Although Halloween falls on a Friday this year, some communities are holding their trick-or-treating on another day.  Here's the schedule for some of Pittsburgh's neighborhoods: Baldwin Trick-or-Treat:  Oct. 31, 6 to 8 pmBethel Park Trick-or-Treat:  Oct. 31, 6-8 pmBridgeville Trick-or-Treat:  Oct. 31, 6 to 8 pmButler Trick-or-Treat:  Oct. 31, 6 to 7 pmCanonsburg Trick-or-Treat:  Oct. 31, 6-7:30Carnegie Trick-or-Treat:  Oct. 31, 6 to 8 pmCastle Shannon Trick-or-Treat:  Oct. 31, 6-8City of Pittsburgh Trick-or-Treat (all neighborhoods):  Oct. 31, 5:30-7:30 pmCollier Trick-or-Treat:  Oct. 31, 6 to 8 p.m.Crafton Trick-or-Treat:  Oct. 31, 6 to 8 p.m.Cranberry Trick-or-Treat:  Oct. 31, 6-8 pmDormont Trick-or-Treat: Oct. 31, 6 to 8 p.m.Edgeworth Trick-or-Treat:  Oct. 30, 6-8 p.m.Elizabeth Trick... 10/28/2008

Today it is raining--- we could feel that has been the way it has been for a few weeks now. WE must get active and make our own sun shine, WE as leaders in our offices and companies must encourage our agents to work,   Step 1 get repositioned prices Nothing sells if the price is wrong!!! Step 2   Have a reason for your agents to go in to the offices and prospect! In Pittsburgh we have a stable market and we must activities toget  the leads to get our homes sold because we are creating reasons for people to buy. WE must get our sellers to be focused and realistic.   Lets not allow the alleged market to exist. We can get homes to sell and close! 10/25/2008

I am looking to get more involved with local Realtors.  Other then the weekly meetings that are held at the offices are there any other avenues to take to get my face and name out there??? Thanks in advance for all your input!! 10/23/2008

Here is the list of 13 Pittsburgh homes that sold on the South Side during August & September: AddressList PriceSold Price 2125 Wharton Street 279,900 290,000 2106 Fox Way 196,000 186,000 1919 Harcum Way 175,000 165,900 134 S. 11th Street 148,000 146,000 92 S. 22nd Street 149,900 142,000 102 S. 26th Street 149,900 130,000 2528 Mission Street 119,000 113,000 103 S. 17th Street 108,000 106,895 2119 Wharton Street 109,900 96,250 74 St Patrick Street 87,500 76,500 2827 Edwards Way 59,900 57,000 2324 Wellington Street 34,900 26,000 2422 Berg Street 13,000 13,700  Related Posts:  Which of Pittsburgh's South Side Homes Sold in July? Home Sales on Pittsburgh's South Side for June 10/22/2008

Well the stock market was up yesterday. Pittsburgh has been highlighted as the best place to buy a house. WE never had a bubble. There is not real downside here. WE are not falling through the floor as many California of Florida locales. We just need to focus our business prospecting strategies. We can do it here in Pittsburgh!!!! Our market can happen 10/17/2008

The city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is a city that encompasses the best of urban living. Those who still think of Pittsburgh as smokestacks and factories have simply got it all wrong. This amazing city offers its residents a continuous stream of culture, art, and entertainment in the midst of a pulsing city, where every day is a chance to explore something new. Pittsburgh is a visually stimulating place, with examples of some of the best American architecture and civil engineering set against a backdrop of incredible natural beauty. There is perhaps no other city in the nation that sits at the confluence of three rivers, with mountains rising in the background, and an urban center that boasts national treasures by architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Philip Johnson and Henry Hobson R... 10/16/2008

Home Sales in South Side, PA for September, 2008  Address                                   List Price          Sold Price        Days on Market 38 Windhom Hill Place              $575,000         $608,368                  187 938 Pretense Way                    $322,900         $292,000                  138 2126 Wharton St                      $279,900         $290,000                   55 1734 Wharton  St                     $269,900         $255,000                  136 2106 Fox Way                         $196,000         $186,000                   58 130 S. 22nd St #3D                  $175,000         $169,500                  109 92 S. 22nd Street                      $149,900         $142,000                  160 102 S. 26th Street                     $149,900         $130,000  ... 10/07/2008

According to a recent ranking by Forbes, Pittsburgh is the third least expensive city for buying and maintaining a home. In determining America's most and least expensive places to own a home, Forbes used data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2008 American Community Survey. It reported the 2007 median monthly home ownership costs in the country's metro areas with a population over 65,000. Home costs include monthly mortgage payments, real estate taxes, various insurances, utilities, fuels, mobile home costs and condominium fees. They found that "those getting the real deal live in places like Pittsburgh ($1,187 a month), Columbus, Ohio ($1,060) and Cleveland, which boasts a median cost of $978." For more details, check out Most And Least Expensive U.S. Cities For Homeowners. 10/07/2008

According to a dog training blog called The Daily Dog Article, there are 5 breeds you may want to consider if you live downtown and are thinking of getting a pet: Pug - They aren't expressive, and neither are they stressful. They'll engage themselves in some physical activities for a short period of time, then fritter the majority of the day resting. Young pugs are known to be gentle and clever pets that will be trained and learn considerably. Shih Tzu - Spoil this dog and she'll deem herself as higher than other dogs. Shih Tzu's are one of a small number of dog breeds that were particularly bred for royal families all through the times. Without a doubt, Shih Tzus are quite familiar to a royal way of life, making them excellent pets for apartment or condominium residents. Golden Retriev... 10/07/2008

Home sales in Peters Township remain consistent. There were 26 homes that sold in June, 27 in July and 28 for August (below). AddressList PriceSold Price 128 Lampliter Lane 850,000 807,500 304 Buckingham Drive 829,000 799,900 102 Windermere Court 769,000 714,500 300 Bridle Trail 534,900 498,000 207 Rock Run Road 469,900 460,000 108 Horizon Drive 479,000 453,000 202 Oak Ridge Drive 424,950 415,000 368 Churchill Road 425,000 385,000 294 McCombs Road 375,000 365,000 226 Hemlock Drive 337,900 335,000 116 Brave Run Road 349,900 334,000 127 Castlebrooke Drive 334,900 331,000 211 Prestonwood Lane 347,900 330,000 308 Buffalo Ridge Road 324,900 327,500 103 Maid Marion Lane 324,900 310,000 122 Woodside Drive 274,900 274,900 174 Marion Drive 259,900 265,740 108 Fieldstone Court 279,900 264,000 111... 10/07/2008

A flop happens when unprepared or over-confident investors charge into a house flipping project without doing their homework. If you want to make money flipping houses, here are 4 don'ts you should keep in mind:  Don't forget to check out the neighborhood before you buy.  You'll want to make sure that the property you're considering is a good fit for the neighborhood. You should also take time to make sure that the plan you have in mind for the property will match well with the other neighborhood residents in order to guarantee a quicker sale.  Don't blow your budget without just cause.  If you blow your budget and can't recover the extra expenses in the selling price, you'll have seriously cut into your profits. The goal in property flipping is to get in and out quickly and spend as l... 10/07/2008

Can You Afford That House? Before you start searching for your dream home, you first need to determine a price range you can afford. According to the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), depending on the consumer's current debt ratio, most people can typically afford to pay 31 percent of their gross monthly income for mortgage payments. For example, if you earn $50,000 annually, then your monthly income is about $4,167. Thirty-one percent of that is $1,292. There are several online tools to calculate a monthly mortgage you can afford using factors such as your current monthly expenses, down payment and the interest rate. You can also work with a lender to get pre-qualified for a loan. This estimate will help you gauge how much money you may be able to borrow and the monthly mortgage p... 10/04/2008

Yinz goin' to the big celebration?  I sure am!  I'll be going with my family down to celebrate this fine city's 250th Anniversary.  I feel that I wouldn't be a Pittsburgher if I I didn't.  We will probably try and get a spot in Mt. Washington somewhere to watch the fireworks, as my in-laws live in Mt. Oliver and should be a short drive. Pittsburgh is such a fine city and I feel that we are on the brink of huge growth! It's been said that Pittsburgh is the best place to invest in real estate!  This proves it - we are such a stable city that if you buy in the Pittsburgh region you WILL see an increase in your property value. This article has a little bit of history of Pittsburgh too! Pittsburgh celebrates 250 with concert, fireworks at the Point Thursday, October 02, 2008 By Len Barcousky... 10/03/2008

A recent article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette finally put a glimmer of light at the end of the real estate tunnel for area homeowners. Since the beginning of 2008, July marks the first DECREASE in mortgage defaults in the Pittsburgh area. Whew! (collective sigh) And not a drop in the bucket kind of decrease either - but a 29% drop over July 2007, which is not only substantial but encouraging. Just one more indicator that the Pittsburgh market marches to the beat of its own drum! "The record foreclosure pace we set at the beginning of the year is slowing, which may mean 2008 won't be a record year for foreclosures after all," quotes Dan Murrer, Vice President of RealSTATS, a real estate information company. "The drop in July combined with the drop we're seeing thus far in August shows... 10/01/2008

I've been hammering this home to recent college graduates.  In addition, Pittsburgh is a great place to invest in real estate!! A report ranking Pittsburgh among the top cities for young professionals is right on the money, say 20-somethings working here. "I'm surprised we're not even a little higher," 26-year-old Michael Righi said of the city's No. 13 ranking. "I love telling people Pittsburgh is the best place for young executives because it offers the best combination of low cost of living and resources," said Righi, a Downtown resident who started his own technology and consulting company in 2002. In Forbes.com's ranking of the top 40 cities for young professionals, Pittsburgh came in ahead of cities such as Philadelphia, Atlanta and Dallas. At the top of the list was San Francisco... 09/18/2008

Time Magazine named CarbonRally one of its 50 Best Websites for 2008:  "CarbonRally posts challenges, like cutting your shower time by two minutes or line-drying your laundry for a month, to motivate you to reduce your carbon footprint. Never cleaned your refrigerator coils? Neither have we. CarbonRally shows you how to do it and explains why it helps. You can compete on your own or, for added incentive, as part of a team. For extra enviro-credit, check out Zwaggle, where you can donate used clothes, appliances, books and other merchandise to members, then "buy" stuff from other Zwagglers with the points you earn." I think this is a great idea.  Try one of the challenges on CarbonRally and see if you can handle the competition! 09/03/2008

Featured in Pop City, a new crop of independent businesses is energizing the 3200 block of Dormont's West Liberty Avenue corridor: Xie LiHong's Wellness Center - 3225 West Liberty Avenue; professional theraputic Chinese massage   Enchanted Wings - 3227 West Liberty Avenue; artisan-made baubles, curiosities and fair trade goods, everything from housewares and wearable art to organic lotions and pet products New Leaf Café - 3235 West Liberty Avenue; specialty coffees and teas, paninis, salads and a children's menu, as well as pastries from Dormont's Potomac Bakery Cain's Saloon - 3239 West Liberty; a South Hills drinking landmark that is undergoing renovations Take a look at the entire Pop City article. 09/02/2008

Here is the list of 14 Pittsburgh homes that sold on the South Side last month: AddressList PriceSold Price 1900 Huron Street 299,900 282,500 1106 Freyburg Street 279,000 277,000 2121 Wrights Way 169,900 167,000 2307 Sidney Street 154,000 147,000 125 S. 23rd Street 145,000 142,500 1811 Jane Street 165,000 140,000 107 S. 17th Street 139,900 127,000 131 S. 11th Street 134,900 117,000 105 S. 17th Street 129,000 116,000 1907 St. Paul Street 119,900 105,000 3129 Mary Street 89,900 72,250 1900 Arlington Avenue 49,900 37,200 1824 St. Paul Street 36,900 31,000 2125 Salisbury Street 12,900 13,500  Related Post:  Home Sales on Pittsburgh's South Side for June 08/27/2008

For those of you sorry to see the Olympics come to an end, I thought it would be fun to keep the event alive a little longer with this post. Michael Phelps and other Olympians are the ultimate physical athletes, the cream of the crop.  While we Realtors will never be on par with Olympians in the world of athletics, there are a few things that these two groups have in common. 1. We Are Skilled - Athletes are talented individuals.  Although most of us possess the basic skills from which athletes build upon, athletes further develop these physical skills in order to excel in competition. Basic athletic skills like balance, speed, and strength are enhanced to achieve new levels of performance. Like athletes, Realtors build upon basic skills - time management, problem solving, customer servi... 08/27/2008

There were 25 Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania homes that sold in July, down from 43 in June.  Here's the list for July: AddressList PriceSold Price 200 Warwick Drive 799,900 725,000 1452 Paragon Place 699,900 625,000 1312 Wellington Drive 634,900 592,000 1050 Tall Trees Drive 525,000 498,000 168 Fieldgate Drive 519,900 495,000 206 Carriage Lane 500,000 495,000 1755 Scarlett Drive 519,900 485,000 1511 Candlewood Drive 464,900 455,000 1778 Seegar Circle 487,900 450,000 1776 Seegar Circle 459,900 432,000 1859 Taper Drive 349,000 340,000 2558 Corteland Drive 319,900 310,000 2559 Forest Brook Drive 309,900 300,000 564 Trotwood Ridge Road 290,000 297,500 2445 Corteland Drive 294,900 282,500 220 Trotwood West Drive 284,900 275,000 2621 Quail Hill Drive 289,000 270,000 1513 High Knolls Drive 274,... 08/27/2008