Montgomery County ranked third in the state with newly foreclosed properties in June
SANATOGA PA – With the rate of real property foreclosures still comparatively high across Pennsylvania, and with fewer homes selling locally in what experts agree is a soft real estate market, one Lower Pottsgrove resident wants to know what the township can do to ensure the exterior look of vacant homes won’t negatively affect property values in local neighborhoods.
Rivendell Lane home owner P.J. McGill told the Board of Commissioners this month about what he described as “abandoned” homes on his street and elsewhere in the Woodgate community on the township’s east side. “How are you handling them?” so they don’t become eyesores, he asked.
Township zoning codes require specific standards of yard and property maintenance, Manager Rodney Hawthorne noted, and are usually enforced by notice to or action against the owner. In the case of foreclosures, he added, that could be a bank or other lender rather than a home’s former occupants.
Other than ensuring compliance with laws already on township books, commissioners acknowledged during their July 7 meeting, there may be little else they can do. They asked Hawthorne to further research the matter, though.
Pennsylvania counties in the darkest red experienced the highest rate of foreclosures as a percentage of their total housing market last month
Pennsylvania does not rank among the hottest foreclosure states. As of June 2011, the latest month for which statistics were available, that dubious distinction fell to Nevada, Arizona and California, according to RealtyTrac, a national online marketplace for foreclosure properties.
Within Pennsylvania, though, more than 30,200 homes – one for every 1,509 housing units – are currently in some stage of the foreclosure process, RealtyTrac reported. With more than 9,000 owner-occupied homes in Lower Pottsgrove, it could be estimated that six or more township homes are currently in foreclosure. There have been dozens of others within the past two years.
In the 19464 zip code, which includes Sanatoga, Pottstown and Stowe, RealtyTrac says 778 foreclosed homes are now up for sale. Montgomery County, it added, during June ranked third statewide among counties with homes newly in foreclosure.
Related (to the Lower Pottsgrove Board of Commissioners’ July 7 meeting):
- Vacant Home Neighbors Worry About Property Values
- Township Holds Off On Police Radio Upgrade Decision
- The Post Providing Monthly Township Warrants Online
- NRC Staffers Stop By, Say ‘Hi’ To Commissioners
- Italian Restaurant Construction Could Start Within Weeks
- At Township DUI Check, They Got What They Paid For
- Police Radio Discussion Possible In Township’s Meeting
Graphics from RealtyTrac.com
Hi Joe,
Great article, very informative.
THANKS!
PJ McGill
Hi Joe,
In addition to becoming eyesores, I was also very concerned about them winding up as a public health issue, especially those with abandoned pools on the property. The overgrown grass also presents potential health issues. Who knows what may be hiding out in the high grass?
These homes are often purchased by speculators, who in turn rent them out at bargain rates. This then invites people who have little regard for the property or the neighborhood. Soon you see trash and junk and overall neglect take place.
If you want to protect our neighborhood, stay on top of these places.
Recently there’s been a rash of large furniture items and junk placed curbside. These items were not paid to be bulk picked up, so they remain there for weeks on end. The township needs to enforce these eyesores from staying on the curb, which makes selling a home here doubly difficult, as it appears a junky, trashy development.
Ordinances need to be enforced by the township, and I encourage them to get out here and stay on top of things. Landlords need to be responsible for their properties, and banks and foreclosure offices as well.