Just got back from a surreal experience.

Last week we noticed a "twilight open house" listed in the paper, so while hubby was at work, I checked it out. (Snooping to see how the "other half" lives is something of a hobby for us.)

Judging from the model, these are truly amazing houses. Really spectacular finishes (what else would you expect when Cava is involved?). Breathtaking Center City roof deck views. Three bedrooms, three bathrooms, 2880 square feet. Asking price $630K.

Anyway, this might have had something to do with the fact that I happened to mention our friends from Connecticut, who are looking to buy a house in Philly to retire into within the next couple/few years, but I was invited to the "grand opening celebration" tonight.

[NOTE: Despite our presence, we gather the event was put on mostly for the local realtor community, to create the appropriate buzz, which I have no doubt it succeeded in doing tonight.]

So we just got back & now we're trying to figure out how to download & post the pix we took on hubby's (new) cell phone. That is, pix of the marquee that was set up in the middle of Kimball Street... Inside was the live band... The 2 open bars... The amazing buffet... (Our faves were the crab cakes & the cannolis...) This shindig had the works.

Then as we walked home we ran into some of our neighbors. The man was pushing a shopping cart down 19th Street. They asked us what was going on & we told them it was a party for the new houses on that block. They didn't seem all that impressed. The woman told us the house she's currently renting on Carpenter & 19th has 4 bedrooms. She pays $75/month rent.

ETA: http://www.thetownsatkimball.com/

Bad location IMO. (esp for the 1/2 that face those industrial buildings on Washington)

These actually back up to the (currently empty) lots that face those buildings, on League Street. Not sure what will be built on those yet.

PS We're told part of the latter stages of this development plan includes a 5-story building on the NW corner of Washington & 20th (location of the old Cava building at the moment), which will be ground floor retail & condos above.

Whats up with all the condos down around there, like that walled-off naval square? I used to live down on 24th and Kimball..decent area.. landlord kicked us out so they could sell a house that was falling apart for 300,000..probably wasn't worth more than 50,000.. Isn't there some sort of regulation on how much you can sell a house for, to at least regulate gentrification, and keep it from getting out of hand?

Um, no. Buyer beware.

A rule? Are you asking if there is a rule somewhere that governs how much the maximum about is that you can sell something you own?

This isn't the Soviet Union.

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We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are. ~Anais Nin

"(Snooping to see how the "other half" lives is something of a hobby for us.)"

Lolly, I picked up on your comment. You can also see some of this by going
on open house tours like the Center City Residents Assoc. had this
past Sunday. The best units I saw were in new TwentyThree(23 S. 23rd St),
1515 Locust and the Rittenhouse Claridge.

It's like once one person gets away with selling a house for ten times what it's really worth, then everyone else jumps on the bandwagon and everything goes insane...I always think that Philly is like New York in the 80's

It sux that happened to you. But no, there are no laws that prevent people from selling their own properties for as much as they want, as long as buyers are willing to pay.

However I do think there are some larger developments in the neighborhood that have been required to include some "affordable" options, for lower-income buyers.

Hehe, yeah, fun isn't it?

Sometimes it can be a little bit depressing too, to see what you know you can never afford, but we still find it fun & always interesting to look. And we can always dream, right?

I'm also addicted to all those HGTV shows, like "I want that kitchens/baths..."