According to the latest Zillow Pennsylvania Housing Market report, the average West Chester home value is at $607,197 and goes to pending in around six days. Those are some daunting numbers in the best of budgets so what do you do if your price range is just 2/3 of that and you really have your heart set on the Borough? 

You get creative. Melissa Johnston, who moved to West Chester when she was in ninth grade, met her husband in a shared class at East High School and rented peacefully for the last 20 years, learned in April her landlord was selling the house. She and her husband would need to be out by August. They explored other rentals, but market rate was now well above what they had been paying. When they considered homeownership they discovered that, despite steady employment, lacking current property or inheritance to funnel toward a home purchase their max budget would be well under that median home value. 

“What makes it a cool story is it was an absolute miracle,” said Melissa. “I didn’t realize how competitive this market is. I talked to people who had been looking for years.”

At the time there were no active listings in the Johnstons’ $350-380K price range, but Melissa did notice there were home sales in that range. A regular on the West Chester Community Facebook page, she took her dilemma to the group.   

“All I’m looking for is a simple home inside the borough with one single parking spot and a tiny patch of yard to put my rose bush in that my grandma gave me for my birthday before she died.”

Melissa Johnston

Understanding the Market

“People of the West Chester borough, who are preparing to sell their homes for under $380k this spring, I know you’re out there for I have seen you represented in the “recently sold” feature on the Zillow app, I implore you, please, consider selling your home specifically to me (before August) instead of listing it for a bunch of faceless strangers, or careless flippers or soulless corporations,” she wrote.

A few weeks later she posted her plea again. “Good morning all, it’s me again coming to you with the latest update on “Operation Homeward Bound,” she began. Her posts garnered the attention of residents (more than 300 people replied) and local real estate agent and East High School economics teacher Brian Busby.

“It was one of the more unique things that happened to me as a real estate agent,” he said. “I met a stranger on Facebook and she picked me to help her find a home.” 

Not that that was an easy ask.

According to the latest census figures, of the Borough’s 7,462 housing units, 67 percent are rentals. That leaves just under 2,500 total owner-occupied properties of which someone occupies 94 percent of the time. So while properties in that price range do exist, there are a lot of potential buyers for each one, Brian explains. 

“The reality is that it’s extremely difficult for buyers in that price range – there are just a lot of them,” he said. Leave it to an economics teacher to turn it into a lesson on supply and demand. 

Everything else is negotiable 

That said, Melissa and her husband did have a few things going for them. They had good credit. They had pre-approval for a loan with financing lined up, and, perhaps, most importantly they had a simple wish list. 

“All I’m looking for is a simple home inside the borough with one single parking spot and a tiny patch of yard to put my rose bush in that my grandma gave me for my birthday before she died,” she wrote.

“Melissa had a couple of things she really, really wanted. We just needed to find a house that has those things,” said Brian. “I started calling people, sending letters, asking. You have to be aggressive at all price points, but especially this one.” 

The reality is some residents never list their homes. They sell them off market to family or friends or to investors with all-cash offers. This is generally not the best way to make the most money off a transaction; it is quick and easy for the sellers – and tough for unrelated buyers. “You can’t compete with that,” said Brian, so sometimes you just have to ask.  

“I know I could go off to Downingtown or Phoenixville… but I want to stay here in the town I call home. And I think if you really wanted to, you could probably help me out with that,” Melissa concluded her Facebook post – and it worked. Less than six months after the journey began Melissa and her husband are proud West Chester homeowners.

“It will change her life forever. It’s literally the American dream for real,” said Brian. 

Reality check

Now, don’t get delusional about what you get for $350K in the Borough. Remember this is the American dream, not a fairy tale. “Is it gorgeous?” asked Melissa.  “No, it’s small. The ceilings are weird and low but you just have to put work in. If you want it to be the greatest house you have to make it that way,” she said and she couldn’t be happier about it. 

“I am happy as a clam,” she said. “This neighborhood came through. Good lord, these people care. It’s Sesame Street here. It’s worth fighting for. We never thought we could buy a house before, but we could.”

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Originally published on Oct. 25, 2024

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