Yes,
The Local Real Estate Market Is Still Going Strong.
WHO KNEW 2021 COULD GET EVEN BETTER? Cindy Walker
R
ESTAURANTS, THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR AND many services were slammed last year with lockdowns, social distancing and staying at home ruling the days for most of us. Yet many realtors reported being in overdrive with a booming local market. Although things do slow down during August vacations and September school-prep, the fall real estate season generally shifts into a new gear later in the year. We wanted to check in to see if the record-setting level of activity was sustainable. A BUSY SUMMER After the constraints of 2020, buyers, sellers and their agents learned how to do business under new conditions—no big open houses, all masked visits, remote document signing. The real estate business found a way forward. “By 2021, there was another year’s worth of pent-up demand,” says Amy McKenna, of Country Properties, Berkshire Hathaway. “Those buyers who waited to see what would happen in 2020 joined the search for a new home to meet their expanding lifestyle 60
County Lines | October 2021 | CountyLinesMagazine.com
and work needs. And with a refocus on home and hearth, the pool of buyers got even bigger, adding to the demand.” In short, more people wanted to move. Add to that, continued low interest rates and ongoing interest in the Brandywine Valley as a place to live—with low taxes and high quality of life. “To our surprise, 2021 has been an even stronger year for home sales in our area,” says Holly Gross, of the Holly Gross Group. “We were very fortunate to have such a good year in 2020, so it’s gratifying that 2021 is exceeding our expectations. We’re continuing to see interest from outside our immediate area—from New York state as well as New York City. This has made even higher-end properties attractive, including raw acreage.” While most of Chester County is desirable, West Chester, Downingtown and Unionville have been particularly active. “One of our recent listings in West Chester had 15 showings on its first day on the market,” says Stephen Gross, of the Holly Gross Group. “There were multiple offers and the sales price set a record in the Borough of $2 million!”
