Bucks County Home Sales Through October, 2013

The first ten months of 2013 showed continued improvement in the Bucks County home sales market. Spring and summer sales were robust, but some of the pent up demand has worked its way through the market and the number of pending sales in October, 2013 were about equal to those in October, 2012.

What's Happening in Bucks County?

No matter what your interests, there are lots of opportunities to pursue them in Bucks County.
To find out what's happening in Bucks County, check out the www.BucksCountyAlive,com website.
It's a very comprehensive source of recreational, cultural and family events throughout Bucks County. There's sure to be something going on in which you are interested.

Bucks County Home Sale Facts Through August, 2013

There was a significant increase of 20.5%.in the number of homes sold in Bucks County during the first eight months of 2013 compared to the first eight months of 2012.

Earlier in the year, buyers who were waiting for the market to bottom out decided the time was right to take the plunge.  The spring market was busy and some buyers found themselves in bidding wars with other buyers.  The increased demand for homes has caused a decrease of 9.3% in the number of homes for sale at the end of August, 2013 compared to the end of August, 2012.

With the increase in demand for homes, sellers expect sale prices to have increased more significantly than they actually have.  On average, prices have increased by 2.4% this year. 

Interest rates have increased over the last few months.  Time will tell whether the increase will have a significant effect on the rate of home sales.

 

The Allergist's Wife

Last night, I went to a wonderful play at the Bucks County Playhouse, "The Allergist's Wife". It stars Marsha Mason, from "Goodbye Girl" and Marilou Henner from "Taxi".  It is really funny; well written and well acted.  If you get a chance, go see it. It's playing through September 1.

Since the Bucks County Playhouse was renovated and reopened, it has attracted major talents and presented interesting shows.  It is again a major asset to the area. I'm thinking of becoming a season ticket holder.

Here's a link to the theater's website and its schedule of events:
http://www.bcptheater.org/shows-events-seasons/playhouse-productions-season/

Bucks County Home Sales Through June, 2013

 

Homes Are Selling Again in Bucks County!

What a difference a year makes!

Last year, agents in Bucks County were commenting that there were too few serious buyers and homes were taking quite awhile to sell.  This year, sellers of the most desirable homes are frequently receiving multiple offers on their properties. I've had two instances in the past month in which buyers I have been working with have made excellent offers, but were out bid by other buyers.

The figures are striking.  The number of Pending Sales as of April 30, 2013 is up 46% compared to Pending Sales on the same day a year ago.  Pending sales are the number of homes under contract that have not yet been settled.



A Tip for Septic System Care

I recently attended a septic system inspection.  Unfortunately, the system failed and needs replacing.

It's difficult to say exactly why its condition deteriorated.  The tank had not been pumped as recently as it should have been.  Also, the house has a garbage disposal which generally requires more frequent pumping than houses that do not.

One issue that jumped out at me was when the tank had been pumped, it had been pumped through the air vent.  The proper way to pump a septic tank is by removing the septic tank cover.

I've owned homes with septic tanks for over twenty years.  On two occasions I've caught the pumping company trying to pump the tank from the vent. Doing so will not properly remove all the solids from the tank and could eventually lead to solids getting into the leaching lines. 

The crews for the septic pumping companies sometimes take this short cut because many tanks require significant digging to uncover.  Digging down three or more feet when the ground is either dry or muddy is a nasty job.  It's not surprising that an unsupervised crew would seek a short cut.

When another one of my clients had their septic system inspected, it took a lot of digging for the septic tank cover to be reached.  They decided to add an extension to the tank opening so it could more easily be pumped in the future.

Not everyone can stay home when their septic tank is scheduled to be pumped.  However,
if the ground over the septic tank has not been disturbed, the pumping crew is likely to have taken a short cut. Beware.