Thank you for a great 2019 and looking forward to a strong new decade.
It’s nice that the century is finally moving out of its awkward teenage years and can get a new start.
I look forward to seeing you in 2020.
David Henke
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc
Devon PA / Wilmington DE
Office:610-225-7400 / Direct:610-618-0808
www.DelawarePAHomes.com
Welcome to the Garrett Hill Station on the SEPTA Route 100 Norristown High Speed Line in Radnor Township PA.
The Garrett Hill Station is located in the center of Garrett Hill one block south of Lancaster Avenue and one block north of Conestoga between Villanova and Bryn Mawr. This is a prime central location along the Main Line and provides quick access to the Blue Route/ I-476 and much of Delaware and Montgomery Counties.
The station itself is located midway between Garrett Ave and Lowrys Lane. There are sheds located on both the north and southbound sides with paths offering access to both Garrett and Lowrys. This is an on demand stop along the SEPTA Norristown High Speed Line providing service between Norristown and the 69th Street Terminal in Upper Darby. It is a smaller stop with limited parking in the area but with ample room for picking up and dropping off passengers from several directions. The video will provide a better feel for the area:
Garrett Hill is a nice residential area and this station is within walking distance or a short ride of much of the community. There is a nice cross section of single family homes, twins, and some rows in the immediate area and some commercial stores along both Conestoga to the south and Lancaster Avenue to the north. Real estate values have remained relatively stable in Garrett Hill as compared to many communities throughout Delaware County. For the complete information, please be sure to check out my early December post: the “Garrett Hills Homes Update”.
The SEPTA Garrett Hill Station is an ideal small local on demand stop to primarily serve the local community as well as those having rides to and from the station.
As always, if you have any questions or need any additional information on the area, please do not hesitate to contact me anytime.
SEPTA 101 Trolley Line Construction Update:
Just wanted to pass on a quick reminder that the 101 Trolley is now under construction.
Effective from December 14 through March 14, 2010, the SEPTA 101 Trolley Line will be temporarily closed for construction, maintenance, and repair along the tracks from the Woodland Avenue station through Media. Temporary shuttle busses will be operating along the route during this period seven days a week. This should add about ten minutes of travel time.
In addition, the SEPTA 102 Trolley construction is now completed and has resumed normal operation.
There will be additional closures on both lines in 2010 beginning in March as construction moves toward the 69th Street Terminal.
As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to let me know or contact SEPTA.
Welcome to the Thompson Ave Station of the SEPTA 101 Trolley in Springfield PA.
This is one of the small on-demand trolley stops on the SEPTA 101 Trolley Line running from the 69th Street Terminal to Media PA. It is located at the crossing of Thompson Avenue just to the east of Sproul Rd and north-west of its intersection with the Baltimore Pike. This is just one stop to the west of the larger Woodland Avenue stop and the next station west is the Springfield Mall trolley stop.
The station itself has a small shed on the south side of the track (there is only one track from Woodland through Media). There is no dedicated SEPTA parking at this location and only limited areas on the adjacent streets to park or to drop off/pick up passengers. It is conveniently located to several residential communities of mostly single family homes. The video will provide a better idea of the immediate area:
There is a nice selection of homes throughout this area of Springfield. On the far side of Sproul Rd are the Villas at Golf View, a recently completed active adult community of 194 single level homes. Just to the north is the community of Mary Dell Farms containing mostly split level single family homes. Toward the east and south is a nice community of mixed style single family homes. Pricing in the area for homes currently on the market range from a low of $239,000 to a high of $379,000, averaging $297,000. Sales in the last six months have ranged from $169,000 to $419,000 averaging $273,000.
As always if you have any questions or need any additional information, please do not ever hesitate to contact me.
Welcome to the Anderson Avenue station of the SEPTA 101 Trolley in Drexel Hill PA Upper Darby Township.
The station itself is located at the dead end of Anderson Avenue just two blocks south of State Rd. It is an on-demand stop located midway between the Aronimink and Drexelbrook stations just on the backside of the Drexelbrook apartments. This location provides easy access to the entire Aronimink section of Drexel Hill.
Anderson Ave has no dedicated commuter parking at this location and limited access so it is primarily a local commuter stop. There is a small shed on the eastbound side for waiting commuters. The video will provide a better feel for the area.
Like Aronimink, this station is in the center of the greater Drexel Hill residential area providing a great mix of twins, row homes, and a wide variety of single family homes throughout the area Please check out the Aronimink Market Update for the complete sales statistics.
The Anderson Av Station is an ideal local station providing easy access to Media to the west and to the 69th Street Terminal and Philadelphia beyond to the east.
As always, should you have any questions, need any additional information, or be considering a move in the area, please do not hesitate to contact me anytime.
Welcome to the Oakview Station on the SEPTA Route 102 Trolley Line located in Upper Darby PA.
The station itself is located at the Creek Rd bridge in Upper Darby. It is the southernmost stop in Upper Darby just above Darby Creek. It offers quick access to the Swedish Cabin, Darby Creek, and several residential areas in lower Upper Darby Township.
There is no assigned parking at the stop for commuters but it does have some limited space for dropping off and picking up passengers. The platforms are also within walking distance of several residential areas. On a relative basis this is one of the more remote stations on the system and does not have a large commercial, industrial, or residential base from which to draw passenger volume. The video will provide a better feel for the area:
This station has easy access to several different communities so the local real estate is better covered by stations directly serving those areas.
If you live in the area and need a convenient connection to downtown Philadelphia, Sharon Hill, or any of the spots between, this is a convenient station to connect into the system. If you are looking for a commuting station with ample parking, there are better options available.
As always, should you have any comments or need any additional information, please let me know anytime.
The Paoli PA Station serves the SEPTA R5 Regional Rail system as well as the Amtrak Keystone Service and Pennsylvanian trains.
With its key position on the western end of the Main Line, Paoli is a prime commuter and regional rail station. It provides easy access to the city for those living locally with ample parking and plenty of space for dropping off or picking up passengers. In addition, it is surrounded by some great commercial areas.
Through the frequent Amtrak connections, it also affords convenient access to Harrisburg and points west or Philadelphia and points east. The next closest Amtrak stops are in Ardmore to the east or Downingtown (and Exton for many trains) as you travel west. The station is serviced by both Amtrak’s Pennsylvanian and Keystone Service trains. The video will provide a better view of the station itself:
As far as real estate, the market here has held up very well until this year. Looking strictly at zip code 19301, sales activity peaked in 2005 when 119 units sold. This dropped to 83 in 2006, rose to 102 in 2007, and then dropped to 96 in 2008. In 2009, through July, only 38 properties have closed with an additional 15 pending – running further behind 2008.
Prices have also taken a hit recently. In the early 2000s, the average sales price was just above $300,000. This average then rose to hit a peak in 2006 at $441,000 (also the slowest recent year for sales). Prices then drifted down in 2007 to $421,000, and back up in 2008 to $440,000. In 2009, they have fallen back 15% to $377,000. There are also an additional 15 pending homes with an average price of $490,000, and 45 properties are actively for sale at an average price of $616,000. We would expect to see the average pricing rise as we continue through the year.
Paoli is a convenient station both for short distance commuting as well as long distance travel. The station is easy to access for people from throughout the area and has plenty of parking. The station is expected to undergo further renovations soon and could become a key transportation hub if plans proceed to extend service up towards Pottstown.
As always, if you need additonal information, please do not hesitate to ask anytime.
(All statisitcs per the TrendMLS System and believed accurate but not guaranteed)
Just a couple of quick SEPTA Update points for residents and those planning a visit to the region:
If you are going to be in the area for just a brief period but plan on depending on public transit, SEPTA has now added three options: the One Day Independence Pass, the Family One Day Independence Pass, and the One Day Convenience Pass. The primary differences between the Convenience Pass and the Independence Pass are that the Convenience Passes can not be used on the regional Rail Lines and are limited to only 8 trips. The Independence Pass only places limits on the regional Rail Line travel prior to 9:30 AM.
If you only need easy transportation options while visiting for a short time, these allow more flexibility then the traditional Weekend Passes or weekly TransPass and TrailPass. For all the options and costs, be sure to check the SEPTA site.
Also be aware that SEPTA is now beginning the projects approved under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. 
Funding has been approved and awarded for various projects across the region. The complete project list covers everything from Station Renovations to basic Right of Way and Yard work. Many of theses projects have been discussed in a recent article from the Delaware County Sunday Times. A key change to note is the upcoming closure of the Route 101 and Route 102 trolley lines for up to a year as the entire line is upgraded.
SEPTA continues to provide many transportation options throughout the Philadelphia area to serve the needs of the local residents. With these changes both to fares and the physical system, this service should be in better shape for years to come with improved equipment and service.
As always, if you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me anytime.
Traveling from the 69th Street Terminal to Norristown, the SEPTA Route 100 High Speed Line passes much of the Main Line. This is a brief overview of the Villanova PA SEPTA Station.
The station is conveniently located just south of Lancaster Avenue across from the main section of the Villanova campus. It provides easy access by foot or automobile to much of the campus. The next stop to the east is the Stadium stop and is the preferred station for sporting events. The station also has parking available on both sides of the track and provides plenty of additional space for dropping off or picking up passengers.
To the south of the tracks is a nice residential area of mostly single family homes. This is a very expensive area with the most expensive current listing in Delaware County located just a short drive down Ithan Avenue. Villanova is also the closest station to the east of the Blue Route, I-476. The video will provide a better feel for the immediate area:
Real estate is high in the immediate area, but the average can be greatly affected by a few large dollar sales. Activity has remained fairly constant recently ranging from 23 sales in 2003, to 26 in 2004, then 20 or 21 for 2005 thru 2008. So far this year, there have been 8 completed sales with 2 more currently under contract. There are an additional 8 currently on the market with an average list price of $2,333,000.
The average sales price has seen more volatility. Prices averaged $658,000 in 2003, rose to $705,000 in 2004, then $850,000 in 2005, $828,000 in 2006, $916,000 in 2007, and then fell to $718,000 in 2008. This has once again risen to $913,000 in 2009. In the immediate area, the highest dollar sale recently occurred in 2007 at $2,775,000 but this could be surpassed soon since 2 homes are currently listed well in excess of this amount with one at $4,199,000 and a second at $9,500,000.
Villanova PA is a popular, stable, and convenient area and is expected to remain this way. This station is an easy and convenient stop both for the college and the local residents as they travel to and from the area.
As always, if you need any additional information, don’t hesitate to let me know.
(All statistics per the TrendMLS System and believed accurate but not guaranteed)
Welcome to Sharon Hill PA.
This SEPTA station is located on the Chester Pike just a few blocks east of Oak Lane and west of the Borough Hall. It does not have any parking dedicated to the station itself but has plenty of room for dropping off or picking up passengers along Chester Pike or in the adjacent commercial parking lots. The SEPTA 102 Trolley runs out of the 69th Street Terminal, and this could be a good public transportation connecting point through the nearby SEPTA bus stop. It is also within a long walking distance of the Folcroft R2 Regional Rail station.
There are a wide variety of housing choices in the area from single family homes to twins and row homes. These residential properties plus many commercial operations are also within easy walking distance of this station. The video will provide a better feel for the area:
As far as real estate, Sharon Hill has followed a bit different path than much of the county. For the most part, sales volume has held relatively steady except for 2008. In 2002 there were 55 sales, then 52 in 2003, 61 in 2004, 60 in 2005, 62 in 2006, 54 in 2007, then fell to 36 in 2008, and back up to 27 so far this year.
On the other hand prices rose from just $80,000 in 2004 to a peak average price of $137,000 in 2007. This then fell to $119,000 in 2008 and $112,000 so far this year. There are also an additional 43 homes currently on the market with an average price of $127,000 and 8 homes under contract with an average price of $89,000 – average sales price will continue down at least in the short term.
Sharon Hill has many public transportation options, great road connections, and is only minutes from the Philadelphia International Airport. With it’s great location but limited parking, this stop is an ideal station for both the local homes and businesses.
As always, should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me anytime.
Just West of Philadelphia 