Meet and mingle with fellow Young Lawyers and Section Chairs of the Philadelphia Bar Association while enjoying complimentary hors doeuvres and an open bar. Visit with representatives of Bar Sections and learn about the advantages of Section membership!
The event will take place on the 33rd floor of the Loews Philadelphia Hotel from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Kindly RSVP or contact Tracey McCloskey if you have any questions.
The YLD Holiday Party will be held Thursday, Nov. 28 from 6 - 9 p.m. at Triumph Brewing Company in Olde City.
The cost of $30 includes open bar (microbrewed beer and mixed drinks) and food. If you are a law student member of the YLD, tickets are $25. Non-members may also attend for $35.
Triumph Brewing Company is located at 117-121 Chestnut Street.
The YLD Holiday Party is sponsored by Dechert LLP.
Imagine an easy Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket getaway - no ferries needed! A golf outing with your buddies in Virginia or North Carolina? Skiing in Vermont? A Penn State football weekend? Jetting to the Hamptons and avoiding New York traffic altogether?
All this, while skipping the long lines and hassles of commercial air travel. Contact Lynne Browne to buy a ticket NOW at 215-238-6347 or lbrown@philabar.org.
We anticipate this adventure will sell out quickly, and tickets are strictly on a first-come, first served basis. The winning ticket will be selected at the Andrew Hamilton Gala on Nov 17 - we hope you will join us then, but the winner does not need to be present to win.
The 29th Annual Andrew Hamilton Gala, "Philadelphia Justice in Films," will include the presentation of the Morris Shuster Fellowships, along with the presentation of the Citizens Bank Pro Bono Award and the Philadelphia Bar Foundation Award.
Click here for ticket information for the Hamilton Gala.
Read on for Lisa's suggestions on how to get your home in top condition before you put it on the market. Read more...
Saturday, Nov. 17
The YLD is seeking volunteers for the annual Harvest for the Homeless. Volunteers are needed to sort and distribute donated items for Philadelphia homeless shelters on Saturday, November 17th at 8:30 am at Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP. Volunteers of all ages are welcome.
If you are interested in volunteering or would like more information, please contact Abbie DuFrayne to volunteer.
This program will be held on Thursday, Nov. 8 at 12 p.m. Registration begins at 11:15 a.m. at PBI on the 10th floor of the Wanamaker Building.
Topics include: The Patriot Act, Executive Privilege, Al Qaeda and Iraq, International Law and its Impact on Terrorism and Human Rights, U.S. Constitutional Rights and National Security. Panelists include Michael Isikoff of Newsweek and Bob Swift, a Philadelphia litigator and human rights advocate.
For more information and to register, please visit pbi.org.
When you listen to the radio or watch television, the news media is all abuzz about the real estate market. It is quite evident that it is a softer market than in prior years. Inventory is up and pended sales and settled sales are down. However, it isn't 100% doom and gloom. Houses are still selling, even in multiple offers and some for at, or close to their asking price. The key to selling your home is the condition.
The world in which we live in today is a hectic one. Many people are either out working hard at their jobs or home raising a family. Either way, people are busy and most don't have the time or the desire to renovate a house. Being able to move in, unpack, and go about their daily tasks is what many buyers today are looking for.
Furthermore, renovating a house is expensive. With the cost of living so high not everybody has a lot of money saved. The interest rates are low and will hopefully remain that way, so obtaining a mortgage to purchase a house and making the monthly mortgage payments are no problem. Even spending a little bit more money for a house is feasible if over the course of a 15 or 30 year mortgage the difference in a higher purchase price ends up to be only a small increase in the monthly mortgage payments. The issue lies in having the extra cash in hand for renovations after you purchase a home. It is for this reason that buyers today are leaning towards purchasing homes in more move-in condition.
As a realtor, my recommendation to someone who is thinking of putting their home on the market is that, if you are able, do everything you need to do to fix it up ahead of time. Take down that old wallpaper. Re-paint over peeling walls. Use neutral colors. It will freshen up the entire house. Remove old carpeting and replace it with new neutral carpet. If there are hardwood floors, keep them exposed. If they are not in good condition have them refinished. Hardwood floors are one of the top selling features of a home. Kitchens and bathrooms are also very important. One of my clients put in a new kitchen just prior to listing their house for sale. Their house sold. Lastly, make sure that all of the systems in the house are in good working order. If they are not, a home inspector is only going to discover it anyway, so fix it ahead of time.
In today's market, if your home is in really good condition, it not only increases the chance of obtaining an agreement of sale, but one with a potentially higher sale price.
