The Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

Old Kensington Real Estate - 3 Bedroom Home for Sale in Old Kensington, Philadelphia

Call The Somers 215-400-2620, RE/MAX Access, Northern Liberties, Philadelphia

167 W Jefferson Street

This newly renovated 3 story row home offers many wonderful features you will enjoy. This 3 bedroom home for sale in Old Kensington has beautiful curb appeal, is located across from a large clean park, and near beautiful architectural buildings.

Solid hard wood floors throughout every room, new kitchen w/ appliances and plenty of cabinets and counter space for cooking. The dining room and living room are combined in a completely open floor plan on the 1st floor. There is a rear powder room with bamboo style designer vanity and a 1st floor laundry area.

Photo Gallery for 167 W Jefferson Street 

The 2nd floor has 2 bedrooms that share a full bath. The 3rd floor is the incredibly tasteful master bedroom suite with walk in closet, room for a sitting area and bedroom set.

The master bath includes a spa tub, beautifully tiled ceramic walls and floor, and a large vanity for storage. The master bedroom and bath have skylights and there are good views of the Ben Franklin Bridge.

This 3 bedroom home for sale in Old Kensington has a full, clean, unfinished basement, new electric, new plumbing, gas heat and cooking and has central air conditioning.

Neighborhood articles and Information about Old Kensington

TheSomersTeam.com

215-400-2620

Remax Access, Northern Liberties

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If interested in buying or selling properties in Philadelphia, contact Chris and Stephanie Somers at thesomersteam@yahoo.com or 215-400-2612.  For investment properties, check out our new investor site at Philly Investor Hub!  If interested in checking out our new office in Northern Liberties, let us know !

The Somers  Team - Philadelphia Real Estate  

Search the MLS Properties Here in Philadelphia

Areas of specialty include: Northern Liberties, Old City, Center City, Fishtown, Graduate Hospital, Art Museum, Queen Village, Pennsport, Old Kensington, Port Richmond, Bridesburg, Society Hill, Loft District, Spring Garden and more !

2 Bedroom 2.5 Bath Condo Unit for Sale in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia

Call The Somers 215-400-2620, RE/MAX Access, Northern Liberties, Philadelphia

901 N Penn Street R2003

A 2 Bedroom, 2.5 bath condo unit for sale in Northern Liberties at Waterfront Square is a short sale opportunity.

This 1^st floor condo unit in Northern Liberties has over 1,500 square feet of living space with exterior glass balcony and includes all of the stainless steel appliances and a side by side washer and dryer.

The layout is extremely desirable with each bedroom on separate wings. There are hardwood floors and granite countertops through the main living area.

Photo Gallery 

The kitchen and baths have a neutral tile backsplash and shower. There is a separate glass enclosed shower and bath in both bedroom suites, walk-in closets and linen closets.

The living room, dining room, and kitchen are open to a stunning glass wall overlooking the Ben Franklin Bridge, Delaware River, and Center City.  Concierge, 1car garage parking, spa, pool, and gym included.

You will love the amazing 20th floor views from this 2 bedroom 2.5 bath condo unit for sale in Northern Liberties in Philadelphia.

Explore more about Life in Northern Liberties

Take a Tour of this amazing 20th Floor Condo Unit in Northern Liberties

TheSomersTeam.com

215-400-2620

Remax Access, Northern Liberties

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If interested in buying or selling properties in Philadelphia, contact Chris and Stephanie Somers at thesomersteam@yahoo.com or 215-400-2612.  For investment properties, check out our new investor site at Philly Investor Hub!  If interested in checking out our new office in Northern Liberties, let us know !

The Somers  Team - Philadelphia Real Estate  

Search the MLS Properties Here in Philadelphia

Areas of specialty include: Northern Liberties, Old City, Center City, Fishtown, Graduate Hospital, Art Museum, Queen Village, Pennsport, Old Kensington, Port Richmond, Bridesburg, Society Hill, Loft District, Spring Garden and more !

One of our goals for 2009 was to increase our website traffic for The Somers Team (our website) .  I am happy to report that we had a 21 percent increase in traffic year over year as well as a 69 percent increase in page views !

The great news with these statistics is that our sellers are getting that much more exposure on their listings outside of just the MLS.  And this is only our website, not to mention the traffic we get on our blog as well as the other sites where we feature our listings. 

In addition, the more consumers that visit your site, the more potential clients you will have !

That is why it is so important to monitor to traffic to your website.  You can assess what is working and what is not with your Internet Marketing efforts.   You can see where all the traffic is coming from, whether it be a google search or sent via another site such as Craigslist, Activerain, your blog or any other site.  This information is very valuable for you in terms of what you decide to focus on for 2010.

There are a lot of analytical programs out there.  The above is from Google Analytics which is pretty easy to set up for both your website and your blog.

One of the interesting things we are seeing now is that although January was relatively slow for us this year, the traffic on our website is very high which to me means that buyers are starting to search now looking for properties and will start to pound the pavement in the next month or so to be under contract by the end of April to qualify for the Tax Credit.  It is great to have this data at your fingertips !

So what are your goals for 2010 ?  One of ours is to increase the traffic again year over year for our website which I will share some tips and suggestions in regards to some of the specifics that we are doing in an upcoming blog post !  Keep a look out for it by subscribing to our blog !

Good luck in 2010 with your website and blog ! 

4 Bedroom 1 Bath Home for Sale in Port Richmond, Philadelphia

Call The Somers 215-400-2620, RE/MAX Access, Northern Liberties, Philadelphia

3210 Salmon Street 

Welcome to this extra-wide, spacious 4 bedroom, 1 bath home for sale in Port Richmond, Philadelphia.  This property is 22 feet wide which provides for added room and square footage to the property.

Features of this Port Richmond Home:

• Hardwood floors through-out most of the property
• Kitchen has been updated with tile floors and bountiful, newer cabinets
• Upstairs bath is ample size which has also been updated
• Basement is full and extremely spacious for storage
• There is also a side yard for outdoor space and bbq
• Electric is newer

Property is well maintained even though it is a short sale and was fully inspected in 2006. There are some minor updates that are needed as well as some cosmetic work.

Photo Gallery

This 4 Bedroom 1 Bath Home for Sale in Port Richmond is a short sale property that will require third party approval. Property will be sold in "as-is" condition and buyer will be responsible for any violations (if any) on the Philadelphia City Certification. This is a great opportunity to own on this great Port Richmond block below market value. Parking is easy.  Extremely convenient to shops and transportation on Allegheny Ave.

Property is easy to show and we welcome you to visit this 4 Bedroom 1 Bath Home for Sale in Port Richmond.

Explore more on Port Richmond Life

TheSomersTeam.com

215-400-2620

Remax Access, Northern Liberties

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If interested in buying or selling properties in Philadelphia, contact Chris and Stephanie Somers at thesomersteam@yahoo.com or 215-400-2612.  For investment properties, check out our new investor site at Philly Investor Hub!  If interested in checking out our new office in Northern Liberties, let us know !

The Somers  Team - Philadelphia Real Estate  

Search the MLS Properties Here in Philadelphia

Areas of specialty include: Northern Liberties, Old City, Center City, Fishtown, Graduate Hospital, Art Museum, Queen Village, Pennsport, Old Kensington, Port Richmond, Bridesburg, Society Hill, Loft District, Spring Garden and more !

In case you didn't brave it in the cold for last night's monthy meeting of the Northern Liberties Neighbors Association, we stopped by for the neighborhood briefing.

First up, RecycleBank gave a presentation on their recycling rewards program, which rolls out in Northern Liberties next week. The process is simple: you sign up through their website, slap an electronic tag on your recycling bin, and you receive points each time the truck picks up your load. Points can be redeemed for discounts at local businesses, Whole Foods, Target, and many others. You can also choose to donate your points to schools that are involved in a Green Schools program. For more information and to sign up, visit https://www.recyclebank.com/.

Tim Bennett from Bennett Compost also stopped by to discuss his composting service for those interested in having their compost picked up for a $10 monthly fee. Materials are then moved to local green areas. He'll also consult with restaurants and other businesses that are ready to start composting. Check it out at http://www.bennettcompost.com/.

Want to work for the 2010 Census? If you'd like to make some extra money in your spare time, stop by a testing center and apply to be part of the team that helps get out the 2010 Census. You can find more details on their website: http://2010.census.gov/2010census/.

And finally, last night's main discussion centered around a proposal request from artisans who'd like to re-design the I-95 Underpass on Spring Garden Street. The project's aim is to beautify and transform the much-needed area, which is such a major transportation hub for many of us. The streetscape will be improved with a green landscape and new lighting, but the NLNA and architecture firm DIGSAU is very open to designs from local artists. The chosen artist will receive funds to immediately start planning and developing the space, with the help of the Mural Arts Program and DIGSAU. The application will be available on Monday at www.muralarts.org and proposals will be accepted until March 1. 

Look for Phase I of the installation to be completed by October 2010, with the finalization of the project set for 2012. Applicants are encouraged to keep the neighborhood vibe in mind and to include modern, abstract artwork in their proposal. The Spring Garden Underpass is in dire need of some inspiration, and we're excited to see the results and the value that this adds to the neighborhood.

See you at next month's meeting!

The thing that makes a local restaurant so special is their story. Darling's Diner and Famous Cheesecakes, located at N. 2nd and Germantown Avenue, at the Piazza in Northern Liberties is a great restaurant and has a great story. Ryan and Kara in the photograph (below) are an illustration in a simple snapshot of how Darling's serves up a delicious meal and a delightful atmosphere every day. The decor is a mash-up of Silk City meets Stephen Starr. But atmosphere and good food do not create themselves. So, we decided to find out what the story was behind all of Darling's good stuff, especially the cheesecake.

Harry Arnold admits he was born to be in the restaurant business. Thinking back at all of the years he had spent in the food service industry as a busboy, a server, a bartender, and reminiscing about pushing around his fair share of dessert carts, Harry happily admitted, "I really can't imagine myself doing anything else!"  Harry is the co-owner of Darling's Diner and Famous Cheesecakes. As we sat chatting in his diner over a piece of his insanely world-rocking chocolate mousse, Harry's confessions continued. "I had never cooked a thing in my life, but then one day I decided I wanted to try my hand at it."

The very first dish Harry ever tried to cook was cheesecake. By the fourth try, his chef friends knew he was on to something. "They really liked it!" As a waiter, in the back kitchens of Chickie and Pete's in South Philly, a restaurant that banned all desserts, he was turning his coworkers onto his secret cheesecake concoction. They loved his delicious recipes. Harry's friends and anyone who had the good fortune to taste one of his cakes wanted more. The more people tasted, the more they got hooked on his perfectly created recipes. Harry began to realize that he too was hooked. "I was addicted to the feeling I got when people said they loved my cooking." And so it was, Harry's career was born.

Breakfast at Darling's...retro grub for the modern set

Many people encouraged Harry to open a restaurant but his brother John was the man, the "pillar", who really stepped up to the plate as a business partner and investor. The two men opened a tiny 6 seat cafe with a chalkboard menu at 20th and Pine Streets in Philadelphia and within the first year of business they received the Best of Philly Award for desserts. A year later they opened a second store behind the Franklin Institute just off the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on 21st Street.

Business was cooking for a couple of years, though it was not always a sweet ride for Harry and John. Their big plans to move to a third location went sour when the stock market crashed and burned. John was devastated and Harry was in shock. But you know what they say, when one oven door closes, another opens and pretty soon they were planning the menus and hiring the staff for Darling's new location at the Piazza in Northern Liberties.

If you have not been to Darling's Diner yet, STOP what you are doing RIGHT NOW and go there! We mean it! What are you waiting for? We will see you there soon!

Darling's Diner at the Piazza is located at 1033 N. 2nd Street in Northern Liberties. For more info, visit their website at www.darlingsdiner.com

Have you met Darling's chocolate cheesecake?

 RE/MAX Access Welcomes Marta Roman !

We are proud to announce that Marta Roman recently joined RE/MAX Access.

Marta Roman holds a degree in business management and is a seasoned real estate broker with exceptional bi-lingual skills.  As an agent /broker and an accredited staging professional, her extensive background in banking and real estate development, enable her to provide the most efficient service available in today's real estate market.

As a former executive for Wachovia Bank, her understanding of the inner workings of the banking industry and her 203k designation will save her clients, who are interested in purchasing a home and making renovations, time and money.  Clients who are in the market of selling a property will enjoy the benefits of working with an accredited home staging professional. According to Stagedhomes.com, national statistic show that 95.6 percent of staged homes are on the market an average of 37 days. 

As a native Philadelphian, Marta has successfully purchased and developed several projects in Philadelphia, including a 100 year old three story home in the East Fishtown section of the city.  Marta is an active member of the National Association of Realtors, National Association of Hispanic Realtors, and Rebuild America.

We are growing our market share rapidly and are ahead of the curve in technology and innovation and we are proud that Marta chose RE/MAX Access.

Please welcome Marta to RE/MAX Access! If you are thinking of buying or selling in the Philadelphia area be sure to contact Marta at mromanrealtor@gmail.com.

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If interested in buying or selling properties in Philadelphia, contact Chris and Stephanie Somers at thesomersteam@yahoo.com or 215-400-2612.  For investment properties, check out our new investor site at Philly Investor Hub!  If interested in checking out our new office in Northern Liberties, let us know !

The Somers  Team - Philadelphia Real Estate  

Search the MLS Properties Here in Philadelphia

Areas of specialty include: Northern Liberties, Old City, Center City, Fishtown, Graduate Hospital, Art Museum, Queen Village, Pennsport, Old Kensington, Port Richmond, Bridesburg, Society Hill, Loft District, Spring Garden and more !

 RE/MAX Access Welcomes Chankia Hourn-Quigley

We are proud to announce that Chankia Hourn-Quigley recently joined RE/MAX Access.

Chankia was born in Cambodia and is part Chinese, Thai, and Cambodian and is fluent in her native Cambodian language and speaks enough of the Vietnamese language to hold a conversation.  She came to America at the age of 12, and grew up right here in the heart of this wonderful city of brotherly love, around the Philadelphia International Airport area.  She graduated from Georgia Tech and has been in the field of Social Services via the Commonwealth of PA for the last 15 years. 

Thinking about working and making money in the real estate industry, making new friends and helping people find their dream home truly excites me. 

Due to our office recently moving to our new location in Northern Liberties, our being ahead of the curve in technology and innovation, and the marked benefits of the RE/MAX model,  the decision for Chankia to join us and launch her real estate career was an easy one.

Chankia's philosophy is that with her special talents as a people person, failure will not be an option!  She plans to conquer name recognition within the Asian community and much more.

Please welcome Chankia to RE/MAX Access!  And if you are in Philadelphia, reach out to her to say hello!  I am sure she would love to speak to you about buying or selling a property or email her at  chaninphilly@aol.com.

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If interested in buying or selling properties in Philadelphia, contact Chris and Stephanie Somers at thesomersteam@yahoo.com or 215-400-2612.  For investment properties, check out our new investor site at Philly Investor Hub!  If interested in checking out our new office in Northern Liberties, let us know !

The Somers  Team - Philadelphia Real Estate  

Search the MLS Properties Here in Philadelphia

Areas of specialty include: Northern Liberties, Old City, Center City, Fishtown, Graduate Hospital, Art Museum, Queen Village, Pennsport, Old Kensington, Port Richmond, Bridesburg, Society Hill, Loft District, Spring Garden and more !

Local 44's Frito Chili Pie

When you look at husband-and-wife owners of legend in Philadelphia, you now have to look at Brendan Hartranft and Leigh Maida. The savvy couple swiftly and successful stormed onto the bar scene in Philadelphia and strengthened it with three very different pubs in spread-out, intuitively-chosen locales.

Memphis Taproom, the first to open, seemed like a risk, placed just outside of Fishtown. The area was soon referred to as Port Fishington, a term that has been used unabashedly ever since. The craft beer called in the locals, the fried pickles kept them around, and the vegan desserts won over a stubborn few. There's nothing else quite like this taproom, such a far crawl from any other bar of its kind, that it simply works.

Time had hardly passed when the Hartranft-Maidas were working on bar #2, bringing the amazing beer/creative bar food formula to West Philly. They reached a younger crowd and won over the neighbors simultaneously, with Local 44. They also had a baby.

Success under their belts, the ambitious pair were not slowing down. Next up was Resurrection Ale House, set in Grays Ferry, a stretch of Naval Square that was quickly making a scene of its own. Here, the focus was on the food, though there was plenty of excellent beer to go around. If you've never had a roasted miatake mushroom with celery root puree at a bar before, now's your chance. When the Hartranft-Maidas move into a neighborhood, they give it what it needs. A hangout with personality, a well-thought-out menu with variety and flair, in a smartly-designed space, with a wide selection of some of the best beer around.

One Shot owner Melissa Baruno was the only cafe around brewing Intelligentsia during the early days of the Liberties Walk latte joint. Now, the crowded neighborhood haunt is going through some changes. One of them is product. The other is location. 

Baruno plans to expand the storefront into the building behind the current shop by May 1. Before that, she'll be brewing an exclusive blend developed with Stumptown owner Duane Sorenson, starting February 1.

"I'm creating a whole new way of experiencing coffee by offering consumption of coffee at a bar setting," Baruno adds.

Espresso has always been our favorite shot. Stop by on Monday for free Stumptown coffee at One Shot from 7-10 a.m.

One Shot Coffee, 1040 N 2nd Street, 215-627-1620

Photo by Amber Lynn