Two suspects are wanted for the May 18 robbery of a Frankford Avenue 7-Eleven. Image/Philadelphia Police

Two suspects are being sought for the May 18 robbery of the 7-Eleven at 9901 Frankford Ave.

They entered the store just after 4 a.m. carrying guns, and forced their way behind the counter. They fled in an unknown direction with $300 and a case of cigarettes. continue reading »

Farm to City’s Ben Bergman led the effort to bring a weekly farmers market to Parkwood. Photo/Steven Mitchell

With the finishing touches being put together, the Parkwood Farmers Market is scheduled to open Saturday, May 18 at 10 a.m. at Third Reformed Presbyterian Church parking lot located at 3024 Byberry Rd.

Farm to City, which will manage the market, conducted a server to help determine the location of the next one. The effort was led by Farm to City worker and Parkwood resident Ben Bergman, who wrote the grant proposal, attended neighborhood meetings and created a blog and Facebook page to get residents on board. continue reading »

Q: I am looking for a home in the Far Northeast. I have noticed that there are several homes for sale on the same street. I would like to see one of them because the pictures look great online, but I am worried there is a problem with that street or something. Should I just avoid it?

A: Just because there are several homes for sale on the same street, does not necessarily mean there is something “wrong” with the street. It could simply be a matter of bad timing on the block and neighbors find themselves in the same situation of selling their home at the same time. You should also take into account that there can be up to 30 homes on the same block at times when you are considering row homes. continue reading »

Castor Gardens residents cleaned up Max Myers Rec Center during the 2012 Philly Spring Cleanup. Photo/Michelle Alton

Is there a spot in your neighborhood that needs cleaning?

For those looking to volunteer, the Philly Spring Cleanup website has the full list of sites for the annual citywide clean-up event.

All cleanups scheduled for Northeast Philadelphia will be posted here, below. The clean-up day is April 13. continue reading »

A Parkwood woman has been charged for allegedly trying to buy a gun for someone else.

Margaret Litton, 27, of the 3000-block of Morning Glory Road,  was caught during a state criminal background check after multiple attempts to make a straw purchase in Bucks County, according to a report. continue reading »

Q: I signed an agreement of sale my house in Normandy last week and will go to settlement on June 14. I figured that would be enough time to find a house to buy. Today I made an offer a house in Levittown, but the owner of that house wants to go to settlement May 31 because he is buying a house in the Poconos. I need to sell to buy, and I already found out I can’t get a bridge loan. What else can I do?

A: Bridge loans used to be an option, and may still be for some, but you don’t see them as often as you used to. Buyers who had a house to sell and needed to make settlement before the house they were selling could get the loan in advance from their mortgage lender. It’s great. . . until the buyer of the home you’re selling doesn’t make it to settlement because they didn’t get funded for the mortgage after all. Then it’s a disaster. continue reading »

Footage of a January fire at a vacant Normandy home. YouTube Image/Philly Fire News

By John Loftus for the Northeast Times

The long-vacant property at 2815 Normandy Rd., which was destroyed by fire on Jan. 24. Only a shell remains of what had once been a showplace when the development was new.

“It was a Normandy sample home,” Nightingale Road neighbor Donna Caristo said in an interview. continue reading »

High school dropout rate graphic by Joseph Kemp for the Public School Notebook

Between 31 and 40 percent of high school freshmen in the 19124 zip code who entered ninth grade in the 2006-07 school year dropped out by 2012.

That number is the same in 19154. The details come from a map published by the Philadelphia Public School Notebook that shows the six-year dropout rate in the School District. continue reading »

I just want to know if it’s still a buyer’s market in Northeast Philadelphia or if it’s a seller’s market yet.

I know I sound like a broken record when I talk about “market correction.” In the early 2000s, housing prices escalated at a quicker than average rate and it’s been taking some time to adjust that anomaly. As a result, the Northeast has been hanging tight, but mostly in a buyer’s market the past few years, and we’re all still waiting to see a seller’s market again. But we are starting to see signs of a recovery. continue reading »

Can you do an analysis of 19154? I want to sell my row house. I did a very upscale remodel to it a couple years ago, but it’s time to move. What is the high-end selling for in 19154?

The single-family homes in the neighborhoods in the 19154 zip code are a mix of row homes, twins, singles, townhomes and condos. Your competition is found in the 111 properties currently for sale in 19154 from a low of less than $100,000 to a high of almost $280,000. continue reading »