Royersford, PA (aka RoFo)

When I moved to Royersford, PA as a 15 year old coming from Northern Virginia I thought we were truly moving to the country. In 1999 there was no Kohls shopping center or Wawa at the 422 exit, Pope John Paul II high school was only rolling hills and the Spring Ford high school was brand new.
Over the years the area has developed (my family participated in growth by purchasing a new construction home in the area) and become more desirable based on the school ratings and convenience to both work and play.

The boro is being kept alive with stores and restaurants; Try Annamarie's famous breakfast menu or Giovanni's tasty Italian food. Iced by Betsy took over the unused train station a few years ago and continues to thrive as well as Sweet Ashley's Chocolate located right on Main St. Beth Anne's Flower and Calhouns Jewelers are perfect shops for a gifts.

Just outside the boro is Limerick and Upper Providence which offer even more shopping centers and restaurants, as well as schools, parks and one of my favorites- Renningers Farm (located right next to where I grew up) where you can pick your own fresh flowers and purchase locally grown fruits and vegetables.

Since this is my "hometown" I continue to sell homes in the area. Not surprisingly, they tend to sell pretty quickly! Here are two recent listings:

For Sale: Twin home asking $190,000
30-S-5TH-AVE-ROYERSFORD-PA-19468

For Rent: Townhome located in Roboda development asking $1700 a month
15-ROBODA-BLVD-ROYERSFORD-PA-19468

Lansdale Living

What do you look for in a town you want to live in?
Maybe:
- close proximity to work
- good school rating
- convenience to shopping and dining
- near parks or trails

Having sold homes for over 7 years throughout the 5 county Philadelphia area, I've learned that a lot of towns have tons to offer their residents. Recently I've become more familiar with Lansdale, PA. Aside from using the exit on 476 hundreds of times, I didn't do much in Lansdale. I'm learning that the residents have so many things at their fingertips! It's no surprise why it's a popular place to call home for so many.

Spend the day at Fischer's Park with the family then meet up with friends at one of the numerous restaurants such as Osaka or Molly Maguire's Irish Pub. Jump on rte 476 and you'll be in King of Prussia in no time or take keep off the highway and head to downtown Doylestown. Both are less than 30 minutes away. Yesterday I stopped at Merrymead Farm to pick up some fresh, local produce for dinner (I stayed away from the homemade bakery items, but next time I don't think I'll be able to resist...) There are a few other farmer markets too which I personally love!

Did I mention the schools are highly ranked in PA too!
http://www.usa.com/school-district-4217280.htm
http://www.education.com/schoolfinder/us/pennsylvania/district/north-penn-school-district/ 

If you're looking to move in to the area, want low maintenance living at an affordable cost, here is a home that may fit your needs:

More details here:
http://www.kellykneeland.com/listing/mlsid/252/propertyid/6410533/

Newtown Square, PA

I don't think Newtown Square gets enough credit. It's a commuters dream whether heading to the city, KOP or West Chester and has super cute neighborhoods. 

Newtown Township was established in 1681 and is Delaware County's' oldest township! That offers tons of history and pretty historic properties (my personal favorite). 

Fun facts from the Newtown Square Historical Society:

Newtown Township dates to 1681, when William Penn planned two inland “new towns” (the second one is Newtown, Bucks County).  The township was laid out with a straight main road, Newtown Street Road, running south to north and bisecting the Township.  An east to west road – Goshen Road – also bisected the Township  - and intersected with Newtown Street Road.  Penn planned for a Townstead to develop at this intersection.

The original settlers were largely Welsh Quakers, and their livelihood was farming.  For about the next 250 years, Newtown remained a farming community. 

After World War II came the growth of the “suburbs”, and Newtown, well situated for public transit, began to grow into a bedroom community and suburb of Philadelphia, 15 miles to the east.   The trolley line could take you to 69th Street terminal and its connections to the City.   If you preferred, Bryn Mawr and its railroad station were a ten minute car ride away, where the Paoli Local would whisk you to Center City Philadelphia in style and comfort.   The sleepy pre-war Newtown Square of less than 2,000 people grew with each housing development and each decade, and in 2010 had a population of over 18,000.

Today, Newtown Square is a desirable suburb offering great schools, parks and stores. They are even following the trend of local, fresh grocery shopping with their Farmers Market:

http://www.newtownsquarefarmersmarket.com/home.html

Unlike other areas of Delaware County, there is land to expand. New developments are popping up and appealing to many demographics.  

The Grande at Muirwood Hills is a new construction development by D.R. Horton. The community features 3 different townhome floor plans starting in the upper $300's. Luxury, affordability and pretty much maintenance free living right in the heart of Newtown Square!

Check out one of their homes available for Summer 2014 move-in

209 Clermont Dr. Rainer Model

For more information about the community:

Grande-At-Muirwood-Hill