Ruth Parker's Blog

It is always a very hot issue, one that stirs up heart felt emotions, when talk is made of closing down an elementary school.  Neighbors, home owners, parents, teachers, students, local business owners and taxpayers, all have strong opinions about what should happen to the Caln Elementary School in Thorndale.  Its never a simple issue and parents whose children attend Scott already welcome the idea.  What are some of the alternatives and reasons for the strong opinions?

Tell me what your opinion is. 

Ruth Parker, Realtor,Keller Williams Realty Midway
484-784-2124
 

Carol knew it wasn't every day a home came along like this place.  The search for a suitable place had been going on for years, since she first found this site.  There was the time she looked at this home online, took the tour, and played with the mortgage calculator for hours, increasing the down payment to $100,000 before the monthly mortgage amount was something they could afford. The four bedrooms would make it so much easier to handle the grandkids when they came to visit and recently, her mother had moved in with them. She sighed, daring to share with Ruth the Realtor that this was the Right Place but unfortunately was the Wrong Time.  Her husband recognized the look on her face.  "Stop it", he said. She understood why he always said that.They had been threatening to do cut backs at the Zook Molasses factory where he had worked for the past twenty five years.  He got the job the same year Kimmy was born. What a wonderful memory that was!  Carol thought then that they would be rich and be able to move out of this bungalow!  Pennies were saved faithfully but the years had flown by.  Kimmy graduated from Coatesville High School and got married the day after graduating from West Chester University. Carol's sighing transferred to many different homes over the years as the ones she really liked would sell and disappear from the search list.  Ruth Parker kept up the list and had had many deep conversations with her.  If the time would come to move, Carol knew that Ruth would be the only Realtor for them.  The many conversations over the years when Ruth had encouraged her to dream left Carol hopelessly addicted to dreaming but no longer believing that moving into a new home would ever come true.  Her Better Homes and Gardens Magazines were all chopped up with cutouts of sunrooms, big decks and master bedrooms with whirlpool tubs mounted carefully in a Wishing Scrap Book.  Taking the virtual tours and reading the vivid descriptions of the homes on the site only added fuel to the fire. 
One day Ruth called her and said, "Carol, Do you remember that cool house you were dreaming about three years ago when we first met?" Yes!  "You remember how you cried when it sold?"    Well, I didn't really cry.. "The buyer who bought that house then is selling it now again, it came on the market this morning."  "Want to go see it?"  
Carol couldn't stop her voice from shaking as she said "Yes!"  The price now was now listed for less than before and Zook Molasses was keeping Ken on until he retired in 9 years.  
Carol and Ken made an offer on the home, listed their home for sale with Ruth, got an offer immediately, and were able to buy and move into their new home with four bedrooms, a new deck, a sunroom and a whirlpool tub in the Master Bedroom, all without taking out another mortgage.  
Carol now believed that dreams do come true. She was thankful that Ruth had stayed in touch with this dreamy woman and three years later had helped her make the dream come true of the Right Place in the Right Time.  
Would you like Ruth to work on your dream too? Now is always the best time to start dreaming. 

Many are surprised to see what good deals can be found in Coatesville area for investors, for first time buyers and families hoping to move up into a larger home with land.  This area has history providing some beautiful historical mansions and homesteads.  Located just minutes from Lancaster and Philadelphia, a convenient location for living and playing.  Check out this real estate website devoted to the Coatesville area.

I watched with pride as I sat in a meeting the other day with Faith Based leaders from the Greater Coatesville area and representative from the Chester County Commissioners office, Terence Farrell, and  from the Chester County Department of Community Development, Pat Bokavitz. There was very sincere and honest dialogue there about improving Coatesville.  The question was asked, "As faith based organizations, how can we best help the County with their difficult task of dividing up a shrinking supply of funds to a growing supply of critical needs?"  The answer put by the Commisssioner Terrell was, "Please continue improving the souls and spirits of members of your community.  That is something that you can do that a governmental body can't." 

One of the other speakers said that the attitude and pride of ownership would improve immensly, making the economic growth in the community improve, as the hearts and minds of the individual citizens were changed.  The biggest problem in Coatesville, in West Chester, in Chester County and in the United States is a Spiritual one.  We shouldn't be asking God to work a miracle and limit His answer to a government source.  Instead of demanding that more money be given by the government (using tax money) for meeting our neighbor's needs, lets put on our coats and boots and get out there on our blocks, and do whatever we can for each other. If your church members can't provide a needed service, refer your neighbors to the church down the block that can.  With over 70 churches just in the City of Coatesville area, there is no excuse for our city to not be improving daily!!

I live in Coatesville, and I am proud to work in Coatesville.  Check out my website for current homes for sale right now in the Greater Coatesville area.  www.RuthSellsCoatesville.com   or look at this show of Beautiful Coatesville, PA.  www.realestateshows.com/468225
  

Part 2   Short Sale progress report.



Its been a few weeks since we got the home on the market.  I put some nice bright yellow mums out front, but the two tall oaks in the yard dumped on them and buried everything.  We are maintaining the electricity and water so the crowds of short sale buyers will be comfortable looking around.  Even though we are now listed at $185,900 (started out at market value $214,900), no one is even looking at it yet.  It is a wonderful opportunity for some buyer or even investor who isn't in a hurry.  We are pulling together the paperwork for the bank's short sale division, all ready for an offer when and if it comes.  Price will continue to go down until we have an offer.  Its a great house.  Take the virtual tour and if you are interested in purchasing it, contact me.  I will give another update next week.  http://realestateshows.com/437888

www.RuthParker.net 

Coatesville is feeling down but her pride is still strong.  Individuals who are unemployed through no fault of their own walk the streets among the steeples and the bars, remembering when this town was the happening place.  Lukens Steel plant employed 1000's of men and women and due to a change in the market's needing the products of Steel, jobs were lost.  Skeletons of the buildings and equipment loom over the horizon of the once beautiful and thriving town.  Once gainfully employed men and women now frequent the bars and churches looking for significance and hope. There are bright days ahead in Coatesville but those days lie on the other side of a dark veil of purposelessness.  Yes, the City needs a new identity, purpose, vision.  Something that could allow people to lift their heads again and watch as neighborhoods go back to work, lawns are well tended, the trains and buses start and stop regularly in town again, outsiders visit the local restaurants and movie theaters again.  Lottery sales will go down, crime will go down and new grocery stores and shops will go up.  I saw a burned out house being worked on the other day. It looks beautiful now. The delapidated row homes are crying to be revived and the prices are very low.  Is there someone out there who believes in Coatesville's revival?  Is there someone out there who will fix up some houses and let them become homes to the many families who are homeless now due to foreclosure?  If you are out there, willing to invest in this great city,  the needs are great and so are the opportunities. Come and Get it.  I will send you a list of all the homes listed under $50,000 in Coatesville.