{"id":2289,"date":"2026-07-09T13:39:58","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T13:39:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=2289"},"modified":"2026-07-09T13:39:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T13:39:58","slug":"a-weird-time-to-buy-a-home-real-estate-newsletter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=2289","title":{"rendered":"A \u2018weird\u2019 time to buy a home| Real Estate Newsletter"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Michaelle is off this week, so I\u2019m here to talk real estate with you. And we\u2019ve got good stuff to get into this week.<\/p>\n

Read more How Washington state beats California when it comes to merlot<\/a><\/p>\n

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First up: our weird<\/i> real estate market. That\u2019s not my word choice. It\u2019s what real estate agents told Michaelle when she asked them how things are going.<\/p>\n

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They told her that market has become much less seasonally predictable than it used to be and they shared what it could mean for homebuyers. <\/p>\n

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Keep scrolling for that story and more in this week\u2019s edition:<\/p>\n

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    \n
  1. \n

    It\u2019s that time again:<\/b> Philly property tax assessments have gone out. See which neighborhood was hit hardest.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  2. \n

    Whiz wit?:<\/b> A Temple University professor has a new book out about public bathrooms. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  3. \n

    How he bought his house:<\/b> Moving in with roommates made homeownership possible for this Philadelphian. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  4. \n

    Baptism by beer?:<\/b> A former church is slated to become a brewery in South Philly. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

    <\/div>\n

    \u2014 Erica Palan<\/i><\/p>\n

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    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.<\/p>\n

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    \n

    It\u2019s \u2018weird\u2019 out there<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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    The real estate market used to follow typical seasonal patterns: slower in the summer and winter, busier in the spring and fall. The pandemic shook that up a few years ago and according to some agents, it still hasn\u2019t quite come back.<\/p>\n

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    Weird<\/i> is the word that two separate real estate agents used to describe the current market. They said Philadelphia homes that sat on the market for months last fall suddenly went under contract in the winter. <\/p>\n

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    There areseveral reasons why this is happening.One is the ripple effect of the \u201cgolden handcuffs\u201d created by pandemic-era low interest rates that have left some homeowners hesitant get back into the market. <\/p>\n

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    Michaelle has more on how buyers and sellers are acting right now \u2014 and what it could mean if you\u2019re looking for a new home. <\/p>\n

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    How he bought his house<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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    Short-term pain, long-term gain? That\u2019s the philosophy that programmer Dylan Foglesong took when it came to purchasing his first home. <\/p>\n

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    The 28-year-old renter was paying $2,600 a month for his apartment when he decided he wanted to buy. So he moved into a shared house with friends for $600 a month. Before long, he was ready to live alone again \u2014 in a home he owned.<\/p>\n

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    That wouldn\u2019t work for everyone, but Foglesong said it was worth it: \u201cYou take that little compromise for a couple of months and all of a sudden you have $11,000 in your bank account.\u201d<\/p>\n

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    Find out more about his new home and how he financed it in the latest edition of the How I Bought This House series. <\/p>\n

    <\/div>\n

    \ud83d\udcee Did you recently buy a home in the Philadelphia area or South Jersey? Share the story of how you did it. Email Inquirer real estate reporters at <\/i>properties@inquirer.com<\/i> or just reply to this newsletter. <\/i><\/p>\n

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    \n

    The latest news to pay attention to<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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      \n
    1. \n

      Property values in Kensington went up more than any other Philly neighborhood this year.<\/p>\n

      Read more Norristown\u2019s Jimmy Amplo will bring a \u2018Rocky mentality\u2019 to MLB\u2019s High School Home Run Derby<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    2. \n

      A historic church at 42nd and Pine will become apartments after Penn declined to buy the building.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    3. \n

      A Temple University professor delves into America\u2019s long and troubled history with public bathrooms. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    4. \n

      St. Peter\u2019s Village in Chester County is going up for auction. Will it be preserved, or developed?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    5. \n

      Forty new apartments are coming to Jenkintown at the site of the former Helweg funeral home.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    6. \n

      Media is planning for diversified housing options, safer streets, and more retail.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    7. \n

      The historical Jericho Farm estate in Bucks County is on the market for $18.8 million.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    8. \n

      House of the week: A three-story brick home in Graduate Hospital for $675,000.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

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      \n

      Home tour: A gut remodel by the owner<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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      Everything about Caleb Zimmerman\u2019s story makes me anxious. He bought his home off Craigslist for $82,500 in one day. The place needed a full remodel. And he was planning to do it all himself.<\/p>\n

      <\/div>\n

      But he pulled it off \u2014 and the results are impressive.<\/p>\n

      <\/div>\n
      <\/div>\n

      Zimmerman installed hardwood floors throughout and a custom staircase. He upgraded the bathroom. <\/p>\n

      <\/div>\n

      And he added some pizazz: The home\u2019s centerpiece is a trap door that conceals the basement and opens with a pulley system and remote-controlled actuator.<\/p>\n

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      See more bespoke details in this tour of the Kensington home.<\/p>\n

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      \n

      \ud83d\udcf7 Photo quiz<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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      Do you know the location this photo shows?<\/p>\n

      <\/div>\n
      <\/div>\n
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      \ud83d\udcee If you think you do, email me back.<\/p>\n

      <\/div>\n

      Several people guessed the new-again Filbert Street Greyhound Station was last week\u2019s featured image. A good try, but cue the wrong answer buzzer. <\/p>\n

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      The quiz featured a photo taken at the Olney Transportation Center and reader Chantele A. was the first to correctly get it right.<\/p>\n

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      \n

      \ud83d\udcf9 On the street<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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      The former church at 1800 Tasker St. is on its way to becoming a brewery, an unusual transition for a historic property in Philadelphia. (Though it\u2019s happened before. I love grabbing pizza at the Church Brew Works in Pittsburgh when I visit my Yinzer in-laws.) <\/p>\n

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      Join the conversation on The Inquirer\u2019s Instagram.<\/p>\n

      <\/div>\n

      \u2015<\/p>\n

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      A few weeks ago, The Inquirer reported that a South Philly home with an acclaimed Keith Haring mural was available for rent. Now, the mural is up for historic designation, which has some preservationists antsy about the precedent it could set. It\u2019s making me think deep thoughts about what should get protected and why. <\/p>\n

      <\/div>\n

      If you have strong feelings, email me at epalan@inquirer.com. <\/p>\n

      <\/div>\n

      By submitting your written, visual, and\/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer\u2019s <\/i>Terms of Use<\/i>, including the grant of rights in Section 10.<\/i><\/p>\n

      Read more 2026 Kia K4 Hatchback: Bigger and better than you\u2019d think<\/a><\/p>\n

      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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