If you would like to see a monthly active and sold report tailored to your specific criteria and delivered to your e-mail sign up for our Market SnapShot. It pulls information out of the West Penn MLS system. We keep a multitude of statistical information and welcome the opportunity to share our market knowledge with motivated parties.

Recorded sales transfers for the resorts are acquired electronically from records inputted at the Somerset County Court House, Office of the Recorder of Deeds. We review sales in Jefferson (Hidden Valley) and Middlecreek (Seven Springs) Townships on a weekly basis. We have the ability to search records in Somerset, Fayette and Westmoreland counties to assist our clients.

Prices do not reflect bill of sales and other out of settlement transfers. Furnishings, which are included in the majority of sales are assigned no monetary value. We do not post transfers that carry $1.00 values.

If you would like to see a monthly active and sold report tailored to your specific criteria and delivered to your e-mail sign up for our Market SnapShot. It pulls information out of the West Penn MLS system. We keep a multitude of statistical information and welcome the opportunity to share our market knowledge with motivated parties.

If you would like to see a monthly active and sold report tailored to your specific criteria and delivered to your e-mail sign up for our Market SnapShot. It pulls information out of the West Penn MLS system. We keep a multitude of statistical information and welcome the opportunity to share our market knowledge with motivated parties.

Recorded sales transfers for the resorts are acquired electronically from records inputted at the Somerset County Court House, Office of the Recorder of Deeds. We review sales in Jefferson (Hidden Valley) and Middlecreek (Seven Springs) Townships on a weekly basis. We have the ability to search records in Somerset, Fayette and Westmoreland counties to assist our clients.

Prices do not reflect bill of sales and other out of settlement transfers. Furnishings, which are included in the majority of sales are assigned no monetary value. We do not post transfers that carry $1.00 values.

Of special interest was 2335 South Ridge as it was purchased by a Relocation Company in January for $462,500! You can see that they were very aggressive in their pricing strategy!

If you would like to see a monthly active and sold report tailored to your specific criteria and delivered to your e-mail sign up for our Market SnapShot. It pulls information out of the West Penn MLS system. We keep a multitude of statistical information and welcome the opportunity to share our market knowledge with motivated parties.

Recorded sales transfers for the resorts are acquired electronically from records inputted at the Somerset County Court House, Office of the Recorder of Deeds. We review sales in Jefferson (Hidden Valley) and Middlecreek (Seven Springs) Townships on a weekly basis. We have the ability to search records in Somerset, Fayette and Westmoreland counties to assist our clients.

Prices do not reflect bill of sales and other out of settlement transfers. Furnishings, which are included in the majority of sales are assigned no monetary value. We do not post transfers that carry $1.00 values.

If you drive through most rural areas during the summer you’ll notice corn stands or trucks filled with ears of corn along the side of the roads. In our area you’ll see signs for “Firestone Corn”.  There are two “Firestone” brothers who both have their own farms and sell their corn.

Usually family members pick up fresh corn from the farm and set up their stands.  The one that used to be on the corner of 31 and 711 in Donegal is now in the Family Dollar parking lot. How easy for those of you headed to the resorts or Ohio Pyle to just pull over and get a bag full! Look for the signs and the white truck.

Butter and sugar is the type that you’ll find at the Family Dollar store. These ears have the big yellow and white kernels mixed and tend to be very sweet!! A “farmers dozen” will run you $5.50 ENJOY! We’ve had several dozen and so far and it’s been very tasty!

July is when all of the boroughs and townships publicize their new millage rates. These rates are used along with the assessed value of your property to determine what amount of county, township/boro, and school taxes that you will pay.

Here are the new rates for all of the areas in the counties we do business 2010 Fayette Millage, 2010 Somerset Millage, and 2010 Westmoreland Millage. Each county uses a different formula for calculating the assessed value of your property. Millage for Hidden Valley (Jefferson Township) went from 48.95 to 50.26  and Seven Springs (Middlecreek Township) saw a slight decrease in mills going from 32.11 to 31.97.

Here’s an example of the difference! If your property has an assessed value of $75,000 and you are in Hidden Valley your total tax bill (county, township and school) would be $3,769.50. At Seven Springs your tax bill would come to $2,397.75  This is just one of the variables that should be considered when deciding between the two resorts!

Amenities, facilities, association fees, services, these are a few that should be at the top of your list. Then there is location, price, size, ect granted most times you will have to compromise! The best advice we can give you is make a wish list of what is important to and hold out for at least for the top three items! REMEMBER ALWAYS work with a REALTOR offering designated agency!

Wednesday the work began and it will take till next week to finish! When I tried to find out just what was being done and how long it would take I tried the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, (Penn Dot) web site.  I was unsuccessful in finding anything about the project on line but did find some numbers to calls for help.

According to Val, “It’s from Route 381(around the Jones Mills post office) to 711 (around the PNC bank) on Route 31, that’s about a mile and a half.” This is the Gateway to the Laurel Highlands and when it’s done it will be one smooth ride! On Wednesday the milling work began on both sides of the road. There were no signs posted about the drop offs!

The resurfacing with asphalt begins as soon as the milling work is completed.  As Route 31 is down to one lane you may end up sitting outside of the Prudential Preferred Realty Office. Here’s a slide show of the construction and the gang that works in the Prudential office! Remember you pass the office on the way to Hidden Valley, Seven Springs, and the Laurel Highlands!! Stop in for ANY OF YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS!

If you don’t want to deal with the construction and are headed to Seven Springs, when you exit the turnpike turn right, then turn left on Hellen School Road, at the cross road turn left (it’s County Line Road) and you’ll end up at the four way stop by the Champion post office and gas station.

Between the Hidden Valley and Seven Springs communities there are 16 associations. We are here to share that as HOMEOWNERS and PROSPECTIVE BUYERS you really should read through the ASSOCIATION DOCUMENTS that apply to you! Remember that your primary residence may be governed by an association too! Dig them out of the files and review!

This BLOG post was created because of a segment we heard on National Public Radio (NPR)! The story in a nutshell goes like this, a reservist from Texas was deployed and his wife missed two payments of their association dues. Their $300,000 home was foreclosed upon, sold on the court house steps for $3,000, and then flipped for $135,000! Yes, it is being appealed but the original owners are without their home!

There are 33 states that allow forclosures to happen without involvement from a judge or arbitrator. These are called non judicial forclosures. Pennsylvania allows you to have your day in court and follows the judicial foreclosure procedure. Neither is an experience you would want to have!

Best advice we can give you is to keep those payments current! Many of our associations will allow you to pay for the entire year with a small discount included!

Remember to support NPR!

The PA Gaming Control Board just announced that Nemacolin’s Public hearing will be held September 8, 2010 at 10 AM.  You’ll need to travel to the Wharton Township Municipal Building at 114 Elliottsville Road, Farmington, PA 15437.   

This meeting allows the public to voice their opinions, for or against, the proposed casino. It is also an opportunity for the public to learn more about how the casino may impact the community.

If you’d like to share your thoughts you must register PRIOR to September 2, 2010. If you are unable to attend you may submit written comments up to 60 days after the hearing. Information obtained from the hearings will be recorded and reviewed when the Board decides who will receive the last Category 3 license.

Penn Harris Gaming  LP, Mason-Dixon Resorts LP, and the Bushkill Group, are the other three groups scheduled to have hearings. Nemacolin’s is the last hearing scheduled.

Abe attended the last one before Nemacolin pulled their application. She came away feeling that the majority of the speakers at the public meeting were overwhelmingly in favor of the casino.  “What struck me the most was the presentation that Nemacolin provided. It was the same caliber of their web site marketing.”

Many of you are wondering “WHAT” is being constructed on the left hand side of the road when you exit 91 of the PA turnpike on the Laurel Highlands Gateway (Rt 31)! According to the Donegal Township Supervisors it’s a Holiday Inn Express!

Sitting on approximately 7.9 acres some of the rooms will overlook Donegal Lake. Located across from the Laurel Highland Campland center it will give visitors another housing option during our four seasons of fun.

As we have NO city sewage these folks have to build their own treatment plant. It’s called a “packaged plant” and this one will hold up to 20,000 gallons a day. The hotel will not have a restaurant so locals are watching closely to see if a small franchise might come in too!

We keep sharing with you that this stretch of Route 31 has potential for business growth over the next 10 years. Consider that 80%? of the 2,800 homeowners from both resorts exit the turnpike at Donegal to get to their places!! Then add the tourists coming into visit the Laurel Highlands all four seasons!! We’re sure that the Family Dollar Store, Rustic Lodge Furniture, and the new Holiday Inn Express checked out the traffic count before they opened their doors!

If you have an idea for these consumers to spend money or just need more room for your company, we have the space! Check out the Visual Tour on our listing at 3843 Rt 31. With over two acres of ground and frontage on both Rt 31 and School House Lane this building is ready for you to take possession!