You can pick your own with over 200 acres of crops !  LittleOne5 has had two field trips here, and they are really good to the kids in the school groups. They have a learning station where they get to see inside a large refrigerator, have a treat of Apple Cider and the famous Apple Cider Donut, and get to press apples into cider themselves!

They also went on a hayride into the rows of Apple Trees and got to chose their very own three apples from the tree! "Find the right one. Hold it tight and twist three times until it comes off with a small pull."

I remember going here as a child with my grandmother, DeeDee who lived down the road. It was always a treat to come and pick out some penny candy.

You can visit fine homes on Chester County Day in the southwestern quadrant of Chester County this year, including Birmingham, Chadds Ford, Chatham, Cochranville, East Fallowfield, Kennett Square, Lincoln University, New London, Unionville, West Grove and West Chester.

Every year Chester County Day kicks off with a Fox Hunt demonstration early in the morning. Although sometimes rainy, I'm always glad that Mom insists we begin on the rolling hills of Chester County at the Hunt.

This year, the tour is October 4th, always the first Saturday in October. You can begin your tour at any of the 25 homes on the schedule at 10:00am and have to leave your last by 5:00pm. Tickets are $35.00 and can be purchased at locations around Chester County or online. It is helpful to attend one of the previews so you can decide what homes are a *sure to see* on your list (you don't have time to see them all).

Not only is it an experience in itself to tour the exquisite homes, land, antiques, and prized collections of the gracious owners, but a way to support the local Chester County Hospital, one of the odd non-profit, independent hospitals. This event has raised more than $3.5 million since it began 68 years ago.

And for me? It's one of my favorite times to spend with people I love! Usually our van includes: Myself, Mom, Aunt, Cousin/BFF, Sister in law, dd AChrome22, and maybe this year dd Princess19 (we say over 18 yrs only). We have fun tailgating every couple of stops (Mom is still hoping for a silver goblet for her mimosas), passing the open champagne bottle duty, snacking, laughing, and counting how many homes we can get to. I think we make it to about 5-6 - you can definitely do more! I can't go into more detail, because "What happens on Chester County Day are memories among us" you have to see for yourself. We divy out the duties for Designated Driver, Navigator (Hilda, the GPS has sort of taken over this), and Food & Beverage Coordinator. I hope Bertha Snell is ready this year.

Check it out. Selected Chester County Homes to see will not disappoint - and the quadrant this year will take us to some beautiful countryside.

The homes are the tour are usually not for sale. If you are interested in homes that are for sale in Chester County to see in person, contact me for a private Chester County Day tour :)

Original Post Here

If you live in the Greater Chester County Area there are plenty of shopping malls centers you'll want to visit! Back to School Shopping continues and as the season changes you'll want to hit the stores for some "bundle-up" clothing! Here are some to get you started in the Chester County Surrounding Area:

King of Prussia Mall
160 N Gulph Rd
King of Prussia, PA 19406
(610) 265-5727

Exton Square Mall
260 Exton Square Mall
Exton, PA 19341
(610) 363-2860

Coventry Mall
351 W Schuylkill Rd
Pottstown, PA 19465
(610) 327-0700

Plymouth Meeting Mall
500 W Germantown Pike #L150
Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462
(610) 825-9351

Philadelphia Premium Outlets
18 Lightcap Rd
Pottstown, PA 19464
(610) 495-9000

Park City Mall 1
42 Park City Center
Lancaster, PA 17601
(717) 393-3851

Tanger Outlets
311 Stanley K Tanger Blvd
Lancaster, PA 17602
(717) 392-7260

Rockvale Square Outlets
35 S Willowdale Dr
Lancaster, PA 17602 (717) 293-9595

Have fun shopping! And if you are shopping to buy a home in Chester County - I'd love to help!

Downingtown Area School District Downingtown, PA

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The first day Downingtown Students will be Back to School is Tuesday, September 2nd. Ready to plan vacations for the 2008-2009 year? You better check the school calendar so the kiddos don't miss too much school.

The Downingtown School District is comprised of the following schools:

Elementary - Grades K-5
Beaver Creek
Bradford Heights
Brandywine Wallace
East Ward
Lionville Elementary
Pickering Valley
Shamona Creek
Springton Manor
Uwchlan Hills
West Bradford

Middle- Grades 6-8
Downingtown Middle
Lionville Middle

Senior High- Grades 9-12
Downingtown East High
Downingtown West High

East Brandywine, East Caln, Upper Uwchlan, Uwchlan, Wallace, West Bradford, and West Pikeland are the townships located in the Downingtown School District. The enrollment is over 11,700 students.

If you are relocating to the area and you are new to the Downingtown School District, you can register at one of the central locations. The DASD website has additional information if you are New to the District or Registering for Kindergarten.

Test Scores are sometimes helpful in determining which school district you are interested in moving to in Pennsylvania. You can find information about statistics in the school from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. If you would like information about the Real Estate currently available in the Downingtown Area School District, you can search for homes in Chester County, PA here.

Originally published on WestofPhillyBurbs.

What happened with West Chester, PA Real Estate Sales in 2008? The 1st Quarter has ended, so let's have a look at the sales from January-June 2008 in West Chester, PA - zip 19380.

111 Homes Sold (Single Family, 1+ years old)

Average Price $417,241 (Highest $925,000/Lowest $174,000)

Average Days on Market 73

The neighborhoods represented in this report include: West Chester Borough, Wyntre Brook,  Kirkland Manor, Sunset Grove, Gary Terrace,  Indian King, Banbury, Knollwood,  Whiteland Woods,  Polo Run,  Ryerss Hunt, Woods of Brookfield,  Tattersall,  Deerfield Greene, Harmony Hills,  Kenmare, Creekside,  Heritage at Parke Farm, Oak Hill, Parkchester Estates, Merriwether Farm,  Suburban Village,  Greenhill, Hamlet Hills,  Caswallen, Scots Grove,  Northhill, Idlewild,  The Pines, Fresh Meadows,  Kirby Woods, Sturbridge,  Brandywine Knoll, Pemberly,  Hidden Meadow, Hershey Mills, Waterview Farms, Rockland Village,  Pin Oak, Vista Farms, Charter Chase,  Hunt Country, Bow Tree, Wentworth, Ivy Hill, Deerfield Knoll, unnamed.

For a personalized report of your town or neighborhood in Chester, Montgomery or Delaware County, PA - just send your location and email address.

"I want a Foreclosure"

I hear this frequently from Buyers, but I don't think its really what people mean. During my round of questions, what Buyers really want is more phrased as follows, "I'd like a steal of a deal that I can get into below market value."

Here are some quick notes to consider:
The deals are out there, rarely does a "steal-of-a-deal" reach the market in the West of Philadelphia Suburbs of Chester County.  Homes are selling for the high 90%'s of the asking price. Exact statistics available upon request.

I know, I know, you've heard the news reports that you can pick up a foreclosure property for pennies on the dollar..... I know, I know, the banks have repossessed so many homes that there are plenty on the market.  This is true in many different areas, Chester County is not one of them. There is not a heavy saturation of foreclosed homes. Again, there are some deals that are out there, and with the right Buyer's Agent working for you to find them - you can get into a property for a great deal right now.

For the homes that have gone through the foreclosure process, the banks usually ask 2-4 Real Estate Agents and/or Appraisers to come in and do a Comparative Market Analysis Report.  They use these numbers to determine their asking price.  Most of time, this is competitive or slightly below the fair market value.

Most foreclosures (I am generalizing) need work.  The occupants that vacated the home were not happy campers.  Many times the homes have sat dormant for quite some time.  I'm usually left with a feeling of "sadness" after viewing these properties, because so often they were just not taken care of.

Purchasing a house to call your home or for an investment can be done at a fair price. When I work for you as your Buyer Real Estate agent, I'm working to get you the very best deal possible.  Whether it be with a foreclosure or not.

What would you look for if you had to chose the best county to live if you are raising a family?

I chose Chester County as the place I wanted to raise my family. For so many reasons.... the schools, the activities, the opportunities, the close proximity to beach/mountains/NYC, and so much more. We moved to Chester County seven years ago, my husband, myself, my daughters (22, 19, and 5) have never looked back!

Zack O'Malley Greenburg with Forbes magazine looked for school districts that have "good" funding (at least half of per-pupil spending comes from property tax) and SAT scores of 1,050+. Then he narrowed down the 97 counties remaining by looking at the following: Cost of Living, Graduation Rate, Standardized Test Scores, Home Price, Property Tax (what percentage of median home price), Percentage of Owner Occupied Homes, Per Capita Income, Air Quality, Crime Rate, and Commute Time.

Here are the results........

1. Hamilton County, Ind.
2. Ozaukee County, Wis.
3. Johnson County, Kan.
4. Geauga County, Ohio
5. Delaware County, Ohio
6. Morris County, N.J.
7. Hunterdon County, N.J.
8. Waukesha County, Wis.
9. Montgomery County, Pa.
10. Chester County, Pa.

That's right! Two of the counties that I serve for Real Estate needs made the Top 10 List!!! I'm so proud!

Mr. O'Malley Greenburg has a presentation with maps on each of the featured counties and a description of why it was chosen.

"Located 30 miles west of Philadelphia, Chester County borders Montgomery County along the Schuylkill River. Chester's median home price of $328,400 is a bit pricey, but families are rewarded with a high school graduation rate of 96% and average SAT scores of 1,075." Mr. O'Malley Greenburg stated regarding Chester County, PA.

If you don't think you want to pick a house in the Chester County, PA or Montgomery County, PA area, I have a great network of associates from around the country. I can help you select someone with expertise in the area you chose.

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It's not the most fun thing to think about when you move to a new area, however, knowing where the closest hospitals are located is something you should think about when moving to Chester County, or anywhere else for that matter.

Chester County has five hospitals for General Care:

Brandywine Hospital
201 Reeceville Rd
Coatesville, PA 19320
(610) 383-8000
Licensed Beds: 198

Chester County Hospital
701 East Marshall Street
West Chester, PA 19380
(610) 431-5000
Licensed Beds: 220

Paoli Memorial Hospital
255 West Lancaster Avenue
Paoli, PA 19301
(610) 648-1000
Licensed Beds: 208

Phoenixville Hosp-Univ Of Pa Health Sys
140 Nutt Road Box 809
Phoenixville, PA 19460
(610) 983-1000
Licensed Beds: 175

Jennersville Regional Medical Center
1015 West Baltimore Pike
West Grove, PA 19390
(610) 869-1001
Licensed Beds: 51

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Hopefully it will be a thing of the past, however, as of right now, Chester County does not have a trauma center in the county itself. A Chester County Trauma Center Task Force has been formed with volunteers that are looking into the details about a location and operation of a possible Trauma Center. As the most populated county in Pennsylvania, Chester County right now requires that persons needing trauma service in Chester County have to travel an extra distance, which unfortunately could impact their health. The closest trauma centers to Chester County are:

• Lancaster General Hospital (Lancaster, PA)
• Reading Hospital (Reading, PA)
• University of Pennsylvania Hospital (Philadelphia, PA)
• Abington Memorial Hospital (Abington, PA)
• Crozer Chester Medical Center (Chester, PA)
• Christiana Hospital (Christina, DE)

There are ways that you can help! Probably the easiest being... pass the word!

For any information on the Real Estate and Homes in the Western Philadelphia Suburbs of Chester County visit my website at www.KimWood.net

Chester County has eight (8) different options if you are looking to pursue higher education whether you live in the West of Philly Burbs or you are considering a relocation to the Greater Chester County Area. According to the Census 2000, 42.5% of the population in Chester County attained Bachelor's Degrees or higher.

• Cheney University of Pennsylvania; Cheney, PA
• Delaware County Community College; Exton & Downingtown Campuses
• Immaculata University; Malvern, PA
• Lincoln University; Lincoln University, PA
• Penn State; Great Valley, PA
• Troy University; Exton, PA
• Valley Forge Christian College; Phoenixville, PA
• West Chester University; West Chester, PA

If you would like more information about the Houses for Sale in Chester County, you can reach me directly at (610) 692-6823. I can also provide you with the prices that homes sold for in the Greater Chester County area.

This house is absolutely one of the best values around Greater Chester County. Sitting on 1.3 acres on a hill overlooking Open Space with splashes of gorgeous color and rolling countryside. The inside has more space than you would ever imagine if you judge the house by its cover exterior.

Along with sharing this gorgeous property, which I think you should make an appointment to take a closer look.... I am sharing with you my first post of a Real Estate Shows Flyer on a blog post! (I love RES!)

Space Galore for a Super Price! Value !

2165 West Chester Rd, East Fallowfield, PA 19320 View Map

Value! Value! Value! Great property with lots of space!

Views are majestic. Overlooks Open Space in the back - you can see "forever".

NOT a fixer-upper!!! You might have thought so for the price - but NO, it's not.

Details

Asking Price:

$300,000

MLS:

5321164

Sq. Feet:

3747

Lot Size:

1.3 acres

Bedrooms:

4

Bathrooms:

2 1/2

# of Floors:

1 1/2

Garage Size:

2

Year Built:

1954

Contact Info

Kim Wood
REALTOR

Main 610-692-2228
Cell 484-459-4669
Dir 610-692-6823
Email | Website