How to Find the Perfect House in Philadelphia

Whether you’re in the market for an urban loft or a sprawling farmhouse, we’ve got the places where you’ll find them, the prices you’ll pay, and the perks (and drawbacks) you’ll want to keep in mind. Happy hunting!

First appeared in the March, 2014 issue of Philadelphia magazine.

CENTER-HALL COLONIAL

THE LURE: “The colonials are simply indigenous to our area, and it’s the style that most buyers are attracted to,” says Coldwell Banker Preferred Blue Bell’s Nicole Miller-Desantis. “Buyers know they’ll ultimately have resale value.”

KEEP IN MIND: On the Main Line, these houses can have hidden expenses: lot premiums, high utilities, spring and fall landscaping costs. “It can be expensive to ‘live the dream’ in suburbia,” Miller-Desantis warns.

WHERE TO LOOK: Main Line, Gwynedd Valley, Blue Bell.

EXPECT TO PAY: $500,000 to $1 million-plus.

On the market: A 6BR, 5.5BA in Chestnut Hill, $1.975 million. Contact: Linda Baron, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Fox & Roach, 215-619-2344.

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