Main Line Real Estate | Jennifer LeBow, Realtor

Helping You Relocate to Philadelphia's Main Line

Phone: (610) 308-5973 // Text: (610) 308-5973 // Email: jen@jenniferlebow.com

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Jennifer LeBow

How to Meet Your New Neighbors

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How can you get to know your neighbors
Just moved into a new home? Here are some ideas to casually, organically, meet your new neighbors.

Meet People With Purpose

Moving into a new home is about more than learning which light switch controls which outlet or figuring out what day the recycling is collected. You’re also joining a neighborhood. In some communities, neighbors naturally introduce themselves as soon as the moving truck arrives. In others, people are more reticent and no one is comfortable making the first move.

Of course, you can host an open house, invite everyone over around the holidays, put out hot cider on the porch or encourage your kids to have a lemonade stand. Entertaining requires time, money and a reasonably unpacked and presentable house, though, and you may not feel up to hosting a party immediately after a move.

Fortunately, there are plenty of other ways to meet your neighbors. The most successful approaches usually offer people something useful, give them an easy reason to respond and don’t require anyone to make a significant social commitment.

1. Ask for Recommendations

Put a sign in the yard with a weatherproof box, paper and pens. You might say:

We’re new to the neighborhood and would love your recommendations! Where should we go for the best pizza, coffee, takeout, nail salon, garden center, dog groomer or auto mechanic? Leave us a note—and your name and contact information too, if you’d like.

People usually enjoy sharing their favorites, and their answers provide natural conversation starters. After collecting recommendations, compile them into a simple list and share it directly via text or email with everyone who provided contact info. You can upload the list to Google Drive or another file-sharing service, and then generate a QR code that links directly to it. Then, print the list with the QR code on it and put a copy in a weather-proof sleeve on the original sign/box so people who didn’t leave contact info (or didn’t participate at all) can still reap the reward.

This turns your original request for help into something valuable for the entire neighborhood. It also gives you a perfectly natural reason to reconnect with the people who responded.

2. Introduce Yourself With a Simple Note

Deliver a card to the houses immediately around yours. Include your names and perhaps a couple of personal details:

We’re Anna and Mark, and we just moved from Tampa, FL to 218 Oak Lane with our very friendly golden retriever, Lucy. We like canoeing, jazz music and are hoping to become gardeners. We’re looking forward to getting to know our neighbors, so please say hello if you see us outside.

Include a phone number or email address, if you’re comfortable with that. It’s a natural segueway, at some point, to ask if there is a neighborhood contact list (or to suggest one, if not).

3. Offer Tools/Equipment to Borrow

The buyers can tell immediate neighbors that they’re happy to lend a few useful but infrequently needed items—perhaps a ladder, pressure washer, post-hole digger, folding tables or specialty kitchen equipment.

We’re new to the block and thought we’d share a few things neighbors are welcome to borrow. Please let us know  if you ever need something we have to lend!

4. Become a Collection Point for a Local Cause

Put a sign on your lawn offering your porch as a temporary collection location for a food pantry, animal shelter, school-supply drive or winter-coat collection.

Neighbors can participate without coming into your home, and the collection provides an easy opportunity to meet people while supporting something important to the community. Choose an organization and collection period before announcing the drive so people know exactly where their donations will be going.

5. Exchange Contact Information

Ask your nearest neighbors ifthey  would like to exchange contact information in case a pet gets loose, a garage door is accidentally left open, a tree comes down or a package is delivered to the wrong address. You can also offer to bring in packages or trash cans when someone is away. It is a practical, neighborly gesture and a natural reason to exchange phone numbers.

6. Find Out What’s Already In Place

You don’t necessarily need to create a new event. Ask whether the neighborhood already has a walking group, book club, garden club, civic association, annual yard sale, block party or holiday tradition. Be sure to ask if there’s a neighborhood Facebook group or other internal message board as well as any neighborhood email list you’d be welcome to join.

7. Spend Time Where Neighbors Naturally Pass By

This may be the simplest approach of all. Walk the dog at the times other people are outside. Work in the front garden instead of the backyard occasionally. Take a walk after dinner. Sit on the porch. Wave and give a brief greeting to neighbors as they pass by, but don’t make them feel trapped into stopping for a conversation.

The Takeaway

You don’t have to throw a party to become part of your new neighborhood. Offer something useful, ask an easy question and create opportunities for small, repeated interactions. Lending someone a folding table or thanking a neighbor for an excellent recommendation for a personal trainer are great organic ways to get to know your neighbors.

If you are relocating to the Philadelphia/Main Line area, please go to my blog page and search for posts using the relocation tag. Contact me to discuss your Philadelphia area relocation! jen@jenniferlebow.com/610 308-5973

 

Flaky Pie Crust Recipe

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Golden flaky pie crust
If you’ve been disappointed in pie crust recipes before, this is the one for you–light, flaky and not tough.

Jen LeBow’s Flaky Pie Crust Recipe

Cut up (pea size—not smaller or larger) :

16T butter (2 sticks butter)

Freeze 15 minutes.

In a food processor, pulse a few seconds til combined:

2 ½ cups all purpose flour

2 T sugar

½ t salt

Add and pulse 10 times at about 1 second each pulse:

16 T cut up butter

(You want to be able to see smears of butter—do NOT incorporate it all.)

Add slowly and pulse a second or two over about 5 additions:

½ c + 2 t ICE water (should be about 35°)

Do NOT overmix.

Turn out on the counter and knead just enough to make 2 dough balls. Flatten them out into discs with your hands to about 7-8”, wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours.

When ready to use, take dough out of fridge about 10 minutes before rolling it out thin with a rolling pin (this recipe is designed to make 2 9” crusts). Then follow specific recipe instructions.

 

 

The (sort of) Death of the Open Plan

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How to fix an open floor that is too open
Some people find open floor plans a little too open. Learn how to “fix” them.

The open plan

One housing design trend that the millenium brought was the open concept floor plan. Walls became passe, criticized for creating a closed-in feeling. The open plan was touted for allowing increased flexibility for how space was used and for improving connection between family members in different areas of the house. More natural light was also a benefit. Many people would still favor the newer, more open layouts that have become popular in the last 25 years or so. That said, we are definitly seeing the pendulum swing a bit in the other direction.

Why the change?

One event responsible for this shift was the pandemic. With parents and kids often home together much more often, certain flaws of the open plan became more noticeable: noise, lack of both acoustic and visual privacy, difficulty hiding clutter and the lack of “cozy” spaces were sources of dissatisfaction. So how are home design trends combatting these problems? While some floor plans are featuring the return of walls, there are many other creative solutions being implemented.

Some solutions

  1. Architectural Zoning: Interior spaces can be divided/defined by more than just walls. For example, changes in floor or ceiling height (think of a raised area for the dining space or a step down into an office.  Similarly, ceilings are enjoying a new level of attention–the addition of exposed wood beams or a coffered ceiling as well as a change in height from eight feet to 10 feet can make you feel like you’re leaving one room and entering another.
  2. Changes in flooring and wall textures, materials and colors: area rugs, tile to wood, change in paint color or introduction of a chair rail and wall paper
  3. Lighting: wall sconces, floor lamps, recessed lighting, chandeliers all create a different atmosphere. The fixtures themselves as well as the sort of light they provide can both be used to subtly define different kinds of spaces within a larger area.
  4. Partitions (that aren’t exactly walls!): As I mentioned, there are some designers who are reintroducing walls, but often with a twist: barn doors, glass walls (often for an office or a gym), and half walls are being used to create rooms within rooms. These partitions allow for visual and/or auditory privacy depending on the materials used. If they are movable, they add flexibility to a larger room–open if accommodating a larger group, closed to allow for more personal, separate activities.

If you live in a home with an open floor plan or if you’re considering buying a home that might feel more open than you think you would like, implementing some of these ideas might do the trick. The nice thing about these current design trends is that they are fairly easy to change and adjust as needs or lifestyles evolve.

 

If you are relocating to the Philadelphia/Main Line area, please go to my blog page and search for posts using the relocation tag. Contact me to discuss your Philadelphia area relocation! jen@jenniferlebow.com/610 308-5973

What defines a “good” school district?

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How to choose a school for your child
How can a parent evaluate whether a particular school is a good fit for a child?

There are a handful of school districts on the Main Line that are generally considered the cream of the crop. Housing prices in those districts directly reflect their appeal to buyers with kids. While I’ve previously written posts that allude to “the best” being in the eyes of the beholder, it might be useful to consider which characteristics you might evaluate when choosing a school for your children.

How do you measure a “good” school?

Academically, some people look at state test scores, SAT scores, the percentage of graduates who attend college, the number of students taking AP courses and similar metrics. Others concentrate on student-teacher ratios, class sizes, faculty tenure and teachers’ levels of education.

I’ve also had clients who are looking for a wide variety of classes for their kids to choose from, as well as good athletic and extracurricular activities, including band, theater and chess club. What matters most depends on the particular student.

Recently, I had a client who was lamenting how badly her “great” school district had failed her child because her daughter has dyslexia and some additional learning differences. This client felt that the district was so focused on demonstrating high academic achievement, measured in traditional ways, that its curriculum and entire perspective were geared toward improving the success of traditional learners.

I had never really thought about the fact that the special education resources in any given school or school district might—or might not—align with its accomplishments in other areas.

The “best” school depends on the child

That conversation reminded me how much identifying the best school option for any student is truly specific to that child.

Personality, aptitude, learning style, social skills, typicality (or atypicality) as far as “fitting in,” athletic prowess, and interest or ability in following a traditional educational path (like college vs. trade school or music)—this complete “profile” should help direct school choice.

Kids, like all people, have many facets. Sometimes well-meaning parents may not be looking at more than one or two of those facets, which can result in a less-than-good school fit for the child. I think that looking at our kids as the multi-dimensional people they are, and choosing schools based on more than just one characteristic, will increase the chance of finding a better fit.

If you are relocating to the Philadelphia/Main Line area, please go to my blog page and search for posts using the relocation tag. Contact me to discuss your Philadelphia area relocation! jen@jenniferlebow.com/610 308-5973

Selling? Consider walls and floors

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Walls and floor, before and after
You can see what a significant impact refinished floors and fresh paint make in a home. Is it worth it in yours?

Should I fix up my house to sell it?

One of the most challenging sets of decisions a home seller makes is which repairs or improvements to make before listing. Those decisions hinge on the expected return on investment, but also on factors like:

  • How much time the homeowner has to deal with repairs
  • How quickly the sale needs to close
  • The overall condition and value of the property
  • Whether the likely buyer will want to undertake a major renovation anyway

Which improvements are usually worth making?

While it can be difficult to determine which projects make sense to complete ahead of listing, there are some that are almost always worthwhile—unless you think the buyer is likely to embark on a major renovation.

At the top of my list of “improvements that usually pay you back” are refreshing the walls and floors.

Why are walls and floors so important?

  1. They’re everywhere. Because they extend throughout the house, they have an enormous impact on a buyer’s overall impression of the property.
  2. They often have a strong return on investment. Improving them can make the entire house feel better maintained and more updated.

Consider a house with fresh paint and nice hardwood floors throughout, but a dated powder room and old paneling in the den. For most buyers, updating those two rooms probably seems fairly manageable.

Now imagine the same house also has pea-green wall-to-wall carpet, 28-year-old wallpaper and brown painted walls. Suddenly, the entire house can feel like a project.

Because flooring and walls are everywhere you look, when they require updating, it can feel like too much—especially when there are other projects a buyer would want to tackle.

Fresh paint and hardwood floors in fairly good condition can considerably elevate the perception of a home’s basic condition.

Walls

If the paint or wallpaper is outdated or in poor condition, it’s probably a good idea to paint the interior before listing.

On the other hand, if the paint is in good condition and the colors are neutral or reasonably current, you may not need to repaint. Touching up dents, dings and other imperfections might be enough.

The goal isn’t necessarily to make everything brand new. It’s to avoid having worn or dated walls become part of a larger impression that the house needs a lot of work.

Floors

Hardwood flooring is in incredibly high demand right now, while wall-to-wall carpet is much less desirable to many buyers.

Expect that a buyer seeing a house with carpet may be mentally calculating the cost of removing and replacing it, whether with new carpet, hardwood or another type of flooring.

There’s another issue sellers sometimes overlook: flooring work is much easier to complete when a property is empty.

A buyer who plans to replace or refinish floors may therefore also be wondering:

  • Can we delay moving in after settlement?
  • Where will we stay while the work is being done?
  • Can we coordinate contractors during the short window between closing and moving?
  • What will all of this cost on top of the purchase?

Sometimes buyers simply don’t have a good option for interim housing. Taking care of flooring before listing can eliminate both an expense and a logistical headache from the buyer’s mental checklist.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer

Obviously, every property is unique, as is every home seller’s individual situation.

Depending on the condition of the rest of the property, the home’s value, the seller’s timeframe and other factors, what makes sense in one scenario might not make sense in another. There is no blanket “you should/shouldn’t do ______” when preparing to list your home.

However, in many cases, attending to outdated or very worn walls and floors can reset the perceived condition level of the entire house.

Before taking on any pre-listing improvement, talk to your real estate agent about the likely return on investment, your options and the strategy that makes the most sense for your particular property.

Dual Agency: Is it Ethical?

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Can a real estate agent ethically represent both buyer and seller in a transaction?
Can an agent ethically practice dual agency?

What is dual agency?

Dual agency occurs when the same agent represents both the buyer and seller in a transaction. Before deciding if it’s ethical, it’s important to review what duties an agent has to a client. According to the Real Estate Licensing and Registration Act (RELRA), which governs the actions of licensees, the fundamental duties of an agent include loyalty, confidentiality, and acting in the client’s best interest. The Pennsylvania Association of Realtors reinforces this idea by saying: “As an agent, you act as a fiduciary for a client,” describing that as involving good faith, trust, confidence, candor, and acting for the client’s benefit.

The rules pertaining to dual agency do NOT require the agent to work in both parties’ best interest. Rather, the standard is “Taking no action that is adverse or detrimental to either party’s interest in the transaction.”

Scenarios for Dual Agency

There are two circumstance under which dual agency can occur. The first is when an agent is already working with a buyer client and that client wants to submit a bid on a property that their agent has listed. In that situation, there is already an established relationship with each party. The other possiblity is that someone contacts the listing agent directly due to interest in the home (it could be through an open house or someone calling the name on the sale sign or from an online search that connects the buyer to the listing agent). In the second scenario, there is no previously established relationship.

  • Scenario #1: With a relationship already established with both parties, many agents feel more challenged to fairly and equally represent both parties (because they are already privy to so much confidential information). Additionally, their buyers are more likely to question whether they will be fairly represented in a dual agency situation. On the other hand, they often want to work with an agent they have trusted and possibly even submitted offers with before.
  • Scenario #2: If an unrepresented buyer asks to work with the listing agent for a purchase of a house, that buyer, in my opinion, is making an unwise choice. There is so much potential for that buyers’ best interests to be compromised as a result of dual agency; that buyer would be much better off finding a different agent.

Can an agent ethically practice dual agency?

In a multiple bid situation, to avoid accusations that the agent favored her own buyer client because she had “insider information” to share with her buyer, some agents refer their buyer to another agent to keep the multiple bidding process above reproach. The offers are supposed to be presented to the sellers with no reference to which agent is representing them. I believe that even if it’s not a multiple bid situation, it’s nearly impossible for both parties to be represented as (I think) they should be: by the standards of buyer agency and seller agency and NOT by the reduced standard “to cause no harm” imposed by dual agency.

What level of service do you want to provide?

From that perspective, it’s the level of service an agent feels responsible for providing that determines whether he or she might feel comfortable operating as a dual agent. Consider a situation where the buyer wants an inspection contingency but the agent knows the is concerned an inspection might turn up some foundation problems. Or what if the buyer wants a nine week settlement date because they have to pay out the remainder of the lease and the double payments are a financial strain on them, but the agent knows that the seller wants to get out as soon as possible in order to have the funds to buy their next home? Some fancy footwork would be needed for the agent to fairly represent both clients. There are, however, sales where the buyer is prepared to write an offer that the seller finds acceptable. Those cases are much more conducive to dual agency.

The risk

Aside from whether the buyer and seller would agree to it, an agent might want to think twice about representing both parties in a single transaction. There is a much higher risk in a dual agency situation for a client to feel that the agent worked harder on behalf of the other party. Statistically, more lawsuits brought by clients against their agents feature dual agents. This risk emanates from the original question of whether each party can truly be fairly represented in a dual agency transaction. So why would an agent risk it? Financial gain–getting the commission for both sides of the transaction is tempting. It also begs the question whether the agent is truly acting in the clients’ best interest or their own….noticeably, that requirement is not part of dual agency, which speaks volumes in my opinion.

The upshot

Each agent (and his or her clients) have to determine if dual agency is acceptable for the transaction in question. Whether it can be done ethically is a complicated question.

If you are relocating to the Philadelphia/Main Line area, please go to my blog page and search for posts using the relocation tag. Contact me to discuss your Philadelphia area relocation! jen@jenniferlebow.com/610 308-5973

 

Should sellers set an offer deadline?

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Does setting an offer deadline make sense?
Understand the pros and cons of offer deadlines so you can make an educated decision about whether it makes sense for your property.

What is an offer deadline?

An offer deadline in a real estate offer situation is a date set by the seller after which no additional offers will be considered. If a deadline is set, it is usually communicated on the MLS and to any agents who have made appointments (past or future) to show the property Note: it does not mean that a seller cannot look at or negotiate any offers that come in prior to that deadline. Offer deadlines are a buyer’s last opportunity to submit an offer, and, therefore, reflect the buyer’s highest price and most favorable (to a seller) terms. For a more on what an offer deadline is, click here.

Why do sellers set them?

The primary reason a seller sets an offer deadline is that there is a lot of interest in the property and the seller wants to be sure not to make a premature decision. By setting a deadline, all potential buyers will submit their offers by a certain date and if the seller waits until then to review offers, he reduces the risk of accepting something before something better is submitted. Additionally, it takes pressure off of the seller to negotiate any offers that would otherwise require quick decision making. With a deadline, the seller has time to process and reflect before making a choice.  Finally, the setting of a deadline also has a strategic facet: it demonstrates to the buyer pool that there is significant interest (the party line is “We have a lot of interest and want to be sure to give all buyers the opportunity to see the property and submit their highest and best offer”). This not-so-subtle reference to competitive bids usually results in buyers submitting more aggressive offers that are more beneficial to the seller.

Pros

From the seller’s perspective, the advantages were outlined above, as far as the reasons a seller would set a deadline:

  • It results in the seller not having to make a decision until all potential offers have been received.
  • It reduces pressure on the seller to negotiate under pressure.
  • It encourages buyers to submit the highest and best offers as there is rarely any further opportunity to negotiate.

Cons

  • Some buyers may not want to risk losing another house due to having to wait days for your deadline (and for their offer to be reviewed). Still, buyers know that sellers have the right to accept an offer prior to the deadline, so sometimes, a buyer in this situation may submit an offer but put a deadline on it that is earlier than the offer deadline set. That way they don’t lose the chance to bid on another house.
  • Some buyers are put off by the perceived amount of competition suggested by the setting of a deadline. They may assume they can’t compete and don’t want to deal with the pressure combined with expected disappointment and, therefore, may just say “nevermind” and not even send in a bid. Obviously, if the setting of a deadline reduces the number of offers received, that consequence is a negative.

Should you set a deadline?

Whether you, as a seller, should or shouldn’t set a deadline depends on your particular situation. I certainly wouldn’t recommend it if you don’t any offers. Again, that would be my suggestion. Some agents, though, might feel that setting one implies that you do have offers in hand, as implying that there are already competing offers might result in stronger bids. I’d also recommend having your agent try to determine if there are similar homes on the market with offer deadlines set. That way, you can better understand what other properties your buyer pool might be looking at and considering how their deadlines could help or hurt you depending on whether you set a deadline. Your offers may also be the determining factor; if you get a stellar offer that you can’t imagine anyone will beat, you will probably just sign it and not accept any others. My advice is to discuss it with your agent and be sure you understand the landscape in your particular case.

Providing Comps to Buyers

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Leaving comps in the property for sale
Consider whether leaving comps in your home for prospective buyers to look at could help you sell.

Analyze the comps.

Before you list your house, you and your agent have, theoretically, examined the comps together and developed a pricing strategy with those comps in mind. Buyers (not to mention appraisers used by mortgage companies) will be looking at comps to determine the purchase price they offer. So all of the significant parties involved in a real estate transaction are considering what comparable properties have sold for.

Direct buyers’ evaluation.

Since you know buyers will want to determine if your home is worth what your asking for it, you might consider asking your agent to provide them with comps that support the list price. While a buyer’s agent has the responsibility to gather comps and have a similar conversation with her buyers, some agents don’t. It can be due to laziness, lack of time, inexperience or something else. If you and your agent “control the narrative”, your position is stronger. My suggestion is to have your agent put together a nicely presented summary of comparable sales that shows your property is worth what you are asking for it. Leave copies in the property for buyers to take.

Demonstrate the fairness of your list price.

Providing the comps accomplishes two key things. The first is that it demonstrates that the price your asking is not unreasonable (so take care in choosing comps carefully or you may shoot yourself in the foot). It lends credence to the idea that you are pricing fairly and transparently. The second is that it may convince the buyers/agents while they are still in the property that they should submit a bid quickly since the price is appropriate and they don’t want to risk losing it to someone who is quicker to act.

Decide if this strategy is wise.

Every property is different and the most effective marketing strategies are always unique to that home. There may be scenarios where this technique is not effective (and could even hurt your chances of receiving the strongest possible offer). Definitely discuss the pros and cons with your agent. If marketing your property this way does seem to make sense, taking this proactive step may increase the likelihood of receiving stronger offers in less time.

 

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