Realtors back ‘More Homes on Market Act’
New research commissioned by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows current federal policy on capital gains taxes is steadily and quietly distorting the housing market, locking in older homeowners and limiting inventory. Under current tax law, homeowners can exclude up to $250,000 in capital gains from the sale of a primary residence, or up to $500,000 for married couples filing jointly. The caps have remained unchanged since they were set in 1997 even as the value of homes has steadily climbed. According to the NAR study, 34% of homeowners (29 million) could already have enough equity in their homes to exceed the $250,000 cap, and over 10% (8 million) could have enough to surpass the $500,000 threshold. Those numbers are projected to climb rapidly. The effect is a disincentive that housing economists are calling a “stay-put penalty.” NAR is supporting the More Homes on the Market Act, a bipartisan bill that would update the capital gains exclusion thresholds for the first time in nearly 30 years. The legislation would double the exclusion to $500,000 for individuals and $1 million for married couples, and adjust the caps to reflect future inflation. Support for the legislation was a key talking point for thousands of Realtors who recently went to Washington to meet with lawmakers. Read more at the NAR website.
Source: NAR; 6/9/2025 

Federal grant program for public Wi-Fi canceled
Funding that was created by the Digital Equity Act, part of the sweeping infrastructure package that passed Congress with bipartisan support in 2021, has been canceled by the Trump administration. The decision affects more than $2.5 billion in grants to states, as well as local governments, nonprofits and universities, that was meant to bring broadband to everyone in the U.S. The canceled funding includes more than $25 million for Pennsylvania’s Broadband Development Authority and almost $12 million for the city of Philadelphia to teach digital skills and provide free or low-cost internet subscriptions. The Digital Equity Act aimed to help groups who face challenges accessing the internet, including: racial and ethnic minorities, older adults, low-income households, residents of rural areas, and veterans. Read more from Spotlight PA.
Source: Spotlight PA; 6/4/2025

Trail projects in limbo as federal grants remain frozen
Five trail projects in the Greater Philadelphia region could be in the crosshairs of the Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE). They include: $13.7 million for the Wissahickon Gateway, which would connect Philadelphia’s Schuylkill River Trail from Manayunk to Passyunk Avenue; $23.3 million for the Reaching the Steps project at Eakins Oval; $2 million for the Richmond Industrial Trail; $2.5 million for State Route 291 East Coast Greenway / 9-11 National Memorial Trail in Chester City, which would reconnect residents to jobs along the waterfront and the Port of Chester; and $19 million for the planned 34-mile Camden LINK Trail. Trail advocates say the U.S. Department of Transportation, which had already approved the grants, has not signed contracts or made payments toward them. “To be precise, $38.7 million in federal dollars were awarded in January for Circuit Trails projects in Pennsylvania,” said Kevin Mills, a vice president at the nonprofit Rails to Trails Conservancy. “But since January, and with the arrival of the new federal administration, it’s like someone hit pause — and lost the remote."
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 6/11/2025

Inquirer offers quiz on homeownership
June is National Home Ownership month. A home is the largest purchase most Americans make in their lifetimes, and owning one has traditionally been the way most people build wealth. The Philadelphia Inquirer released a 10-question quiz testing readers’ homebuying and -owning knowledge. Take the quiz here (gift link).
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 6/10/2025

SRA webinar will explore impact of tariffs on the housing market
The Suburban Realtors Alliance will host a webinar to discuss the role that international trade and tariffs play in shaping the housing market and real estate more broadly. “Tariffs, Trade, and the Housing Market: What You Need to Know” will be held via Zoom on Thursday, June 26, from 10 to 11 a.m. SRA CEO Jamie Ridge will be joined by Drexel University economist Kevin Gillen, PhD, for a discussion of the influence of global economic policy on housing affordability, construction costs and real estate investment trends. The webinar is open to members of the Bucks County Association of Realtors and Tri-County Suburban Realtors. Learn more and register here. 

Amazon announces data center in Falls Township
Amazon has announced it will open a data center for its AI and cloud computing technologies in Falls Township. The company will also build a data center in Luzerne County. The plan, confirmed by Amazon and Gov. Josh Shapiro, is part of a $20 billion facilities investment in Pennsylvania that is expected to create at least 1,250 new, high-skilled jobs in the state and support thousands more in the Amazon Web Services data center supply chain. Although the exact location in Falls Township was not officially disclosed by Amazon, multiple sources point to a facility under construction at the Keystone Trade Center. Shapiro hailed the investment as a big win for the state and local economy as his administration works to attract high-tech jobs to compete in the fast-changing technology market. The new data centers represent the largest single corporate investment in the state’s history, according to Amazon and the governor’s office. Read more from LevittownNow.
Source: LevittownNow; 6/9/2025

Warminster offers U&O guide
Warminster Township has created a new guide for its use and occupancy application process. The guide can be accessed by visiting the township's Residential Use and Occupancy webpage and clicking the link for the "Residential Use & Occupancy Application Process Outline." The new guide includes information on the new sewer lateral inspection requirement enacted by the Warminster Municipal Authority earlier this year.

Croydon development receives Bristol Township planning commission approval
The Bristol Township Planning Commission has recommended approval of a new, seven-home residential development in Croydon. New Horizon Property Management Inc. proposes to consolidate two existing vacant parcels and then subdivide them into residential lots for the construction of seven single-family detached homes. The development plan features a stormwater management system, including an infiltration trench along the rear and side yards of some parcels. According to Mike Meginniss, attorney for New Horizon Property Management, a homeowners’ association will be formed to maintain the stormwater management facilities. The developer requested seven waivers, including relief from installing sidewalks and curbing, and simultaneous preliminary and final development approval among other items. The residential development plans now head to Bristol Township Council for final consideration.
Source: LevittownNow; 6/9/2025

Falls approves new warehouses
Falls Township supervisors approved a proposal to transform an industrial site off Stell Road into two warehouses. The proposal by 141 Steel Road Morrisville LLC will consolidate four parcels into two and allow for construction of two warehouses — the larger of the two buildings will span approximately 272,000 square feet on a 31.3-acre parcel, while the smaller building will measure about 56,000 square feet on a 6.3-acre lot. The property is currently used for asphalt operations, and Jeff Dence, supervisors chair, noted the potential environmental benefits of the project. The project has already been approved by the Falls Township Zoning Hearing Board.
Source: LevittownNow; 6/4/2025

Middletown approves affordable housing project
Middletown Township supervisors granted preliminary and final land development for a 42-unit affordable housing apartment building. The project — called Meadow Brook Apartments — will be constructed on the Woods Services property near Route 1 and South Pine Street (Route 413). Phase One of the development includes 42 units — 29 one-bedroom, eight two-bedroom and five three-bedroom apartments — with nine units specifically designated for individuals with intellectual disabilities or traumatic brain injuries. A third-party management company approved by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency will run the building and conduct background checks for all applicants. Several conditions were tied to approval, including the completion of a traffic impact study for both phases, the installation of a berm and fence, and the planting of trees along the property boundary. Read more here.
Source: LevittownNow; 6/10/2025

Hilltown permanently closes community park
A 56-acre community park on Forest Road in Hilltown Township has been permanently closed. Initially closed last August after township public works employees discovered a defect in a detention basin, the fractures in bedrock appear to have worsened. Township officials enclosed the basin area with a fence, but now a new “anomaly” has been discovered outside the fence line. It appears to be unrelated to the existing fracture, and it raised new safety concerns. Visitors who ignore the barricades will be charged with criminal trespassing. The township is awaiting a report from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and will continue to monitor the situation for possible reopening of the park in the future.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 6/5/2025 

County tracks housing, other goals of Landscapes3 plan
Landscapes3 was adopted as the comprehensive plan for Chester County in November 2018. Since then, the county planning commission has been tracking 18 metrics to assess implementation of its six goals. Long-term changes in the housing market are also reflected in the metrics. The percentage of new housing units that are apartments continues to be notably higher than in the 2000s or 2010s, although that percentage is still smaller than owner-occupied units. Housing assessment values in boroughs and in the City of Coatesville continue to rise at a strong pace, which was not always the case in past decades. Read more and access the data here.
Source: Chester County; 6/6/2025

Henrietta Hankin library to host conversation about green spaces
The Henrietta Hankin Branch Library will host a discussion about green spaces on Wednesday, June 18, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The discussion will focus on the importance of green spaces and will be facilitated by the team behind WHYY News’ Bridging Blocks, a program that brings together community members on hot-button topics to foster civic dialogue in supportive spaces. The Henrietta Hankin Branch Library is located at 215 Windgate Drive in Chester Springs, West Vincent Township. For hours or more information, visit the library website.
Source: Chester County Press; 6/11/2025

Phoenixville’s Colonial Theatre gets $100K grant for repairs
Phoenixville's Colonial Theatre has received a $100,000 state grant that will fund much-needed repairs on the historic west wall of the theatre, officials said. The funds come from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and will allow the Colonial to protect the integrity of its original theatre from 1903.
Source: Phoenixville Patch; 6/11/2025

Partnerships and programs addressing homelessness in Chester County
A recent presentation by the Chester County Partnership to End Homelessness brought together several of the county’s leading experts in the field to discuss what is working and what is not. Rob Henry, administrator of the partnership, said that the agency is currently working with 24 “housing solution partners” in the county to address homelessness. The January point-in-time count found that homelessness has grown to affect 313 people in the county, up from 213 people in 2024. Read more at the Chester County Press.
Source: Chester County Press; 6/4/2025

Coatesville VA hosts summit to end veteran homelessness
Federal, state and local agencies gathered at Coatesville VA Medical Center’s Homeless Veteran Summit to work on ending veteran homelessness. During the summit, social workers from the VA discussed the needs of homeless veterans, identified the barriers they face in obtaining permanent housing, and talked about the work done to resolve those barriers through planning and cooperative action. Since 2022, the Coatesville VA has housed nearly 1,000 formerly homeless veterans. So far in 2025, it has housed 132 veterans. Veterans or family members seeking immediate 24/7 assistance for a veteran at risk of being homeless are encouraged to contact the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838.
Source: Daily Local; 6/10/2025