Press Clippings | Hunter, Reed and Company

November 26, 2017

Buying a Vacation Home is About Putting Down Roots, Not Making an Investment Decision

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (US Edition), MANSION GLOBAL (by ANNE MACHALINSKI)

excerpted from : The Wall Street Journal (US Edition), Mansion Global There are several U.S. vacation destinations that high-net-worth individuals flock to every summer, including the Hamptons on the tip of Long Island, New York; Nantucket, Massachusetts; Aspen, Colorado; and Lake Tahoe, which straddles Nevada and California. Increasingly, many of these locations are also popular during the winter, whether that’s... read more

August 3, 2017

Nantucket vs Martha’s Vineyard : Vacationers Swear Loyalty to Only One

The Wall Street Journal, US Edition (by Candace Taylor)

(excerpted from The Wall Street Journal) Former Secretary of State John Kerry made national headlines earlier this year when, after spending decades summering on the Massachusetts island of Nantucket, he bought a home on nearby Martha’s Vineyard. On the face of it, the move doesn’t seem surprising—the two islands off Cape Cod are less than 20 miles apart, as the crow... read more

December 19, 2014

The Ultimate Heirloom : A Sprawling Estate

The Wall Street Journal, US Edition (by Cecilie Rohwedder)

(Excerpt) Affluent Americans are increasingly building or buying legacy properties—multimillion-dollar compounds designed to be shared with extended family now and for generations to come. Fueling interest is the rise of multigenerational living and vacationing ; compounds also provide a gathering place for families that are spread across the globe. Of course, complex family dynamics, busy lifestyles or logistical issues can... read more

May 1, 2013

On Nantucket, the laws of supply and demand are back in play

Nantucket Property News April-June 2013 (excerpt)

Nantucket Property News ‘The Current State of the Market’ Vol 5. No. 1 April -June 2013 Q and A with Steve DiFrancesco, Principal Broker at Hunter, Reed and Company Nantucket Property News : Where is the market right now? DiFrancesco : on Nantucket, the market is great — reflecting strength in the financial markets, confidence... read more

March 18, 2014

A First, Two Houses on a Family Compound For Sale

PHILADELPHIA BUSINESS JOURNAL

WILLISTOWN — In the late 1970’s, a local entrepreneur had an idea to buy more than 50 pristine acres in the heart of the Radnor Hunt Club area here and decided it would become a family compound of sorts. The patriarch would go on to construct a 7,000-square-foot home that he and his wife would move into around 1980 and... read more

June 29, 2012

A First, Two Houses on a Family Compound For Sale

Philadelphia Business Journal -- June 29, 2012 | Natalie Kostelni

WILLISTOWN — In the late 1970’s, a local entrepreneur had an idea to buy more than 50 pristine acres in the heart of the Radnor Hunt Club area here and decided it would become a family compound of sorts. The patriarch would go on to construct a 7,000-square-foot home that he and his wife would move into around 1980 and... read more

February 28, 2012

Louis Kahn Speaks…

CURBED -- February 28, 2012 (excerpt) | Liz Spikol

(Art & Architecture from HunterReed on www.Vimeo.com/HunterReed) The video begins with the words of Louis Kahn — his rather impressionistic feelings about the way he approached his work, which couldn’t have been more different from this house on a hill in Malvern, PA. The land was purchased in the 1970’s, and passed to the original owner’s daughter in the early... read more

March 3, 2012

America’s Best Home?

Top Ten Real Estate Deals (US NATIONAL EDITION) -- March 3rd, 2012

Did it ever occur to you that people keep changing houses because the last one didn’t really fit the way they actually live and they’re hoping the next one will come closer? Well, the next one may have a few additional features that help, but it misses too and still leaves you feeling hollow after the newness wears off. It’s... read more

February 1, 2012

House of the Day : English Charm on the East Coast

AOL Real Estate / The Huffington Post -- February, 2012 | Krisanne Alcantara

Despite being just a two-hour drive from New York City, this $3.75 million mansion in Chester county, PA looks like it belongs in England’s Cotswolds. With its elegant fieldstone exterior enhanced by copper roofs and detailing, exposed oak barn beams, and antique fireplaces and chimneys, the 7200-square foot home reminds us a little of the majestic Palace House in Beaulieu... read more

March 15, 2012

Hot Property

Main Line Today Magazine -- March 15th, 2012 | Tara Behan

With a home office designed to look and feel like an airplane hangar, there’s no shortage of unique perks in this award-winning residence. Details : This award-winning 7,000-square-foot Malvern residence features a reclaimed Pennsylvania fieldstone exterior topped with copper roofs. Inside, exceptional details include custom millwork and cabinetry, reclaimed random-width pine floors, barrel-vaulted ceilings, and five gas fireplaces. Extras : ... read more

January 21, 2008

‘On the Course’ Private Residence, Naples, FL.

Forbes : Life Find of The Day -- January 21st, 2008 | Lauren Sherman

Any golf nut will appreciate this 10,000-square foot trophy home; its got a view of the double fairway of the championship Palm course at Grey Oaks. But what captures the rest of us is the home’s sky-high ceilings, chef’s-grade kitchen with a double SubZero refrigerator, and 800-bottle, climate controlled wine room. And another fabulous feature : the French doors of... read more

August 6, 2007

Top Urban Enclaves

Forbes -- August 6th, 2007 (excerpt) | Matt Woolsey

To many who live there, Park Slope, Brooklyn, is an oasis within New York City boasting one-family brownstones and plenty of parks, where the biggest danger is dodging strollers on the sidewalk. Call it an urban suburb — a big-city next-door neighbor that has rejected high-rise development and highways and maintained a small-town feel without the nightmarish commute of the... read more

June 1, 2007

The Pursuit of Happiness : The Birthplace of Our Nation is Experiencing a Rebirth of Its Own

Unique Homes Magazine -- Spring 2007 | Ken Weingartner

Any discussion of Philadelphia invariably must make reference to W.C.Fields’ barbs toward his hometown (Fields’ proposed epitaph : “On the whole, I’d rather be in Philadelphia”) and its famously callous sports fans, who are known for having booed Santa Claus. Those allusions, however, reflect the Philadelphia of the past, not the present City of Brotherly Love, which thanks to commercial... read more

April 1, 2007

House Designed by Horace Trumbauer Put On the Market

Philadelphia Business Journal -- April, 2007 | Natalie Kostelni

A carriage house complex designed by world renowned architect Horace Trumbauer is up for sale in what some real estate people liken to a great piece of art coming on the market. ‘Pheasant Run’ was once part of the noted Ronaele Manor estate in Elkins Park that Trumbauer designed in 1921 for Fitz Eugene Dixon and Eleanor Widener, a Philadelphia... read more

March 3, 2007

Most Expensive Beachfront Homes

FORBES -- May 3, 2007 | Matt Woolsey

Break out the flip-flops and swim trunks, beach season is right around the corner. The only question is — in which of the country’s crop of uber-luxe beachfront homes to invest? A $40 million, 22,000 square foot mansion on a secluded island in the Pacific Northwest or Shaquille O’Neal’s house on Miami’s Star Island? Decisions, decisions. “Every location has its... read more

April 23, 2004

Building Your Family’s Portfolio with Real Estate & Land Investments

Worth Magazine -- June, 2004

Divest or Develop? … (the financial considerations and benefits) are not the result of mere chance. Rather, they are the rewards of a sometimes lengthy process, one that begins with us asking two important questions : What can I do to make the most of my property ? How involved do I want to be in its development ? The... read more

April 23, 2014

Fairmount Park Estate for Sale

Philadelphia Business Journal | (excerpt)

Divertimento, a 19th century estate in Fairmount Park that was once owned by the Mittens, among other well-known Philadelphia families, is for sale for $1.25 million. The estate, which overlooks portions of the Wissahickon Creek, is believed to be one of the only privately-owned residences in the city that is surrounded by Fairmount Park. The house and its tranquil surroundings... read more

April 23, 2014

A Farm Smack in the Middle of Philadelphia

Horse of the Delaware Valley | (excerpt)

Divertimento, in the heart of Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, has a rich history. Recent owners include Vincent Persichetti, a famous 20th century composer of classical music, according to Steve DiFrancesco, president of Hunter, Reed and Company Real Estate in Unionville, which specializes in selling multimillion dollar homes and …

April 23, 2014

A Fixer-Upper with Panache

Philadelphia Sunday Inquirer | (excerpt)

If a house could have a pedigree, the John Penn House on Mansion Row would have a lineage to die for. Recognize any of these names? George Washington. John Penn. Benjamin Chew. Now, add some that are not so familiar, but equally significant : Juan de Miralles, the first Spanish ambassador to this country, and William Swain, founder of the... read more

July 23, 2005

Dream Homes for Sale

The Daily Local News -- July, 2005 | (excerpt)

Marketing these homes takes a certain cachet. No ‘for sale signs’, no open houses, and a fair amount of hand-holding takes place to put a trophy property in the hands of a sophisticated, high net worth buyer. Such is the marketing strategy of Steve DiFrancesco, who handles the greater Philadelphia area for Hunter, Reed and Company Inc., with offices in... read more

August 1, 2005

Housing Stays Hot

Daily Local News: Business -- August, 2005 | (excerpt)

” … The slowing in the high-end market is beginning to show up in the data. “The market at $1 million and above is still very active throughout the Philadelphia Region, particularly in the western suburbs, but we’re beginning to see the first signs of weakening demand” said Steve DiFrancesco, president of Hunter, Reed and Company Inc, a firm which... read more

September 23, 2003

Taking Medical Leave

The Wall Street Journal : House of the Week -- September, 2003 | (excerpt)

“Now that he’s heading to Florida to be chief executive of Diversified Health Consultants, Robert Lee is selling his estate on about eight acres in one of Philadelphia’s woodsy suburbs. The asking price: $1.595 million. Mr. Lee, formerly CEO of GeriMed’s UnitedHealth division, and his wife, Donna, built the 7,000-square-foot fieldstone-and-cedar farmhouse-style residence in Thornbury Township with help from Main... read more

August 23, 2000

Park Place

Philadelphia Magazine : Best of Philly -- August, 2000 | (excerpt)

Pillared and porticoed, Divertimento, set on 5.5 acres on the banks of the Wissahickon in Fairmount Park, has the neo-classical good bones of a home built for an old Philadelphia family. Several, actually — the circa 1800s mansion has accomodated such clans as the Rawles, Mittens and Morrises over the past two centuries. The wooded and landscaped property is so... read more

April 23, 2014

Plush Rolling Hills are the Area’s Priciest at $3.75 Million

The Evening Phoenix | (excerpt)

Who will buy the scenic country estate ? A CEO of a big corporation ? A celebrity writer, musician, or athlete ? A multi million dollar lottery winner ? A developer ? ‘Probably not a developer’, said Steve DiFrancesco, president of Hunter, Reed and Company Inc, Unionville, the agent marketing the sale of the estate. Hunter Reed and Co is... read more

April 24, 2014

Broker Finds Profitable Niche — One Megabucks Deal At a Time

Wilmington News Journal | (excerpt)

As a private broker of exclusive properties, Steve DiFrancesco, president of Hunter Reed and Company in Unionville, PA, has had some rich experiences selling multimillion dollar properties. There was the time last year when he was marketing a Main Line estate priced at $4.25 million. While showing a Fortune 500 CEO the property, a small herd of deer wandered into... read more

April 23, 2014

Realty Broker’s Work Helps Save Open Space

Daily Local News | (excerpt)

Steve DiFrancesco is known for doing what it takes — including tours by helicopter and horseback — to find buyers for the significant estates and landholdings that are his bread and butter. DiFrancesco, president of Hunter, Reed and Company Inc in Unionville, specializes in selling trophy properties to high net worth individuals. A side benefit to DiFrancesco’s deals, which often... read more

April 23, 2014

For Upscale Buyers, a Broker of Fine Estate Properties

Suburban And Wayne Times | (excerpt)

The seller had originally intended to develop the 63-acre estate in keeping with recommendations he had received from other real estate agencies. Then the owner called Hunter Reed and Company in Unionville for a second opinion. ‘We recommended against development’, said Steve DiFrancesco, president of Hunter Reed. ‘This is a significant landholding in an area which many see as the... read more

April 23, 2014

Secluded Splendor : Birchrunville Estate For Sale At $3.75 Million

Daily Local News : Sunday Edition | (excerpt)

If you listen very closely, you can hear apples dropping softly to the ground and water flowing through a stream and waterfall below. But that’s about all you’ll hear at Auldridge, a 63 acre $3.75 million estate built in the 1970’s by noted architect James Brown as a weekend retreat for a prominent New York couple …the grounds were designed... read more

April 23, 2014

A Different Sell These Days

Philadelphia Sunday Inquirer | (excerpt)

… for the real estate industry, it was a kinder, gentler time. Transactions were simpler. Now, legislation and computers have led to a much more sophisticated market. Where there were once thousands of two or three-person neighborhood real estate firms, now there are megafirms like Weichert, Prudential, Century 21 and more, with thousands of agents and millions of listings. For... read more

April 23, 2014

The Changing Face of Real Estate

Philadelphia Sunday Inquirer | (excerpt)

“Hunter Reed and Company Inc in Unionville is a smaller firm that has developed a specialized niche. In Hunter Reed’s case, it’s marketing multi-million dollar properties, such as the 63 acre Auldridge estate in Birchrunville. Steve DiFrancesco, president of Hunter Reed, has developed a strategy different from traditional real estate agencies. What Hunter Reed does is to identify and solicit... read more

April 23, 2014

Little Firms Becoming a Rare Breed

Philadelphia Sunday Inquirer | (excerpt)

The traditional mom-and-pop real estate offices are disappearing from city and suburban neighborhoods because they can neither specialize nor be all things to all people. To survive in the highly competitive market of the ’90’s, a real estate firm needs to be either a highly capitalized and diversified giant like Weichert and Prudential, or a highly specialized, tightly run, and... read more

April 23, 2014

New Services to Win Clients

Daily Local News | (excerpt)

Hunter Reed and Company offers comprehensive estate management services to its upscale clientele … one such contract is with the new owners of Auldridge, a 63-acre estate that Hunter Reed sold to a Philadelphia area couple this past summer … ‘we oversee everything that relates to the estate, from year-round maintenance of the buildings and land to managing contractors for... read more

April 23, 2014

Selling High-End Property Takes a Certain Touch

Philadelphia Business Journal | (excerpt)

Selling a home with a certain pedigree combines a complex mixture of knowing or finding the right buyer, defending the asking price, and keeping everything confidential. Steve DiFrancesco, president of Hunter Reed and Company Inc., which sells only properties valued at $1 million or more, explains, ‘ At $1 or $2 million and above, it’s much more about marketing, less... read more

April 23, 2014

Executive Living : Rich Buyers Are Different

Philadelphia Business Journal | (excerpt)

Buyers in the market for these multimillion dollar properties are more insulated from the general market conditions. Their ability to buy is not related to whether interest rates go up or down a point’, says Steve DiFrancesco, president of Hunter Reed and Company Inc in Unionville. DiFrancesco’s clients range in age from people in their 30’s who are qualified to... read more

April 24, 2014

For Sale : 55 Acres With Deed Restriction

Philadelphia Sunday Inquirer | (excerpt)

Known as Marlborough Farm, the 55-acre property off Providence Road in Radnor Hunt foxhunt country is listed for sale at $4.25 million. Charged with the marketing duties is Steve DiFrancesco, president of Hunter Reed and Company in Unionville, which specializes in selling large properties. For DiFrancesco, marketing the multimillion dollar property is made more difficult by the tenuous economic times... read more

April 24, 2014

Luxury Home Sales Have Remained Strong In County

Daily Local News | (excerpt)

While most of the recession-plagued real estate market stagnated for three years, some luxury sales have stayed strong. A perfect example is Marlborough Farm, a 55-acre property in Willistown, adjacent to the prestigious Radnor Hunt Club and White Manor Country Club. Steve DiFrancesco, of Hunter Reed and Company in Unionville, handled the sale of the property on December 29 to... read more

April 24, 2014

Million Dollar Market Starts Registering Sales

Main Line Magazine | (excerpt)

… finding the qualified buyers who have the resources to purchase multimillion dollar properties is the challenge’, said Steve DiFrancesco of Hunter Reed and Company Inc, the listing agent for 55- acre Marlborough Farm in Willistown Township, which sold last year. ‘We used very aggressive marketing techniques, and were able to find a buyer for Marlborough quickly in a relatively... read more

April 23, 2014

Still A Buyer’s Market, But Costs Millions To Enter

Philadelphia Sunday Inquirer | (excerpt)

Generally, the inventory of properties in the $1 million range and above is still at a relatively high level in the Philadelphia region’, said Steve DiFrancesco, president of Hunter, Reed and Company Inc, a firm that specializes in marketing estates and large landholdings. DiFrancesco’s firm completed the sale of Marlborough Farm, a 55-acre site in Willistown Township last year. The... read more

April 23, 2014

Marketing Luxury Homes

Philadelphia Sunday Inquirer | (excerpt)

Only a few local companies are anointed to sell residences in the multi-million dollar range. Obviously, special houses require personalized marketing strategies. So the owners of these homes choose firms with high end reputations. Hunter, Reed and Company Inc, based in Unionville, Chester County, is a firm that has developed a niche in marketing multi-million dollar properties. Steve DiFrancesco, president... read more

April 23, 2014

Marketing to Present that Big House

Daily Local News | (excerpt)

Selling a home is not an easy task with today’s soft real estate market, especially when the price tag is a cool $2.5 million … estate was on the market for a year and a half with little movement. He then switched real estate companies and went with Hunter, Reed and Company Inc in Unionville, which only handles multi-million dollar... read more

April 23, 2014

Antique Row Show

Philadelphia Magazine | (excerpt)

Built in the Greek revival style in 1830, this Society Hill townhouse on 3rd Street’s Mansion Row would please even the toughest Antiques Roadshow appraiser — most of the original details are untouched. Its current incarnation was built to the taste of wealthy merchant Henry White, which means it has a ballroom, a piazza with turned stairway, marble fireplaces, leaded... read more

April 23, 2014

Moore’s Stately Mansion

The Wall Street Journal -- October, 2004 | (excerpt)

Steven and Rori Minissale are selling this 1750’s stone manor, named the ‘James Moore House’, after its original owner and the founder of Glenmoore, Chester County , PA (once called ‘ Moorestown ‘). Mr. Moore supplied the Continental Army with grain and other necessities during the American Revolution. Prior to the 1980’s – when much of the property’s farmland was... read more

April 23, 2014

Extraordinary Properties on the Market

Architectural Digest | (excerpt)

Along the treelined block known as Mansion Row in Philadelphia’s Society Hill, stands a Federal townhouse that is listed on both the National Register and the Philadelphia Registers of Historic Places. Throughout the grands residence are original architectural details such as random-width pine floors and staircases, 13; ceilings, and eight marble fireplaces. A two-story tenant house house is also …

April 23, 2014

A Manor of Time

The Wall Street Journal | (excerpt)

“A 1740 manor house on 63 acres in bucolic Chester County, PA is on the market for $7.8 million. The property has 18 rooms, including six bedrooms, six baths, a library, game room, and a catering kitchen. Properties in the area have increased in value an average of 10-15% a year over the past five years, says Steve DiFrancesco, president... read more

April 23, 2014

A Philadelphia Story

Palm Beach Post | (excerpt)

“The Fairmount Park estate in Philadelphia is one of the only privately-owned historic mansions in the 8700-acre Park, and is known locally as ‘Divertimento’, named after the piece written by its former owner, the late classical composer Vincent Persichetti, according to broker Steve DiFrancesco of Hunter, Reed and Company in Unionville, PA, which specializes in marketing million dollar homes and... read more

April 23, 2014

Your Ace in the Hole

Landscape Management Magazine | (excerpt)

When Steve DiFrancesco, president of Hunter, Reed and Company in Unionville, Pa sold the 63-acre Auldridge estate near Philadelphia for $3.75 million, the buyers wanted an existing 71-tree apple orchard restored. Hunter, Reed, which now manages the estate for the new owners, awarded the account to Bartlett Tree Experts … the relationship between Hunter, Reed and Bartlett is ‘excellent’, says... read more

April 23, 2014

The Luxury Slump

The Wall Street Journal | (excerpt)

The brick residence, which dates from about 1830, has eight working fireplaces and original random width floors and hearthstones. Its most prominent characteristic may be its sheer size, with cavernous rooms (there is a grand ballroom on the second floor) and 13′ high ceilings. ‘Prospective buyers are captivated by the interior spaces, but some are intimidated by the idea of... read more

April 23, 2014

Private Properties

The Wall Street Journal | (excerpt)

Earlier this year, Philadelphia developer Michael DePaolo sold a vacant mall in Society Hill to actor Will Smith, a Philadelphia native, for $3.5 million. Now Mr. DePaolo is selling the Reynolds-Morris House, one of the oldest and largest Georgian mansions in the city. The estate includes a 7000 square foot main residence which was built in 1787 and is listed... read more

April 23, 2014

Musser’s Back on the Market

The Wall Street Journal | (excerpt)

Warren V. “Pete”Musser, chairman and chief executive of Internet incubator Safeguard Scientifics, is selling a large portion of the Chester County, PA farm he bought just a few months ago, people familiar with the situation say. Musser didn’t return calls seeking comment, but according to agent Steve DiFrancesco of Hunter Reed and Company in Unionville, PA, values for large landholdings... read more

April 23, 2014

Musser Sweetens the Deal

The Wall Street Journal | (excerpt)

“The Chester County, PA farm that Warren V. “Pete”Musser put on the market at the beginning of the year now comes with five more acres. ‘In the last two quarters, the market has become more price sensitive as demand from high net worth buyers has weakened a bit’, says broker Steve DiFrancesco, president of Hunter Reed and Company in Unionville,... read more