Roxborough Manayunk Event Calendar Submissions
How to Get Your Home Organized Before Putting it on the Market
By Jon Miller, Realtor®
There’s nothing more daunting than not knowing where to start, especially when it comes to big house projects… right before you plan to put your home on the market. Tackling the long to-do list of cleaning the house, purging the items you don’t need, and organizing the ones that you do can seem unmanageable, especially on top of the whole selling your home thing but it doesn’t have to be.
Take a deep breath (really, do it right now) and think about the end goal of selling your home. Then, grab a pen and paper (or use your phone) and start making a list of every task. The satisfaction that comes with crossing something off your list is like no other, and the more accomplished you feel, the more ready you’ll be to tackle the next item on the list.
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Behind the Scenes: Photo Shoot
By Jon Miller, Realtor®
Photo shoots for new listings are one of the things about my work that I love. There’s a lot of work that goes into getting a home ready to list and the photo shoot is one of the last things to do before a home goes on the market. It’s a pretty exciting point in the process, it’s kind of like when the curtain is about to go up and the show’s about to start.
This morning I got to the house early, before my photographer, Rachael Balascak, arrived. I always do this because there’s always some last minute items to take care of. In an occupied home that often means moving trash cans from view, getting things off of kitchen counters, straightening blinds, and putting toilet seats down. In this case, the house is vacant but there was still work to be done like moving the handyman’s tools and paint out of the way, moving an exterior hose out of view of the shots, and taking down some curtains that were blocking some natural light from coming through. These are seemingly small things but I don’t want anything in the picture to be distracting.
The photos will be the first impression for just about everyone so they have to be perfect. That means working with a professional photographer, too. My photographer does amazing work, far better than I could ever do with my smartphone. Even if I had the equipment I still couldn’t take great photos. On our typical photo shoot we’ll start with a walk through the house and we’ll talk about any specific shots that we may have in mind. Usually that means a potentially interesting angle or some features of the house that I want to be sure are highlighted. Once she starts taking shots I’ll go along with her and make sure that everything in the shot looks good (ie, cables are hidden, blinds are straight, bedding is flat).
It’s a bit time consuming to hire a photographer and be there during a shoot, but the results are well worth the effort and it’s definitely a fun part of my work.
C&C Creamery | Roxborough | Philadelphia, PA
If you live in the Roxborough area, you probably already know C&C Creamery (and if you don’t, you should). C&C Creamery makes some of the best ice cream that I’ve ever had. As you can see in the video people line up for C&C even early in the season, but don’t worry because the line usually moves fairly quickly.
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Moving to Philadelphia, PA
By Jon Miller, Realtor®
If you’re moving to Philadelphia you’ll want some inside information on what it’s like to live here, where to live, and how to make the move. When I first moved to Philadelphia from North Carolina at the end of 2004 I had no idea how to get around the city or where to live. Fortunately, I had a friend who grew up here who was able to help me navigate the area but there was still a lot to learn and figure out. In this article, I’ll guide you through the city and nearby suburbs to help you find out what you need to know about living in Philadelphia.
Wine Tasting & KenCrest Fundraiser | February 2019
Choosing a bottle of wine for a gift or a night out can be overwhelming. Have you ever walked into a wine store hoping to find that new perfect bottle but then end up choosing the one you always get or one with an interesting label? For most of, this is how we choose wines.
One of the most interesting things about wines is how they can vary based on where and how they’re produced. Trying one grape in a few styles you can see the differences side by side. For the February Wine Tasting & KenCrest Fundraiser we’ll look at some of the things that can be done with the popular Pinot grape for a side by side comparison. After tasting these wines you’ll be able to easily choose a few favorites next time you buy wine.
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A Tutti Pizza | Ridge Avenue’s All-Star
By Jon Miller, Realtor®
Over the summer of 2018, A Tutti Pizza opened it’s doors in the old All-Star Pizza space at 5154 Ridge Ave near the Wissahickon Train Station.
The restaurant is headed by owner Paul Marrone who opened A Tutti upon returning to Philadelphia after working in Las Vegas and helping his brother build a wedding venue in Arkansas. Paul wanted to open a restaurant for everyone, a comfortable neighborhood spot with great food and a great atmosphere. His goal is clear in his choice of the restaurant’s name which means “For Everyone.”
5 Amazing Sonoma Wines You Can Buy in Philadelphia
Most of us choose a wine because we’ve had it before so it’s easy to go back to the same old safe choices. Trying new wines can be risky, especially if you’re giving the wine as a gift, bringing it to a friend’s house, or will be spending a bit more than usual and not sure if you’ll like what you’ll get.
At my January wine tasting at A Tutti Pizza we tasted 5 Sonoma wines that I bought from the local PA Wine and Spirits store. I wanted attendees to have the opportunity to taste some new wines that they could easily pick up here in Philadelphia. We tried a selection of whites and reds so there was something for everyone.
All of these wines can be purchased locally at PA Wine & Spirits stores and all are worth trying. Prices range from about $19 to $25. As a general rule, most wines in this price range are made with a little more care than the less expensive bottles so they are a fairly safe bet but buying any of these will be a sure win.
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Sid and Joe | Roxborough Home Sold
Sid and Joe were getting ready to sell their home near Gorgas Park in Roxborough and were looking for a Realtor® to help them through the process. In our first conversation Sid had told me that she had seen my video on the Upper Roxborough Reservoir Preserve and reached out to me because they wanted to work with someone who knows and cares about the neighborhood and who does things like using video to help promote the neighborhood to the people who are most likely to love living in the area. Continue reading “Sid and Joe | Roxborough Home Sold”
