Real Estate Ramblings

According to this article mortgage rates are at their lowest point so far in 2010 with a national average rate of 4.84% for 30 year fixed loans and an amazing 4.24% average on 15 year loans. One local lender here in Philly is even offering 30 year fixed-rate FHA loans at 4.25% for buyers with qua...

Everyone knows that the three most important things in real estate are location, location, and location. Well I have just decided that the fourth most important thing in real estate is...you guessed it, LOCATION! Why do I think that location is even more important now than ever? Because gas price...

With the expiration of the $8,000 federal tax credit for first time (and some repeat) homebuyers, a few states are trying to enact similar programs on the state level to continue boosting their local real estate markets. First California set aside $200 million for first-time and repeat homebuyer ...

If you ask real estate professionals or urban-studies nerds to name some of the most dynamic and successful big cities in America you'll find that Philadelphia is often low on the list. However, in one respect Philadelphia has joined ranks with three cities that are always near the top. According...

The title of this blog says it all. I'm finally starting to see condo prices in some Philadelphia condo buildings that make sense as buy-and-hold investment opportunities. Typically the business model of buying a condo unit and renting it out for cash-flow has been a long-shot in Philly. This is ...

Click here to see a video tour of my listing at 151 W. Seymour St. It's a great house for a first-time buyer who needs a lot of space or for a large family looking for a low-maintenance, beautifully renovated home in Germantown.

I spoke last night at an event for University of Pennsylvania Alumni who are thinking of buying a home in Philadelphia. The event was loads of fun, partly because it was held in the top-floor penthouse of the Aria Condominium building which has amazing views to justify the close to two-million do...

James Yoakum | Brown McKinney Real Estate | 215-825-2250 151 W. Seymour, Philadelphia, PA Beautifully Rehabbed 5 Bedroom Home - Take Advantage of $8,000 Tax Credit 5BR/1+1BA Single Family House offered at $149,900 Year Built Unspecified Sq Footage 1,827 Bedrooms 5 Bathrooms 1 full, 1 partial Flo...

Thank you to everyone who came out to our cleanup event on Saturday and to anyone who participated in other cleanups around the city. It was a lot of fun getting out on a sunny Saturday morning with friends and neighbors and working together to make our corner of Philadelphia a little bit nicer t...

Don't forget tha the clock is ticking on the Homebuyer Tax Credit. To qualify for the credit you must have a property under contract by April 30th and close on it by July 1st. The credit for first time buyers is up to $8,000 and even if you’re not a first time buyer you may still qualify for a cr...