Pennsylvania is a nature seasonal paradise.  I often visit my family in Penn State where they have the most beautiful parks.

Here are a few pictures of one of my favorite parks  " Spring Creek " I thought  the timing was so right and was happy with these photos..infact they are among my favorites.  Ventured a little 3 hours away from my home town.  Love Pennsylvania  !

I ventured into the middle of the shallow creek to take this photo ..the water was cold..but the photo was worth it.

"In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous"

                                                                                                                  Aristotle.

-

Someone once said   " A  good deal is not ofter the best deal "     but with .this listing......it is the BEST DEAL!

This home offers a lot for $ 38,900    located in New Castle, Lawrence County, New Castle School District  

A lot of the mortgage money is FHA and certain requirements need to be met before a house can qualify for a FHA mortgage.

This is a perfect house for that type of mortgage  ( if needed)  It has been well maintained.

The taxes are $ 920 per year

Living room 14x16

Dining room 15x11

Kitchen is a small galley kitchen 7x8  but there is a kitchen/breaksfast room combination that measures an additional 12x12.

The 3 upstairs bedrooms measure: 14x16, 15x11, 11x11.

lot size   38x120  corner lot

Double car large block garage

Newer 10 year old furnace

The large inviting front porch wraps around the side and front of the home. A smaller enclosed porch is part of the exterior back

The water and sewer are public

Information Deemed Reliable, But Not Guaranteed

For more information visit  www.northwood.com/junelewis

call June  at 724-730-4571 cell phone or office at 724-658-6645 ext 16

The village of Wampum is a borough of  Lawrence County approximately 20 minutes south of New Castle off Rt 18 and 15  minutes to the Beaver Valley Exchange on the Pennnsylvania turnpike

Wampum, an Indian name meaning " string of shell beads" has a poulation of only 629 ( July 2007 census)

In this comfortable little village stands a statuesqe family  brick home on a beautiful 90x 209 lot.

We have just re-priced this home to $ 56,000.                           MLS# 734246

The front enclosed masonary front porch opens to a large  10x12  foyer and stairway to the second floor.

Living room  13x13                       the three upstairs bedrooms are : 13x13, 13x13, and 10x12

Dining room  14x13

Kitchen          11x10

There are solid pocket doors connecting the living and dining room.

The heat is Hot Water

Public water and Sewertaxes are a LOW $ 718

Full basement

First and second floor baths.

  Information Deemed Reliable But Not Guaranteed

To viewadditional pictures on this property visit

          http://www.northwood.com/junelewis

Another glorious Autumn weekend in Lawrence County.  The second week in October has always been the
 " Apple Castle Festival and Craft Fair"  The well know landmark has been fifth generation farm since 1861..
It is five minute drive from New Castle located in  the heart of the Amish countryside.The Apple Castle features
home grown fruits and vegetable. Their  country store delights visitors with their specialty foods like jellies, jams
Amish items, apple  butter, cider, candies, cheeses, dried fruits and snacks, local eggs, honey and no sugar items.

An amazing blast of Autumn colors amidst the aroma of fresh apple cider and the  " Apple Castle's famous donuts, freshy baked on the spot enticed visitors as they enjoyed the many attractions at the festival including,  two horse drawn hay wagons offering free rides through the grounds, live music and entertainment, crafters, food, of course apples..apples...and more apples  and even pumpkins and corn stocks and fall decorations of every type.

The farm grows approximately 20 acres of apples, with over 50 varieties of apples throughout the season.  The farm also produces around 3 acres of peaches and nectarines along with blueberries, rasberries and blackberries.  They also produce 15 acres of sweet corn that is harvested daily.  Apple Castle ships apples all over the u.S.A. additional information call

Lyle Johnston at 724-652-3221

enjoy the slide show  of the rest of the event and if you missed it this year,  make sure it is on your calendar as a must do event. It certainly is a Lawrence County......gotta go there.....

What can I say other the " Apple Castle"  must farm hearts on those trees along with their sought after apples because New Castle LOVES the Apple Castle.

Is buying that home just wishful thinking?  Is the media closing the door to your dream?  You know what they say......You can't believe everything you hear! What you hear may not fit your location or your situation.  What do you do first? Know your credit score. What are the benefits of a good credit scorewhen looking to buy a home?               

• Lower interest rate

• Speed up loan approvals

•  Boost buying power

The most in depth and accurate way to determine your credit score when thinking about buying a home is to talk with your lender's  loan officer  and ask them to run a merge report. It is free and will pull your credit  score from all   agencies.

• Transunion

• Equifax

•  Experian   

The determining factors to how your credit report rates, is based on

• paying your debts on time
  
• the available credit you have available to you

•  the amount of debt you have.
  

Make sure you limit your credit cards and limit the use.The higher percentage use of the credit available the lower your credit score will be.Check you credit card interest make sure you are aware of where the interest rate is.

Steve Janoski, loan officer  with Countrywide Mortgage keeps the Realtors advised on what is happening in the mortgage arena. It enables us to share his expertise with our clients. Steve e-mailed an update e-mail and I wanted to share part of that with you. It confirms from a loan expert that,   now is a perfect time to buy a home. Let your lender and you determine that,.... not the media or what you hear from others. Here is a part of of mortgage advice.

******************************************************************************************

The $700 billion bailout is a must, believe me. I also think once we're past this election , the economy will take on new light. The consumers are believing what is happening in this country is happening right here in western PA. Sorry to say that if they keep thinking that way, it will hit us harder. Please tell your buyers that it is a great time to buy, regardless of what's happening in the economy. If mortgage rates are hovering around 6%, what's stopping them from buying?

Yes, Congress took away the down payment assistance program but I rarely used it. FHA still works great with maximum seller assist. How about a Rural Housing loan? Granted, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and HUD have tightened up their guidelines for mortgages and that has affected every lender. Still the media talks about how much harder it is to get a loan. Guess what folks, if your credit is bad, it's still hard to get a loan. Those with good credit can still get mortgages regardless of the media saying they can't.

Steven Janoski
SR Mortgage Associate
724-742-9700 Ext 222
724-612-0561 Cell

*********************************************************

I  hope this e-mail from Steve has confirmed that securing a mortgage in our location is available.

If you are ready to finalize that dream of buying a home, let me help you with a list of homes that will fit your needs.  We have plenty to choose from and  at the best prices, they have ever been in real estate

Give my cell a call if I can be of help  724-730-4571Northwood Realty Services

  June Lewis                                                   

724-658-6645- ext 16 office

724-730-4571

There is just something special about a home that has that nostalgia feel of Grandma's House. Maybe it is because this was the homestead of a family consisting of a loved mom and dad , one brother and 4 sisters This has been their family homestead for 60 years. A large 18x11 kitchen and 16x16 dining room easily accommodated the need for space for those large holiday celebrations. This home also offers an off the kitchen 9x12  room used as a sitting room, but if desired could be a computer room, breakfast room or with a few minor adjustments a first floor laundry. First floor and second floor bathrooms are a convenience.  The kitchen has it's own stairs to the second floor

The intergrity of this home has been maintain in udates that have been made to this immaculate home.                              New hardwood floors were installed in both the dining room and the 14x22 living room.

There are 3 upstairs bedroom 14x12, 14x11 and 13x16 Storage abounds in this home. The attic is just

beautiful, finished into two rooms with hardwood floors. The second room is adjacent to the larger room in the attic.

The above picture is only a partial view of the attic.  There are 2 rooms additional rooms on the second floor that could be the 4th and 5 th bedroom or used as added storage.

• The lot size is 50x160
• MLS# 747536
• Vinyl construction
• public water and sewer
• Heat type Gas
• Taxes $ 1080

• Close to shopping, bus lines and schools.

                                             Information Deemed Reliable But Not Guaranteed

This home is a perfect home for FHA or Conventional Financing.  Mortgages are available and homes are listed at a all time low. This home is offered at $ 78,500  That is a lot of house for the price.  Call for an appointment to see this Feature Home

Northwood Realty Services

2000A Wilmington Road                                                    

New Castle, Pa 16105

Office 724 6586645  ext 16

Cell 724 730 4571

home 724-667-8859

http://www.northwood.comjunelewis

http.www.homesearchnewcastle.com

jlewis@northwood.com

West Penn Multi-listings in the Mohawk School District- September 29,2008              

According to the 2000 census,

the North Beaver Township area has a population of 4,022. ( 1 % urban- 99 % rural )   

North Beaver Township covers 43.1 miles

The Mohawk Schools,  Elementary and Secondary are  the only schools in the Township.

The enrollment is approximately 1839 for the district with 946 High School Students and 893 Elementary Students

The Mohawk High School is now under major renovation of expansion to create additional rooms.

The Elementary School Building is located next to the High School at the end of a long pine tree drive.

For additional information on this shool district visit their web site at

ttp://www.mohawk.k12.pa.us/elementary/default.asp

I wanted to capture some pictures of the renovations of the High School and was fortunate to snap  not  only pictures of the schools and property but also of football and soccer teams at practice.   Check the  Mohawk School photos below.

Watch for another school district post soon.

.......Union School District on the horizon........

Looking for a home in North Beaver Township, Lawrence County Check out the listings for sale below.

The following listings were taken from the West Penn Multi-list for the Mohawk Shool District only :

1 home ( horse farm ) at $ 1,250,000 offered with 82 acres and barns

1 home + additional guest home on 3 acres at $ 999,900

4 homes between .....$300,000 to $500,000

5 homes between .....$204,000 to  $260,000

14 homes between ...$150,000 to $199,000

 6 homes between ....$100,000 to 149,000

17 homes ....above... $59,900

land and building sites also available.....52 listed in the MLS under farm, acreage and land.

The land prices vary from 18 acres for $144,800

                                      35 acres for $ 99,000

                                        4 acres for $ 99,000

                                      3.7 acres for $ 75,000

                                         5 acres for $ 64,900

The building lots vary depending on location of the development and vary from $35,000 to $ 59,000 .  Most of these lots are a little over an acre.

There are 3 properties under  $ 35,000

Reduced 5 acres at $ 27,000

Reduced 6.7 acres at $34,900

                8 acres at $25,000

and.       .62 acre at $12,000

* All statistics from the Western Penn Multi List  as of September 29

Well .....we are into the first few days of Autumn. Fall in Pennsylvania is nothing less than spectacular.    The color palette is amazing. I wanted to go back to the farm markets to take photos of the different   fall displays. These farmers  takes such precision in creating exciting pumpkin displays. I hope you are  able to take these beautiful Fall days and drive out  to the various markets in the country . It's a beautiful day for a drive.  There are new Fall items corn stalks, gourds, fall decorating items and and still plenty of  fresh picked vegetables. First set of photos---Sperdute Farm Market on Kildoo Road in North Beaver Township, outside New Castle, Pennsylvania.

The next Photos are of the Walker Farm Market and Hand crafted Gift Shop. located on Rt 108 Mt Jackson Road, just outskirts of New Castle, Pennsylvania also in Lawrence County. Check out their flyer below for the Fall Festival at the Walker Farm. The First Annual Fallfest will be on Oct 4, 2008 from 11:00 am to 6:00pm Featuring face painting and a Pumpkin Decorating Contest call 1-330-727-9342 for additional information and to reserve your pumpkin

The last set of photos is from the Leckwart Farm Market. Look what I found among the punmpkins,  a real cutie , just a little pumpkin himself. Thirteen month old " Little Michael Joseph Leckwart."  He is the son of Michael and Karen Leckwart and grandson of Joe and Jean Leckwart.  The Leckwart Farm Market, like the other two featured farms are family owned and the families work together.  Now " Little Michael "  he is just too little yet to work the farm......but he sure loves those pumpkins..The Leckwart Farm Market is on Sunnyside Road just outside of New Castle, Pa in Lawrence County.

Mc Connells Mill State Park, in Lawrence County about 2o minutes from New Castle, Pennsylvania, encompasses around 2,546 acres of magnificent Slippery Rock Gorge. The park is open year round from sunrise to sunset.  It is a spectacular park that entertains thousands of visitors every year.  Mc Connells Mill is not your usual park.  It has two picnic areas next to the parking area at the northern end of the gorge, near the Old Mill. The park has many shaded picnic tables, charcoal grills. but no covered pavilions.Restrooms are located near the picnic areas. No alcoholic beverages are allowed. The park has a play field for softball or other summer activities and in the winter the field is used for sledding.

Climbing and rappelling enthusiast take advantage of the two areas available to properly equipped and experienced climbers.

Although the park is a magnificent wonder of nature, it is also a  can be dangerous.   The waters of Slippery Rock Creek are swift and furious.  There have been serious accidents and drownings and there is NO SWIMMING ALLOWED.

Fishing is permitted anywhere along Slippery Rock Creek with the exception of the dam structure area. The best fishing is for trout and bass

Pets are permitted in the park but must be controlled at all times and on a leash.

Camping is not available at the park although there are near by camp grounds.

• Hikers love the nature hiking trails within the park.  Hikers should allow approximately 4.5 hours to hike the entire trail.  For a safe hike hikers should

wear sturdy shoes

stay on the trail 

Carry drinking water. DO NOT drink from     the streams, springs or lakes without first properly treating the water.

Check the weather no hiking in thunder storms or heavy snow.

Be sure to lock valuables left in your car that iyou parked in the parking lot

This year 16th  Annual Mc Connells Mill Heritage Festival will be held on September 27 th and 28 th.  This festival celebration is the highlight of the year ----CHECK ON THE POSTED FLYER

For more information on the park contact

McConnells Mill State Park

c/o Moraine State Park

225 Pleasant Valley Road

Portersville, Pa 16051-9650

724-368-8851

e-mail  moraine@state.pa.us

www.state.pa.us  

A special Thank You and * credit for photos and information to 

Lawrence County Tourist Promotion Agency                  

www.lawrencecounty.com/tourism/

phone 724-654-8408

This post is only a brief descriptions of the features of McConnells Mill State Park for more details and in depth information  on reservations,rules,regulations and warnings please be advised to contact toll free 888-PA-PARKS, Mon thr Sat  7a.m. to 5 p.m.

This year 16th  Annual Mc Connells Mill Heritage Festival will be held on September 27 th and 28 th.  This festival celebration is the highlight of the year with something for everyone.   

           See you at the festival...another Lawrence County Event

Visitors entering McConnell's Mill State Park should be aware of the natural hazards and steep terrain of the Slippery Rock Gorge.  The area contains smooth rocks that are often damp and slippery, and varying degree of whitewater conditions including deep pools, rapids and swift currents.

Adults should be aware of these features and exercise caution to protect themselves and children from accidents.

Numerous accidents here have resulted in injury and death.  PLEASE EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION AND STAY ON TRAILS

                                                     Priced slashed -Seller will consider partial financing

Seller has documented cost of remodeling this beautiful home at $ 225,000.  The list price has been slashed to $199,900.

This home on one acre in well sought after North Beaver Township - Mohawk Schools has been totally remodeled on the inside and outside.  The exterior sports a  new elegant gray stone facade. Located as part of the James Circle area of lovely well maintained homes.  All the homes in this James Circle are on one acre or more,  offering extra space and privacy.

.

Added garage on cement pad for  additional storage,

boat or camper.

The Mohawk Trails Gof Course is only a few minutes

down the road.  The sportsman can enjoy plenty of fishing and hunting at nearby areas.

This location has a the country privacy you would ever desire yet minutes to Rt 422,224,rt 80 & 79, the Pittsburgh and Ohio turnpikes, in short, ,close to all major highways.

Off the kitchen is the formal 11x11 dining room

offers a large window.  This home has a nice flow with nice big windows. New beige wall to wall carpeting throughout and neutral decor add to the warmthof this immaculate home.

When buying a home, a beautiful kitchen is always on the wish list.  This custom built designed kitchen by custom kitchen designer Bill Richman is at the top of any one's list. Stainless steel refridgerator and built in dishwasher and microwave, and ceramic floors add to the convenience and beauty of this home. Room measurements are approximate and as follows:

kitchen 15x11

living room 18x12

family room 18x13

bedrooms 14x11, 14x12, 14x11

The downstairs level is a finished drywall and Berber

Carpeting into the fun spot game room.

Shown at the right is a partial view of the living room showing the double windows in the front of the home.  The familly room and 1/2 bath is locate to the left of the kitchen and a screened florida room extends through a slider from the family room.This rooms feature is a raised hearth fireplace with wood beam mantle.

The exterior is stone and vinyle siding and the taxes are $ 2091     MLS# 722422

The seller is willing to work with the buyer on financing.  Call me for details to view the virtual tour  visit

http://www.visualtour.com/show.asp?T=1073744&prt=10003

              Northwood Realty Services

              2000A Wilmington Road

               New castle, Pa 16105

               June Lewis

               724 658 6645   ext 16

               724-730-4571   cell

                724-667-8859

                http://www.northwood.com/junelewis

                http://www.homesearchnewcastle.com