November 27, 2024

Since 2018, Tri-County Suburban REALTORS® has partnered with the Boys & Girls Club of Philadelphia for an annual coat drive. This year, members, companies, and staff came together to collect the largest number of coats and cold-weather accessories yet, filling a van with donations to keep kids warm this winter.

Thanks to their generosity, over 150 coats and accessories were donated—doubling last year’s contributions.

This effort was part of the REALTORS® Reach Out campaign, a statewide initiative celebrating REALTORS®' volunteerism and community service.

A heartfelt thank you to all the members, offices, and staff who made this drive such a success, including:

Individual Members:
Steve Casey - Del Val Property Management
Ayse Clay - Keller Williams Devon/Wayne
Steve D'Antonio - Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach REALTORS® West Chester
Ken Enochs - Compass Real Estate Wayne
Vyneeka Hopkins - Del Val Property Management
Michael Howell - Realty One Group Restore
Ray Hurtado - Keller Williams Main Line
Kathy Kolarz - Herb Real Estate
Diane Krause - Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach REALTORS® Blue Bell
Margo McDonnell - 1031 Corp.
Linda McKissick - Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach REALTORS® Media
Matt Mittman - ReMax Ready Conshohocken
Mike Mulroy - Tornetta Realty Corp.
Jennifer Neff - Compass Real Estate Main Line
Vince Range - Coldwell Banker Hearthside Collegeville
Cha'Ron Reid - Del Val Property Management
Jamie Rennis - Keller Williams Main Line
Joseph Tornetta - Tornetta Realty Corp.
Michael Tornetta - Tornetta Realty Corp.

Companies:
Balfour Beatty
Del Val Property Management - RowCal
Re/Max Ready Conshohocken

TCSR Staff:
Cathy DiMarco
Paula Tansey
Kristin Tornetta

Board of Directors Members Celebrate Collecting Over 150 Cold Weather Items for The Boys & Girls Club of Philadelphia
From left to right: Anthony Scotese, Margo McDonnell, Lou Muscella, Dana Santangelo, Michael Howell, Dennis Morgan, Amanda Helwig, Ayse Clay, Michael Maerten, Shannon DiIorio, Jason Ostrowsky, Ken Enochs, Suzanne Kunda.

Members of Del Val Realty Group with their generous donations, the largest made by any donor.
From left to right: Jeri O'Hara, Member Support Technician, Tri-County Suburban REALTORS®, Cha'ron Reid, Assistant Director of Rental Services, RowCal, Vyneeka Hopkins, HOA Community Manager, RowCal, Steve Casey, REALTOR®, Sr. Property Manager, RowCal, Tara Lacey, Accounting Manager, Tri-County Suburban REALTORS®

Are you making a positive impact in your community?

We want to hear about it! REALTORS® are more than just experts in buying and selling homes; you’re the builders of thriving communities.

If you’ve been part of a recent community service effort or have something inspiring coming up, share your story! Email ldavis@tcsr.realtor, and we’ll feature your upcoming events and efforts on our Community Service Bulletin Board — a dedicated space to share our members’ giving-back efforts.

For an inspiring example of REALTORS® making a difference, check out this story about our members who raised $50,000 and spent a night sleeping outside to raise awareness for youth homelessness in The Greater Philadelphia area!

Tri-County Suburban REALTORS® will close at 3pm on Wednesday, November 27th. The office will remain closed through Friday, November 29th. The office will reopen at
8am on Monday, December 2nd. 

We wish our REALTOR® members, Affiliate partners, and community a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday. 

The REALTORS® Political Action Committee is what stands between you and constant threats to your business – a sales tax on your commission, higher taxes on your business, and increasing real estate taxes. RPAC investments support candidates who may enact a PA First Time Homeownership program or protect the future of guaranteed 30-year mortgages.

Your investment in RPAC can take you far...literally. Make a 2024 RPAC investment of $99 by 12:30pm on December 6th and be automatically entered for a chance to win a 2-year lease on a Mercedes-Benz GLA-250!

Drawing takes place December 6th!

Have you invested in 2024? If you have made a $99 investment, it will go a long way toward protecting your industry and career. It will also gain you automatic entry into this sweepstakes; members need to have made their 2023 RPAC investment of $99 or more by the deadline of Friday, December 6th at 12:30pm!

Want to join your fellow members for a chance to win and, most importantly, show your support of pro-REALTOR® and pro-homeownership political candidates (regardless of party affiliation). SIMPLY CLICK THIS LINK to make your investment online!

For questions, please contact Tri-County staff via 610-560-4800.

The Accredited Luxury Home Specialist (ALHS) designation is intended to provide students with the training, tools, and techniques necessary to provide the highest level of service to both luxury homebuyers and sellers. The course will cover several topics critical to the success of any agent who wishes to work in the luxury home market including: defining the luxury home market; marketing your expertise in luxury homes to the consumer; preparing and marketing the listing; qualifying buyers; and negotiating and managing a luxury home transaction. This designation course is offered by the Luxury Home Council, it is not an NAR designation.

To learn more, and register for the course, click here.

Buyers have been challenged by the lack of inventory and deteriorating affordability in recent years. One group particularly affected by these factors are first-time buyers, who are likely to have tighter budgets, more difficulty saving for a down payment, and fewer home options. However, first-time homebuyers are still active in the Mid-Atlantic housing market, accounting for a larger share of market activity than in other parts of the country, according to the results from the latest Bright MLS subscriber survey.

In 2024, first-time buyers accounted for just 24% of home sales, the lowest share since the National Association of REALTORS® began collecting data. In the Mid-Atlantic region, roughly two in five buyers are first-time buyers. Agents and brokers are optimistic about buyer activity in the coming months. The Bright MLS buyer and seller indices assess market sentiment by comparing the number of agents and brokers who anticipate high to very high activity to the number expecting low to very low activity. A reading above 50 is generally optimistic, and the index for November was 56.8, increasing from October and nearly 15 points higher than November 2023.

Click here for the full Market Survey, provided by Bright MLS. 

Montgomery County has posted its proposed budget for 2025. The proposed budget includes a $15.8 million structural budget deficit and recommends increasing the county’s real estate tax millage rate by nearly 9%, from 5.178 to 5.642 mills. The proposed millage rate increase would add approximately $28.8 million of new net real estate tax revenue to support the general fund. Public hearings are scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 12, with a morning session at 10:30 a.m. and an evening session at 5:30 p.m. Adoption of the 2025 budget is scheduled for Thursday, Dec.19.

Source: Montgomery County; 11/14/2024

December 3rd & 4th (two-day course) | 9:00am-4:30pm (each day)
Accredited Luxury Homes Specialist (ALHS)
Association of REALTORS® School, Malvern

December 5th | 11:30am-1:00pm (Commercial Chapter Exclusive)
NAR Changes & The Impact to Commercial Real Estate - Hybrid Panel
Association of REALTORS® School, Malvern

December 12th | 11:00am-11:30am 
Brand Yourself Through Bright MLS I Virtual Webinar
Virtual via Zoom

January 8th & 15th (two-day course) | 9:00am-4:30pm (each day)
Real Estate Negotiation Expert Course (RENE)
Association of REALTORS® School, Malvern

January 10th | 8:15am-9:30am 
Commercial/Industrial Marketing Exchange – Hybrid – With Guest Speaker Margo McDonnell, 1031 Corp.
Association of REALTORS® School, Malvern & Virtual Via Zoom

Contact Us
610-560-4800
info@tcsr.realtor

Office
1 Country View Road
Suite 201
Malvern, PA 19355