The Scott Loper Team Lansdale & Harleysville PA Homes

Home for sale with in-ground pool in Hilltown Township, Bucks County, PA.

Address: 133 Brinkley Drive, Sellersville, PA 18960 (Hilltown Township)

Beautiful 4 bedroom/ 2.5 bath colonial home for sale with an inground pool in the rolling countryside of Hilltown Township. 

Developed by one of the area's premier builders, Parec Properties, the community of Hilltown Woods is known for its distinctive, quality homes built on spacious lots and a scenic combination of wooded and open spaces.

This 13 year old, 2900 sq. ft. colonial is situated on a large 1.15 acre lot easily accomodating a gorgeous in-ground pool yet still affording tons of open back yard.

Dramatic 2-story foyer with hardwood floors that extend into & throughout a spacious eat-in kitchen boasting abundant upgraded cabinetry and three separate pantries.

The kitchen opens to the family room with a vaulted ceiling & beautiful stone fireplace.  The breakfast area has sliders that give access to a large deck and in-ground pool area overlooking a peaceful and expansive back yard. 

Back inside, the living and dining rooms feature a warm décor & crown moulding accents.  There is also a nicely sized study and mud room on the main floor.

Upstairs, the master bedroom offers two walk-in closets and a master bath with a large soaking tub, double vanity, and separate stall shower.  Three other bedrooms are serviced by a well appointed hall bath completing the 2nd floor. 

A side-entry garage and huge basement provide abundant storage and utility.  Great location as this home is removed & insulated from Hilltown Township's Rt 113 by the large yards and other homes to the rear.

Be sure to take the virtual tour (below).

Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Bucks County or Montgomery County, PA. To Search for Homes For Sale in Bucks County Click Here.

Copyright © 2010, The Scott Loper Team, Home For Sale with In-Ground Pool in Hilltown Township, Bucks County PA, All rights reserved.

I've heard that I can appeal my property taxes. Is that true and how do I go about it?

With the decline in real estate values, many homeowners have opted to appeal their property taxes. This is especially the case for new construction homes that often have substantially higher property taxes than their established neighbors. Also, some homeowners have had their property taxes rise due to home improvements or additions; but now they may not realize the full resale value the tax assessor placed on the improvement at the time of assessment.

To appeal your property taxes, you must first determine if you are in fact paying a higher property tax than other homeowners whose homes have a value equal to yours. If after an apples to apples comparison, you are paying the same or less than other homeowners in your area, you will probably not be eligible to receive any property tax relief.

To find this out, you will need to determine your home's "market value' according to the taxing authority. The key is to find the "sales ratio" for your municipality. Divide (or multiply if appropriate) the assessed value by the sales ratio to give you the "market value" on which you are being taxed. You should be able to get the sales ratio from your tax authority (it may be called something else such as assessment ratio, common level ratio, residential assessment level, equalization rate, etc).

For example, the common level ratio in Montgomery County, PA through June 30, 2010 is 1.85. So, if your home in Montgomery County has a County Assessment of $200,000 (the assessment is on your property tax bill), then the current perceived market value is $370,000 ($200,000 x 1.85).

The ratios change each year, but other current common level ratios for the communities in and around Montgomery County, Pennsylvania are:

Bucks County-10.31

Chester County-1.89

Delaware County-1.63

Berks County-1.48

Philadelphia County-3.06

After you find the "market value," compare it to the sales price of comparable homes that have recently sold in your area to see if the values match. Adjustments may need to be made for features of the sold listings that differ from yours. But in the end, if you find that the true market value of your home is significantly lower than the property tax assessor's perceived market value, then you should proceed with a property tax appeal.

You should also check your local township or borough to see if their sales ratio is the same or different from the county's. Property tax appeal forms are available on the county websites. There is a fee to have your appeal reviewed, so make sure you have done your homework and can substantiate your appeal. Good Luck!

~Lisa

Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.

Copyright © 2010, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved. Should You Appeal Your Property Taxes?

Did you know that you can invest in real estate with a Self Directed IRA?

Many people would love to take advantage of the current housing prices and low interest rates to purchase an investment property. However, many of these same people lack the additional and significant cash often needed to purchase an investment property. Such potential investors don’t realize that money they have currently invested in retirement accounts can be redirected to purchase real estate. Certainly, such a decision should be reviewed with a competent financial advisor, but it may be an excellent way to diversify and grow an investment portfolio.

Most Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA’s) are held with major brokerage firms which only deal in the more traditional investments (stocks, bonds, etc.). However, it is only the limitations or rules of the brokerage firm that restrict you to these traditional investments. A Self Directed IRA is easy to establish and will allow you to invest in all of the investment types that are permitted by the IRS, including real estate.

How to set-up a Self Directed IRA?

There are numerous firms that can help you establish a Self Directed IRA and act as the custodian for your account (just as a brokerage firm might act as custodian for your traditional IRA). One good resource is EntrustCAMA. In many cases, the necessary forms can be completed online in just a few minutes and the custodial fees are relatively low.

What other steps are needed to buy an Investment Property in a Self Directed IRA?

One of the first steps is to fund your Self Directed IRA. You can make contributions to it just like a traditional IRA. You can also transfer or rollover funds from a traditional IRA (or other qualified retirement plan) into your new Self Directed IRA. If you have enough assets in your Self Directed IRA to purchase a property outright, that simplifies things, but there are also lenders who will finance property purchased within Self Directed IRA’s.

Once you identify a good investment property, you proceed with the normal steps of submitting an offer through closing on the property as you would for a personal purchase. Because of IRS rules, however, you don’t personally sign any documents related to the purchase of the investment property. Everything must be in the name of your Self Directed IRA and you direct the custodian to sign all necessary documents for the purchase. In addition to a good Realtor and a qualified custodian, you should also consult with a CPA or financial advisor competent in Self Directed IRA’s. With this team in place, you can diversify your retirement plan and take advantage of the many investment benefits that real estate has to offer.

There are terrific deals in real estate right now. Coupled with the low interest rates, these deals make it a great time to consider buying an investment property.

Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling an investment property in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County Pennsylvania. Search for Investment Property in Montgomery County, PA. Get more information about Buying Investment Property in Montgomery County, PA.

Copyright © 2010, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved. Invest in Real Estate with a Self Directed IRA.

The Montgomery County, PA Market Report for December 2009 shows some positive news. A long streak of year-over-year falling prices has ended and the year-over-year number of home sales remains in positive territory.

The average price of a home in Montgomery County increased to $310,012 compared to $305,882 for December, 2008; a 1.4% increase. This ends a 24 month streak in which home prices had fallen from the prior year level.

The number of homes sold this past December increased to 513 units versus 494 homes sold in December of the prior year; a 3.8% increase. This marks the 6th consecutive month that the number of homes sold has increased from its prior year level.

A particularly interesting observation from this market report is that December's numbers should give a more normal indication of the market in comparison to November when the original first time buyer tax credit was set to expire. That deadline caused an unnaturally high amount of sales in November, but also caused the average price to dip significantly for that month due to the generally lower price range of first time buyers. One might have expected December's number of sales to suffer due to the forced activity the previous month. However, December's sale increased over last year and the average price jumped by 12.8% from November's level of $274,706.

By the way, the home buyer tax credit has been extended and expanded to include "current" home owners.

Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.

Copyright © 2009, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved. Montgomery County, PA Market Report for December 2009.

The Montgomery County, PA Market Report for November 2009 shows that home prices again declined from the previous year’s level while the number of home sales rose dramatically.

The average price of a home in Montgomery County dropped to $274,706 compared to $295,494 for November, 2008; an 7.0% decrease. This marks the 24th consecutive month in which home prices have fallen from the prior year level.

The number of homes sold this past November increased to 860 units versus 479 homes sold in November of the prior year; a 80% increase. This marks the 5th consecutive month that the number of homes sold has increased from its prior year level.

If anyone had any doubts about the popularity of the $8,000 tax credit that was set to expire this past November, this market report should make it crystal clear. An 80% increase in the number of units sold at generally lower price levels can only be attributed to one market segment; first-time buyers. They definitely showed up in force to settle on homes before the anticipated expiration of the tax credit. By the way, the home buyer tax credit has since been extended and expanded to include "current" home owners.

Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.

Copyright © 2009, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved. Montgomery County, PA Market Report for November 2009.