Philadelphia, Bucks and Montgomery Counties Real Estate. Tips for home buyers, home sellers by Gita Bantwal,Realtor at ReMax Centre Realtors.

Halloween is a fun time for adults and kids. I enjoy handing out candy and seeing the neighboring kids with all kinds of costumes. I always buy candy that I love, so that I can eat the leftover candy.

Kids usually run across the lawn when they go for candy from house to house. One of the most important thing to do is  to have bright lights outside and make sure the entire yard is safe for kids , with no tripping hazards. Trim the bushes that may get in the way if necessary and pick up twigs , stones and broken glass if any from the yard.

Do not let your dog out in the yard as kids might be scared of dogs and the dog may be excited on seeing the kids in costumes.

Do not encourage kids to eat the candy. They should have their parents check the candy  first , incase they are allergic to things like peanut butter.

Congratulations Phillies.! Thanks for a wonderful series . Philadelphia fans will be celebrating until at least spring training. If anyone is interested in attending the parade. it is going to be held on Friday, October 31.2008.

I was among the fortunate ones who could attend the game with my family. It is an experience I will never forget. I went to look for the Inquirer and Daily news today and no store in the area had any left. I called a few people I know and they do not subscribe to the newspapers. I thought I would turn to Active Rain and I hope someone may have the newspapers and not need it anymore.

Please call Gita Bantwal at 215-343-1122 home Thank you.

Uduppi Dosa House in Bensalem serves just vegetarian food. It is located at 2163 Galloway Rd, Bensalem, Pa. 19020

In case you are wondering, about the cuisine, it is Indian Cuisine. The name Uduppi is name of a town in South of India. South Indian cuisine is their specialty. Dosa is kind of a Crepe .

Go to their web site www.uduppidosahouse.com and read more.

They have a great buffet on Wednesday evenings when they serve all kinds of specialty foods. If you are trying it for the first time, you should go on Wednesday.

If you are in the area and want to look at homes in Bensalem, call Gita Bantwal at ReMax Centre Realtors 215-343-8200x124

Newtown Grant is a community of single homes,townhomes and flats.

It is locates off route 413 and is convenient to I-95 and within half hour of Princeton, NJ. It is  easy to commute to Trenton, NJ  from Newtown , from where you can take the train to NY.

There are 15 active listings as per   the multiple listing. The lowest price is $199,000 for a 2 bedroom unit on first floor.  There is a 3 bedroom townhouse, with a garage  for $299,500.

5 homes are under contract. 3 of these were on the market for less than 15 days.

In the last six months homes were on the market for an average of 52 days.(property marketing period/

The  sale price ranged   between $170,000 to $345,000.

They community is located in  highly acclaimed Council Rock School district.

If you would like to look at homes in Newtown Grant go to  www.gitabantwal.com and call Gita Bantwal at ReMax Centre Realtors 215-343-8200x124

You can look up the web site of the community at www.newtowngrant.org

This truly is a Buyer's market in Bucks and Montgomery Counties, Pa.

The supply of homes is much more than demand. What it means for a buyer is :

1. You can look at many houses before you decide and chances of finding a home with most items on your, " Must Have"  list is good.

2. Sellers may accept a lower price or may negotiate terms to help you buy your dream home.  Many builders of new construction are offering various incentives. You need a good Buyer's Agent to help you negotiate.

I looked up the multiple listing this morning and here is what I found :

In Bucks County,  there are 2794 residential listings priced under $500,000 and 879 residential listings priced between $500k and $1000,000.

In Montgomery County, there are 4164 residential listings priced under $500,000 and 968 priced between $500k and $1000,000.

The above does not include multi units and sale by owners etc.

If you are in the market to buy a home, make your wish list and call Gita Bantwal at ReMax Centre Realtors. 215-343-8200x124. Look up all available listings at www.gitabantwal.com

I am an Accredited Buyer's Representative and hold the ABR designation.

Fuji film recently launched a photo site www.seehere.com  . It is like Picasa ,flickr etc. It may not have all the features but it offers unlimited photo storage.

I looked up the site and got some good ideas for closing gifts. I will use the picture of the house for these items.

1. Ceramic Plates It comes with the stand. ( 8 inch diameter) $11.99

2.Wall Clock $22.99

Serving tray.Made of Cherry wood. 14"x10" , $24.99

Photo Throw 50"x60" , made of 100% cotton $89.99

My personal favorite is the serving tray. Instead of giving wine , I will start giving these trays.

Check out the web site. If not for gifts , you can use it for storage.

Woodwinds Condominium in Hatboro has units with one floor living as well as two story townhomes'

It is a commuter's delight. You can take the train to Center City, Philadelphia .www.septa.org.

It is within walking distance of stores in the boro.

The association fees include lawn care and snow removal and trash removal.

There are two units on the market . A first floor unitwith 2 bedrooms is listed for $146,300.

5 homes sold in last six months. They were on the market for an average of 25 days. Lowest sale price was $135,500 for a 2 bedroom unit with one floor living, and highest price was $174,900 for a 3 bedroom townhome. This is subject to errors and omissions.

If you are looking to buy a home, this is something to consider. It may be cheaper to own than to rent.

Look up all available homes on www.gitabantwal.com

Call Gita Bantwal ta ReMax Centre Realtors 215-343-8200x124

If you are looking for some great ideas for your home this is the place to visit .

There  will be Hundreds of exhibits.

Whether you want to remodel your kitchen or bathroom, or your entire home you will find information.

Exhibits include info about : bathrooms, satellite systems,home furnishings, security systems,home theatre, pool, fences,windows,tile,spas, landscaping,waterproofing,sheds, gazebos,saunas, and much more.

Location. Valley Forge Convention Center, 1160 First ave, King of Prussia, Pa

plenty of free parking, Fri 11 am to 10 pm, Saturday 10 am to 10 pm, Sunday 10 am to 6 pm.

www.acshomeshow.com  call 888-560-EXPO 

Southampton Sports Zone is located at  1065 Industrial Blvd, Southampton,Pa . Tel 215-942-2212

They are open Monday to Friday 10 am to 9 pm, Saturday and Sunday,  9 am to 9 pm

www.thesportszoneinfo

They have indoor batting cages, basketball court, arcade games, inside playground, rock climbing.

You can choose from over 20 sports parties. including football, floor hockey, rock climbing, relay races, kickball, basketball , soccer ,  wiffle ball, space jump, virtual reality sports and more.

If you are looking to move to Bucks County, Call Gita Bantwal at ReMax Centre Realtors, 215-343-8200x124 . visit my web site www.gitabantwal.com

Everyone needs a place they can call home. Owning a home is the American dream but with the mortgage crisis it is becoming more difficult for people to buy a home. I have always helped investors find tenants. I hope that they will call me to buy more properties, list with me when they want to sell and the tenants may call me when they are ready to buy. It is getting to be difficult these days.

Consumers have not been saving for a down payment because 100% financing was common. Whether you want to buy a home or rent one, you need money.

Landlords ask for a security deposit which can be a month or a month and a half times rent or more, ( restrictions depending on state law ) and the first month's rent in advance.

Landlords also expect good credit and many do not allow pets and  ask for a pet deposit if there are pets.

I receive calls for rentals all the time and I find I can not help because not all rentals are listed in mls.

The calls I receive are from

1. People who have pets . It makes it difficult to find rentala.

2.The people have bad credit .

3.They do not have enough for a security deposit.

I like to help but I find it difficult. I  look up the mls and if nothing is suitable , I refer them to the local newspaper and tell them to call private landlords.

If you are looking to rent a house in Bucks County, you can call an agent, but not all homes are listed. Please look up the newspaper. www.phillyburbs.com