Here is your chance to check out this beautiful home in the Spring Oak community Malvern, PA. Sunday May 4th 1-3 pm come meet our team and hear about our offers.Who wouldn't want to work from home when you have such a stylish office with custom built shelving and French Doors for privacy. This home has tons of upgrades throughout and is well worth a visit.Walk through the home using our video link, then come see for yourself just how wonderful this home truly is and why you should make it yours this weekend. Or call Nick Vandekar, Selling the Main Line ad Chester County, with Realty ONE Group Advocates, office 484-237-2055, cell or text 610-203-4543, or email  Nick@VandekarTeam.com to make a private appointment.The sellers love this community so much they are simply moving within the co... 05/01/2025

Many people do not fully understand what it means to live in a development run by a Homeowners Association (HOA). When I first moved to America I had never experienced a condo or homeowners association before. As we looked for homes I began to form my own opinion as to whether we wanted to live in one with three young boys growing up. I decided that for us at that stage it was not an option. But as I have aged and had different priorities my views have changed. If you're considering moving into a home governed by a HOA, it's important to understand what that means. As your Realtor, I want you to have a clear picture of both the advantages and the potential downsides. Pros of Living in an HOA: Neighborhood Aesthetics:HOAs typically enforce rules about property maintenance, lawn care, an... 05/01/2025

Spring has finally sprung in East Goshen Township, Chester County. The trees are glorious, the grass is green, and the hum of lawn mowers is once again the backdrop to a beautiful summer day. As I sit here, my little cat Dani walks in front of my computer, steps on my keyboard, and generally makes sure she gets some love!  The best part of a home office is being here with my pets!We had a lovely Easter Sunday with my family, including the next generation, my granddaughter, and my great-nephew.  In short, there is a lot to be thankful for.  The sun is shining, I presume the birds are singing (my ears do not pick this sound up), and life is good. Carpe Diem!    04/24/2025

We live outside Philadelphia about 20 minutes south of Longwood Gardens. When we were getting married a friend bought us a membership which we have renewed each year. In the past year Longwood has undergone a large transformation creating a new conservatory and a Bonsai garden display area. As you can see above the Bonsai on display are amazing and they rotate so each time you may see different Bonsai. Some have been trained for over 100 years, others are much younger, but some of the examples are 400 years or older. It is amazing.But our reason for visiting a couple of weekends ago was to catch the Spring display, we were not sure if the tulips would be in full bloom but we were very lucky. You can see below they blended the planting with hyacinths and tulips all in different color blo... 04/23/2025

Happy Easter!Have a great day! David HenkeLong & Foster Real Estate Inc – Wilmington, DE/Devon, PAOffice: 610-225-7400/Direct: 610-618-0808http://www.DelawarePAHomes.com  04/20/2025

This post is courtesy of WITF a Public Broadcaster in Pennsylvania serving the central part of the State. It is not about your typical railroad station as shown above.Inside Chester County lies Kennett Square, a town known for its mushroom farms. But hidden beneath its surface is a powerful history—one that reveals the courage, solidarity, and risk that defined the Underground Railroad. Today, that legacy lives on through the work of the Kennett Underground Railroad Center (KURC), located at 120 N. Union Street, Kennett Square, PA  19348 where volunteers are striving to preserve a story too long overlooked.“This is a very important item in history, and yet it has been set aside for so many years with no one saying anything about it,” says Debbie Burston, educator and board member of the... 04/16/2025

Stop by and say Hi! this Saturday 4/5 and Sunday 4/6 from 1 -3 pm at 362 Quigley Drive, Malvern, PA 19355.Check out the virtual walk through: Welcome to 362 Quigley Drive, a Kingston II model, a stunning 4-bedroom, 3.5-bath, with a plumbed in bath in the basement, end-unit townhome in the sought-after Spring Oak community of Malvern, PA. Nestled in the award-winning Great Valley School District, this home offers the perfect blend of charm, convenience, and modern luxury. Spring Oak is more than just a neighborhood—it’s a lifestyle. Picture kids riding bikes, neighbors chatting on tree-lined sidewalks, and weekends spent exploring scenic walking trails and bike paths. With low-maintenance living and resort-style amenities, you’ll have more time to enjoy what truly matters. Plus, with eas... 04/04/2025

People often think home inspections are for reopening negotiations on the price. But this is far from the truth. Check out my quick video for the real reason for a home inspection. Buying a home on the Main Line or in Chester County, contact Nick Vandekar for guidance and representation, Selling the Main Line and Chester County with Realty ONE Group Advocates, office 484-237-2055, cell or text 610-203-4543, email Nick@VandekarTeam.com to set up a complimentary consultation to discuss your needs and find out the process for buying a home in Pennsylvania on the Main Line or in Chester County and surrounding areas. 03/21/2025

Buying a house can be a long and winding road of ups and downs. But being prepared and knowing the steps can help you weather the emotional storms that invariably come along.Knowing how your credit score is calculated can be helpful to establishing a good strong score which will help you obtain a mortgage for the best rate.The riskier you are to lend money to, the higher the rate of interest will be on that mortgage which can make the cost of the loan prohibitive.1) Payment history, paying your bills on time makes up 35% of your score. Set an alarm in your calendar so that you do not miss any payment dates. This is the largest contributor to your credit score.2) The amount of debt you are carrying makes up 30% of your score, too much debt will affect your score negatively, lenders want ... 03/19/2025

There are currently 7 homes for sale in this popular, over-55 community.  Of the homes currently for sale, prices range from $520,000 to $699,900. Good news for buyers: 4 of the seven have recently reduced their prices. This hasn't happened in the Mill for quite some time!Each village has its own HOA fees and a different capital contribution fund.  However, all villages pay toward a Master Association, making the initial investment into Hershey's Mill something to consider.Hershey's Mill is a gated golf course community, and the villages surround lovely grounds.  You don't need to golf to enjoy the many activities that are available.  You can be as active or inactive as you please!I am happy to provide information if you want to learn more about Hershey's Mill.  I will even take you on ... 03/17/2025

As Spring rapidly approaches you may be considering is now the right time to sell your home? Kenny Chesney said:“Sunshine and spring bring out the best in everyone.”There are many things that go into deciding if now is the right time to sell your home. What are you trying to achieve? Is it to downsize or buy a larger home due to changes in family circumstances? Are you dealing with a death or divorce situation?Sometimes a time just comes when you know you need or want to move for a variety of reasons. When it is time, that is the time to move and sell your home.There is no right time specifically, it all depends on your situation. People often believe Spring is the best time to sell, however statistics actually show the best prices generally are achieved in the Fall.Anne Bradstreet said... 03/14/2025

Who doesn't love a deal? I know I do. Having grown up as the son of an antique dealer I heard my father for many years negotiating when purchasing items for stock and when he was selling as well. It made me a better negotiator when I followed him into the business many years later. When every penny counts and it is your business you tend to study how to be a good negotiator.Main Line and Chester County buyers and sellers of real estate want a good deal and using an agent with excellent negotiation skills is a good beginning. But how do you get the best deal?There are many styles of negotiation win-win, win everything etc. But the best way to negotiate is to make sure both sides get most of what they want but probably not everything.For buyers the past few years have been brutal, with of... 03/12/2025

Professional photography catches the eyes of potential buyers on line, but video can seal the deal. Today more people watch video short and long form than might read the description of a house.Whilst photos can show the rooms, a real video, not one of those tours of stitched together photos, can tell the story. When showing a house for sale, clients walk through the rooms, see the natural light, get a feel for the size and flow of the house. Well video can do the same thing. It can show a Main Line or Chester County buyer if this house might work for them or not; both are excellent results as our aim is to attract serious buyers not just those who want to look at homes.Generally, I want to show how the home flows through a video and pick out any special features. Obviously, with a large... 03/10/2025

Buying a home can be stressful, but Main Line and Chester County buyers guided by Nick Vandekar, Selling the Main Line and Chester County with Realty ONE Group Advocates have an advantage, and often they have fun as well.Touring homes with the intention of buying one is different to just visiting someone's home. As a Realtor I have toured many, many homes over the 20 plus years I have been selling homes. I used to sell antiques, and when i was out hunting for inventory I often thought about what clients wanted. I found touring homes a similar experience, I walk though a home with an idea of what my clients have told me they want in a home.It is more than just three bedrooms and two baths, I usually sit and talk with clients for a while to discover what makes them tick, to uncover their ... 03/05/2025

Main Line and Chester County buyers often get confused about how much money they need to buy a house. Many people get confused by the down payment and the amount of money they need to close on a house. Some people get confused between the down payment and the earnest money deposit.The down payment is the equity in the house you are paying for with cash you have in savings or another type of account. The balance of the purchase price if you are not paying cash is paid for with the mortgage.The earnest money deposit is the money you offer with the agreement of sale to show your sincerity in wanting to purchase the house. Typically in our area, The Main Line and Chester County the earnest money deposit is paid in two instalments. One within 5 days of acceptance of the offer, usually an amo... 02/28/2025

There are many things to consider for buyers of Main Line and Chester County Homes and with the rise in interest rates one of the big questions being asked "Is an Adjustable Rate Mortgage Right for You?"So let's examine this and give you the information so you can feel confident about the decision you will make on what type of mortgage to use.Firstly the fixed rate mortgage is exactly that, the rate is fixed for the duration of the loan. You basically know what you will be paying for the term of the loan, the only part that might adjust is taxes if you pay those through your mortgage company. This is a great product, having come from the UK many years ago where we had floating rates and the mortgage interest rate would rise whenever the bank rate rose and fall when it fell, made for a l... 02/26/2025

Main Line and Chester County Residents know the market has been hot for the last few years. With little to no inventory and multiple offers many buyers have been making several offers before either putting their house hunt on hold or being successful.Here we are in 2025, interest rates have risen over the last few months to hover between 6 and 7%, house prices have been rising every year and in some cases from month to month, so is that changing the market?For the past few years it has definitely been a seller's market. Sellers have sat back seeing their equity increasing dramatically, and they have come to expect offers without contingencies. No inspections, cash offers often and definitely no home for sale contingencies.But, is the market changing? In the past few weeks we have seen a... 02/24/2025

Selling a home can be a grueling process, even in a market with low inventory and what has seemed like rising prices for the past couple of years. There are just so many facets to a transaction. Well Main Line and Chester County Residents relax, I am here to explain and help give you confidence to make the right decisions throughout the transaction.When you receive an offer it is made up of many parts, whilst most sellers look to the price first, there are many elements. These are called the terms of the offer. They may include the settlement date, whether the buyer is paying cash or using a mortgage. Is the buyer going to do inspections? Does the buyer have another home that has to be sold to buy your home?These are all types of contingencies. So let's explore what they mean for you as... 02/21/2025

A quick video I put together today about the changing real estate market. Let me know what you think and if your local markets are also seeing changes? Not much to add here, other than inventory is still at historically low levels, but showings are down, contracts are down, days on market are rising, and sales price to list price ratio is dropping.  02/20/2025

Main Line and Chester County sellers looking to sell their homes are finding that professional photography sells their homes faster. As I was preparing to write this post, I wanted to use some non-professional photos, but I have been using a professional photographer for so long I actually could not find any in my files.A professional photographer can offer so many different benefits, from perfect balanced photos, 3D photo tours, drone photography that shows the setting of the home and even real video.Obviously using a professional photographer to provide the list of options above takes time and costs money. But, as an agent I have found the investment well worth the cost. I cover the cost of photography for my clients as I feel so strongly about using a professional photographer.Profes... 02/19/2025