Buying in Drexel Hill and Property Taxes (Philadelphia, Chester: for sale, real estate)

[Shikes]

Drexel Hill seems like the only decent safe neighborhood within 30 mins of downtown that has nice houses for ~ 300k. I drive through it last week and really liked what I saw (well, until you hit Upper Darby ). I asked "Whats the catch?". Everyone said "Schools and property taxes." The schools don't bother me, but I while I realize the property taxes are bad, I want to know: How bad are we talking? I can't seem to find anything anywhere that can flat out give me a cold hard % number. I just want an estimate of what I am looking at paying for a 300k house and need a number % to go off of.

I did some math and even with huge taxes it seems like its still a good buy. A 300k house will cost 450k in just about any other halfway decent neighborhood that close to CC. So you're paying extra property taxes on the remaining 150k difference, plus taking out the extra 150k in loans leading to larger mortgage, as well as needing a higher downpayment. I sort of feel like it evens out. With that said, I think Drexel Hill may have the highest number of foreclosures in Philadelphia area, thus I think a lot of people thought "It evens out" when they bought.

Anyone know of an exact % for the taxes?

Thanks!

[1ondoner]

Well, it's a gamble. A 300K house could end up loosing value and later selling for 200K. Cheap can become cheaper. And you have to think about re-sale value. Homes in good school districts sell fast because you have more buyers looking for good school districts. With RE, it's all about location. If you are going to spend a lot of money, you have to think down the road.

Enter the address of the home on any RE website and you will get the tax information together with all the particulars including it's sales history. I prefer using Zillow which also provides a link to the county assessor's website providing more information including the tax history, etc.

Originally Posted by Shikes

Drexel Hill seems like the only decent safe neighborhood within 30 mins of downtown that has nice houses for ~ 300k. I drive through it last week and really liked what I saw (well, until you hit Upper Darby ). I asked "Whats the catch?". Everyone said "Schools and property taxes." The schools don't bother me, but I while I realize the property taxes are bad, I want to know: How bad are we talking? I can't seem to find anything anywhere that can flat out give me a cold hard % number. I just want an estimate of what I am looking at paying for a 300k house and need a number % to go off of.

I did some math and even with huge taxes it seems like its still a good buy. A 300k house will cost 450k in just about any other halfway decent neighborhood that close to CC. So you're paying extra property taxes on the remaining 150k difference, plus taking out the extra 150k in loans leading to larger mortgage, as well as needing a higher downpayment. I sort of feel like it evens out. With that said, I think Drexel Hill may have the highest number of foreclosures in Philadelphia area, thus I think a lot of people thought "It evens out" when they bought.

Anyone know of an exact % for the taxes?

Thanks!

[Kukla65th]

It is worth noting based on an earlier post that Drexel Hill is a section of Upper Darby Township; it is a separate census-taking district, however, with a separate zip code, as well. Just for sake of clarification.

As in many communities, there are all kinds of implicit comments in things people say about communities on forums like this and in having discussions with people in person about these things. In Drexel Hill's case, it is in the Upper Darby school district, which in the last 15 years has developed a reputation that is wobblier than it once was because clearly the student body demographics are racially and economically diversifying away from working and middle class white, long the vast majority of who called the township home. The township is about 50% white currently, while the Drexel Hill section is probably about 75% white now. Both figures are declining while Asian and also African American figures are increasing. The Philadelphia area is largely hyper-segregated racially and Upper Darby Township is no exception. So one finds a murmuring in Drexel Hill that things are "going down" etc. I firmly believe people make assumptions about race and culture before knowing anything else - or have I been hallucinating about what people have said to me over the years?

Drexel Hill bears a great deal of the township's overall obscenely high property tax levy on top of Delaware County's property taxes which are among the higher taxes of all the suburban counties around Philadelphia on the PA side. Oddly, however, some areas that are nice in Drexel Hill may have fine homes with $7500 taxes, while two blocks away similarly priced homes with similar qualities have $11,000-$12,000 taxes per year. Drexel Hill residents are quite aware of this problem and the solution based upon taking a ride around seems to be moving out. Lots of housing for sale and lots of homes staying on the market a long time in recent years with stagnant prices. For families with kids bent on public schools, Haverford Township across Route 1 is a common destination, though one pays more for a house to have slightly lower property taxes (for now).

Upper Darby's part-time government structure cannot effectively manage the challenges facing what is really a "city" of almost 80,000. That "city" increasingly faces growing poverty, crime, and a host of issues for which it was not set-up originally. Part of that legacy has been allowing tax rates to reach nosebleed levels, and this is crippling the massive potential that this walkable, transit-oriented, classic suburb has going for it.

Drexel Hill is a good place to live in many ways, still. The perception of elementary and even DH middle school is relatively good still and I can attest from a number of friends whose kids attend the high school that it, too, still offers much that is good to students there. (It is worth noting that irrespective of school reputations, DH has long had and continues to have a large Catholic school population). But the taxes are painful compared to even other nearby townships - though I would say that on the whole all of Delaware County has rising property taxes that are noticeably higher than similar communities in Chester or Montgomery Counties.

In the end it has to be about where you like, the house you like, and your own feeling of security irrespective of what anyone else has to say. If you like DH enough to but a great house and not mind paying a mortgage that is potentially equal to the monthly tax bill for the house, do it. The area needs people intending to stay and invest, that is for sure.

[Flyers Girl]

I don't know the actual millage rate, but you can probably find that easily enough on the UD Township website. That said, I am currently trying to sell a twin in the Havertown section of UD Township (a few streets right on the other side of Route 1, before it switches to Drexel Hill), and for my 3-bedroom, 1 bath, 1,152 square foot twin, taxes are over $5,000 a year. Some of the gorgeous single Tudors in Drexel Hill have taxes above $10,000 a year.


Also, some real estate websites will show you what taxes were on a particular house for the last calendar year.

[soulsurv]

Always loved Drexel Hill! Never understood why places with an abundance of industry, i.e., Springfield, have climbing obscene tax rates when industry is supposed to temper taxes . Can someone explain that to me?

[RVA_DELCO]

Last year's millage rates:

http://www.co.delaware.pa.us/treasurer/TaxRate2015.pdf

Upper Darby
County: 5.6040
Township: 19.9200
School District: 35.2160

Total: 60.7400

(On the appraised value, not the sale value)

[Avalon08]

I love the homes in Drexel Hill. But as I was driving through a few years ago, I did notice a lot of for-sale signs. Anyway, my friend's small Tudor took a long time to sell, I think his taxes were $8K. And I don't think he had central air. Even if I could afford the taxes, I think I'd be leery of buying in a neighborhood that's on the downswing. The homes, while beautiful, are not getting any younger and the taxes aren't getting any cheaper and the school district's not getting any better. So what has to give? The price of the home....and as a crowd moves in who can only afford to pay the lower prices, the neighborhood can start to get a little seedy.

[Flyers Girl]

Originally Posted by Avalon08

I love the homes in Drexel Hill. But as I was driving through a few years ago, I did notice a lot of for-sale signs. Anyway, my friend's small Tudor took a long time to sell, I think his taxes were $8K. And I don't think he had central air. Even if I could afford the taxes, I think I'd be leery of buying in a neighborhood that's on the downswing. The homes, while beautiful, are not getting any younger and the taxes aren't getting any cheaper and the school district's not getting any better. So what has to give? The price of the home....and as a crowd moves in who can only afford to pay the lower prices, the neighborhood can start to get a little seedy.

You have just described what I'm going through trying to sell my twin.

[Ant$]

To be honest, the "white flight" is crazy over here.

I just want to know where everyone is going. bucks county, maybe?

[AbdiKony]

Probably not Bucks not rather Chesco or other parts of delco