The Philly region is a diverse place with a wide range of housing types, community vibes, and town amenities. Naturally, typical home prices vary, too.
For example, the median home sale price in Philadelphia in March was $285,000, according to the multiple listing service Bright MLS. The median home price in Chester County, Pennsylvania’s wealthiest, was $536,875.
I wanted to see what kind of homes were out there for that price across our region. Read on to see what I found in my latest installment of The Price Point.
Keep scrolling for that story and more in this week’s edition:
Battling it out: See what’s in the City Council bills that some landlords fought in court to try to keep from passing.
Dream come true: This couple fell in love with a Pennsport home with no interior photos in its online listing.
Frustrated neighbors: Learn about the plight of Philly homeowners who sued the city and are still waiting for help years after reaching a settlement.
‘Streamlined maximalist’: Peek inside this trinket-filled one-bedroom Washington Square West apartment that has a bonus loft.
— Michaelle Bond
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These three homes are separated by miles of roads and decades of construction, but they’re all listed for sale for $540,000.
My latest installment of The Price Point features:
🏠 a split-level house on an acre of land in Limerick Township, Montgomery County
🏠 a townhouse with city skyline views in the South Philly neighborhood of Point Breeze
🏠 a house in a desirable neighborhood in Cherry Hill
They’ve got natural light, quirky space — I’ve never seen a train set attached to a ceiling that way — various kitchen layouts, different uses of outdoor space, and proximity to schools, restaurants, and shops.
Take a peek inside the properties.
It’s been a long, rocky road for these City Council bills.
A year ago, Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke introduced a legislative package meant to help renters struggling with a persistent problem: living in homes that threaten their health and safety.
Tenants and their advocates have been pushing for years for more protections for folks forced to live in unsafe and unhealthy rental homes.
One of O’Rourke’s three bills — the one that created a fund to financially help renters forced to move from unsafe homes — passed last year.
The other two bills have been the subject of contentious negotiations among lawmakers and rental property owners who say the legislation could have unintended consequences.
Last month, two landlords sued lawmakers to stop final votes on the bills the day before they were supposed to happen, a highly unusual move.
After some back-and-forth in court, Council passed the bills last week. Protections include paving the way for proactive rental inspections and shielding tenants from retaliation when they complain about living conditions.
Find out more about what’s in the bills, how we got here, and what comes next.
The latest news to pay attention to
This Pennsport home had no interior photos with its online listing, but for one couple, it was a dream come true.
After years of delay, the Orens Brothers company is back with plans for a new apartment building at the site of North Philly’s famed Blue Horizon boxing arena.
West Mount Airy homeowners are still waiting for help years after they sued the city over a retaining wall that’s holding back sediment and trees across 26 homes.
A plan to build hundreds of apartments near a Montgomery County SEPTA station is an early win in the agency’s efforts to build housing near transit.
Inside the retail revolution that’s transforming Philly’s 17 area malls.
A Philly real estate group is under agreement to buy the beloved McGlinchey’s Bar building.
Philadelphia Youth Orchestra is renovating its home near Rittenhouse Square, thanks to a $1.5 million gift.
House of the week: For $720,000 in Passyunk Square, a light-filled rowhouse with a roof deck.
Luxe listing: Go inside this 22-room Wallingford estate that’s on the market for $2.15 million.
Twenty-nine-year-old Natasa Kostic didn’t get to fully spread her home-decorating wings until 2024. That’s when she stopped living with roommates and struck out on her own.
She moved into a one-bedroom apartment in Washington Square West that has a bonus loft and a fireplace.
Pinterest helped Kostic discover that she’s got a thing for color and whimsy. She calls her newfound style “streamlined maximalist.”
She likes trinkets and really likes frogs. Her favorite thing in her home is an amphibian-related thrift store find: a ceramic bowl with frogs perched all the way around the rim.
Kostic embraced DIY projects. She designed a system of shelves under the loft’s ladder for her shoes and more. And she framed a mirror using fabric-covered pool noodles.
Peek inside the home of this internal medicine resident and learn more about how she decorated her apartment.
📷 Photo quiz
Do you know the location this photo shows?
📮 If you think you do, email me back.
Last week’s quiz featured a photo of the Justice Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice at 13th and Filbert Streets.
Congrats Linda G. and Micki Y. for being among the first readers to get that right.
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Are you tired of mowing your lawn? The state of Pennsylvania is offering a way to give yourself a break.
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is handing out a few hundred free “pocket meadow kits.” The idea is for homeowners to turn small sections of their lawns into mini meadows to benefit the environment. And the pivot cuts down on the need for mowing and watering.
My colleague Erin McCarthy will tell you how this works and how you can apply. (The deadline is 4 p.m. tomorrow.)
Enjoy the rest of your week.
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