News & Issues: Policies & Issues

As an advocate for the real estate industry and consumers of real estate in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties (PA), the Suburban REALTORS® Alliance utilizes policy statements as the foundation for its activities. In developing these policies, the Alliance seeks the input and experience of REALTOR® volunteers, staff and legal counsel, conducts extensive research, and factors in general business practices and "best practices" within the industry.

The SRA traditionally involves itself in local public policy initiatives that impact the real estate settlement process, the rights of real property owners, and the cost of housing. Priority issues for the Alliance include use and occupancy, sign, new residential disclosure, and transfer tax ordinances. In addition, issues such as land and water use planning, inter-municipal cooperation, urban revitalization, and open space preservation warrant increased attention and input from the Alliance.

In an effort to educate the general public, government officials, and the real estate industry, we have included organizational policy statements on this site. If there are any questions or comments, please contact us via e-mail.

Realty Transfer Tax

The Pennsylvania legislature has recently debated proposals designed to provide a designated funding source for mass transit. During the debate, State Senator Vince Fumo, (D-Philadelphia) proposed legislation that would increase the PA Realty Transfer Tax by one-half percent to fund mass transit. According to his estimates, the additional tax would generate approximately $200 million annually for the transit agencies. Read more...

New Residential Property Disclosure

The Real Estate Licensing and Registration Act, the Real Estate Seller's Disclosure Act, the Planned Communities Act, and the Co-Op and Condominium Act provide ample guidance regarding licensees' obligations to their clients, and establish penalties for non-compliance. Read more...

Use and Occupancy Ordinances

REALTORS® support the development and enforcement of reasonable use and occupancy criteria for all types of real property. However, in general, REALTORS® believe that use and occupancy requirements enforced solely at the point of sale do little to promote health, safety and welfare of all citizens. Read more...

Growth Management

The Alliance believes that any land-use planning must respect the rights of individual property owners in each communitiy while creating and maintaining affordable housing opportunities and environmental conditions. Also, the free market must be the principal way in which the use of land is determined. Read more...

Mandatory Fire Sprinkler Ordinances

Recently in Delaware County (PA) several townships and boroughs have attempted to enact fire sprinkler ordinances that are focused on an extremely narrow segment of their housing stock - new construction and homes that are converted from owner-occupied to rental units. Because of the limited application of these proposed ordinances, the safety benefit to the overall community would be minimal. Read more...

The Property Assessment Appeals Process

The importance of the property assessment appeals process often goes overlooked by homeowners, and especially by owners of newly constructed homes. Owners of new homes have seen their property assessments lowered by thousands of dollars through the assessment appeals process. Read more...

Eminent Domain

The Eminent domain issue came to the forefront of national interest in Kelo et al v. City of New London, 125 S. Ct. 2655 (2005). Under Kelo, state or local governments may now be permitted to lawfully take private property and transfer it to another private owner, provided the second owner is going to upgrade or improve the property's use. Read more...

Issue Summaries

Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code

As a result of several legislative and lobbying efforts in the 1990s, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry adopted the 2003 International Building Code and 2003 International Residential Code as the UCC for all municipalities. Read more...