Federal tax changes will impact real estate professionals and clients
President Trump recently signed into law a major tax package that includes several provisions affecting the real estate industry. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) successfully secured its top legislative priorities in the final legislation:

• Permanent extension of the qualified business income (QBI) deduction (Section 199A), allowing eligible independent contractors and small businesses to continue deducting up to 20% of qualified income.
• Temporary increase in the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap, beginning in 2025. The cap will increase from $10,000 to $40,000 through the 2029 tax year. Beginning in 2030, the SALT deduction will revert back to $10,000.
• Continued protection of business SALT deductions and Section 1031 like-kind exchanges, which are commonly used by real estate investors to defer capital gains.
• Permanent extension of the mortgage interest deduction, maintaining a key incentive for homeownership.

These provisions are expected to provide more financial certainty for both real estate professionals and property owners.
Source: NAR; 7/3/2024

$230 million in federal education funding for Pennsylvania withheld
The U.S. Department of Education informed Pennsylvania Department of Education officials of a delay in the release of funding that was due to be available starting July 1. The congressionally approved funding was intended for after-school programs, teacher training, literacy, and education for migrant and non-English speaking students. Funding for seven federal programs totaling nearly $7 billion nationwide is affected. The money due to Pennsylvania is the sixth largest amount among the states, according to an analysis by Education Week. It is not clear when or if the funding will be released, with some states signaling readiness to take court action. Read more from the Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
Source: Pennsylvania Capital-Star; 7/2/2025

PA may become the latest state that automatically seals eviction records
For the second time in two years, Pennsylvania lawmakers are weighing legislation that would automatically seal certain eviction records for tens of thousands of renters across the commonwealth. House Bill 1095 is a longtime wish list item for housing advocates, who say it would help tenants struggling to find safe and habitable homes because they were the subject of an eviction filing at some point. If passed, the courts would immediately shield from public view cases where a judge ruled in favor of the tenant. Eviction cases that were withdrawn or led to a lockout would be automatically sealed seven years after the filing. The measure would help renters in urban centers like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, but also in smaller suburban and rural communities, some of which have higher eviction rates. The Pennsylvania Association of Realtors supports HB 1095.
Source: PlanPhilly; 7/2/2025

HUD updates FHA single-family program requirements
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) issued multiple mortgagee letters on June 27, implementing policy changes affecting FHA-insured, single-family loans. The changes, which took effect immediately, are part of what the Trump administration says is a broader effort to reduce regulatory burden in the housing market. The policy modifications affect various aspects of the FHA-insured loans, from construction standards in flood zones to appraisal protocols and borrower data collection. Read more here.
Source: NAR; 7/7/2025

SEPTA is preparing for service cuts
Crews are scheduled to start zip-tying notices to utility poles at 3,000 SEPTA bus stops on July 28. Service cuts could start three weeks later. The transit agency’s planners have been preparing two fall schedules — a normal one, and one with a 20% cut in service that would start Aug. 24. Which one gets used is mostly up to legislative leaders and Gov. Josh Shapiro, who will work out details of the overdue fiscal 2026 state budget. SEPTA projects a $213 million structural deficit in its own operating budget, meaning it is not a temporary glitch but could recur annually and grow larger. SEPTA fares are set to increase 21.5% on Sept. 1, with the one-way base fare rising to $2.90. A second round of service cuts would be triggered Jan. 1, if needed. In all, nearly half the current level of service would be cut, including five Regional Rail lines. Use The Inquirer’s searchable tool to see if your transit line is slated for a change in service (gift link).
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 7/9/2025 

DEP to hold town hall to address pipeline leak concerns in Upper Makefield
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection representatives have scheduled a town hall meeting to address community concerns and provide updates on the ongoing investigation of a Sunoco pipeline leak in Upper Makefield. The leak was discovered six months ago, but residents still don’t know how big the spill is or how long the pipeline had been leaking. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 15, at 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Makefield Township Building, 1076 Eagle Road, Newtown. Matt Gordon, the vice president of operations for Sunoco’s parent company, Energy Transfer, wrote that the pipeline companies have tested 362 private water supplies surrounding the leak and noted that jet fuel was detected in only a handful of wells close to the leak site. Residents in the area are skeptical because private wells that were previously clear of jet fuel recently tested positive for jet fuel components, such as benzene.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 7/9/2025

Centennial passes late budget with 3.75% tax increase
On July 2, the Centennial School Board voted 5-4 to pass a $151.6 million budget for 2025-2026 that includes a 3.75% tax increase. The new real estate tax rate will increase the bill of a home assessed at the district average by $133. The district missed a June 30 deadline to pass an operating budget for the coming school year. Not having a budget approved could have landed Centennial in court and halted all spending, including payroll for district employees. School board member Jane Schrader Lynch voted against the budget, saying the spending plan will grow the district’s deficit. Read more in the Bucks County Herald.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 7/3/2025

Small subdivision approved along Upper Makefield, Wrightstown border
Upper Makefield Township supervisors approved a subdivision proposal that creates a new 4.2-acre property in the township where a single-family home can be built. The land has been subdivided from a 9-acre property that spans Upper Makefield and Wrightstown townships. Following the subdivision, 5.2 acres of the larger property remain at 192 Pine Lane in Wrightstown, and the new four-acre lot will be addressed 2799 Windy Bush Road in Upper Makefield. The subdivision required zoning relief because the acreage was short of the five acres required in the Jericho Mountain zoning district. An earlier version of the subdivision didn’t require zoning relief but would have had the property spanning two municipalities — something local officials wanted to avoid.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 7/9/2025

First Amendment lawsuit against Yardley officials moves forward
Yardley Borough resident Earl J. Markey III won a victory in a lawsuit he brought against the borough, its council president and its borough manager, over his First Amendment right to free speech on a borough Facebook page. Markey filed suit in the United States District Court for Eastern Pennsylvania after a statement he made on Yardley’s official Facebook site shortly before the November 2022 general election was removed. In his ruling, federal Judge Mark Kearney wrote, “a resident undoubtedly enjoys the right to appropriately criticize his local borough government officials under the First Amendment without fear of government censure.” Yardley officials had sought to have the case dismissed on the basis of “qualified immunity” — a judicially established doctrine designed to protect public officials from liability when performing acts necessary in their job. Kearney disagreed, noting prior cases have addressed the deletion of comments and/or banning of users from a government social media page as a violation of the First Amendment.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 7/1/2025 

West Whiteland sees ‘tremendous amount’ of development
Having a mix of housing options is important to West Whiteland Township, said John Weller, the township’s director of planning and zoning. The township wants to attract residents with good-paying jobs no matter whether they buy or rent, since the township’s principal revenue stream is the earned income tax. “Property tax is a big chunk, but earned income tax is a bigger chunk,” Weller said. The township has had “a tremendous amount of residential development” over the past decade, Weller said. Although the township still has more owners than renters, the share of the population who rent is increasing. Owners lived in 65% of the township’s homes in 2023, down from 72% in 2018, according to Census Bureau data. West Whiteland is home to a smaller census-designated place, Exton, which is the site of a lot of the township’s development. Renters lived in about 69% of the housing units in the community of almost 6,000 people in 2023, according to Census Bureau data. That’s up from 60% in 2018. In March, a developer bought the Exton Square Mall with plans to tear down most of it and build 376 rental apartments and 243 for-sale townhouses. In a news release, the CEO of Abrams Realty & Development said its proposed mixed-use town center “is not just a redevelopment; it’s the realization of a true town center, designed to enhance quality of life while delivering economic and social benefits to the community.”
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 7/7/2025

Kennett Square Borough leaders, residents discuss clean-up process at NVF site
The first meeting of the NVF Clean-Up Focus Group, formed by Kennett Square Borough Mayor Matt Fetick and Borough Councilman Joel Sprick, brought nearly two dozen residents with thoughts about the ongoing clean-up of the former NVF site in the borough that is being planned for development. The 90-minute meeting, held at Borough Hall, also provided an overview of the site’s remediation process, the timelines for completion and a scenario of remaining approvals that will be made and by whom before the development along West Mulberry Street will be given clearance to start construction. Plans for the NVF site include remediation and development of 246 townhomes and 48 affordable apartments. Fetick said more community meetings are planned. Read more here.
Source: Chester County Press; 7/9/2025

Charlestown Township launches new website
Charlestown Township has launched a new website. The website features news and announcements, as well as other information relating to township services, including permitting.
Source: Charlestown Township; 7/8/2025

Housing Partnership creates new home for buyer in Oxford
The Housing Partnership of Chester County (HPCC) held an open house event to unveil a dramatic renovation of a property at 343 South Street in the Borough of Oxford. The renovation is part of the Conservatorship Program under Pennsylvania Act 135, which creates a new home for a qualified buyer. The HPCC made use of the Abandoned and Blighted Property Conservatorship Act, which allows certain individuals and organizations to petition the court to become conservators of blighted properties.
Source: Chester County Press; 7/9/2025

Chester County officials provide plans to address housing insecurity
Officials from Chester County held a public hearing on June 25 in West Goshen to update the public on its plans relating to community programs designed to assist municipalities and residents experiencing housing insecurity. The county Department of Community Development is in the third year of its five-year plan to distribute funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. A draft version of its 2025 action plan is available here. The plan is a blueprint on how to disperse the funds, with project amounts for $2.47 million for Community Development Block grants, $970,000 in HOME Investment Partnerships and $224,000 in emergency shelter grants. The funds go toward items ranging from street improvements in Phoenixville, to a shelter in Coatesville, to family emergency housing in West Chester, and affordable apartments for seniors on the Main Line. The funds are broken down into affordable housing initiatives, community construction and public works, and public services.
Source: Daily Times; 7/7/2025