and no horsing around
(Cindy Stys Equestrian and Country Properties, Ltd.)
 The Lehigh Valley Association of REALTORS just released the latest Market Update for the Lehigh Valley for the month of February, 2008.  The statistics are compiled every month based on the figures generated from the Lehigh Valley Association of REALTORS Multiple Listing Service. The activity for February, 2008 as compared to January, 2008 is as follows:Number of Sales - There were 361 sales reported in February, 2008, which was the same for January, 2008.Average Sales Price - The average sales price for February, 2008 was recorded as $210,000, where in January, 2008, the average sales price was $222,000.  That is an average of 5.4% decrease.  The Average Sales price is calculated by dividing the number of sales into the total sales dollars.Median Sales Price - The Median Sales Price f...
Comments 0
Explore Lehigh Valley, PA