Warehouse solar farms powering homes | Real Estate Newsletter
And a free mansion for the taking.
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On a warehouse’s rooftop in Pennsauken, solar panels take in the sun’s rays and turn them into enough energy to power about 130 homes in Camden County.
Solar arrays are popping up across New Jersey, thanks to a state program that makes it possible for people who can’t install their own solar panels (think renters) to take part in renewable energy.
Warehouses and other industrial and commercial buildings are slowly becoming solar generators for homes.
Keep scrolling for that story and to find out how you can get a free mansion in Montgomery County, see whether you qualify for free air conditioning, and peek inside a Graduate Hospital rowhouse that was completely gutted.
📮 Do you use renewable energy to power your home? If not, would you? For a chance to be featured in my newsletter, email me.
— Michaelle Bond
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Judy Levine got a brochure in the mail that said she could save on her electric bill. She just had to subscribe to a solar array on the roof of an industrial building five miles away.
The 79-year-old had moved from her single-family home in Medford to her Collingswood condo and hadn’t known she could take part in solar while living in a multifamily building. She signed up.
New Jersey’s community solar program has spurred the construction of solar arrays on the big, flat roofs of commercial and industrial buildings. These arrays produce energy that eventually gets to residents’ homes.
Keep reading to find out how community solar works and how New Jersey is expanding its program.
A 17-room, 19th-century mansion in Limerick with oak beams, chestnut floors, and lots of fireplaces is being given away for free.
But there’s a catch. (Because there’s always a catch.)
You’re responsible for moving it off the property, which won’t be cheap. And the clock’s ticking.
The Brooklyn developer who owns the property plans to turn it into a warehouse center. So this giveaway is a last-ditch effort to save the Hood Mansion from demolition.
As my colleague Rita Giordano writes, this “may well be the real estate opportunity of a lifetime for the right person and possibly the last chance to save a historic Delaware Valley property.”
Keep reading to find out how much the mansion would cost to move, what makes it special, and how you can get your hands on it.
The latest news to pay attention to
Take a look at the Moorestown mansion that crab-cake king “Bobby Chez” has been trying to sell.
A Camden tower that was built as luxury apartments and became a blight on the city is being transformed into a symbol of hope.
Philadelphia City Council passed reforms to the city’s privatized eviction system after three shootings during lockouts.
The former headquarters of the Victor Talking Machine Co., a Camden landmark, has been brought back to life.
Philadelphia City Council passed a bill that would ban the city from extending its lease at a controversial Fairmount shelter site.
Bart Blatstein’s construction company is being sued by a subcontractor over work done on the $100 million Island Waterpark in Atlantic City.
We give you a sneak peek inside five of Philly’s most beautiful private gardens.
House of the week: For $675,000 in Old City, a three-bedroom penthouse condo.
This week has been and will continue to be HOT. And not in a fun way. Some experts are saying this whole summer could be the hottest ever.🥵
So you’re gonna need ways to stay cool. My colleague Erin McCarthy looked into how you can get help to keep your home from turning into an oven.
You could be eligible for free fans or window or wall A/C units, or you could get some financial assistance for your utility bills.
Here’s what you need to know about getting help to stay cool this summer.
Samantha and Nathan Matlin’s rowhouse in Graduate Hospital was a nightmare when they bought it.
Here’s just a partial list of what was wrong with it:
It had no main bedroom.
There were no closets or storage space.
The main bathroom was too small to be functional.
Architect Lea Litvin, who worked with the Matlins, called the home “one of the worst interior planning situations I have ever seen.”
You may be wondering why the Matlins bought this house in the first place. Well, they wanted their two children to go to a certain school, and every house they looked at in the area around Rittenhouse Square was way out of their budget.
Enter the fixer-upper. Which is an understatement. Fixing the house took almost two years.
Peek inside the Matlins’ home and see how they turned a nightmare into their dream home.
🧠 Trivia time
A municipality in the Philly area could become the first in Pennsylvania to ban certain gas-powered lawn equipment, such as some leaf blowers. This municipality’s proposed ordinance is part of a growing national trend of trying to curb noise pollution and greenhouse gases.
Question: Which place could make history?
A) Chadds Ford
D) Upper Merion
C) Villanova
D) Swarthmore
This story has the answer.
📷 Photo quiz
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.
Shout out to Dorothy S., Gerrit B., and Robin A. for knowing that last week’s photo was taken at Spruce Street Harbor Park.
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In this heat, a giant ice cream cone sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? How about one that never melts?
The iconic and massive pink ice cream cone that is Twistee Treat in Mayfair is up for sale.
The latest owner of the 27-foot-tall soft-serve stand is selling the Northeast Philly business and would rent out the kitschy cone to the buyer — who could be you.
Enjoy the rest of your week. And try not to melt.
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