After a long day of open houses.

After a long Sunday of busy open houses I was delighted to unwind by making pulled pork as the main course for my foodie group.  Our "special ingredient" that night was apples!  I also made Apple Pie Ice Cream with spiced rum and we served "Brick Wall" cocktails made with apple cider syrup.  Our guests brought an apple slaw that was simply delicious. I ate the butternut squash, apple soup and apple slaw. Then for desert we topped off our meal with a stove top apple crisp that was to die for! 

The best part is we bought all of our apples locally at Linvilla Orchards.  A staple in the history of Delaware County no fall season is complete without a visit. 

Check them out on the web more info:
http://www.linvilla.com/

Now is a great time for an investment property!

With the real estate market starting to recover in the U.S. and interest rates so low, now is the perfect time for you to invest in an income property.  There's nothing quite like a property that provides recurring revenue. According to real estate Web site Zillow.com,  agent Jill Sjolin, with Windermere Real Estate in Woodinville, Wash.,  "When the money is cheap to borrow and the houses are cheap to buy, it's absolutely the best time to invest." Whether this is your first investment property, or one of many, there are a few important factors to think about before risking your money. One, if not the most important decision to make is who you will use as your agent. Make sure this is a professional with a proven record of success and someone with experience in income producing properties. Next you and your agent need to find what type of property is the best fit for you, this can range from rental apartments, to office buildings and storage complexes. Once you decide what direction you want to go in, you will need to do an in depth analysis of what is the right location for your venture. For example today I was in the Phoenixville area with clients looking at investment properties that we believe will result in cash-on-cash returns of 10% or more!

Fishtown Hunt

Today I went house hunting in the Fishtown part of Philadelphia. Started out as a cloudy day, but by the end of our search the sun came out and it started to warm up. "Fishtown" a part of the city that got its name from the area's former role as the center of the shad fishing industry on the Delaware River. This area is seeing a large increase in new construction, as well as redevelopment in the past few years. This is quickly changing the look of the architecture as well as the demographic of the area. New modern homes are being built next to 100 year old homes. Along with these changes, the easy parking and quick access to 95 is attracting many groups of homeowners and renters. We didn't find that house we were looking for but did make a stop at the Coffee House Too on 2524 East York Street, known for great coffee and service. Somehow we were able to resist the emanating smell from Whipped Bakeshop on 636 Belgrade Street while walking by. This bakery makes some of the best cupcakes in the city. If you are looking for a place to live that is up and coming with lots of positive changes, then take a walk or drive through Fishtown!

Devil's Alley

Had dinner at Devil's Alley, located at 1907 Chestnut Street in the Rittenhouse Square section of Philadelphia this past Saturday night.  I had the Salmon BLT with sweet potato fries.  Shared nachos with smoked chicken to start.  Creamed sweet potatoes with marshmallows that were served with turkey were sinful as well.  Rumor has it their brunch is outstanding too.  The atmosphere reflects the comfort food origins of this restaurant by seamlessly fusing a unique design with materials inspired by an industrial theme combined with greenery to soften the space. 

http://www.devilsalleybarandgrill.com/