Contact your state rep — SB 838 prevents burdens for real estate schools

The Pennsylvania Association of Realtors (PAR) is continuing its call to action, asking all members to contact their state representatives and urge them to vote for SB 838, the Private Licensed School Act amendments. Without SB 838, real estate and appraiser schools could face new licensing, course approval and fee requirements from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The added costs and requirements could make it harder for smaller schools to stay open and increase the costs of continuing education for Realtors and appraisers. Read more about SB 838 and respond to the call to action (scroll down to the bottom of the page, if necessary) on the PAR website.
Source: PAR; 9/16/2026

Disaster recovery gets three-year authorization
A new provision in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act gives the federal Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program a three-year authorization, creating a more predictable framework for rebuilding homes and communities after major disasters. The CDBG-DR program provides federal assistance for permanent housing recovery following presidentially declared disasters, but historically Congress has had to authorize funding after individual disasters, with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) developing requirements for each allocation. The new authorization allows HUD to establish standing program rules that could speed access to recovery funds and create more consistent requirements for homeowners and communities affected by hurricanes, floods, wildfires and other disasters. The National Association of Realtors (NAR), which has advocated for permanent CDBG-DR authorization, is urging HUD to standardize requirements, expedite funding and include home-hardening measures designed to reduce repeated losses and help maintain property insurability. HUD must still implement the program through regulations, while Congress will continue to control funding through the appropriations process.
Source: NAR; 9/18/2026

Montco, Chesco and Bucks remain a seller's market even as most of U.S. favors buyers
A Redfin analysis found that the combined county housing market for Montgomery, Chester and Bucks county was one of only five seller's markets among the nation's 49 largest metros in August. According to Redfin economist Chen Zhao, about 5,800 sellers competed against roughly 7,300 buyers, driven by rising demand and shrinking supply. The region has become somewhat more buyer-friendly than in the years right after the pandemic, when the buyer-seller gap was twice as wide, but it remains one of the markets where sellers are least likely to offer concessions like covering closing costs or repairs. By contrast, the Philadelphia-Delaware County market is a buyer's market, with about 5,900 buyers and 8,900 sellers. Nationally, 36 of the 49 metros Redfin analyzed favored buyers in August, led by Nashville, Miami, Orlando, Las Vegas and several Texas metros, while eight markets, including New York, Baltimore and New Brunswick (New Jersey), were considered balanced.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 9/21/2026

Upper Southampton to consider amendments to U&O ordinance
Upper Southampton Township supervisors will consider adopting an ordinance amending Chapter 134 of the township code, which governs sales of real estate and certificate of use and occupancy requirements. A public hearing is planned for Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 6:30 p.m. in the Lower-Level Meeting Room of the township library at 947 Street Road. The full text of the proposed ordinance is available for public review at the township building, 939 Street Road, during normal business hours. The Alliance has requested a copy of the proposed ordinance.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 9/2026

Bucks County DA requests more information from alleged slumlords
Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan has filed an amended civil complaint and is demanding business and financial records dating back to 2013 from Richard Goetter, Ronald Goetter and their entity R&R Enterprises. The pair are the alleged landlords of a Dublin Borough rental property that was condemned in April over life-threatening conditions, including years without functional heat. Since the original April lawsuit, 13 former tenants — including a mother with an 11-year-old child and a 63-year-old amputee who paid $230 weekly rent — have come forward describing similar conditions like black mold, rodent and cockroach infestations, a hole in a bathroom floor, and the smell of human waste, with violations documented as far back as 2013. Richard Goetter previously pleaded guilty in 2024 over a rodent problem. Khan's office, using the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, is now demanding ownership documents, tax returns, insurance policies, rent records, evidence of any taxpayer-funded aid received, and internal communications about repairs and evictions, saying the landlords have made no effort to compensate affected tenants in the five months since the suit was filed.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 9/16/2026

Lower Makefield CFO warns of growing deficit
Lower Makefield Township's chief financial officer Mega Bhandary warned supervisors that the general fund faces a $469,000 deficit this year, with future projections showing the deficit growing sharply to $1.91 million in 2027 and $7.37 million by 2028. Bhandary told township supervisors that the operating budget is not sustainable using budgetary transfers from other funds — since 2020 the general fund has taken $14.9 million from other funds. The transfers have left the fund with only a 1.7-month savings cushion, below the two-month reserve recommended by the Government Finance Association. Without the transfers, the operating fund would have ended the year $2.95 million in the red, driven mainly by wages, benefits, insurance and contracted services. The golf and park/recreation funds are in the black while the pool fund is running a deficit, and the township has fallen short of expected amusement tax revenue tied to Shady Brook Farm visitors. Township staff has also trimmed $212,000 in costs so far. Township Manager David Kratzer noted the real estate tax millage rate sits at 13.88 mills against a 14-mill cap, and while court approval could raise it to 19 mills, that still wouldn't close the deficit gap — a problem he tied partly to Bucks County not having reassessed property values since 1972. 
Source: Bucks County Herald; 9/21/2026

Popular Hulmeville picnic park is for sale
Neshaminy Shore Picnic Park, a 7.5-acre, family-owned venue along Neshaminy Creek in Hulmeville that has hosted Bucks County celebrations for roughly 55 years across three owners, is listed for sale at $2.25 million. The current owners, an anonymous father-son team operating as Adams LLC, have invested several hundred thousand dollars renovating the property's four in-ground pools and other amenities, and while low-lying areas flood periodically, the offices and picnic pavilion were built or raised above flood levels. Zoned R-1 and located in a flood plain, the property is restricted by Hulmeville to its current footprint, meaning a buyer could not build condos, townhouses or other new residential structures — only upgrade existing ones. The park's offerings include a catering hall with commercial kitchen, game room, sports courts, mini golf, arcade games, a dock for kayak rentals, and space that has long supported summer camps and corporate and private events.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 9/10/2026

Solebury Township to survey residents on affordable housing
Solebury Township supervisors recently announced that they will launch an online survey in October asking residents about their views on affordable ("attainable") housing. Respondents will be directed to a website to weigh in on housing preferences. Supervisor Kevin Morrissey stressed that no decisions have been made beyond conducting the survey, noting the issue has come up repeatedly over the years and that the board wants a clearer read on community sentiment before taking any further steps.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 9/18/2026

‘Deal is off’ to limit development of Rock Hill Farm in Willistown
The Willistown Township Board of Supervisors tabled a decision to accept a settlement that would preserve a large portion of Rock Hill Farm but still allow for housing to be built, prompting the developer to threaten to withdraw the proposed deal. The township’s three elected officials voted unanimously to table the decision, saying there was a lack of assurances in the settlement that guaranteed it would limit the amount of development and preserve a majority of the 222 acres of rolling hills, meadowlands and woodlands at the historic farm. The site has been the focus of years of litigation over a proposal to build luxury homes on land that residents have advocated to keep as open space. The board’s hesitation drew opposition from the developer’s attorney. The “deal is off,” according to Edmund Campbell, the attorney representing Rock Hill Farm LLC and developer Brian O’Neill, who purchased the land in 2021. The officials’ concern is whether the proposed settlement, which the township presented to the public last month, would bind certain mortgage holders to its terms. Max O’Keefe, the solicitor for Willistown Township, said that the board had not had time to review the changes to the settlement. Read more in the Inquirer.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 9/15/2026 

North Coventry unveils data center ordinance draft
North Coventry Township’s 14-page draft data center ordinance received its first public review by the planning commission at a Sept. 15 meeting, where officials discussed regulating the location, intensity, setbacks, height, buffering, access, parking, noise and environmental impacts of data centers. The draft appears intended for the township’s industrial zoning district along the Schuylkill River, although that location is not specified in the ordinance. Proposed standards include a 1,500-foot property-line setback and requirements for closed-loop cooling systems, while commissioners also discussed groundwater monitoring, backup generators, emergency response planning and wastewater and fire runoff. The proposed regulations would not apply to an 86,000-square-foot data center proposal at the former Coventry Mall because that property is zoned commercial. The township began developing the ordinance after Douglass Township in Montgomery County withdrew from the Pottstown Metropolitan Regional Planning Committee, a move that will eventually remove protections that currently prevent several municipalities in the regional compact from having to accommodate data centers.
Source: Daily Local; 9/18/2026

West Chester Borough approves 10-year West Chester University master plan
West Chester Borough Council in a 5-2 vote approved part of a new, 10-year master plan for West Chester University, setting a framework for growth focused on the university’s core, or “Super Block,” along with future building, traffic and pedestrian improvements. The borough approved only the plan’s zoning component, and any future university development will still require separate land development approval. Borough solicitor Kristen Camp emphasized that the master plan is “Step 1” and does not authorize construction or other changes, including the university’s proposed pedestrianization of a portion of Church Street. Conditions require the university to provide annual enrollment and on-campus housing application data, coordinate with the borough on geothermal systems, pedestrian and landscaping improvements, intersection changes and shuttle service, and address the loss of student housing beds and parking spaces during construction. LEED certification also will be required as part of the borough’s sustainability requirements. A portion of the university is located in West Goshen Township, where a similar action is expected to be considered on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
Source: Daily Local; 9/18/2026 

Lincoln University sues Lower Oxford Township over new ordinance
Lincoln University is suing Lower Oxford Township over a new ordinance that requires organizations seeking to hold special events to apply for a permit. The groups must outline how they will control the number of guests, traffic, alcohol and security. University attorneys say the ordinance is unconstitutional and deprives the campus community of its First Amendment rights.
Source: 6ABC Action News; 8/26/2026

London Britain to discuss earned income tax
London Britain Township has scheduled a series of public work sessions as it develops its 2027 municipal budget, including an Oct. 14 meeting that will focus on the township’s earned income tax. The budget sessions, which began in September, provide an opportunity for township officials to review anticipated revenues and expenditures before adopting the 2027 spending plan. Additional budget work sessions are scheduled through November.
Source: London Britain Township; 9/17/2026