Lehigh Valley Real Estate Blog, Home Buying & Selling Information

55+ and Active Adult in Lehigh Valley Including Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton

Over the past few years it has gotten harder to find affordable 55+ and Active Adult housing in the Lehigh Valley and Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton.

To purchase a new home in a Lehigh Valley 55+ community it typically starts at around $400,000 and then once you add in a possible lot premium and upgrades to the home you end up over $500,000.

As a result, the resale market in Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton for 55+ and Active Adult became a hot bed of activity. Homes were selling with just a few days on the market and home buyers were struggling to find their retirement homes or losing the home they wanted to a multiple offer situation.

In the past few months, we have seen a slow down in this market and more houses are coming on the market or sitting and reducing their prices in order to sell. If you've been sitting on the sidelines waiting to purchase now may be the time to start looking.

With over 30 55+ communities in the Lehigh Valley there are a lot of options. If interested, contact me for more information. 

In the meantime, more information is available at www.searchlehighvalleyrealestate.com and www.lehighvalley55plus.com.

Lehigh Valley 55+ and Active Adult Price Ranges When Buying A Home

The Lehigh Valley has become known as a great place to retire and 55+ and Active Adult communities have become very popular when purchasing that next home.

There are many factors that come into play when selecting your 55+ home: Price, Location, Community Amenities, Home Style, Nearby Amenities (shopping/medical)....etc.

Let's skip most of the above and just take a look at the home prices needed to move into one of the communities.

A lot of Lehigh Valley 55+ Home Buyers are hoping to find something in the $250,000 or less price range. Unfortunately, out of the 29 55+ communities in the Lehigh Valley only 5 have home sales in this price range.

Lockwood Congress
Jacob's Farm
Village at Fox Crossing
Village at Upstream Farms
Evergreen Village

The above communities tend to be Leasehold Ownership. You own the home but pay a monthly lease fee for the land. A typical mortgage cannot be used on these properties. They must be purchased with cash or mobile home financing. Monthly lot rent/HOA fees run from $400 to $700/month. In addition, you have yearly real estate taxes and the communities may or may not do things like grass and snow and include a clubhouse.

Having the ability to purchase at $250,000 or higher allows you to look at the Lehigh Valley 55+ communities that have more amenities. Clubhouses with pools, grass and snow taken care of and even amenities such as exterior home maintenance such as roofs and landscaping are included in the monthly HOA. Many of these homes are "condo" ownership.

Some of the popular 55+ Communities in this price range are:

Glenmoor
Highlands of Glenmoor
Millbrook Chase
Briarwood Commons
Willow Green
Wild Cherry Knoll
Four Seasons at Saucon Valley
Legacy Oaks

New construction for Lehigh Valley 55+ tends to start around the $400,000 price range and go up from there. New construction typically involves the base price, a premium for the lot plus upgrades. It is very hard to purchase a "new 55+ home" for under $500,000.

For all of your Lehigh Valley 55+ information visit www.searchlehighvalleyrealeste.com 

Lehigh Valley Home Buyer Strategies for Multiple Offers

Making an Offer on a Lehigh Valley Home For Sale that has Multiple Offers?

I recently had two Lehigh Valley Homes for sale that received multiple offers.

I thought I would share some of the Strategies into the offers and what is being done by Lehigh Valley Home Buyers to try to get their offer as "The accepted offer".

Multiple Offers Made on Recent Homes For Sale in Lehigh Valley

Property 1: Listed in West Bethlehem for $160,000
 42 Showings over 3 days and 10 offers received

Seller accepted offer for $190,000 cash, Buyer would also pay sellers 1% transfer tax, Buyer waived the property inspections.
 The Other 9 offers were $180,000 or below.
 9 of the 10 offers waived the property inspections.
 More than 1 cash offer was received on the property.
 Seller did have the City of Bethlehem Inspection (aka Certificate of Occupancy) done and repaired all issues on the report.

Property 2: Listed in Palmer Township for $215,000
 82 Showings over a 5 day period and 15 offers received

Seller accepted offer of $230,000 cash, Buyer waived the property inspections.
 8 of the offers had Acceleration Clauses that could potentially take the purchase price up to $255,000 (some of the offers had mortgages and appraisal terms that changed based on other offers).
 Seller selected a straight forward cash offer with no additional clauses.
 14 of the 15 offers waived the property inspections.
 1 offer (by an investor with a real estate license) waived the buyer side of the real estate commission.
 Palmer doesn't require an inspection on resale properties so no inspections were done by the municipality.

Common Strategies Being Used in Buying a Lehigh Valley Home with Multiple Offers

• Offer above the list price
• Put down a larger deposit
• Accommodate the Closing Date required by the Seller
• Waive all of the inspections (property, termite, radon, water, septic...etc) - I can't advise this option but many buyer's are doing it to get the home
• Waive the appraisal contingency or agree to pay X dollar amount if it doesn't appraise
• Don't ask for the washer, dryer, refrigerator (if they aren't stated as included in the listing) - these 3 are commonly asked for in a purchase agreement
• Agree to take on any required repairs by a Municipal Inspection - if an inspection is required and issues found - someone the buyer or seller Must Do Repairs
• Agree to pay the seller's transfer tax
• Agree to pay the buyer side of the commission

Depending on the home, different strategies may be used.

You may not want to waive the property inspections for a home that seems to be lacking maintenance.

Agreeing to waive the appraisal contingency could cost you thousands out of pocket. Are there comps to support the price?

Bottom Line

How much do you want or need the home?

For all of your Lehigh Valley Real Estate Information visit www.searchlehighvalleyrealestate.com or www.lehighvalleyhomesonline.com

Low Inventory of Lehigh Valley 55+ Homes is Affecting Sale Prices in Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton

Are you looking in the Lehigh Valley for a home in a 55+ Community?

The Lehigh Valley has 29 55+ Adult Communities. These 55+ communities are located throughout the Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton areas in Northampton and Lehigh Counties.

Currently, the inventory of 55+ resale homes in the Lehigh Valley is very low.

As a result, supply and demand is kicking in and driving up the prices of the 55+ home resale market.

I thought it was worth taking a look at last year (2021) and the 55+ home sales that occurred in each Lehigh Valley community.

55+ Home Sales in the Lehigh Valley in 2021 including Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton

Lehigh Valley 55+ Community	Sales in 2021	Min Price	Max Price
Evergreen Village	11	$21,000	$110,000
Lockwood Congress	8	$59,500	$150,000
Village at Upstream Farms	15	$155,000	$237,000
Jacob's Farm	3	$155,000	$175,900
Millbrook Chase	10	$255,000	$330,000
Willow Green	9	$265,000	$465,000
Briarwood Commons	4	$270,000	$335,000
Legacy Oaks	3	$289,900	$364,000
Glenmoor	7	$295,000	$410,000
Highlands of Glenmoor	24	$305,000	$464,900
Four Seasons at Saucon Valley	2	$305,000	$325,000
Traditions of America at Hanover	14	$305,000	$395,000
Four Seasons at Farmington	13	$310,000	$515,000
Taylor Villas	3	$310,000	$342,000
Riverview Estates	5	$315,000	$447,990
Cottages at Belmont Glen	1	$320,000	$320,000
Fields at Indian Creek	12	$324,410	$500,000
Wild Cherry Knoll	8	$329,999	$398,000
Cottages at Monocacy Creek	5	$342,750	$515,000
Traditions of America at Green Pond	49	$347,305	$695,609
Regency at Creekside Meadows	19	$351,103	$612,829
Turnberry Mews	3	$365,000	$405,000
Regency at South Whitehall	14	$370,549	$615,000
Country Classics at Legacy	12	$397,500	$549,000
Traditions of America at Saucon Valley	8	$415,000	$639,900
Hamilton Walk - DR Horton	0	$437,990	$507,490
Traditions of America at BridlePath	11	$439,500	$539,900
Tradtions of America Locust Valley	0	$448,900	$485,900
I do my best but this data is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Some of the above 55+ communities are new construction and the actual "Sold" prices may be higher than was reported. I will address that in another blog.

For all of your Lehigh Valley 55+ Real Estate information, visit www.lehighvalley55plus.com or www.searchlehighvalleyrealestate.com/55-plus-homes-for-sale/

Buying a Home in the Lehigh Valley based on School Districts including Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton

I Want to Buy a Home in the Lehigh Valley in a Great School District!

The Lehigh Valley, including Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton has 17 School Districts.

What designates a Great Lehigh Valley School District?

•  How many students go on for College Degrees/SAT scores?
•  Have any students received athletic scholarships?
•  Is there a good music and/or theater program?
•  Is it safe? What type of security is being done?
•  What are the Covid/Health policies?
•  What is available for students with special needs?

The list goes on.

Every Lehigh Valley School District has Pros and Cons

Your Lehigh Valley Real Estate Agent can't make the decision for you! The agent is bound by Fair Housing Rules. "Every area is the same"

The Fair Housing Laws make it the job of the home buyer to do research on schools.

There is a lot of information about Lehigh Valley School Districts available on third party sites. 

In addition, every school district has a website to view their curriculum and after school activities such as sports, music and theater.

Lehigh Valley School Information is available at www.LehighValleySchoolsOnline.com.

Homes Currently For Sale in Each School District Including the Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton School  Districts

• Allentown School District Homes For Sale
• Bangor School District Homes For Sale
• Bethlehem School District Homes For Sale
• Catasauqua School District Homes For Sale
• Easton School District Homes For Sale
• East Penn School District Homes For Sale
• Nazareth School District Homes For Sale
• Northampton School District Homes For Sale
• Northern Lehigh School District Homes For Sale
• Northwestern Lehigh School District Homes For Sale
• Parkland School District Homes For Sale
• Pen Argyl School District Homes For Sale
• Salisbury School District Homes For Sale
• Saucon Valley School District Homes For Sale
• Southern Lehigh School District Homes For Sale
• Whitehall-Coplay School District Homes For Sale
• Wilson School District Homes For Sale

For all of your Lehigh Valley Real Estate Information visit www.searchlehighvalleyrealestate.com or www.lehighvalleyhomesonline.com

Renters in the Lehigh Valley, Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton Areas Should Be Aware of Craigslist Scams or Fraud

Beware of that Great Looking Lehigh Valley Rental on Craigslist! It May Be A Scam or Fraud!

DO NOT SEND MONEY to anyone without reading this article First!

If you've been looking for a Rental in the Lehigh Valley area including Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton you may be getting desperate? The rental inventory is very low and many require a credit check or other application specific items that may make it more difficult to rent a place in a competitive market.

Searching on every website out there FINALLY RESULTS in finding THE PERFECT RENTAL on Craigslist. A 3 bedroom 2 bath single home.

Wow It IS ONLY $1100/month!

Unbelievable!

Yes it is unbelievable!  

Red Flags To Detect Lehigh Valley Rental Scams or Fraud

The rental may be legitimate but you should do your due diligence or you may lose thousands of dollars.

The following items should raise a red flag. 

• Unrealistic Price
• Rental is available immediately
• The Landlord/Owner is out of state or country
• The Home is LISTED FOR SALE (but there is a problem or conflict with the real estate agent so owner doesn't want them involved)
• The Home is Usually VACANT (Of course, so you can't physically verify anything with the property. No one is there.)
•  Make it critical for you to sign a lease and send money now! You don't want to lose the place! You can wire the money this afternoon!
• They will claim to be the owner and use his/her name (available from public tax records)
• Give you a phone number so you actually talk to the "owner" (that out-of-state phone number may actually transfer you to another country...who knows?)
• They Text Messaged you. Yep, with the same bogus number they used to talk to you.
• They will ship you the lease, keys, garage remotes...etc so you will have everything needed to occupy the home and WILL EVEN SEND YOU THE TRACKING NUMBER
• Earlier scams had you send a $500.00 deposit to them and they would send you the key to view the property. You will never get the key!

Wire the Money. No! No! No!

Mail Us a Check. No! No! No!

How To Avoid These Lehigh Valley Rental SCAMS

Insist on Going to the property to view it with the landlord or real estate agent. If they "claim" they aren't local but if you Send Them Money they will send you keys...etc...then BEWARE.

If it is listed Anywhere as being for sale CALL any number you find to get more information. 

Drive by the property, if there is a real estate sign CALL THE NUMBER! No matter what someone on the phone told you Knock on the door or ask a neighbor.

Use a personal check (versus certified or wiring money). You might be able to do a stop payment if Fraud is detected.

Summary

I wrote this article because of Craiglists Scams/Frauds that I have seen recently and in the past. Even so, any listing out there on a website may be suspect.

Do your due diligence and don't send money to an unverified source!

For more information about Real Estate in the Lehigh Valley visit www.searchlehighvalleyrealestate.com or www.lehighvalleyhomesonline.com

Traditions of America 55+ Active Adult in the Lehigh Valley, Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton

Traditions of America Lehigh Valley 55+ and Active Adult

Traditions of America is a popular 55+ Active Adult Home Builder in the Lehigh Valley.

Traditions of America communities are located throughout the Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton areas.

Known for their Active Clubhouses and lifestyles, Traditions of America communities provide the sought after amenities that every 55+ home buyer wants:

• Maintenance of Lawn and Landscaping
• Snow Removal
• Exterior Maintenance of Home
• Use of all Facilities including Clubhouse and Pool

The Clubhouses at Traditions of America Communities include:

• Social Room
• Fitness Center
• Craft Rooms
• Billiard and Card Playing Rooms
• Outdoor Pool

Every TOA  55+ Community has a large clubhouse with additional activities and services, A monthly activities calendar is published in every 55+ community.

Tradtions of America 55+ Communities in the Lehigh Valley Including Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton

Glenmoor - Palmer Township (Easton and Nazareth area)

Highlands of Glenmoor - Palmer Township (Easton and Nazareth area)

Wild Cherry Knoll - Lower Macungie Township (Allentown area)

Willow Green - Northampton and Allen Township (North of Allentown area)

Traditions of America at Bridlepath - Hanover Township (Bethlehem area)

Traditions of America at Hanover - Hanover Township (Bethlehem area)

Traditions of America at Green Pond - Bethlehem Township

Traditions of America at Locust Valley - Upper Saucon Township (Coopersburg area)

Traditions of America at Saucon Valley - Upper Saucon Township (Coopersburg area)

Traditions of America 55+ Active Adult New Construction

Currently, Traditions of America has two communities in the Lehigh Valley offering new construction and your selection of a brand new home built to your specifications.

• Traditions of America at Green Pond
• Traditions of America at Locust Valley
  
  
  

Building a new home involves selecting your home layout and a lot for the home to be built on. Pricing involves the base price for the home, an additional fee for the lot of your choice plus any additional upgrades that will make the home your own. For instance, you may wish to add a sun room, hardwood flooring throughout, finished 2nd floor or a gourmet kitchen...etc.

For more information about any of the above Traditions of America 55+ Communities or any of the 29 55+ communities in the Lehigh Valley contact Joe Finnerty at 484-241-1641.

Buying a Lehigh Valley 55+ home when you have a Home to Sell!

It is typical when purchasing a Lehigh Valley 55+ Home that you own a home somewhere else.

Do you need to Sell your Current Home in order to purchase your new 55+ home in the valley?

In a competitive market, this can be a large negative. The Seller on the Lehigh Valley Home you wish to purchase may prefer an offer that doesn't involve the sale of a home somewhere else.

Some 55+ Home Buyers have the ability to get a mortgage or pull from a retirement account to purchase the home and then sell their current home. They Remove Any Decisions, about buying a new home, based on the sale or status of their current home.

If not, a few other options are available:

Your offer on a Lehigh Valley Home can include  a Sale and Settlement Contingency.

Mr Seller, I wish to buy your home and here is my offer but it includes a contingency for me to list my home for sale and get a buyer that closes on the purchase to provide me the funds to purchase your home. I may need 2-3 months to do this.

Your offer on a home can include a Settlement Contingency.

Mr Seller, I wish to buy your home and here is my offer but it includes a contingency for me to close on my current home (scheduled to close in 35 days) to provide me the funds to purchase your home. I already have a buyer on my current home, the inspections have been done and we are just waiting to close.

If a Lehigh Valley Home Seller has multiple offers they may prefer an offer that is cash or a mortgage rather than the risk involved in a home sale (many moving parts) even if that offer may be higher in price.

For all of your Lehigh Valley Real Estate information, visit www.lehighvalleyhomesonline.com

Waiving Property Inspections when Buying a Home in the Lehigh Valley!

When a Home Buyer makes an offer on a Lehigh Valley Home IT IS common to make the offer Contingent on Property Inspections.

The Pennsylvania Agreement of Sale includes defaults for many inspections but the most commonly requested are:

• Property Inspection - A complete inspection of the home including electric, plumbing, structural, roof and pretty much everything with the home itself. If the home has any detached structures such as a garage or other out-building the home buyer should let the inspector know whether to include every structure on the property.
• WDI Inspection - Wood destroying insect  inspection. Includes termites, powder post beetles, carpenter bees/ants.
• Radon - Are Radon gases entering the home through the basement or slab?
• Water Test - Typically done when the property has a well versus public water but the test can include checking for Ecoli, Lead, Pesticides...etc.
• Septic Inspection - A septic system can run thousands of dollars to replace. Are the tanks and filters working correctly as well as the in-ground system or sand mound?

There are other inspection contingencies but the above are the most common. Some of the others are Deed Restrictions/Zoning, Survey, Lead Based Paint Testing.

The Low Inventory of Homes For Sale in the Lehigh Valley is causing multiple offers. Potentially Highly Qualified Home Buyers are losing homes even though offering more than the List Price.

A common reason for the Buyer not getting the home is: The Seller accepted an offer with no inspection contingencies.

Can you, as a Lehigh Valley Home Buyer, make an offer on a home and Waive all of the Inspections?

A while back someone said to me "You know, any problem with a home can be fixed". 

For most cases, they are probably correct but at what cost? 

I've seen a septic system cost $35,000. Sink hole damage to a basement run $80,000.

As a result, I can't advise waiving inspections in order to purchase a Lehigh Valley Home with or without multiple offers. 

When buying a used car you may take it to your mechanic to check it out. Are you willing to spend potentially hundreds of thousands to purchase a home without a professional looking at it?

Depending on your financial situation are you willing to take the risk?

For all of your Lehigh Valley Real Estate Information visit www.lehighvalleyhomesonline.com.

Lehigh Valley Homes For Sale and Current Inventory

The Lehigh Valley Real Estate Market and Homes for Sale are suffering from a lack of Inventory.

Let's take a look at the current inventory for Lehigh Valley Homes (Lehigh and Northampton Counties):

At the time of this posting (04/18/2021):

Lehigh Valley Residential Homes Currently Available and Listed For Sale (all types, twins, singles...etc): 629 homes for Sale

Lehigh Valley Residential Homes Currently Under Agreement (all types, twins, singles...etc): 1,394 homes

We can delve a little further into the price range of currently available Lehigh Valley Homes for Sale.

• Under $100,000: 32 homes
• $100,000 - $200,000: 149 homes
• $200,000 - $300,000: 132 homes
• $300,000 - $400,000: 95 homes
• $400,000 - $500,000: 104 homes
• $500,000+: 121 homes

This is a major change from back in 2011 and 2012 where the Lehigh Valley had 5,000 to 6,000 Homes For Sale.

The real estate market is causing a pent up demand from Home Buyers and putting negotiation power fully in the hands of the Lehigh Valley Home Seller.

For all of your Lehigh Valley Real Estate information, visit www.lehighvalleyhomesonline.com.