It all started with a property listing sent to the group chat as a joke.<\/p>\n
A 3,000-square-foot garage in South Philly was listed for sale for $380,000.<\/p>\n
Three longtime friends and self-described \u201cmotorheads\u201d dreamed about what they could do with that much space. <\/p>\n
And that could have been it. But the friends couldn\u2019t stop thinking about the property. So they decided to stop dreaming and actually buy it.<\/p>\n
We have the story of how these classic vehicle enthusiasts came to be the owners of a South Philly garage.<\/a><\/p>\n Keep scrolling for that piece and more in this week\u2019s edition:<\/p>\n \u2014 Michaelle Bond<\/p>\n If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.<\/a><\/p>\n In January, we told you about three friends who bought a communal house together in Mount Airy.<\/a><\/p>\n Now, we\u2019re bringing you the story of three friends who bought a property not to house themselves, but to be a home for the vintage vehicles they\u2019re restoring.<\/p>\n The men had been doing what they could to continue their passion projects, but none of the space workarounds they found were ideal for their collection of cars, trucks, motorcycles, and bicycles.<\/p>\n Last spring, they found their slice of heaven: a windowless garage with no heating or air conditioning, a rusted beer fridge, and a bathroom with no walls. <\/p>\n The garage is within a mile and a half of each of their homes, which means the friends are over there all the time.<\/p>\n Keep reading to see the vehicles they\u2019re working on and learn how they made their garage dream a reality.<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udceeHave you ever gone in on a piece of property with a friend? Tell us about it.<\/a><\/p>\n A century-old building in Strawberry Mansion was originally a synagogue. Until recently, the property was a Baptist church. Now, it\u2019s getting ready for its latest transformation.<\/p>\n The former Cornerstone Baptist Church on the edge of Fairmount Park has joined the growing list of Philly religious sites that are being turned into homes.<\/a><\/p>\n After the congregation shrank and the church couldn\u2019t keep up with repairs, the building was sold for $1.9 million to a Philly-based developer. The company plans to build apartments and offer them only to renters making below certain incomes.<\/p>\n A company official says Strawberry Mansion has been underappreciated by the real estate industry.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously [Strawberry Mansion] had some economic disinvestment over the second half of the 20th century, but a lot of people are waking up to the sense that neighborhoods like this are not being made every day anymore,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The redevelopment project will be partially funded by TD Bank as part of federal requirements that banks invest in neighborhoods that historically have been subjected to redlining and other systemic discrimination.<\/a><\/p>\n Keep reading to learn more about the redevelopment plans for the former church and see why residents have some concerns.<\/a><\/p>\n The latest news to pay attention to<\/p>\n We\u2019re adding a dose of cuteness to your day with our latest home tour. This week\u2019s piece features the home of Lana Shapiro, who is \u201calmost 3\u2033 and was making a pretend meal in the backyard when we came to visit.<\/p>\n When her parents, Maddy and Andrew, bought their rowhouse in Spring Garden in 2022, the yard was not kid-friendly. The Shapiros removed the brick that was everywhere and added a cement patio and synthetic grass.<\/p>\n The space is filled with furniture and colorful plants. Andrew repaired and power-washed the fence that surrounds the yard.<\/p>\n A cement dividing wall still has some stubborn white paint that refused to be be power-washed away. So the Shapiros embraced the wall as it is, and it\u2019s become a focal point of the yard.<\/p>\n Inside the home, one of the Shapiros\u2019 renovations was to add a vestibule, the classic rowhouse feature we highlighted this spring.<\/a><\/p>\n Peek inside the family\u2019s home and learn about its toddler-specific features.<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udcca The market<\/p>\n Across the Philadelphia region in June, the number of home sales grew from last year. And so did the typical sale price.<\/p>\n The supply of homes for sale was up too, but not enough for us to escape a yearslong truth: there\u2019s more demand than supply in many areas across our region.<\/p>\n According to the multiple listing service Bright MLS, in the Philadelphia metro area in June:<\/p>\n \ud83d\udd3aThe number of closed home sales was 4% higher than at the same time last year.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udd3aThe number of pending sales was up roughly 7% from last year.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udd3aThe median sale price hit a new record high for June for the region \u2014 $430,000.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udd3aThe number of active home listings at the end of the month was more than 12% higher than last year. But home supply is still only about half what it was before the pandemic.<\/p>\n Our limited inventory means we won\u2019t see home prices drop in any kind of meaningful way anytime soon.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf7 Photo quiz<\/p>\n Do you know the location this photo shows?<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcee If you think you do, email me back.<\/a><\/p>\n Last week\u2019s quiz featured a photo of the President\u2019s House at Independence National Historical Park.<\/a><\/p>\n A few readers recognized the site. Shout-out to Bruce H. for being the first to answer.<\/p>\n \u2015<\/p>\n Did you know that the Delaware River has roughly 123 islands? They\u2019re owned by governments, corporations, and private individuals.<\/p>\n Some are pretty much just a sandbar, but others span hundreds of acres. Some are used for camping or birding, but most aren\u2019t being used at all.<\/p>\n Take a flight up the Delaware and learn about the river\u2019s islands in this fascinating interactive story.<\/a><\/p>\n And enjoy the rest of your week.<\/p>\n