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October is Mural Arts Month!

September 20, 2018 by Jennifer LeBow Leave a Comment

Philadelphia Main Line relocation mural arts — Everyone in the Philadelphia region knows that we are the epicenter for mural arts. But did you know October was Mural Arts Month?

If you’re local to Philadelphia or the Main Line, you know that our area may not have the world’s first mural, but it certainly has the highest concentration of them. You have probably seen several around town and you may have even, at some point, gone on one of the Mural Arts tours (self-guided walks or curated trips on the El). If you haven’t been recently, though, there are plenty you probably haven’t seen. Fall is the perfect time to walk around and see them–it’s not blistering hot and it’s not too cold for a walk.

This art form has become a source of Philadelphia pride and there is a strong commitment to not only maintaining the existing works, but to adding new murals. Just within the last year or so, over 15 new murals have been created. For those of you who like top 10 lists, the founder of the Mural Arts Program gives you her picks.

One of the special characteristics of a mural is that it is a community-based art form. Not only is it available for everyone in the community to see, but it is produced by a group of people (no one creates a mural completely independently) and, at least in Philadelphia, the subjects of our murals tend to be local and universal at the same time. They reflect different neighborhoods and their flavors (check out the one of Frank Rizzo in the Italian Market or the Ed Bradley mural in West Philly) but their messages are meant to be positive and inclusive.

Moving to Philadelphia’s Main Line: Schools and Property Tax

September 14, 2018 by Jennifer LeBow Leave a Comment

Philadelphia Main Line relocation schools and taxes — In many areas, property taxes are a reflection of the caliber of the school district. Not so on the Main Line.

If you are considering a move to the Philadelphia area, you may need to reexamine some of your assumptions about school districts and how to determine which are the top ranking ones. While in many regions, higher-rated school districts are found in communities with higher taxes, that scenario is not reliably true on Philadelphia’s Main Line.

The relationship between taxes and school rankings is arbitrary at best, so my advice is: don’t try to make any correlation. Part of the reason is that we have an uneven distribution of residential vs. commercial properties in the various townships (and it’s the property’s township that determine its assigned school district). Some townships, like Haverford, for example, in Delaware County, has relatively few businesses compared to the number of residences. That imbalance leaves a higher tax burden on residents in that township as there simply aren’t enough commercial properties to absorb more of the responsibility. Conversely, Tredyffrin-Easttown School District, rated among the top five in the state has relatively low residential property taxes, in part due to the concentration of large office parks which contribute heavily to the tax burden. While there are probably other reasons that taxes are so hard to use as a predictor, my point is simply not to make any inference about the ranking of any school district in connection to the taxes on a property in that district.

There are several websites which rank or rate schools, though they all use different critera/weighting systems, so it’s not necessarily simple to label any one district “better” than another. Be sure to read the criteria used. Try Niche, Great Schools, School Digger, Patch, and PA School Performance. For an interactive Main Line school district boundary map, click here.

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

Natural or Man-Made Products and Finishes for Your Home?

September 13, 2018 by Jennifer LeBow Leave a Comment

Are you better off using natural or man-made materials in and around your home?

There is a long-running debate between whether natural vs. manufactured materials are better to use in homes. From decks to counter tops, to flooring, you’ll hear some strong opinions. The pro-natural group cites better looks, better prices, better durability and a simple preference for organic materials as they don’t use chemicals and other potentially noxious components. The manufactured materials supporters point to predictability and consistency of product (in appearance, performance and availability), greater color and style choices, better prices, better durability and environmental conservation, You may notice that both sides claim better prices and durability with certain specific products. That’s because, in reality, neither one is less expensive or stands up longer across the board. For example, man-made wood decks will withstand more seasons of weather, with less (no) maintenance than real wood. Those decks, though, cost a lot more to install initially. Conversely, a granite counter top will normally outlast its laminate surface competitor, but is much more expensive. So, there’s no one clear alternative that is more durable or less expensive, and, certainly, no easy answer to which is better. My advice is to consider each product decision independently; for example, if you are looking at flooring options and are considering hardwood, marble, ceramic tile or laminate, there are a lot of factors to think about. If you want to preserve our natural resources, then you’d decide against hardwood (unless it were reclaimed) and marble. If you were concerned about chemicals used in the production of certain products, you might not want laminate. If cost were an issue, laminate might suddenly be much more appealing. However if you expect your floors to take a beating (let’s say you have a Great Dane), laminate might not hold up and hardwood would get scratched. So maybe either ceramic or natural stone tile would be better. What, though, if you simply must have an aquamarine colored floor. Well, then you’re not going “natural”. Or, if you want to create a serene, Zen-like space, you might find that natural stone is more effective than ceramic tile.

So, you can see, there isn’t a simple answer (which is, I guess, why the debate rages). It seems to me that each finish must be independently evaluated in relation to the needs and preferences of the project owner. I’d be willing to bet that, in most cases, people end up with a combination of man-made and natural materials.

Online Garden Planning Tool

September 6, 2018 by Jennifer LeBow Leave a Comment

When you are planning your garden, it can be hard to visualize how the plants in the catalogs will look on your property. Not anymore! This online software makes that problem a thing of the past!

I love flowers and my garden (which has very little sun) is both a source of enjoyment and the bane of my existence. Why? Because, inevitably, certain things don’t do well, others don’t look like I thought they would, and the reality always seems a far cry from what I’ve imagined. So, as a result, every fall, I pore over my flower catalogs and try to figure out what to plant so that I have the beautiful garden I want. I recently saw an ad for this online garden planner which allows you to choose from several different scenes/building types and see what it would actually look like if you planted three of this or 12 of that. It offers shrubs, grasses, perennials, bulbs and annuals. If you click on the question mark icon on any of the plants, you see a summary of its light requirements, size, bloom time, etc. There are filters so you can limit your search by zone, light requirements, plant size and other characteristics. You can even upload a picture of your own property to use as the backdrop for a completely personalized plan. I am going to try it out as it looks like a great way to start visualizing your garden for next spring.

Fewer People Willing to Relocate for Work

August 25, 2018 by Jennifer LeBow Leave a Comment

Philadelphia Main Line Relocation — Is a new job worth moving for? More and more people don’t think so.

A recent Wall Street Journal article chronicles the decrease in the number of people who are willing to relocate for jobs. Several years ago, moving to a new place for a job was commonplace and the thrill of going somewhere new was often among the reasons for the move. That trend has waned, though. Today, fewer and fewer people are willing to uproot themselves and their families to start anew. Why? There are plenty of reasons: the effect on any children involved (changing schools, leaving friends) are much more seriously considered, the role of extended family, like parents and grandparents is also cited as an important factor, along with concern about potential employment opportunities for a spouse or partner, the long-term likelihood of continued employment with the company, the cost of living (particularly housing) and quality of life in the new city.

We now have many more positions that can be performed remotely, due to huge advances in technology since the 1980s when about 1/3 of new employees were moving to start their jobs. (See Allied Van Lines’ Survey results for more statistics relating to job relocation.) Relocation benefit packages have also become less common and less generous. We have fewer huge corporations and more entrepreneurial employers and they simply don’t have the cash reserves to offer those kinds of packages to recruited talent. For businesses trying to find the perfect employee for a specific position, this shift in the willingness to move poses a threat to hiring the most qualified employees. One recruiter interviewed for the article said, ““Now we go into the situation thinking it probably is an issue, so we need to bring it up,” he said, likening his job these days to that of a relocation consultant. He said he has to talk with job seekers about their spouse’s careers and children’s school needs—“the whole life situation of the candidate.”

So what does this trend of “staying put” mean to our work force? It’s complicated. To prospective employees, it means a more consistent lifestyle for the entire family with fewer interruptions and stronger ties to family, schools and communities. That said, it reduces the number of positions considered as possibilities, so, from that perspective, there are fewer job opportunities. From the employer’s point of view, it means that creativity in attracting top talent will be more and more important. It means offering perks that are enough to convince candidates to relocate (or to find ways to let them work remotely) as well as finding ways to mold local applicants into even better prospects through training or apprenticeships or even just by capitalizing on their particular skills. They may even considering opening small, satellite offices that use centralized administration to reduce costs.

Motion-Activated Stair Lights

August 24, 2018 by Jennifer LeBow Leave a Comment

When our dog’s vision made it difficult for him to navigate the stairs in the dark, my husband installed (stuck to the wall) these motion detector lights. They’ve changed Otis’ life!

Have you ever bought something with high hopes and been disappointed? A lot of those “seen on TV“ items fall into this category. It either doesn’t do what they said it would do or it is “not as described.” It’s frustrating. Every once in a while, though, you get a sleeper–something that outperforms your expectations and ends up being such a great product or idea that you wonder how you ever lived without it and feel so grateful to have discovered it. Here’s one of those.

OK, the backstory: We are dog people and our dogs are an extremely important part of our family. When our older dog started to hesitate going down the stairs at night (or in the morning when it was still dark out), my husband ordered some inexpensive motion sensor lights to mount on our steps. Without exaggeration, I have to say this purchase changed Otis’s life. Now, when he wants to go downstairs (or up) and it’s dark, as soon as he approaches the stairs, the first light comes on and he can see. As he continues down, the stairs light up a few steps ahead of him and he is able to navigate them so now he doesn’t get scared, and he’s able to get a drink, or go to a different area during the night so he is more comfortable. Obviously, these lights would be great for a young child who has to get up to use the bathroom or anybody else who is up at night. And additional bonus is that by not having to turn on the regular house lights (which can be blinding), whoever needs to be up in the dark is less likely to be shocked into wakefulness. As a result, it may be easier to fall back asleep.

I’m sure there are tons of other uses for these lights and they just stick right on. I wanted to share this find because they’ve been such a boon to our household!

This post features an affiliate link.

Fix it Before You List it?

August 19, 2018 by Jennifer LeBow Leave a Comment

If there are repairs you are planning/willing to make before selling, get them done before you list.

Why shouldn’t I just sell it as is?

While I understand why sellers may not be inclined to spend money making repairs (like replacing a broken pane of glass in a window, repairing broken screens, or having baseboards and trim painted) before they know what a buyer is offering them, for houses that are generally updated and in good repair, those types of items should really be done before prospective buyers see the house. Why? Because, (even if the repairs to be done are noted), it can create a sense in a buyer’s mind that the home in poorly cared for. (Please note, this article isn’t intended to apply to “TLC/Fixer Upper” properties. It would be like putting lipstick on a pig to repair a broken window pane when the windows all need to be replaced.)

Consider return on investment

Obviously, there may be some parts of the home or property that are beyond the scope of work you’re willing to do (for example, painting the entire house, refinishing all the hardwood floors or replacing the roof). Sometimes the investment is too great and sometimes the return on that investment is too low. As long as you understand the “objections” buyers might have and you have priced the house accordingly, you don’t need to do those expensive projects. It’s the things that you DO intend to fix that you want to be sure the buyers never see in their “broken” state.

Sometimes, if, for example, you are prepared to pay for new carpeting, but you think buyers might prefer to choose their own as opposed to hoping that they like your choice, you might offer them a credit toward new carpet. While it’s true that buyers make like the idea of choosing it themselves, you’ll need to be sure to make it very clear that you’ll be providing that credit and remember, relying on people to look past the old, stained carpet and imagine how it would look with new carpet is not always successful. So just weigh the risks.

Consider timing for project completion

One caveat: timing. If, for whatever reason, you need to get the house sold as soon as possible and don’t want to wait to list it, you may decide to put it on the market before it’s as “show-ready” as it should be. This decision is always a judgment call. If you do list it, be sure to prominently display signs or leave a list of repairs that you will be making on the table (with copies buyers can take with them), have your agent be sure to include the information on the MLS and ask her to be sure any agents who request showings receive a copy electronically. You don’t want people thinking the price reflects the house “as-is” if it doesn’t.

Similarly, if weather conditions prevent you from, say, resealing your driveway or laying sod, be sure to explain that these projects will be completed when weather allows, even if it’s after ownership has transferred (just note that you will have your contractors direct-bill you when they are able to complete the job).

It’s always best to put your home’s “best foot forward” at the time you list it. Showing prospective buyers anything less than its most appealing look is risky, but there can be situations where you might consider listing it before you’ve done some repairs that you actually are willing or planning to do. My advice is to discuss the best strategy with your agent and spend the time to consider the pros and cons.

For more on which are the most common buyer objections (and how sellers can address them), click here.

Simple, Super Pesto

August 18, 2018 by Jennifer LeBow Leave a Comment

Pesto isn’t hard, but it’s great when you have a good recipe!

Jen LeBow’s Pesto

Heat on low-medium until garlic is soft and beginning to brown:

½ cup EVOO

4 cloves smashed garlic

Remove garlic and set aside.

In same pot, saute til golden:

1/3 cup pine nuts

Blend til smooth in food processor:

2 cups fresh packed basil leaves

1/4 t salt

Reserved garlic

Reserved pine nuts

2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Add in the EVOO slowly and blend til combined.

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Why shouldn’t I just sell it as is?

Consider return on investment

Consider timing for project completion

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