What does generation Y want in an apartment?
Philadelphia Real Estaters: What You Should Know
Generation Y, those born in the 1980’s and 1990’s, are invading the city of Philadelphia, and what they’re looking to rent is quite different than those generations before them. We polled people renting in the Philadelphia region and found what makes or breaks their signing the lease.
IMPORTANT FEATURES
- Location, location, location: The initial thing that renters are looking for is good location. Today, many of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods have been going through periods of gentrification and becoming more attractive to renters. Prospective renters want to know how safe they are going to be, restaurants and bars that have good reputations and are easily accessible, and parks and pleasant outdoor areasthat are close by. There is a split between those that want to be in the middle of everything and those that prefer mainly residential areas, however, having neighborhood hot spots is always a seller.
- Access to Public Transportation: Gas prices are rising and there is still a need for city-livers to make daily commutes. A necessity for many is easy access to public transportation.
- Hardwoods versus Carpeting: It used to be that carpeting was a must-have amenity but, today, the style has changed in favor of hardwoods. They have a cleaner look to them, are less accident-prone, and are easily matched to different tenant’s aesthetics.
- The Kitchen: The kitchen area is a big selling point. The desire for white appliances has been replaced with the want for stainless steel. Also, the days of living without a dishwasher being okay are over. People are looking for the easiest and most time efficient way to do things – washing each and every dish after a dinner party at your new place is just out of the question.
- Windows: Already living in the confines of the city, future tenants are looking for natural lightand open windows. Small windows can detract a potential leaser from signing on the dotted lines.
- Bathrooms: Outdated bathrooms are a total turn-off. People are looking for clean showersand bathtubs, fresh tiling, and decent lighting. Roommates are mostly always looking for more than one bathroom, even if it is a half.
- Closet Space: Forget the size of the bedroom – mostly all of the people we talked to were only concerned with the amount of room for their clothes and personal belongings. Walk-in closetsare extremely attractive and, if your place has them, are often a selling point.
- The Smell: Whether you live in the middle of a garden or upstairs from a fish market, renters are looking for their next home to smell clean and fresh.
Clean your Dryer & prevent a fire!
As a Philadelphia Property Management Company, JG Real Estate likes to share common sense maintenance tips. With a fast paced every day life, sometimes the small things (which lead to huge things if left uncorrected) escape us. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there are an estimated annual 15,500 fires, 10 deaths and 10 injuries which are attributed directly to dryer fires. Today, lets take a moment to chat about how to prevent dryer fires, and improve your energy efficiency at the same time.
- How Dryer fires start: According to www.laundry-alternative.com “Lint accumulation and reduced airflow feed on each other to provide conditions ripe for a fire. Lint is a highly combustible material, which, interestingly enough, is one of the ingredients in a recipe for home-made fire starters. A number of dryer vent problems contribute to this. “
- Clean your dryer’s lint screen: It seems so obvious, right? Clean the dryer lint screen every single time there is build up on it. It’s shocking how many people don’t take the 3 seconds which is necessary to run your finger over the screen, ball up the lint, and toss it away. Doing this will allow your clothes to dry faster, thus lowering your electric & gas consumption resulting in lower utility bills.
- Properly vent your dryer: When possible, rigid metal ducting should be use rather than flex lines which can sag and lead to lint accumulation. In fact, in Philly, it is code to use rigid metal ducting rather than flex lines when the duct is hidden behind a wall; this is common is upper floor laundry rooms, as opposed to the basement.
Philadelphia investors; protect your property & your tenants by properly venting your dryer and instructing your tenant on proper use of the equipment. Want us to take relieve you of the burden? Visit ourproperty management philadelphia section for more detail!
How to Clean Filter and prevent dryer Fire
For the Fitness Fanatics
Whether you’re a tiny tot, reaching those later years, or anywhere in between, it is always important to stay active and fit. Life can almost always get in the way and make it difficult for you to get moving; too much work and not enough energy, the expense of the gym membership, getting the kids together, or finding something that doesn’t bore you to tears. I wanted to comprise a list for you, our wonderful readers, of gyms that will fit into your schedule, your budget, and will ultimately better your lives!
FAMILY ORIENTED
- The YMCA, located at 1724 Christian St, in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood, has great services for the entire family. For new parents they offer free babysitting for a maximum of 2 hours, there are adult group exercise classes, no contacts, reduced rates for youths and teens, and much more. They also have the OpenDoors program, which was created for residents feeling the pressures and stresses of the economic recession.
NEED TO BE TRAINED
- Fusion Cross Training, located at 105 S. 12th St, is all about group and individual training. They work in a very interesting way. For the member who wants to be trained in a group setting, they have different sessions scheduled throughout the week and you get to sign up for those classes. You have options on what type of series or membership you would like and those prices range from $20 forsingle group session to $690 for an unlimited 6 month membership. For those people that need the trainer, but like personal coaching, you can receive nutrition coaching, personal fitness coaching, and more. These prices range from $30 to $2400, all depending on which plan you choose. Though it may seem extremely pricey, Fusion has a fabulous reputation among its members.
ALL-INCLUSIVE GYM
BUDGET-FRIENDLY
- City Fitness, located at 200 Spring Garden St in Northern Liberties (also have a location in the graduate hospital area), features a large number of cardio machines, great strength equipment, classes, personal training, on-site tanning, and more. The best part, their rates range from $19.99/month to $39.99/month – you choose the option that works best for you.
This has certainly made me want to join a gym immediately! Wishing you all a healthy & active month of March!
Spotlight: CenterCity Team
Frank DeFazio, Esq is the principal of FLD Law and the CenterCity Team at Prudential Fox and Roach. He specializes in Philadelphia Real Estate, specifically Center City Real Estate. Check out their services and their great blog!
Philadelphia Parking
Information about Philadelphia Parking
MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH PHILADELPHIA PARKING
I prefer parking garages. Honestly, I can’t parallel park with cars coming at me from all directions and people honking – I get way too flustered. I always end up spending $20 for an hour because I don’t know where the rates are lowest. My friends, on the other hand, park on the streets of Philadelphia and constantly get tickets. No matter how closely we read the signs, we always end up missing the part that says we can’t park there for some crazy reason. When I moved into Center City, I had no idea how to find out about Philadelphia Parking passes or permits. For all of the reasons above, I wanted to look into finding more information about Philadelphia Parking.
PHILADELPHIA PARKING GARAGES/LOTS
So, first step here is finding the garage. There are so many Philadelphia Parking garages that it’s hard to really miss one. However, when it comes to the rates, it really does make a load of difference where you park. Compare the rates here, you can choose daily or monthly rates. Remember the closest locations to you and the ones that are most cost-efficient.
ON-STREET PHILADELPHIA PARKING
The Philadelphia Parking Authority – we all have had our horror stories. Visit their website to find out more about their laws & enforcement, how to use the kiosk meters, purchase prepaid smart cards, or pay those fines off. They also have a list of garages where you can use those smart cards. Make sure you are closely reading the signs in the area you have parked. There will most likely be a PPA attendant who will come by and ticket you if you are parked illegally.
When I moved, I wanted to find out more about what I needed to get a Philadelphia Parking Permit. To be eligible for this permit you need to provide your vehicle registration and proof of residence in the form of your driver’s license, your lease, or a recent utility bill in your name. This permit will cost you $35 per vehicle for the first year and then $20 annually to renew it. There are also visitor permits and one-day permits. Please be careful with these permits because there are restrictions and exclusions.
We wish you the best of luck in the Philadelphia parking department! Here’s to cheap and convenient parking.
Five Philadelphia Races
If you didn’t sign-up in time for Philadelphia’s Broad Street Run, here are a list of other races that you can still register for:
- Northeast Roadrunners’ Winter 10K:
Registration Closing Date: Saturday, March 3, 2012 @ 2:00 PM PST
Date: Sunday, March 4, 2012 @ 10:00 AM
Address: Lloyd Hall on Boathouse Row behind the Philadelphia Art Museum – 1 Boathouse Row 1 Kelly Drive Philadelphia, PA
- 2012 Philadelphia World Water Day Walk-a-Thon / 5K Run
Registration Fee: $20 Student (ages 13-25), $30 Adult (ages 25-60), $10 Senior Citizen (ages 60+)
Date: Saturday, March 24, 2012
- Doylestown Duathlon:
Registration: $75 Duathlon Individiaul, $140 Duathlon Relay Team
Date: Saturday, April 7, 2012
Address: Lake Nockamixon State Park, Quakertown PA 18951-5732
- 2012 Lenape Survival Challenge & Spring Mt. Scramble!
Registration: $5 per team member Early birds (those who register before March 8), General registration opens at 8 am
Date: Saturday, April 28, 2012 @ 9:30 am
Address: 1 Skippack Pike, Schwenksville, PA 19473
- The ODDyssey Half Marathon:
Registration: $65.00 through April 1, 2012, $75.00 April 1st through the day before the race @ 6:00pm
Date: Saturday, May 26, 2012 @ 7:00 am
Address: Please Touch Museum, 4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia, PA, 19146
Give Broad Street a “run” for its money (pun very much intended). Hoping this was a good list for you Philadelphia runners out there!
