Preserving community character in Philly | Real Estate Newsletter

Neighbors kept watching historic homes in their communities being torn down. So they decided they needed to do something.

That’s why Philadelphia got three new large neighborhood historic districts last year — something a staffer at the Philadelphia Historical Commission called “remarkable.”

Philadelphians have gotten more on board with historic districts and their property protections — and owner restrictions — in recent years as development has spread.

I talked to the neighborhood groups that made these three districts happen and asked them how they did it.

Keep scrolling for that story and to learn from a local custom home builder about trends he’s seeing, discover the benefits of reimagining your laundry room, and see how an East Kensington artist finds inspiration inside homes.

📮 Do you have a photograph, painting, drawing, or some other visual representation of your home? For a chance to be featured in my newsletter, email me about it.

❓ Speaking of questions, do you have a burning one — big or small — about a regional quirk, local legend, or something you’ve always wondered? I’m happy to say The Inquirer has revived Curious Philly, which invites you to ask questions for us to answer for you and your fellow readers. Try it out.

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— Michaelle Bond

Philadelphia has 40 historic districts, which are collections of resources linked by location or theme that are placed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places.

Some have just a few properties. The Rittenhouse-Fitler Historic District, created in 1995, has the most — 2,233.

After years of research, lobbying, and public meetings, three neighborhood groups created three large districts last year.

Some interesting facts about them:

Residents told me how they achieved historic status for their neighborhoods and offered their advice. One group raised $47,000 from neighbors to hire a team of professional historians and preservationists.

But they all had something in common: coalitions of people determined to make their historic district happen.

This spring, I wanted to know what buyers are looking for in newly built homes. So I asked Peter Rotelle, the head of a Chester County-based company that builds homes across Southeastern Pennsylvania.

He shared a few of the trends he’s seeing among his buyers. They’re not mainstream yet, but don’t be surprised if you see some of them at a friend’s future housewarming.

More people are prioritizing quality and personalized features over more space, thanks in part to the tiny house movement, which I ate up a few years back. (In theory, not practice.)

Read my story for details about what Rotelle calls “sexy pantries” and “mudrooms on steroids.”

I think it’s safe to say that most of us don’t look forward to doing our laundry.

But homeowners who have spruced up their laundry rooms say they’ve become more enthusiastic about the chore. One pair of owners painted the walls dark pink and added a rotating, multicolored overhead light. So the laundry room has more of a party feel.

Since house guests don’t usually see laundry rooms, homeowners can feel more comfortable taking risks with colors and patterns that don’t match the rest of the house.

Redoing a laundry room also can make the chore easier by improving access or creating more storage.

Read on for tips for rethinking your laundry room and examples of how homeowners have renovated theirs.

Becky Suss and Micah Danges had to replace the antique dining table Suss had gotten from her parents, who had gotten it from her grandparents. The wobbly table was dangerous for their toddler.

So they got a contemporary gray, granite-topped table with a study metal base. But the family heirloom lives on.

Suss memorialized the wooden table in a painting that is now in a museum at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. The Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts also have some of her paintings of home interiors.

Other pieces in the couple’s early 20th century East Kensington rowhouse, including ceramic lovebirds from her grandparents, also appear in her paintings.

Peek into the family’s three-story home and look at the art inside.

Last week, an environmental nonprofit donated 3,100 acres in our region for permanent preservation. Along with thousands more acres, this piece of land will now form the Forked River Mountain Wilderness Area, where the public can hike.

Question: What county received the land donation?

A) Cumberland County

B) Burlington County

C) Ocean County

D) Chester County

This story has the answer.

The usually busy spring housing market is off to a slower start this year, thanks to higher mortgage rates, uncertainty in the economy, and relatively few homes for sale.

But the Philly metro area’s housing market has been stronger than many others in the Mid-Atlantic region, according to the multiple listing service Bright MLS. Low housing supply has kept prices rising.

April is usually one of the busiest months of the year. Last month, home prices and pending sales both grew, but not as much as usual for the time of year.

Here are some April stats for the Philly metro area from Bright MLS:

🔺 1.2% increase in median sales price compared to a year earlier. It was the smallest annual price increase since June 2020.

🔺 The region’s median home price — $329,000 — was still 40% higher than it was before the pandemic.

🔺 2.4% increase in new pending sales between March and April

🔻 20% decrease in new pending sales compared to a year earlier

You can see the Center City skyline through these windows. Where is this?

📮 If you think you know, email me.

Shout out to Tawnie W., Jack M., and Mare G., who correctly guessed that last week’s photo was of a library in Germantown. Bonus points for Mare, who taught me the dragon’s name is Ricky.

Last week, I asked who among my readers has the oldest home. I heard from folks who told me their homes were built in 1911 (Glassboro) and 1908 (Lower Merion). One said she used to live in a Ridley Township home built in 1888 with a wing added in 1937.

But the winner so far is Len F., who owns a farmhouse in Lower Providence Township, Montgomery County, that he bought in 1974. He said it was built around 1702.

That’s pretty old. Can anyone beat that? Enjoy the rest of your week.