I have received a notice from local elected officials about traffic restrictions next week in the Graylyn Crest area.   Wilmington -- The Department of Transportation (DelDOT) today announced that the contractor, GrassBusters Landscaping Company of Newark will begin a major intersection safety improvement project on Foulk Road and Wilson Road in Wilmington on Monday, June 18. There will be daily lane restrictions throughout the project. The $953,294 project is expected to be completed by mid-October, pending weather. The intersection was identified under the Hazard Elimination Program. HEP is aimed at intersections in the state highway systems that have experienced high frequency of crashes across the state. This project will consist of the following: installation of a raised median on ... 06/13/2012

I had a shocking revelation this weekend. I had just renewed my FIOS a couple of days ago, and (funny how this always happens) the rate went up $20/mo. for my TV, internet and phone. I thought it sounded as if I was going to be paying about the same as before, since they were sending me a $250 debit card.                                                       photo:FreeDigitalPhotos.net And then came last night--LIGHTNING HAD STRUCK MY TV!   I could not get BBC America!!!  That channel and another one which carried BBC programs was gone!  Excuse me!  Not to see the Brit version of Antiques Roadshow with Fiona Bruce again!  I love how they visit different historic castles and churches and could picture myself back in the Assembly Rooms at Bath when it was now crowded with people carrying ... 06/11/2012

If you are looking for fun things to do with a little green fun thrown in, you have to check out the Delaware Center for Horticulture in Trolley Square, Wilmington, Delaware.  I attended the Garden Party and Open House (threatening rain made it a moveable feast) the other day and got my ticket for the Wilmington City Gardens People’s Choice Tour — June 16 & 17. Click link for ticket info and the DCH website. This is a new approach this year, suggested by the Buffalo NY Garden Walk I attended last year. When I showed Marcia Stephenson (Special Events person, left, shown in photo below with Pam Sapko, Executive Director hamming it up for the camera) photos from the nation's largest garden tour, she created this year's People's Choice Tour, where you will be able to vote online for the win... 06/06/2012

Mid-Town Brandywine’s H. Fletcher Brown Park is a pleasant place to cool off on a hot summer day. This small park is at the intersection of South Park Drive and North King Street, the site of the former H. Fletcher Brown Vocational High School and the earlier Old Soldiers’ Park. Named for renowned Wilmington chemist and philanthropist Harry Fletcher Brown (1867-1944), the park attracts a diverse group of visitors. One of the primary attractions in the park is a Charles Parks’ bronze sculpture. The piece, “The Apprentice,” bears a plaque with an inscription mentioning Brown's generous gifts in upport of vocational education.                                  The park is at the northeastern edge of the Mid-Town Brandywine neighborhood of historic early 20th Century homes which is locally k... 05/29/2012

The Cool Spring Reservoir in the City of Wilmington, Delaware was designed in 1873 with the lower embankment on Tenth and VanBuren Streets. By 1878 it was fully functioning, holding 11 million gallons and distributing an average of 43,000 gallons of water a day to Wilmingtonians.                        In 1905, the capacity was increased to 40 million gallons. For the next 100 years, the historic Cool Spring Reservoir was maintained, until modern sanitation ideas took hold (ducks floating on drinking water and stuff falling into or being thrown into the water made for a less than ideal situation). So in 2005, a new underground reservoir was built in the south basin along Tenth Street and a new City Plaza was built over the site.  The good news is that the historic late 19th Century home... 05/28/2012

Yes, Historic Home fans will love all the over 100 period rooms incorporated into Winterthur Museum and love seeing its gardens outside of Wilmington, Delaware,  but on Sunday, I saw the peony collection as it was in full bloom. With the quirky weather, you never know when the perfect day will be, but the end of May was ideal for me. Enjoy some of the pictures from this fantastic garden begun early in the 20th Century by Henry Francis duPont. 05/22/2012

OPEN HOUSE THIS SUNDAY! MAY 20 from 1-3 - 15 RUBY DR This Sunday May 20, we will be holding an Open House at 15 Ruby Dr in Ashbourne Hills in North Wilmington/ Claymont DE. Ashbourne Hills is a nice community located just off Darley Rd in North Wilmington with a Claymont address. With over 600 homes, Ashbourne Hills contains a great mixture of split level, ranch, and colonial house styles. The community is ideally located just south of Naamans Rd, north of Harvey Rd and west of the Philadelphia Pike providing immediate access to all of North Wilmington. With easy access to both to I-95 and I-495, it is a great location for commuting into Wilmington, Philadelphia, and New Jersey. 15 Ruby Dr itself is a 3 bedroom/ 1 bath split level. The home has a great open floor plan. The living room o... 05/17/2012

Just a quick reminder that the Wilmington Flower Market is now open. Continuing a Mother's Day weekend tradition from 1921, the event is being held this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in Rockford Park. It will be open from 10:00AM - 8:00PM daily with a great selection of rides, vendors, and, of course, plenty of plants and flowers. There is also a full slate of scheduled entertainment daily.  The proceeds are distributed to a "wide range of charities throughout the state of Delaware supporting children."  Be sure to take some time to visit the Wilmington Flower Market, support their sponsors, and enjoy the entertainment, all while supporting Delaware's Children.   David HenkeLong & Foster Real Estate Inc – Bear, DE/Devon, PAOffice: 302-834-3431/Direct: 610-618-0808www.DelawarePAHomes.co... 05/10/2012

This morning, Winterthur Museum and Gardens outside of Wilmington, Delaware, had flowers pushing one another aside for attention. The white trillium were still blooming, while the azaleas were at their peak.  You can wander through an extensive collection of azaleas in white, blush, pink, and coral for as far as the eye can see.  By the end of this week, there will be a different show to see. Soon the rhododendrons and peonies will be in bloom. So if you can't get here in the next few days, don't worry--there will still be much to wonder at!     04/29/2012

Great Tip To Sell That Delaware Home Fast For More Money! If you have ever walked into a new model home you will notice everything is in its place.  There are no personal photos, the closet floors have no boxes on them.  The basement is empty and looks huge!  Agents know this is the ideal way for a home to look but lets be practical, you live in the home and besides moving out it will never look that way. So what to do?  You can remove the photos and personal items so the buyers will look at the house and not your vacation photos and box up items you will not need right away.  Many sellers even rent a P.O.D. to put these items in.  (Great idea) Many of our home seller clients tell us if they knew they would have to throw away this much stuff they would have done so during the listing pe... 04/25/2012

This headline in today's New York Times attracted my attention, being the owner of a back yard birdbath. It seems homeowners are getting certified letters that their birdbaths are a hazzard and "standing" or "stagnant" (officials  have differing definitions) water can be a source of West Nile virus.  The owner of the featured birdbath says he changes the water every couple of days.   Picture: Birdbath minding own business.   Picture: Robin waiting to take bath   All I can say is that as much as I love NYC, I am glad I live in a place where there are no bird bath inspectors (other than the robins). Three cheers for Wilmington, Delaware! 04/23/2012

My last blog post - a year ago (!) - was all about rising interest rates. So, I'm grown-up, I can admit when I'm wrong. Interest rates continue at more than historic lows. My GRANDFATHER told me he bought his first house at 3%. Contrast that with my dad who mortgaged the home I grew up in in Ohio at 12% until he could refinance later. So, with rates bouncing around the 4% range how much better can it get? And with Bernanke talking about keeping the Fed rate effectively at 0% for the forseeable future, property values in the tank, and consumer confidence up a bit, we're in fat city, right? TIME TO BUY! And that is exactly what seems to be happening around Wilmington, Delaware. The sweet spot market - homes valued at $150,000 to $250,000 (for the Wilmington, Delaware market) - is moving v... 04/17/2012

Inventories drop and activity rises as home prices fall to a more sustainable level in New Castle County DE. After seeing a rise in listing activity in 2010 with stable pricing leading to reduced sales, we saw the area's home sales activity begin to rise in 2011 as prices and inventories began to fall - particularily at the end of the year. The data below illustrate the last few years of activity both for all of New Castle County and the Brandywine/North Wilmington area in particular. New Castle County:For 2012 Year To Date:Year:  Homes Listed | Homes under Contract | Homes Sold2012:         :2301                     1484                          1122                       Average Home Sold for $195,000 in 95 DaysFor the entire Previous Years:2011:        :8568                 4708(54%)... 04/07/2012

Delaware Junk Hauling Lowest Price In The Area House Clean Outs Serving New Castle County Delaware and surrounding areas E Waste Plus removes all contents from homes and offices in the New Castle County Delaware Area.  Not only do we have the lowest prices around but we take care as we remove the contents protecting your property from damage.  We are licensed and Insured and provide you with a friendly professional staff. We remove items quickly for those who have an estate cleanout where the property needs to be put up for sale. Many times when you move there are items you decide you wont be taking with you, we can assist with the house cleanout E Waste Plus is also available to hold tag sales for those items that are just too nice to toss in the trash.   At E Waste Plus we solve all y... 04/06/2012

April  2012 Historic Homes E-News                             The Delaware State Historic Preservation Office awarded nearly $1.9 million in Historic Preservation Tax Credits during fiscal year 2011. These state-tax credits were granted, to property owners for eligible expenses incurred during the rehabilitation of 14 historic buildings in communities across the state including Bear, Delaware City, Laurel, New Castle, Newark and Wilmington. Further information at  http://history.delaware.gov/preservation/taxcredit.shtmlSaturday, April 7, 2012  "All That Is Dutch: Discovering the Dutch Roots in Delaware Through Archaeology." Program utilizes Dutch-related artifacts found in Delaware to explore how the Netherlands helped to shape the state's history. The Old State House, 25 The Green, Dov... 04/01/2012

For their 40th Anniversary, Amtrak has put together a special train with displays of photos, uniforms, china, and memorabilia from America’s Railroad℠ while also offering a glimpse into the future. If you know what a P-40 Locomotive is, or want to try Sleeper 10020 (named Pacific Bend) on for size, here is your chance.  Click on "Equipment History"  on their web site to see all the cars that will be on display.http://www.amtrak40th.com/exhibit-train/stops/wilmington-de  This website also lists other locations scheduled for this exhibit. (Photo at right taken of Amtrak conductor in the over 100 year old Wilmington DE train station signaling the engineer that it's time to depart.)   There will be an area for kids called Chuggington Depot, a dedicated play space for young train enthusiasts... 03/27/2012

In an eight minute production by talent from Wilmington, Delaware you see such luminaries as the Next Great Baker, a singing official from the Mayor’s office, students from the Cab Calloway School of the Arts, all put together by a painting conservator from Winterthur Museum.   And if that’s not enough, it was shot on location at the Shop-Rite supermarket and the Biden train station (no extra charge for the chugging and clanging background noises). Great job Gang! (Sort of a Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland, "Hey kids, let's put on a show" feeling!) 03/25/2012

Time to get on board for Greenberg's Model Train Show  which arrives in Wilmington, Delaware March 24 and 25 at the Riverfront Center. Kids are free!  Website http://www.greenbergshows.com/ As a board member of the Friends of the Furness Railroad District (our website is http://friendsoffurness.org/), I am part of the crew staffing a table for our group, which has been donated by Greenberg's. Just down the road from the Riverfront Center, you can drop by and see the 11th busiest train station in the nation, the Amtrak Biden Station. Here's what it looked like this last Christmas in a video taken by Doug Roland.   03/23/2012

I have recently been traveling downstate (as those of us in Wilmington see the situation-- and it’s hard to go very far traveling across a state  which is only 30 miles wide and 100 miles long) and decided to stop the other day at the Smyrna Rest Stop, a local feature since 1969.Always trimmed out with blooming flowers outside on its 60 acre site, its brightest decoration is the smile on 84 year old Margie Burns, who is in her 22nd year of working in the visitor’s center. Margie further brightens up the mantel with seasonal decorations (which come out of her pocket!).  Years ago I remember there being several brochure racks from Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia.  Now they are down to 2 smaller racks because Margie says hardly anyone is printing brochures and sending them o... 03/21/2012

I don’t know anything about the ‘Luck of the Irish,” but I do have a bit of a green thumb (don’t think that counts). For at least a decade, I have been nursing along a shamrock (oxalis) plant which was in one of those tiny pots when I bought it.  It now has a very large pot and loves it by the window in an unheated room. It loves it so much, that it has bloomed pretty consistently since I nudged it along. That’s pretty much like my business in real estate--keep giving it the right growing conditions and it chugs right along!  So on this St. Patrick’s Day, I wish all those of the Irish inclination a day in the sun and good growing conditions for a happy life! 03/17/2012