Million-dollar homes on Chesco farm site | Real Estate Newsletter

A new neighborhood of million-dollar homes is coming to a former farming site in Chester County.

It’s one of several large housing developments approved, being built, or proposed along what’s traditionally been a rural stretch of road. And it’s an example of the push and pull between preserving open space and accounting for population growth.

Keep scrolling for that story and the rest of this week’s edition:

📮 Calling all owners of tiny Shore homes: Did we miss your bungalow in our piece the other week about tiny home holdouts?

We’re looking to feature more tiny Shore homes in a follow-up piece. If you’re interested in being included, email emccarthy@inquirer.com and aperezcastells@inquirer.com with your address (for reporting purposes only — not to be published), a description of your home, and your contact info. A reporter may be in touch for more details.

— Michaelle Bond

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Development pressure on Chester County’s beloved open space was a major issue when I covered the county a decade ago. And it was a concern decades before that and will be for years to come.

But the housing shortage is another pressing issue across the region and the country.

Building homes can take a while, thanks to regulations and economic headwinds. The leader of Chester County’s planning commission says many developments that were approved way back before the Great Recession are just now going up.

One of the latest developments is planned for Glenmoore, which locals call “The Village.” The 73-acre site was formerly known as Heim Farm. Home prices in the new neighborhood are expected to start at about $1 million.

As with any project, some residents are for it, but some are skeptical.

Keep reading for details on this development and some context you need to know.

It’s officially fall, which I guess means it’s time to talk about winter?

Mariah Carey Christmas jokes aside, now’s the time for homeowners to prepare their homes for the coldest months of the year.

One of the joys of being a homeowner is all the upkeep. (Read that with heavy sarcasm.) Roofs. Gutters. HVAC systems. Water and air leaks. Dangling tree limbs. It’s treacherous out there.

We talked to some experts — a prepared homeowner/real estate agent, a homeowner who learned about the importance of winterization the hard way, and a plumbing technician — to help you create a checkup list for winterizing your home.

Two weeks ago, we took a look inside an Ocean City home whose owner is using an elementary school’s old library table as a dining room table. This week, what makes the Shapsons’ Newtown home special is that it used to be a whole schoolhouse.

It was built for that purpose in the 1860s. Then it became someone’s home about a century later. Eventually, its character charmed Loredanna and Matt Shapson, the home’s current owners.

They loved the schoolhouse feel and wanted to preserve the home’s original character. But the house was too small and needed updating.

Their renovations included:

⚒️ Adding roughly 1,700 square feet

⚒️ Creating a new main entrance by widening what was once a window

⚒️ Turning the kitchen into a sitting room

⚒️ Adding a new wing that included a kitchen, living room, and primary suite

A wooden bridge connects the schoolhouse section and the addition.

Peek inside the home, and find out which features are original and what crucial building element the home didn’t have.

A federal grant has jump-started Philly’s plan to expand its tree canopy — an effort to improve the quality of residents’ lives. The plan calls for planting thousands of trees on sidewalks and private and public properties.

Question: How much money did the Philly Tree Plan receive?

A) $1 million

B) $5 million

C) $8 million

D) $12 million

This story has the answer.

Do you know the location this photo shows?

📮 If you think you do, email me back. You and your memories of visiting this spot might be featured in the newsletter.

Last week’s photo quiz featured an aerial shot of one of the dog runs at Schuylkill River Park. Shout out to Lexy M., Rich W., Dave P., and Jeremy M. for getting that right.

Jeremy told me: “When I first came back to Philadelphia following my divorce, I brought my two dogs, Maya and Stanley, here every single day, multiple times a day. It became a place of healing for me. I made friends. It was cheaper than therapy. Both dogs are gone now, and I no longer live nearby, but during some of the worst days of my life, this dog park kept me going.”

An example of the power of the built environment.

Enjoy the rest of your week.

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