Pittsburgh Is One Of Best Cities for Education

I am quite honored to say that my home town Pittsburgh area has been voted by Parenting Magazine as one of the 2010 10 Best Cities in the Country for Eduction. Honestly though, it is not a huge surprise. After all, families are essential like and all of Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas, like Peters Township, take great pride in ensuring Pittsburgh is a wonderful environment to raise a family. if you are relocating to the Pittsburgh area, you will find great family activities and entertainment around every corner.

Pittsburgh Area Schools

Eduction is the key to success-and when you buy Pittsburgh real estate, you truly become part of a village that will help raise your children to be productive, educated, and confident members of society. From our 50 NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) accredited preschools to our top ranked Blue Ribbon awarded schools with an average of 11.9 students per teacher, you can easily see why Pittsburgh Schools are highly desired.

Raising A Family in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is one of those cities that offers it all-a wonderful environment for families with all the amenities and entertainment for adults. From the outstanding numerous Peters Township area golf courses to the amazing Pittsburgh area shopping, you will find plenty to keep mom and dad happy, as well. Would you like to learn more about our schools? You can browse the Pittsburgh area communities, or simply contact me, Jim Dolanch, your expert Pittsburgh real estate agent, to find the answers to all your questions.

Until next time,
Jim

Memorial Day In Pittsburgh

Of all the holidays, there is not one that moves me the way Memorial Day does. Just about everyone has someone they care about serving-or that has served-in our military services, and to those men and women, I forever feel a deep dept of gratitude for their sacrifice and bravery.

Regardless how you feel about the government, war, or any of the like, we have to tip our hats and say a huge “thank you” to all brave men and women who serve, protect, and sacrifice for all of us.

Pittsburgh Area Events

This weekend, the Pittsburgh area will be celebrating in style, with a full 3 day celebration in downtown Pittsburgh. There will be lights and parades all around town, with most starting at the local community VFW centers around 9am. The East Pittsburgh parade begins at 9am at the VFW center and ending at Churchill Cemetery with honors given to the Soldier’s Plot at 11am.

There are so many ceremonies and parades that will be taking place in all the Pittsburgh area neighborhood communities, that I can’t list everything here; however, if you want to check for your specific area’s celebration, browse here: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06146/693382-85.stm

Pittsburgh Area

Soldiers an Sailors Memorial Hall, at 4141 Fifth Ave will be open at 10am until 4pm, with special stations for visitors to get a more engaging and interactive look at the exhibits.

There will also be entertainment for the children, with Uncle Sam’s Kid Tent, where children can learn age appropriately and entertain tales and games of our patriotic history and the meaning of Memorial Day.

There will also be great patriotic prizes given out throughout the day as well as a “mess tent” where you can get a hot dog, soda, and US Flag for only $1.00 while a DJ plays music. A memorial service for Pennsylvania’s Fallen Soldiers in the War against Terrorism begins at 11, and at 2pm the Hall of Valor induction ceremony will start in the auditorium.

Pittsburgh Things To Do

Pittsburgh real estate communities offer abundant parks, green spaces, and recreation, as well, and they would make the perfect places to hold a family picnic or bbq before catching some of the community firework displays.

Should you have any questions about events for Memorial Day, simply contact me, your expert Pittsburgh area real estate agent.

Until next time,
Jim

While younger kids can be easy to entertain with some simple dress up and trick-r-treating, teens can be a little more difficult to entertain. Never fear though, the Peters Township Community Center is here to give you fun, safe and age appropriate options for your teens that will allow them to have fun with their peers in a supervised fashion, while still letting them have the little bit of freedom by doing something just for their age group. A win win for parents and teens!

Peters Township Family Fun

Here are two upcoming events you will want to make sure you teen has the opportunity to enjoy:

Monsters, Creatures and Costuming

Wednesday, October 28

6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Get ready for an evening of tricks and treats at the
library. We’ll help you work on that perfect costume
and experiment with make-up, fake blood and more!
We’ll screen “The Corpse Bride” to help get you in
that spooky mood and even carve a Teen Room
jack-o-lantern!

Teen Halloween Party

Friday, October 30

5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Celebrate Halloween with us in the Teen Room.
We’ll keep the library open late just for you! Wear
your costume and enjoy an evening of music,
dancing, costume contests, treats and much more!

Peters Township Real Estate

The best part of Peters Township is how family oriented it is. The Peters Township community offers year around family events and entertainment, as well as great night life options for parent date nights. If you would like to browse the Peters Township MLS home search, look for Peters Township homes for sale, or enjoy our Peters Township buying guide, then simply contact me, Jim Dolanch, your Peters Township Realtor.

Until next time,
Jim

Pittsburgh PA Brookewood Manor Neighborhood

The Brookewood Manor Community in Pittsburgh is a wonderful choice for families wanting a lot of space. Homes in Brookewood Manor PA neighborhood range from 3,000 square feet to 6,000 square feet, giving you plenty of room for the children to play, while still being able to keep your own spaces toy free. A fantastic community choice with a short drive to all the entertainment in downtown Pittsburgh and the numerous parks and outdoor venues.

Moving to Brookwood Manor PA Community

To learn more about the Brookwood Manor area, view homes for sale in Brookwood Manor, PA  feel free to contact me, Jim Dolanch, your Brookwood Manor Pittsburgh real estate expert.

Until next time,

Jim

Make Your Move To Peters Township With Children Easier

Though the move may be hard for kids in general, the part most parents dread is the drive to your new home. Unless you are staying in the same city, or an area close by, you will probably end up with more than a few hours of driving to reach your new Pittsburgh area real estate all the while dealing with a grumpy child in the backseat. What are parents to do? Never fear, I have a few tricks I have learned over the years as an expert Peters Township real estate agent:

• Brush up on your traditional car games. Even the alphabet game and licence plate game can be modified for younger children. Travel size board games, like battle ship, can be fantastic ways to pass the time.
• Have a basket of entertainment at easy reach. For younger children, keep the basket full of their favorite toys, books, and snacks. Hand out one item at a time, so younger children will get some good entertainment out of each one before they get bored. For older children, perhaps take them to a books store to buy a book they would enjoy reading, let them pick out an age appropriate magazine. Highlights, Zoo Books American Girl, are great for the tween years.
• Have snacks on hand. Even the grumpiest child will cheer up when given his favorite snacks. If the move is particularly hard on your child, perhaps splurge and get some items he or she has always wanted -like those double stuff oreos-but you never deemed as appropriate lunch food.
• Get the addresses of all your children’s best friends, and let your children pick out their own stationary so they can write their friends about the trip to your new home. If your children are upset about losing friends, this can be a great opportunity to help them realize they can still keep their friends. There are lots of great car travel trays you can find at Walmart,Target and other such stores, that will provide a great flat surface for your children to write on. This also provides a great way for your children to realize they can still stay in touch with their friends, and provides a great way to work on their writing skills. Even if you children are older and in the texting/twitter/facebook way of communicating with all their friends, they may still enjoy the novelty of writing a letter to pass the time.
• If your drive will be more than 6-8 hours, it might be a good idea to invest in a portable DVD play for the car. As much as I myself dislike entertaining children with the tv for hours at a time, on a very long drive, a short movie or cartoon might be just the trick to help ease squirmy passangers, and give you parents some downtime from entertaining.

Learn More About Relocating To Pittsburgh

Are you Relocating to the Peters Township area? Be sure to ask for our FREE personalized Pittsburgh and Peters Township Relocation Guide to get all the businesses, Peters Township area schools and other local Pittsburgh activity informaiton make the areas of Pittsburgh and Peters Township one of the greatest places to raise a family. All our tips will help you get settled quickly and to prepare even more for your move, read up on our Peters Township moving tips.

If you are ready to search Pittsburgh homes for sale, or would like to browse the Pittsburgh MLS, then contact me, Jim Dolanch, your expert Pittsburgh Realtor.

Until next time,

Jim

Jim

Since I have been in the Peters Township area and Real Estate industry for many years, I see these mistakes made time after time, and not just by people doing the “For Sale By Owner” road; I see people paying for a realtor’s help commiting these very drastic mistakes.

Avoid these 10 Common Mistakes, and you will have taken a huge step towards marketing your Pittsburgh Real Estate to potential buyers.

1. Over pricing your home

2. Not allowing your home to be shown.

3. Not keeping your home clean and in good showing condition.

4. Not leaving your home during a showing. Leaving allows the potential buyers to imagine it as their home and to not see it as yours.

5. Talking to the buyer or buyer’s agent and giving wrong information or wrong impressions.

6. Panic selling, I’ve got to sell my home now!

7. Not seeing your home through buyer’s eyes. “My home is the best in the area” syndrome. Try to pretend you are out buying and realize the purple ceilings your love may not be in everyone’s taste. De-cluttering, removing dust, and modernizing a bit with more neutral looks-like painting the purple ceiling white again-can drastically change a buyer’s opinion of your home.

8. Believing an open house will sell their home.

9. Demanding their realtor change how they market their home instead of relying on the realtor’s experience and expertise.

10. Choosing the wrong realtor.

First and foremost? Don’t over price your home-rely on your Realtor’s expertise in the matter AND take a look at comparable homes in your area. Should you happen to feel your Realtor has over priced your home, look into getting an appraisal.

Also, don’t tell your Pittsburgh Realtor how to do their job, BUT remember that they ARE working for you-they make money from selling your home! So if there are things you desire-like having the Realtor check the info tube at least once a week to put new flyers in-then by all means talk to your Realtor about what type of service you demand. Realtors aren’t miricle workers; however, there are many little things we can do to really market your Pittsburgh home well to buyers.

And should you feel your Realtor just is not up to par with what you are needing, or if you have not yet found a Pittsburgh Area Realtor, then take a look around my Peters Township and Pittsburgh Real Estate Site and contact me if you ever have any questions about real estate, Peters Township, Pittsburgh, or even just where you can find a great hoggie sandwich. I’m here to help you settle to our lovely Peters Township area anyway I can.

Until next time,

Jim

Again, thank you, for keeping the entire United States (and my lovely home town of Pittsburgh) safe.

Until next time,

Jim

1. Lower County taxes in Washington County compared to the sister counties like Allegheny County. You benefit from a more affordable standard of living in Peters Township.

2. Strong planning by Peters Township civic leaders with an eye on future growth

3. Excellent Peters Township school system offering your children a superior education

4. Outstanding Peters Township cultural events and opportunities

5. One of the nations top ranked libraries with the Peters Township Library

6. Superior parks and recreation system including the rail-trial which dissects Peters Township. This walk-bike-hike friendly-trail will eventually tie into the Pittsburgh to Washington D.C. trail system!

7. Safe, secure place to raise your family. Peters Township is a wonderful place to call home

8. Ample Peters Township new home construction ranging from the high $200K to luxury homes priced over $500K

9. Peters Township is a charming town with 21,200 residents

10. Access to many outstanding Peters Township shopping venues and ample fine dining opportunities

11. Typical Peters Township residents possess average household income exceeding $110K per year

As you can see, Peters Township real estate is highly desirable conveys a unique rural charm. It’s no wonder so many families choose to relocate to Peters Township, PA!

Until next time,

Jim

Dick’s Sporting Goods new world headquarters will be located here. This is a great boost for Southwestern Pennsylvania’s economy. Site Selection Magazine recently heralded this project as the 7th best for major development in the country.

You will notice a lot of different activities at this 160 acre development as it is prepared, including the reclamation of abandoned mines, installation of water, sewer and other utilities, surface grading and reshaping and construction of an extension of International Drive.
Looking for an Allegheny home? Our team can help with all of your Pittsburgharea real estate needs. Contact me.

Until next time,
Jim