The Philadelphia Condo Loft

Philadelphia’s City Hall area is time honored and traditional. Located in the northern end of Center City, there are some spectacular high rises and town homes in the immediate area.

At Liberty Place, take a look at Two Liberty Place.

Closer to Penn Square, compare The Packard Grande and The Ayer.

Enjoy this beautiful neighborhood in the heart of historic Philadelphia. Call me to tour these Philadelphia condos.

The Northern Liberties neighborhood of Philadelphia is popular among artists and musicians. Close to Center City, Northern Liberties enjoys the benefits of revitalization and tax abatements. Row houses and renovated lofts are among the choices for housing here.

Northern Liberties is a Historic District, known for buildings in the Italianate, Greek revival, and Federal style.

Take a look at these Philadelphia condos in the Northern Liberties area.

American Loft
Fairmount Quarters
Waterfront Square

Find out why CondoDomain is different from other real estate brokers

Incentives for new condo buyers are increasing in many real estate markets. Everything from price cuts, free merchanidise such as cars and appliances to a year’s free tuition are offered by anxious developers looking to get condo residences under contract and sold. In some markets, tax abatements are offered to new buyers. And then, of course, there is the $8000 tax credit incentive from the Federal government.

In Philadelphia, tax abatements are a popular incentive. The abatements offer lower taxes on new or renovated buildings. While there are proposals to change the tax abatement structure, it looks like properties that now have the abatement would not be affected.

10 years of tax abatement is a powerful reason to consider a Philadelphia condo, especially one that is newly constructed or renovated. Here are some Philadelphia condos that are particularly good values right now:

2200 Arch Street
511 Condominium Residences
North 28
National at Old City
Lofts at Logan View
Memphis Flats
The Pearl
Victory Condominiums

Find out why Condodomain is different from other real estate brokers

Rittenhouse Square has long been a Philadelphia neighborhood of distinction. Home to the world class Curtis School of Music, Rittenhouse Square has seen a surge of development and renovation in the past few years. Just this past week, Barneys NY opened its first Philadelphia store at 10 Rittenhouse, the ARC Wheeler development which has preserved the facade of the historic Rittenhouse Club while building a high rise residential tower with three high end mega condominiums.

Buyers have plenty to choose from in Rittenhouse Square, one of Center City’s most prominent neighborhoods. Take a look at these Rittenhouse Square condo residences:

10 Rittenhouse Square

1706 Rittenhouse Square

Parc Rittenhouse

1830 Rittenhouse

1900 Rittenhouse Square

Find out why CondoDomain is different from other real estate brokers.

Philadelphia is known for being the cradle of American government history – and no other place are you able to live in the midst of all the notable places that are so important to American history than in the Old City district.

Yes, in Old City Philadelphia, the living is very good – and surprisingly affordable for the urban professional. Prices of Old City condos range from the 200s to over 1 million. Old City is a wonderful place to live – in the heart of Philadelphia, close to the Ben Franklin Bridge, convenient to NJ and to I-95.

Take a look at these different buildings and lifestyles in Old City:

Lofts@209
Hoopskirt Lofts
National at Old City
Old City 108
Webster Mills

Find out what makes CondoDomain different from other real estate brokers.

The real estate news for Philadelphia is pretty gloomy these days. Sales have continued to fall, and condo inventory is up. This means that for buyers looking to score that Center City condo, the opportunities are there right now.

Waterfront Square

Aria

The Packard Grande

The Ellington

Center City is the prime neighborhood in Philadelphia – close to everything, great restaurants, theater, and all that Center City Philadelphia history. Finding a great deal on a Center City condo is possible now like no other time.

At Condodomain, we give you money back at closing. Find out how we do this, and what makes us different from other real estate brokers.

Going green & saving green seem to be all the rage these days, which is why the real estate development firm Postgreen has the right idea.

Browsing aimlessly through an airline magazine trying to pass the time on a boring flight, I came across an article that literally had me rip the page out to keep! (Sorry Airtran) It was titled, “Reduce, Reuse, Real Estate” and it gave me great idea on an interesting concept taking place right in Philadelphia!

Postgreen is the source behind the 100K House, a case study in which they are attempting to build a LEED-platinmum certified Philadelphia home for only $100,000 in construction costs. For those of you unfamiliar with the high cost of green building…this is an incredible goal! Postgreen is aiming to prove that green homes can be built affordably if designed properly. Being “eco-friendly” will now hopefully be “eco-nomicially friendly” too!

After reading this article I was thoroughly impressed with Postgreen and their use of their blog as a source for ideas and information…because after all, here at CondoDomain we value our blogs in the same way.

Postgreen plans to build ten houses in Philadelphia in 2009 and a projected 40-50 in 2010. To learn more about Postgreen visit their website or their blog.

Stay tuned to our Philadelphia Condo Loft blog for more information on Green Building and Modern Condos in Philadelphia!

Source: Pam George, GO Magazine

Foreclosures are on many people’s minds lately.  Since the Federal Government has offered incentives to lenders to restructure people’s loans, local and state governments are encouraging home owners to seek help sooner rather than later and work with their lender to avoid foreclosure.  Help includes restructuring loans, and the purchase of homes by municipalities and non profits.

Foreclosure is the last stop on the money crisis train for home owners.  Once a home is foreclosed, the lender really does not want to own it.  This is why for the savvy buyer, these homes can be a great deal.

Philadelphia foreclosures are no longer just in risky neighborhoods.  The foreclosure crisis has hit all sorts of homes in all types of areas.  Pre-foreclosure, many homeowners and developers are willing to negotiate with a buyer/investor.  If they can walk away with a little cash and satisfied liens, and you have a property for less than the market value, it can be a win – win proposition.

How do you find pre-foreclosure opportunities?  By searching for them on our site!  Our partnership with RealtyTrac enables you to search all Philadelphia foreclosure listings.  Pre-foreclosures, foreclosure auctions, and bank owned properties are all at your fingertips on our site, and we can help you make sense of the entire process.  We can also assist you with obtaining financing.  Contact us today to learn more about Philadelphia foreclosure opportunities.

Philadelphia lofts are a popular lifestyle choice right now.  Whether built brand new, or converted from formerly commercial and industrial space, the convenient locations, ample space, soaring ceilings and light pouring in through large windows make an attractive choice, and are a magnet for urban designers.

In the vibrant Avenue of the Arts neighborhood, The 1352 Condominium Lofts and Residences are in the heart of all the trendy cultural offerings in the city of Philadelphia.  Spacious and contemporary, these two story Philadelphia lofts include the standard features of exposed ductwork, soaring ceilings, and oversized window walls. The views from these contemporary Philadelphia loft residences are stunning.

Call us to tour The 1352 Condominium Lofts and Residences, and remember, with CondoDomain, we give you money back at closing.

There’s been a lot of attention to nationwide foreclosures in the news lately. The number of foreclosures is up this month, and looks pretty drastic. This is partly because of the moratorium on foreclosures in December and through February, awaiting word from the White House on how the federal government would intervene. Now that the moratorium is over, foreclosed properties that were already set for auction have been again scheduled for sale, and now there is a backlog of them.

Foreclosures are pressuring the real estate market in many cities, but providing many opportunities for home ownership. Formerly investors and “house flippers” were the majority at Philadelphia foreclosure auctions. But now, regular home buyers who want a chance at an affordable home are flocking to Philadelphia foreclosure auctions.

While foreclosures in huge numbers hammer housing prices, efforts to sell the homes and get them off the market have two benefits. One is that once the large inventory of Philadelphia foreclosures is off the market, housing prices can stabilize and a true market value can again be established, with homeowners once again building equity. The second benefit is obvious – the buyer gets a home at a low price.

Buying a Philadelphia foreclosure is not without risk, since the buyer is responsible for repairs and all liens against the property, including taxes, construction liens, and second mortgages. When it comes to Philadelphia condos, it’s possible to have less risk exposure than with a freestanding house.   We can help you with this. We can give you information about the building, the community, and assisting you in finding out the truth about all outstanding liens. We can also assist you with purchasing any foreclosure you choose, not just a condo.

Here at CondoDomain, we have partnered with RealtyTrac so that you can search all available and pending foreclosures in the Philadelphia area. Take a look at these, and then call us with your questions.

Good news for FHA loans! As of last week, there are new maximum loan limits that are available due to the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act. These new loan limits are for new and existing loan applications that are submitted with credit approval on or after March 12, 2009.

Here is a list of the 2009 FHA Maximum Mortgage Limits*:

$729,750 for one-unit properties
$934,200 for two-unit properties
$1,129,250 for three-unit properties
$1,403,400 for four-unit properties

These new limits open up the possibilities for many new buyers! Now lenders can go as high as a $729,750 loan amount with only 3.5% down! So if you are in the market to buy and have previously been unable to put 10-20%  down, this is excellent news!

Contact Christina Longo immediately for more information at 978.886.9359

View the all-new Condo Loan Center to learn more information. The Condo Loan Center offers everything from first-time homebuyer programs with down payment assistance, to private mortgage banking with unlimited loan amounts. In addition, the Condo Loan Center has the ability to act as a broker gives clients even more loan programs. Through the Condo Loan Center, you can rest assured that you will be provided with a competitive loan that meets your individual needs.

A complete schedule of FHA’s maximum county mortgage limits can be viewed through the HUD website by clicking here
*the list excludes financed UFMIP or EEM cost

We started our St Patrick’s day celebration here in Philadelphia this weekend, with our annual parade. Did you know that the Philadelphia St Patrick’s Day parade is the second oldest in the nation? Only New York City has been holding a St. Patrick’s Day parade for a longer time.

Of course, the party doesn’t end with the 239th St Patrick’s Day parade, which took place on the weekend, it’s just getting started. Here’s a list of some of the places you can go today to really celebrate in style, and get a feel for Irish culture here in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia has such a diversity of cultures, it’s one of the strong things about this city.

Another strong thing for Philadelphia is the availability of Philadelphia condominium residences for qualified buyers. With tax credits, tax abatements on many properties, lower prices and lower interest rates, the long wait to buy your home may be soon over.

Enjoy the day – and then call me about seeing some Philadelphia condominiums. We’ll find the right home for you at a price you can afford. And remember, when you buy with CondoDomain, we give you money back at closing.