A few years ago, friends from California came to visit me for their first trip to Philly. As we waited to get into a restaurant for brunch, one of them noticed a mural on a wall across the street and asked me what it was. I said, “It’s a mural.”
I realized later I should have told them about Philly’s strong tradition of murals and that the city is known for them. (Sorry, Katie.)
It’s easy to take for granted that our city is full of murals. But as a residential real estate reporter, I recently thought it’d be fun to talk to some of the homeowners who’ve turned their properties into giant canvases for artists’ creations.
Keep scrolling for that story and more in this week’s edition:
World Cup vacancies: Plenty of Airbnbs and hotel rooms in Philly are still available days before the FIFA World Cup kickoff here.
Repairs add up: A homebuyer’s inspector found 100 things to fix at her newly built townhouse near City Avenue.
Renting history: Peek inside a loft at this historic Fairmount building that was converted into apartments.
Market update: Scroll for a look at homebuying and selling in May.
📮Each week, one of my colleagues highlights the story of how a homebuyer in the Philly region made their purchase happen. Did you recently buy a home in the area? Whether you have an inspiring or cautionary tale to share, tell us how you did it.
— Michaelle Bond
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I pass the Baldwin Locomotive Works mural on North 20th Street all the time. It’s impossible to miss. It takes up the whole side of a house and has a train that looks like it’s coming at you.
But now I know a secret that I’ll share with you: If you ever stop to look at the mural and think you hear a faint whistle coming from inside, it’s not your imagination. The homeowner told me she likes to blow her own personal train whistle when she sees the mural getting attention.
Across the city, roughly 1,000 murals are on someone’s home through partnerships with Mural Arts Philadelphia. That number doesn’t include the homeowners who put art on their walls themselves or pay an artist to do it, like an owner I talked to in Fishtown who has a giant fish on her brick wall.
As the founder of Mural Arts told me, in Philly, “people 100% absolutely love public art.” The organization has a long waitlist filled with people who have a mural idea or a wall to fill.
I talked to six Philly homeowners about why they wanted their properties to join the city’s rich tapestry of murals. Here’s what they told me.
The latest news to pay attention to
Days before Philly’s first FIFA World Cup match, fans still haven’t filled hotels and Airbnbs.
This first-time homebuyer purchased a new construction townhouse near City Avenue. Her inspector still found 100 things to fix.
Philly Sheriff Rochelle Bilal reversed course and announced an office shakeup amid mounting criticism of property auctions.
A Willingboro Council member and former mayor was sentenced to prison for mortgage fraud.
Philly City Council has reluctantly agreed to borrow $200 million to buy the police headquarters building.
Goodwill has opened a massive store in South Jersey after a record year for thrifting.
House of the week: For $575,000 in Pottstown, a three-bedroom house with a finished basement on a cul-de-sac.
Allison Langer and her husband, Mark Paulson, were intrigued by the converted apartment building next to Langer’s yoga studio.
They’re both fans of historic preservation and could tell from the street that they loved the windows in the old headquarters of the AF Bornot Dye Works Co. They could see themselves living there.
But the four-story building was full, so they had to wait a few months to get an apartment.
Once they moved in, they saw they were right about the windows, which are now the couple’s favorite feature. Langer, Paulson, and their cat are treated to lots of natural light and daily sunset views.
Both the windows and high ceilings make their apartment feel bigger than it is.
Take a peek inside their home and learn about their lamp collection and personally meaningful pieces of art.
📊 The market
Mortgage interest rates were higher at the end of last month than they’ve been since last summer.
Elevated rates are sidelining some buyers who want to purchase their first home or who don’t have a lot of money to spend.
The buyers driving the market in the Philly area are those with higher incomes. And it’s not looking like that will change anytime soon.
In the Philadelphia metro area in May, pending home sales and prices were up, and more homeowners put their properties on the market.
According to the multiple listing service Bright MLS:
🔺New listings were up about 6.5% from last May, to roughly 8,000.
🔺The overall number of homes for sale increased 9.5% from a year ago, to about 12,800 active listings.
🔺New pending sales increased 4% from last year, to about 7,050.
🔺The median sale price was $405,000, up 2.5% from the same time last year.
📷 Photo quiz
Do you know where this guy is lounging?
📮 If you think you do, let me know.
Last week’s quiz featured a photo taken at North Second Street and Elfreth’s Alley in Old City.
Shout-out to David N. and Ben S. for being two of the first to answer correctly.
Enjoy the rest of your week.
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