Lehigh Valley Real Estate

The spring homebuying season is off to a robust start in the Lehigh Valley, with homes selling quickly and at above asking price, but there are plenty of reasons some would-be shoppers are still on the sidelines.

Longtime representative for the 136th District Robert Freeman will face off against challenger Taiba Sultana on April 23, essentially determining who will take the seat in the Democratic stronghold.

Realtor and associate broker Nancy Ahlum of Dorey Real Estate has handled the sales of the top two highest-priced residential properties ever in the Lehigh Valley, the firm says.

Easton City Council became contentious Wednesday evening when Councilmember Taiba Sultana read a letter from the PA ACLU urging the local government to vote against a bill focused on forcing landlords to evict tenants who engage in certain crimes.

Gateway on Fourth — a new mixed-income housing project on Fourth Street in South Bethlehem — will bring 120 apartments to part of the city long slated for redevelopment, officials said.

Developers for a proposed 10,000-square-foot retail complex along Hamilton Boulevard displayed site alterations for Lower Macungie's planning commission Tuesday, though it appears more changes may need to be considered.

The Lehigh Valley continues to be among the nation's leaders in economic development, it was revealed at the Lehigh Valley Real Estate Development Outlook event on Tuesday in Allentown.

A proposed 273-unit apartment complex set for Downtown Easton received conditional approval from the planning commission Wednesday evening, even if plenty of residents and business owners worried about parking.

A proposed warehouse project in Allen Township was reviewed and advanced by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission's Comprehensive Planning Committee on Tuesday afternoon.The committee found several issues with a proposed apartment complex in Bethlehem and a proposed mobile home park in Palmer Township.

The National Association of Realtors has agreed to eliminate its rules on commissions. That will have an impact on real estate professionals' fees — and perhaps supply a jolt to the tepid housing market.

Developer Abe Atiyeh had a rough 24 hours after Allentown zoning and planning officials denied two separate proposals for his property.

Easton's Planning Commission ultimately opted to vote against recommending a special exception which would allow for a 256-unit apartment in College Hill during Wednesday's meeting.

A two-building, 20-unit apartment complex along Quarry Road received unanimous preliminary final approval from the North Whitehall Township Planning Commission on Tuesday night.

First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, which has worked toward building affordable housing on its 32-acre property, will put out a call for offers this week seeking a developer to work with.

Will a proposed, mixed-use, land development project in Allentown that was advanced by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission on Thursday night include affordable apartments?

The city’s approved resolution says the developer “will assume the full local share of the project costs, which will be in excess of the $9,075,000 grant, and also assume responsibility for the project’s ongoing operating and maintenance costs.”

The $928,623 infusion for the two-phase project, known as The Gateway on Fourth, was announced Tuesday by state Sen. Lisa Boscola and state Rep. Steve Samuelson.

The executive order, signed after a brief news conference at Bridgeside Estates, appears to be the first issued by an Allentown mayor in at least a decade.

Lehigh County's board of commissioners voted narrowly Wednesday to grant a LERTA tax break for a property in Emmaus set to become 144 apartments.

The new plan for the property calls for a building that's a story shorter but has about 25 more apartments.

Base Engineering's Drew Nyman, project manager on behalf of the applicant, said the original sketch plan presented last year was “a lot more expansive than what we’re doing now.”

Displacing 135 residents and shuttering ground-level businesses until further notice, a monstrous fire at Five10 Flats in South Bethlehem has officials left trying to pick up the pieces.

Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners will consider a request by Fellowship Community retirement community to complete its proposed expansion in three phases instead of one, as was originally proposed. The change is because of lack of funding.

Fellowship Community, an independent living community in Whitehall Township, announced expansion plans to construct three luxury apartment buildings on the 67-acre campus at Mauch Chunk Road and Schadt Avenue.