The Little Realtor

Its Halloween but even after a month of hayrides, campfires, spooky stories, movies and now the trick or treating finale, if you still haven't gotten your fix, here are the best REALLY haunted & eerie spots around Philadelphia!  Whether you want to take a winter tour, solo tour in Nov or plan for next year, these are a few great lists on how to continue to enjoy the spooky season.    Pennsylvania Haunted Places and Activities  Creepy Places in PA  Philly's Haunted Places  Happy Haunting! 

 Posted a few years ago but still a go-to list, don't forget to give your home some love this Fall too!  Fall Maintenance Check List

 I've been impressed lately with some of amount of accessible design features I've seen around as of late. By "accessible design", I mean home decor, renovations and design that is accessible to those with a physical impairment or disability.  First I noticed that back in March, Better Homes and Gardens did a great feature on a home designed with a wheelchaired child in mind.  Yes, it was a rancher and mid-century modern in design so it leant itself to move open-flow and clean line design. But even if this isn't your style, there were some great ideas here!  Check it out here  Then I saw Southern Living did a great home build with "adaptive design" in mind. This was a great feature because it reviewed new construction and slight changes in thinking to make just a welcoming, easy access home for all guests.  As noted in the article,  " If you’re going to be a good host, particularly from the Southern point of view, where we’re all about hospitality, ...

 In terms of renovation projects, most people don't look up. A kitchen? Of course. The bathroom. Obviously. Paint and built in cabinets? Sure. But renovating your ceiling?  I'm actually seeing it more and more and while it won't be for everyone, spending some money on the "5th wall" can actually reap serious benefits for some homes.  The plan? Taking down your current dropped drywall or plaster and opening up the ceiling to expose the joists above.  Via If you have a mid-century home with low ceilings, or a historical farmhouse with the same, this may be a worthwhile endeavor, not only to add visual appeal but to produce the effect of high ceilings and more space.  Via  Common design ideas are to just open it up and leave it rustic, paint the underside of the floorboards above while leaving the beams, as above, spraying it all one color, often white, to keep things light, or adding new wood tones, like below.  Via Via  Via Of course, there are som...

 If you ask the average person right now (your neighbor, your mom, your co-worker), they are likely to tell you you'd "be crazy to buy right now". I hear this often. And its not just your neighbor or co-worker - most Americans think right now is a bad time to buy a home - 79% in fact, according to a recent poll .  Photo by Jimmy Dean on Unsplash And for the average person in our greater Philly market, thats probably true. Rates are still incredibly high at 6%+ (in comparison to the 3's and 4's we had been seeing).  But what it you WANT to buy a home? What if you had been waiting and hoping to buy in 2021 and 2022 and it just wasn't happening? Should you sit it out?  Well I think that greatly depends on your financial picture....  - Do you have a house to sell? Will you benefit from that sale, better balancing the higher cost to purchase?  - Do you currently rent? Is that rental rate particularly high and costly based on the continually rising rental rates ...

 Two years ago I posted this list, rounding up some of my favorite local designers to follow (or hire!). Honestly, still in love with all of these designers and love seeing their businesses grow!  But I wanted to share a few more local designers to check out in 2022!  Crisco and Frisco  Via I actually just recently came across these two but am really interested in their work. A lot of its very modern and trendy but they seem to add something unexpected in all of their work and I LOVE that. Its so easy to get formulaic when your clients see something and want it, so they seem to have a fresh eye for adding uniqueness to that formula.  (I mean that tile combo!....)  Twelve Chairs Interiors The patterns! Ah! They know how to balance color and pattern with very tailored looks. Love it! I have a special place in my heart for their 1840 Greek Revival project in West Chester (PA)  Bare Root Design  Based in Bucks County, they feel very true to their loc...

 If you are a parent of little ones this summer, you might already have your weekends booked with BBQs and kids birthday parties, but if not, its always good to get out and explore somewhere new (and plan for the less packed weekends in the Fall and Winter).  Here's a list of some of my favorite outdoor spots to visit, from West to East, with playgrounds or not!  Via Valley Forge  An obvious answer to parks around Philly, but even though this is doesn't have a playground and is geared towards historical tourists, its a GREAT spot to push a stroller. There are a several parking lots and wide open spaces and easy trails to push a stroller along. A very beautiful and pleasant walking experience! Plus, in the winter, its a sledding haven!  Norview Farm Park - King of Prussia  Home of Petrucci's Ice Cream, its a fun spot to visit. Its a real farm with goats, horses, chickens, etc. and even has a small toddler playground. Throw in ice cream, whats not to love?...