Through the years, friends and family members have floated the idea of a group of us buying houses next to each other or in some kind of compound. It\u2019s a nice dream, although it probably won\u2019t become a reality.<\/p>\n
But three childhood friends have taken this dream a step further. The besties bought a communal house together in West Mount Airy.<\/p>\n
My colleague Zoe Greenberg talked to the friends (one of whom has a husband and kids) about how their living arrangement works for them.<\/a><\/p>\n Keep scrolling for that story 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 Rachel Luban, Rachel Neuschatz, and Lizzy Seitel had always talked about living together. They ignored the haters who said it wouldn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n The Rachels met when they were 5 and 6, and then Seitel became an honorary \u201cRachel\u201d after they all met in middle school.<\/p>\n The friends lived apart as young adults, but when they were ready to settle down, they decided to do it together.<\/p>\n A few years ago, they and Seitel\u2019s husband bought a 4,470-square-foot old stone house in West Mount Airy. Seitel was pregnant with her first child at the time.<\/p>\n One of the Rachels said, \u201cA lot of people, including lawyers, told us not to do this.\u201d<\/p>\n Here\u2019s why they did it anyway and how they make it work.<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udceeWould you want to live with friends like this? Share your thoughts.<\/a><\/p>\n The latest news to pay attention to<\/p>\n When Casey Lyons and her husband, James, bought their home in 2021, there was a lot to like.<\/p>\n The almost 5,000-square-foot house had oak floors, two fireplaces, and a beamed cathedral ceiling in the living room.<\/p>\n The basement included a sauna, gym, and full bathroom.<\/p>\n The home had a three-level deck with a hot tub and covered porch.<\/p>\n But Casey didn\u2019t love the house. So she asked interior designers to help change that.<\/p>\n The homeowners got rid of dated features. They added a white marble island and new tiles and fixtures in the kitchen. They whitewashed the stone fireplace in the family room. They painted the deck so it blends better with the surrounding greenery.<\/p>\n Peek inside the property and find out what else they changed to make Casey love the house.<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udcca The market<\/p>\n Across the Mid-Atlantic last year, people who wanted to buy homes couldn\u2019t afford to, and that held back the housing market. The total number of homes sold in 2025 \u2014 more than 235,000 \u2014 was only 0.1% higher than the number sold in 2024, according to the multiple listing service Bright MLS.<\/p>\n Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist at Bright MLS, said the market has \u201ca lot of pent-up demand,\u201d and buyers have more choices now because more homeowners are listing their properties for sale.<\/p>\n \u201cBut even with mortgage rates coming down, affordability is still a major challenge for many buyers, particularly first-time buyers,\u201d Sturtevant said in a statement.<\/p>\n Still, our region had strong home sales last month. The number of closed sales was up 7.1% compared to last December. <\/p>\n In the Philadelphia metro area, according to Bright MLS:<\/p>\n \ud83d\udd3aThe number of closed home sales was up 1.3% in 2025 compared to 2024. Bucks and Chester Counties had the strongest sales increases \u2014 7.7% and 5.3%, respectively.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udd3aThe number of new listings in 2025 was up 2% from the year before.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udd3bBut the number of homes for sale is still only about half \u2014 54% \u2014 of the pre-pandemic number in 2019.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udd3aThe median sale price in 2025 was $390,000 \u2014 4% higher than in 2024. <\/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> You and your memories of visiting this spot might be featured in the newsletter.<\/p>\n Last week\u2019s photo quiz featured an image of the Athenaeum of Philadelphia located next to Washington Square on South Sixth Street.<\/a><\/p>\n Props to Evan N., Ann B., and Timothy S. for getting that right. Ann told me she wants her ashes to rest in the Reading Room. I\u2019ve walked by this building countless times, but this is what makes me want to go inside.<\/p>\n Enjoy the rest of your week.<\/p>\n