What does luxury real estate look like in Lancaster County?

Sandra Burkholder has the answer. 

As a Real Estate Advisor and Certified Luxury Advisor with eXp Luxury, for her, luxury is more than a price point – it’s a mindset. 

She started out in commercial real estate with Danella Realty and Management in Blue Bell, PA after being licensed in 2000 and later moved into residential – something she says she always wanted to do. 

“Luxury isn't the same as what I call business - residential where the price for the property may be high, but not really the posh that makes luxury.” she said. This is when “Maybe they live on a property as well and then they have another building for a business and they are combining the two”  That's so common here because a lot of the economy is in construction or small businesses.  So, what they do is they buy land or they buy a property that's big enough and then they put a large garage on it or even build on top of it.  Landscapers may store their stuff in their family garage but codes in some townships prohibit this so finding out if it is ok before they buy is essential. “When they are selling, you know, they are unique. They could sell very fast because it’s in demand here.” 

Luxury real estate is really about the quality of the property, not the price.  

Another difference with the luxury market is the importance of relationships.

They want someone they can trust not just with their wealth but also with their personal information - confidentiality.  

She is not only a member of the Lancaster County Association of Realtors, as is common for residential real estate agents, but she is also on the board of the Lancaster Commercial and Industrial Real Estate Council where she helps support and influence the local business community.

Sandra says she’s always been a very driven person. She brings that drive into finding the best-fit properties for her clients. “I look at it as everything I do in my career needs to help me be the best person. We only really have one life. And so, [my goal is] to be the best person I can be.” I know many of my successful clients have that value as well.  

Unlike other areas, where it may be one determining factor that draws people to the area, Sandra finds that, with Lancaster County, it’s the whole package.

“People want the lifestyle,” she said. “People just really love and think about that idea. Especially when you're looking at higher income earners who relocate to Lancaster County, it's not as much about school districts as you think.

The clients that are coming to me want to be self-employed or they want to have a semi-retired job such as consulting.

They're not quite retired but they're really tired of whatever job they had. Or, they are retired.” 

This gives them more time to enjoy the wealth of experiences that Lancaster County has to offer – just as Sandra does with “Wayfaring Lancaster,” which compiles the best of the area for current and future Lancaster County residents, business owners and real estate investors. 

Through the Wayfaring Lancaster website and corresponding Facebook group, “Wayfaring Lancaster: Buy Local, Buy Small” she chooses to make a positive impact on the community.  

Sandra says one of the things that’s helped her the most in her life is “just blending fun and joy into everything.”

This mindset comes across in Wayfaring Lancaster.

Part lifestyle blog, part tourism guide, Wayfaring Lancaster combines Sandra’s experiences living, working and parenting in Lancaster County. 

When she’s not working with clients or covering the next hidden gem for “Wayfaring Lancaster,” Sandra enjoys spending time with her husband and their eight children, volunteering with the American Cancer Society or playing pickleball, which she’s recently taken up after trying golf.  

Like many people in Lancaster County, she believes in being actively involved and making a meaningful difference in the community.

She uses her career and lifestyle as platforms to create a positive impact.