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 dilapidated single-family home across from Touchstone Theatre and Parham Park may later become a three-story mixed-use structure.

Allentown City Council looks poised to move about $2.25 million in unspent federal funding to other accounts.

Pen Argyl Borough Council provided conditional use approval to a former warehouse a developer intends to turn into an apartment building.

The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency awarded seven projects in the state with grants from its Community Revitalization Fund Program. Only one project in the Lehigh Valley received money — a remediation project for the Fourth Street Building in Bethlehem.

Once pitched for 27 units, the newest project documents show 24 apartments to be built on site, with 18 one-bedroom and six two-bedroom units ranging from about 600 to 1,700 square feet.

City officials will later hear more on the vision and take a vote on the new $25 million building at 701-719 N. New St. The vote on April 1 pertained to the zoning classification of the land in question, located just a couple of blocks up from the action on Main Street.

Allentown planning officials granted a one-year extension to Cortex Residential as it awaits state funding for its project.

Lower Macungie's Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Monday to buy 44 acres of farmland on Lower Macungie Rd. Township officials previously approved a 30-building, 180-unit apartment complex on the site.

Bethlehem’s Pembroke Choice project is giving residents “the opportunity to plan what the next generation of their neighborhood looks like,” Mayor J. William Reynolds said Saturday.

This time around, developers look to better conceal the addition among neighboring structures, setting it back 28 feet from the original facade instead of a previously proposed 6 feet.

More than a dozen new apartments could be built in Allentown, though six more were rejected Monday night.

Local officials highlighted the project's potential to make a small dent in the Lehigh Valley's deep housing deficit.