Lancaster County PA Realty Check: August 2009

Veranda is one of the most desirable communities in East Hempfield Township, Lancaster, PA.  With its miles of walking trails, scenic views and landscaping, it provides a peaceful ambience - yet it is ideally located near shopping, health services and major roads.

                                                                    A picturesque barn seen nearby...

                                              1465 Drake Lane is a fine home currently available in Veranda.

                                          Green grass cuttings from a fresh mowing along the pond...

                                                                Waterfall at the pond...

                                                                    1465 Drake Lane in the background...

Pets seem to be an underreported side effect of foreclosures of the ongoing recession.

Most foreclosed families don't have any choice but to rent.  And many landlords won't accept pets.

I have seen unfortunate pets abandoned or left behind during tenant rental evictions for years.  I have discovered abandoned pets locked in a vacated apartment without food or water! 

Now, with the addition of mounting foreclosures, the phenominon has become even more widespread.

Humane shelters are overrun with surplus pets, and many people are reluctant to take unwanted animals there because the pets may be euthanized if not adopted within a relatively short period of time.

Organizations like ORCA (Organization for the Respect and Care for Animals) do not euthanize - but they are chronically short of money to care for the animals they treat, and often are only able to accept distressed animals.

What can be done to alleviate the situation?

Donate money, food or time to your local animal shelter.

Make a donation to ORCA so that they can continue their mission of mercy.

Find a willing home for a pet you can't keep. 

PLEASE, PLEASE, NEVER abandon a pet either inside or outside!  They are living creatures who have a right to food, water and shelter!

Ex hippies, yuppies and college students of a certain age may remember, in the summer of 1969, seeing ads for "3 Days of Peace and Music" posted around Greenwich Village in New York City, college campuses, and other places where the young and hip were likely to find it.

I almost got to the Woodstock Festival myself - entirely by accident!  My fiancee and I had planned to go for the weekend upstate to the Concord Hotel & Resort in Monticello, NY, where I had previously worked.

We were surprised to find heavy traffic on route 9W that seemed more like weekday rush hour traffic than that of a typical Saturday.  As the traffic became stop-and-go and finally ground to a halt, I began to be concerned that there might be a serious accident ahead.

Finally, after waiting at a standstill for quite a long time, i decided that it might be better to turn around and go back home rather than possibly be stuck on the road all night.

It was only after we were home that we found out the real reason for the delays:  a little noticed rock festival had become a seminal event, with so many youths unexpectedly arriving that they finally crashed the fences and got past the promoters, who then wisely decided to make the rest of the festival free.

Jimi Hendrix, Joan Baez, Joe Cocker, Richie Havens, Roger Daltry, Country Joe & the Fish and other stars of the day attained iconic status after Woodstock.  Other festivals tried to copy the success of Woodstock afterward, but none ever achieved the popularity or the peaceful behavior of the original.

Update: one of the four original Woodstock promoters tried to create a 40th Anniversary festival for August of 2009, but was forced to call it off after being unable to raise the necessary $8-10 million from sponsors to finance and promote it...

The Blue Moon Big Band makes an appearance on the beautiful grounds of the Nissley Vineyards in Bainbridge, PA Sunday evening.

                         Entering the grounds of the vineyard - an eighteenth century stone mill.                                                   

                       The original farmhouse of the vineyard.

                                                                A storage barn on the premises.

In spite of rain predicted for the evening, lots of folks bring their picnic tables and chairs in preparation for the concert under the stars.

                 Some regular attendees go all out:  tablecloths, gourmet food and even candelabras!

                                        The band starts out well protected from the rain under a tent!

Some enthusiasts get up and start dancing the jitterbug to "Little Brown Jug" by Glenn Miller.

                                        Soon the dance pavillion fills up as everyone gets "In The Mood"...

                             Darkness falls as the rain cools things down and the band heats things up...

Economists expected today's jobs report to reflect a loss of 328,000 jobs.  Unexpectedly, the job loss was "only" 247,000.  Some are interpreting this as a stabilization of the economy.  The unemployment number ostensibly declined from 9.5% to 9.4% - although this figure doesn't reflect the underemployed, or those discouraged people who have stopped looking for jobs.

Although this is a good sign for the economy, it also brings with it the prospect of future inflation and its companion, higher interest rates.

First time home buyers should note also that the $8,000 First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit only extends through the end of November.

With the prospect of higher interest rates and the end of the tax credit program nearing, Lancaster County buyers should consider taking advantage of the still plentiful inventory of homes and current low mortgage rates.

©BrianSchulman2009

I have previously posted information on this great Lancaster PA luxury home for sale in the desirable community of Veranda in East Hempfield Township.

With an acceptable offer, this home is now available to qualified buyers with a lower than normal down payment (95% Loan to Value).

Special Financing Offer to Qualified Buyers: 

Purchase price of $549,900.

$417,000 Conventional Loan at 5.375%*

 $2,335.08 Principal and Interest

$77,910 Second Mortgage through Union National Bank at 6.0%

 $467.11 Principal and Interest

$27,495 Interest Only Owner Financing (terms to be negotiated)

 $91.65 per month

  Total Monthly Principal and Interest - $2893.84

  Total monthly principal and interest -  $3563.72)

 Total Savings** - 669.88 per month,  8038 per year,  241,156.8 over the course of the loan

*Interest rates subject to change.

**Plus $1000 off your closing and/or title costs if you finance through Ray Smith of Home National Mortgage.

Because the first mortgage is for 80% loan to value, it also avoids the cost of mortgage insurance.

 On a premium lot, this stately Georgian style brick home with its gables, overlooking a pond and farmland, has every upgrade imaginable.  Period characteristics such as wainscoting, chair rail and crown molding throughout blend with the most modern of conveniences.  Among its' many fine features are a sunken grand family room with a lovely fireplace and tray ceiling, master bedroom suite with gas fireplace, and a gourmet kitchen that includes a sunny English garden room.   With a three car garage, 3-1/2 baths and over 4,000 SF, this lovely home is now offered at the reduced price of $549,900.