Homebuyer data shows urgency in fight for affordability
A new report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows first-time homebuyers made up just 21% of the U.S. market last year — the lowest share since NAR began tracking — while the average age for first-time buyers rose to 40, up from 38. NAR executive vice president Shannon McGahn warned that delayed homeownership can reduce equity gains by roughly $150,000 on a typical starter home, undermining upward mobility and widening wealth gaps. To address the crisis, NAR is advocating federal, state, and local solutions, including zoning reform, tax incentives for first-time buyers, down payment assistance, and reforms to FHA, USDA and VA loan programs. The association also supports legislation like the ROAD to Housing Act, the More Homes on the Market Act, and the Uplifting First-Time Homebuyers Act, while promoting local strategies through the Housing Supply Accelerator Playbook to expand affordable housing and ensure a viable path to homeownership for young Americans.
Source: Realtor Magazine; 11/5/2025

What buyers could pay for a 50-year mortgage
The Trump administration is exploring 50-year mortgages to make homeownership more affordable and encourage first-time buyers, with Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte confirming it’s under consideration as one potential tool among many. While such a mortgage could slightly lower monthly payments — for a median $410,800 home with a 10% down payment, the monthly cost would be roughly $2,007 versus $2,269 for a 30-year loan — the total interest paid would be much higher, over $834,000 compared to $447,000 for a 30-year mortgage. Critics argue the plan benefits banks while burdening homeowners for decades, while some real estate professionals see it as pro-homeowner. Economists caution it does not address core affordability issues, and retirees could still be paying late into retirement. Alternatives being discussed include restricting corporate and hedge fund purchases of single-family homes, which currently account for about 3% of U.S. homes.
Source: Forbes; 11/10/2025

Federal government shutdown ends, housing programs to resume
Federal programs critical to the U.S. housing market are set to resume after Congress approved legislation to fund the government and end the longest shutdown in American history. “This agreement brings programs critical to housing back online and is welcome news for Americans whose home purchases and insurance renewals have been delayed or derailed over the past several weeks,” said Shannon McGahn, chief advocacy officer and executive vice president of the National Association of Realtors. “Realtors from across the country have reported stalled FHA, VA and USDA loans, as well as halted new flood insurance policies, creating real economic harm that rippled through local economies each day the shutdown continued.” McGahn noted there is a six-week backlog with many of the programs. The agreement funds the federal government, including federal housing programs, and provides an extension of insurance-writing authority for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) through Jan. 30, 2026. It also provides funding for three spending bills related to agriculture, military construction and legislative agencies for the full fiscal year through Sept. 30, 2026. Those bills cover USDA and VA loan programs. Congress will have until the January deadline to pass additional appropriations covering the rest of the government.
Source: NAR; 11/12/2025

PA lawmakers, governor agree on $50 billion state budget, ending impasse
After more than four months of gridlock, lawmakers on Nov. 12 approved key elements of a roughly $50.1 billion spending plan to break the state’s budget impasse. Gov. Josh Shapiro signed several budget bills shortly after they passed, approving hundreds of pages of budget legislation that had barely been public for a few hours. Schools, counties and social service providers will soon receive four months of withheld state payments, which had lapsed after the budget deadline passed at the start of the new fiscal year on July 1. Under the no-new-taxes budget deal, new authorized spending would rise by about $2.4 billion, or 5%, including some cash going onto last year’s books. Democrats agreed to Republican demands to undo a regulation aimed at making Pennsylvania the only major fossil fuel-producing state to force power plant owners to pay for their planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. The deal delivers substantial new sums to public schools, as Democrats had sought, and an earned income tax credit for lower earners.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer & AP; 11/12/2025

PA Attorney General’s Office targets Turnpike scofflaws
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has referred more than 100 cases of severe toll evasion — each involving over $12,000 in unpaid tolls — to the state attorney general’s office under a new partnership aimed at strengthening toll enforcement. The effort comes as the turnpike transitions to an open-road tolling system and seeks greater accountability from drivers who ignore payment notices. Attorney General Dave Sunday said nonpayment shifts the financial burden to law-abiding motorists and warned that violators could face civil actions. The turnpike, which collects about 92% to 94% of tolls within 60 days, reported $187 million in unpaid tolls from June 2023 to May 2024. In response to growing losses, state Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-18) has introduced legislation to allow unpaid tolls to be recovered through garnished lottery winnings and tax refunds.
Source: Daily Local; 11/10/2025 

Richland reviews plans for a ‘flex business park’ amid Upper Bucks industrial boom
Richland Township officials recently reviewed plans from Outrigger Industrial for a new “flex business park” on Tollgate Road, featuring two buildings of 156,000 and 400,000 square feet designed for smaller “lifestyle industrial” tenants like showrooms or light manufacturers, rather than large logistics operations. The proposal remains in early stages with no township action yet. The project joins a wave of industrial growth across Upper Bucks County, including several completed or in-progress warehouses in Richland, Quakertown, West Rockhill, Tinicum and Milford townships, ranging from 84,000 to over 260,000 square feet and reflecting a regional boom in industrial development.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 11/12/2025

Failing septic system closes part of Haycock community center
A failing septic system has forced part of the Haycock Township Community Center to close, halting plans by the Haycock Fire Company to use the space as a banquet hall after investing about $400,000 and extensive volunteer work. The Bucks County Board of Health issued a cease-and-desist order, meaning no events can be held in the banquet hall area until the problem is resolved. Further complicating matters, the township did not file a change in use for the building in 2017 when it was being transformed from a school to a community center, and the use is nonconforming with the new zoning code. Officials estimate it could take a year or more to resolve zoning issues. Amid public frustration over mismanagement and finances, supervisors promised no tax increase in the preliminary $805,900 budget, despite the center’s $1,600 monthly operating costs. In other news, the board will accept resumes until Nov. 17 from residents interested in applying for a supervisor vacancy.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 11/7/2025

PennDOT talks Bristol Road extension in Chalfont
PennDOT is planning a $39 million extension of Bristol Road past Butler Avenue in Chalfont to reduce traffic congestion near Route 152. The plan includes widening the intersection, adding lanes and turning lanes, installing a traffic light, and building a multiuse bike and hike trail, as well as a bridge over Pine Run Creek. Two nearby intersections will also be redesigned to handle increased traffic. While the project has been under consideration for years, residents have raised concerns about noise, truck traffic and driveway access. For more information on the Bristol Road Extension, see the PennDOT project page. Read more about the project from Tap Into Doylestown.
Source: Tap Into Doylestown; 11/9/2025

Renowned woodworker’s Solebury home needs critical repairs
After World War II, master woodworker George Nakashima settled in Solebury Township, where he built his home and workshop by hand. Working with timber and stone from the surrounding land, Nakashima created world-renowned furniture celebrated for honoring the natural character of wood, earning him a place among Bucks County’s “Genius Belt” artisans and famous clients like the Rockefellers. His daughter Mira now continues his legacy on the 12-acre Solebury property, designated a National Historic Landmark in 2014. The historic Nakashima House is deteriorating due to age and lack of climate control, and the George Nakashima Foundation for Peace is seeking public support to protect the landmark of craftsmanship and harmony with nature. Find out more about preservation efforts here.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 11/10/2025 

Oxford Borough advances SALDO
After more than two years of work, Oxford Borough Council advanced a comprehensive update to its Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO) on Oct. 27, sending the draft to the Chester County Planning Commission for review under Act 247. The update, supported by a $100,000 grant from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, aims to align with the borough’s new comprehensive plan by encouraging infill development, walkability, attainable housing and historic preservation. Drafters of the ordinance wanted it to be more user-friendly, including pictures and designs. The plan also introduces provisions for accessory dwelling units, short-term rentals and limited backyard livestock. One regulation change would allow chickens and bees to be kept in some areas of the borough, with restrictions as to lot size and set-backs. Final adoption is expected as soon as December.
Source: Chester County Press; 11/6/2025

Exton Mall site debate continues
Developers and West Whiteland Township officials are clashing over the future of the largely vacant Exton Square mall, as Abrams Realty & Development sued the township last week after supervisors rejected a plan to build hundreds of townhouses, apartments, a 55-plus community and a mixed-use town center on the 75-acre site. Township officials cited concerns over sewer capacity, traffic, density, and strain on local schools and emergency services. “No one wants to see the mall in the condition it is in right now, but at the same time, we don’t want to create a monster,” Supervisor Rajesh Kumbhardare said. The stalled redevelopment has slowed potential new housing and tax revenue in an area already experiencing rapid residential growth. Abrams contends the plan would revitalize the site, create a walkable community hub, and generate nearly $1 million in annual township taxes, but township officials question those figures, leaving the project’s impact on local real estate and the community uncertain as the legal dispute moves forward.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 11/10/2025

Oxford Area Rec Authority unveils grand plan for multi-municipal park
The Oxford Area Recreation Authority unveiled an ambitious master plan for its multi-municipal park, detailing new amenities and upgrades across three 20-acre parcels serving more than 30,000 residents in five local municipalities — East Nottingham, Elk, Lower Oxford and West Nottingham townships, and Oxford Borough. Landscape architect Chuck Strodosky of YSM presented plans that include an amphitheater, additional parking, restrooms, pickleball courts, an inclusive fitness area, skateboard and golf spaces, and a multipurpose building. The authority continues to seek funding and donations to complete the project, which leaders say will enhance community engagement and attract regional visitors through tournaments, concerts and outdoor events.
Source: Chester County Press; 11/6/2025

S.A.V.E. presentation focuses on need to reimagine Route 41
The preservation advocacy group S.A.V.E. (Safety, Agriculture, Villages and Environment) held its annual meeting to discuss the future of Route 41, a heavily traveled corridor running from Cochranville to the Delaware state line. Transportation engineer Lucy Gibson of Toole Design outlined a “vision-based” planning approach encouraging collaboration among municipalities to create a safer, more connected highway. She emphasized reducing auto dependency, promoting walkable centers and integrating multimodal access while preserving the county’s rural character. “Vibrant communities are places where vehicular traffic provides access but does not dominate the setting,” Gibson said. S.A.V.E. executive director George Hundt Jr. said the goal is for municipalities along the corridor to unify their concerns and work with state officials to move projects forward. Read more at Chester County Press or visit PennDOT’s project website.
Source: Chester County Press; 11/6/2025

Chesco commissioners plan investigation of Election Day problems
Chester County commissioners addressed a major Election Day error that left nearly 20% of the county’s registered voters — more than 75,000 third-party and unaffiliated voters — omitted from poll books at all 230 precincts. The county announced it will hire an independent party to investigate the error, and laid out a timeline for the investigation. The mistake forced affected voters to cast provisional ballots, prompting the county to extend voting hours to 10 p.m. and dispatch supplemental poll books by midafternoon. Democratic Commissioner Josh Maxwell said county staff have faced threats, and he urged patience as the investigation proceeds.
Source: Daily Local; 11/5/2025