Suburban Philadelphia Real Estate News

Brandywine Valley Open House

Just a quick reminder that this Saturday, January 23 2010, eight Museums in New Castle County and Southern Delaware County will be open and OFFERING FREE GENERAL ADMISSION during regular hours.

Brandywine River Museum
Delaware Art Museum
Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts
Delaware Historical Society
Delaware Museum of Natural History
Hagley Museum and Library
Rockwood Museum
Winterthur Museum and Country Estate

After having the chance to visit various museums and sites for free over the summer, this is a great chance to take some time out and experience more that the Brandywine Valley has to offer during the Winter Months!  Check out their website for more information.

As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me anytime.

The Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford PA is offering free museum admission for Sunday mornings from 9:30 - 12:00 through September.

Recently I completed a series of posts on Free Summer Activities in the local area.  Since then, I have received several recommendations of additional activities - most of which will be explored next summer.

This month, however, you may want to take advantage of the Brandywine River Museum's free September Sunday Mornings.  For the next two Sundays, you can still take advantage of free museum admission from 9:30-12:00.  In addition to the extensive continuing exhibitions of the NC Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth, and Jamie Wyeth works, this will include the new exhibition of Jamie Wyeth - Seven Deadly Sins .  You can also visit the Intrepid and Inventive: Illustrations of Rockwell Kent exhibition and receive a free second audio tour with the rental of one at regular price.

The museum is located on the south side of Route 1 just west of the intersection of Creek Rd on the banks of the Brandywine. 

This is a great chance to take a break from the fall rush, enjoy the museum, and see more that the region has to offer.  Enjoy!

As always, if you have any questions or need any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me anytime.

Located in the southwestern corner of Delaware County PA, Chadds Ford really combines the best of Delaware County, Chester County, and New Castle County.

Originally known as Birmingham Township, on December 11, 1996 the township officially changed it's name to Chadds Ford.  This historic township was named after John Chad who, with the county's urging and help, ran a ferry over the Brandywine in this area starting in 1717.  The township later hosted a critical battle during the Revolutionary War when the Battle of the Brandywine occurred just to the east of the river.  On September 11, 1777, 11,000 soldiers under Washington were defeated by 18,000 British and Hessian Troops as they advanced into Pennsylvania.

More recently, the area has been renowned as the foundation of the Brandywine School of Art and the residence of the Wyeth Family.  Begun as a summer school by Howard Pyle, the Wyeths came as students and three generations have never left.  Many of their works can now be found in the Brandywine River Museum located along the banks of the Brandywine near the original ford.

For years, agriculture was the primary activity in the area, but beginning in the last half of the 1800's the Brandywine Valley became popular as a second home for families from both Philadelphia and Wilmington.  This land continues to have the same attraction today and continues to be a popular choice with families working in Wilmington, Philadelphia, and throughout Delaware & Chester Counties.

Recently Real Estate activity in the area has followed much the same pattern we have seen throughout the county, although some of the numbers have been skewed by new construction activity in the region and some very high end property sales.  Sales activity in Chadds Ford Township Delaware County peaked in 2004 with 95 sales at an average price of $385,000.  In 2005, prices spiked up to $506,000 but sales declined to 81 homes.  Sales have continued to slide to 75 properties in 2006, 62 in 2007, and 50 in 2008.  Prices were more volatile with the average price falling to $455,000 in 2006, rising to $495,000 in 2007, and falling again to $404,000 in 2008.

In 2009 so far, 15 properties have sold with an average price of $400,000.  There are now an additional 11 under contract with an average list price of $416,000.  Finally, 51 properties are currently still active on the market with an average list price of $648,000.   As you can see with all the above numbers, pricing can be very erratic due to the wide range of property types and prices within the township.  On the other hand, sales activity has been similar to what we have seen throughout the county as it has drifted down over the last several years.

As always, if you are thinking of a move, please do not hesitate to contact me anytime.

(All statistics are from the TrendMLS System and believed accurate but not guaranteed)

Search the local Chadds Ford area (Chadds Ford, Zip Code 19317, covers both Delaware County and adjacent areas within Chester County) for the latest updates:

As we enter the last weekend of March, you still have the opportunity to take advantage of the Barrels on the Brandywine Event put on by the member wineries of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail.  The Brandywine Valley Wine Trail encompasses seven wineries (soon to be eight) ranging from just west of Philadelphia to eastern Lancaster County.  Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5:00 are the last two days of the event and offer a perfect opportunity to sample the new 2008 vintages at each location.

With over 120 Limited Wineries, Pennsylvania has a rich variety of wineries throughout the state.  Of the seven on the trail in this region, five are located in Chester County, one in Delaware County, and one in Lancaster County.  Locally, there are two that are easily accessible for anyone in Delaware County or New Castle County Delaware.

Penns Woods Winery is the only winery exclusively located in Delaware County.  Situated just west of Route 202 on Beaver Valley Road in Chadds Ford Township, Gino Razzi started crafting wines in 2002 and in 2004 bought the former Smithbridge Winery.  This has allowed him to take  advantage of a combination of 25 year old vines on an ideal vineyard site with the latest in technology in his state of the art processing facility.  This is a smaller exclusive winery producing about 2000 cases per year grown, processed, and bottled in Delaware County.

Just to the west of the Brandywine Creek in Chester County is the Chaddsford Winery.  The Barrels on the Brandywine event is just the beginning as they gear up for the Spring season.  Beginning in April, they kick off their Spring Wine Education Schedule with Wine 101 on April 9.  This is the first of nine scheduled events lasting through May 17th.  In addition, they are beginning their New Technical Tour of the winery on April 1.  Finally, following up on their successful promotion in 2008, they are again joining with WMMR's Pierre Robert to produce a new wine, "Pierre Noir", for 2009.  Bottled locally here in Chadds Ford, the winery both grows its own grapes at the Miller Estate Vineyard in Elverson and purchases additional grapes from throughout the area.

As we continue into Spring, this is another great opportunity to get out and sample more of what the area has to offer.  Enjoy!

As always, if you have any questions or need any information on your real estate needs, do not hesitate to contact me anytime.