A Home, a Baby on the Way, and a Perfect Closing in Bethlehem

Some transactions are just transactions.

And then there are stories.

This was a story.

I had the absolute pleasure of helping a husband and wife—soon-to-be parents—find their first home in Bethlehem, and from first meeting, I knew this would be a perfect match! 

We started the right way: a buyer consultation. Clear goals and open minds. They were already pre-approved, but I knew we could do better. With the help of my trusted lender, Axen Mortgage, we revisited their numbers and secured them a higher pre-approval—opening doors that were previously closed. More options. More possibility. More breathing room for their growing family.

Then came the search.

House after house, we walked through spaces that were nice… but not home. You know the feeling—good bones, wrong soul. We found one we were interested in over in Freemansburg, but sometimes life says “not this one” for a reason. That deal didn’t work out, and instead of getting discouraged, my buyers stayed patient, grounded, and trusting in the process.

And then—Fountain Hill.

The moment we stepped inside, it was different. The energy was calm. The layout made sense. The space felt ready to hold new memories, late-night feedings, laughter, and first steps. It was everything they didn’t even know they were waiting for.

We moved with intention. I negotiated directly with the listing agent and secured 3% seller’s assist, making the numbers work beautifully for my buyers. They wrote a heartfelt letter to the sellers—raw, honest, and full of love about the life they hoped to build there. That letter sealed the deal. Offer accepted. Just like that.

From contract to closing, everything flowed.

No repairs.

No drama.

No delays.

We were originally set to close on January 12, but with teamwork, communication, and the incredible support of Axen Mortgage and ACT Settlement, we pulled off an early closing on December 29—right before the New Year. A new house, a new chapter, and a brand-new beginning heading into 2026.

My buyers were everything an agent could hope for: understanding, responsive, decisive, and kind. They trusted me, moved quickly when needed, and stayed grounded throughout the process. At closing, they surprised me with a beautiful gift basket— so thoughtful! In return, I gifted them a baby basket and a brand-new crib, ready for the nursery that will soon hold their greatest blessing.

It was one of those closings you don’t rush out of.The kind you sit with for a moment and remember why I love Real Estate So Much!

To my amazing clients: thank you for trusting me with such a special milestone. Watching you step into homeownership—and parenthood—has been an honor.

Here’s to new keys, new life, and a home filled with love. 

What's up, guys? It's Chris Hoffman over here at Lehigh Valley Just Listed.com and Lehigh Valley Real Estate. All right, so today, we're going to tackle one of the most popular, most common questions asked by someone looking to buy a home. So if you're looking to buy a home, here's the number one question that you probably want to know: How much money do you need to buy a home? That's a big one right there, and I'm going to try to break it down in a very simple way for you.

All right, so when you go to buy a home, you're gonna need a mortgage in most cases, unless you're paying cash. So if you need to get a mortgage, you're gonna have two components to the money that you need. There's going to be the down payment, that's determined by your mortgage program, and it could be 0%, 3%, 5%, 15, 20%. It all depends on the program that you get, what you qualify for, et cetera. So there's a down payment, and then there's closing costs, which I talked about in another video. Closing costs usually run between five and 6%. So generally speaking, when you're gonna go to buy a home, you're gonna need about 10% of the purchase price is the amount of money that you will need out of pocket. $200,000 home, you should plan and budget for needing about $20,000. $300,000 home, you should plan and budget for needing about $30,000. So again, it's 10%. That represents the minimum down payment that's gonna be required and the closing cost.

Those two pieces together usually work  out to be about 10% of the purchase price. Now in the Lehigh Valley today in 2026, 2025, 2026, the median sales price for a home is between $300,000 and $350,000, which means if you're looking to buy a home, you should probably plan to need between 30 to $35,000. Now that can be a big number, so are there some programs that are available to help knock that number down a little bit? Sure there are.

Of course there are. but here again, you know, it all depends on lots of different variables to see which programs you're going to qualify for. So hey, the simple answer is how much money do I need to buy a home, 10% of the purchase price. Now are there some nuances and variables to that? Sure. Are there some programs to help with that? Maybe. 610-533-4549. 610-533-4549. Give us a call. Let's go over it. We'll go through all the numbers with you. We'll break it down, and we'll see what kind of program we can get you into, and we'll take it from there, guys. Lehigh Valley Just Listed.com. Check us out for all of your home buying needs.

Hey guys. I'm Tamaya Williams with Lehigh Valley Just Listed Real Estate. I'm here to show you guys 2142 Cross Country rd, right here in the heart of Northampton. It's listed for just under $320,000, three beds, two baths. Let's go check it out!

As we enter, we have this beautiful open concept here. Perfect space for your living room, the kitchen. And as you come over here, right here in the dining room, everything here is electric. You have the gas stove, the central air, gas heating, stainless steel appliances. And as you come over here, we have a beautiful view of the backyard, which is a perfect place to add your little patio. And as we come around, we come right over here and get to head upstairs.

Check out this newly shampooed carpet. Beautiful. The house is only under two years old, so everything here is fairly new. And as we head up, you see the first room right in front of us, the full bath. Everything here is new. Look at the countertops, freshly painted walls, nice tub, and a little cabinet area in the back. Okay, and here we have our upstairs laundry with washer and dryer nicely tucked away on this bedroom floor, and a little area to put your little laundry thing, everything you may need. And as we come to the left and right, we have our two beds, both having their own closet space. It's fairly big, actually. And if you come onto the second one, nice good size room, beautiful view of the outside, the neighborhood, and a nice closet tucked away for all your clothes. And there is three bedrooms, like they say, so let's go check out the last one right here.

As we enter, check out this beautiful light, all this light. It's amazing. And as we go back here, we have the master bedroom, master bathroom. And if you come in a bit closer, you have your walk-in closet all in one.

Remember guys, this place is just under $320,000, right here in Northampton area, 2124 Cross Country. Call me today, Tamaya Williams at Lehigh Valley Just Listed. See it right here, guys. (laughs) Call me today at 9... 610-972-2635. Again, 610-972-2635. Have a great day. Take care.

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Who Pays The Realtor Fees?

Hey, guys. Chris Hoffman here at Lehigh Valley Just Listed.com. Lehigh Valley Just Listed Real Estate. So today, I want to talk about a very popular subject: Who pays the realtor fees? So when you go to buy a home, who pays the commission? All right, so just a little quick breakdown. The... Basically what happens is the commission that gets paid to your agent, if you're a buyer, you're gonna have a buyer's agent that's going to represent you, your commission is going to be negotiable.

When you place an offer on a home, that seller may or may not already be offering a commission. And even if they're not offering one, it's a negotiable component on your offer. When you submit an offer to a seller, there is a spot on the, right on there on the offer paperwork where you can ask that all or part of your commission to your agent gets paid. So, that's what happens. Basically the commission is negotiable. You know, and it's going to really just depend on the transaction.

In most cases you know, your agent and the other agent are going to be able to work something out. They're going to be able to negotiate it and it's going to get paid. So, if for some reason it doesn't get paid by the seller, well then it's something that you can negotiate with your agent ahead of time, what commission you're willing or able to pay as well.

If you have some more questions about commissions, who pays them, how they get paid, et cetera, listen, just give us a call, 610-533-4549. Lehigh Valley Just Listed Real Estate, Lehigh Valley Just Listed.com. 610-533-4549 and hopefully we'll talk soon. Thanks, guys.

How Much Are Closing Cost When You Buy a Home?

Hey, guys. What's going on? It's Chris Hoffman over here at Lehigh Valley Just Listed and lehighvalleyjustlisted.com. Today, I would like to try to answer a few questions for you about closing costs. If you are looking to buy a home, you're going to have closing costs. What are they? How much do they cost? Do you have to pay them?

All right. So, closing costs in Pennsylvania typically run between five to 6% of the purchase price. So just some quick math on a $200,000 house, that could be between $10,000 and $12,000 is what your closing costs would be. So what are closing costs? All right. So, you have to get title insurance, which protects your home. Title insurance is required in Pennsylvania and when you get a mortgage. You also have to pay the first year of property taxes on the home and the first year of homeowner's insurance on the home. There are some lender fees, and there are some notary fees. All those things combined will be your closing cost.

Yes, typically it's on you, the buyer. That's part of the total amount of money that you're going need to buy a home. In some circumstances, depending on the situation and depending on the motivation of the seller, there are some times when you can negotiate to get the seller to help you to pay some of your closing costs. It all depends on market conditions, how long the home has been on the market. You know, it's completely negotiable and it's something that has to be determined.

But generally speaking, if you're looking to buy a home, you want to make sure that you have money set aside for your down payment and also for your closing costs. It's very important because these are the funds that you'll need to buy a house. Buying a home is a very large purchase and closing costs are something that you definitely want to consider.

All right. Lehighvalleyjustlisted.com. Check us out. Lehigh Valley Just Listed Real Estate. We cover all of the Greater Lehigh Valley and beyond, to infinity and beyond. 610-533-4549. Chris Hoffman ove here at Lehigh Valley Just Listed. 610-533-4549. Hey, if you have questions and you're thinking about buying a home, give me a call. I'd be more than happy to explain things to you, go over things with you. We can even set an appointment. So check us out at lehighvalleyjustlisted.com.

A total tax increase of 13.1% was authorized by the Palmer Township Board of Supervisors for the year 2026.

An increase of 1 mill for the general fund, an increase of.295 mill for the fire fund, and a reduction of .045 mill for the EMS tax are all part of the proposed budget. Although Chairman Jeffrey Young acknowledged it was an necessary, unavoidable situation. 

Property taxes have been increased by the township for the second year running. Homeowners would see an 11% increase in their tax bill in 2025. Between 2019 and 2024, the municipality did not provide any increases to the property owners.

A rate of 4.52 mills per dollar of assessed valuation is proposed for the general fund in the 2026 budget. In terms of tax rates, it allocates 2.22% to the debt services fund and 2.36% to the park and leisure fund. The road equipment fund has a tax rate of .25%, while the fire fund's rate is .65%. These factors add up to a real estate tax of 10.0 mills for the township in 2026, up from 9.0 mills in 2025—a little over an 11% increase.

A specialized tax of .205 mills goes for emergency medical services, and .545mills goes into the fire services fund (which is distinct from the fire fund). For 2026, the overall specialty tax will be 0.75 mills, up from 0.50 mills in 2025.

Real estate and specialty taxes added together will result in a total rate of 10.75 mills in 2026. This is an increase of 13.1% from 9.50 mills in 2025.

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The Bath Borough Zoning Hearing Board unanimously approved over a dozen variances for a proposed Wawa with gasoline pumps at 202 N. Walnut St. on Thursday, Dec. 4. This decision cleared a significant hurdle for the project.

Summit Realty Advisors applied on behalf of Bath Development LLC to get thirteen variances for the 2.97-acre plot that was formerly a PNC Bank. 

A one-stop shop for all your needs. In addition, the shop will be open 24/7 and said that the business intends to apply for a liquor license.

Nearby residents question about whether or not the Wawa would cause an influx of customers to Bath's northern edge. Sarah Devaney, who is within 500 feet of the site, inquired as to whether or not the development will bring more people and traffic to her neighborhood. Wawa stores are chosen to accommodate local demographics, who added that many customers are regulars at these sites.

It's planned to have six fueling islands, each with twelve pumps. Fifty parking spots, six gasoline canopies facing North Walnut Street, and reworked entry points on North Walnut Street, North Chestnut Street, and Barrall Avenue are all part of the concept. Wawa does not carry the diesel gasoline that tractor-trailer traffic requires, and the store does not accept that kind of payment.

Specifically along Barrall Avenue, the plan incorporates substantial public improvements. A left-turn lane will be created by removing on-street parking and a dedicated right-turn lane will be created from North Walnut Street onto Barrall. Other improvements include drainage repairs, new pedestrian walkways, sidewalks, and ADA renovations. The municipality had asked for a ban on trucks on Barrall Avenue in particular. It's clarified that smaller delivery vehicles would still be able to get through the restriction, since it only applied to bigger trucks.

When asked about the potential impact of automobile headlights on surrounding residences, buffers are being put in place whenever feasible. However, he did mention that driveways cannot be covered owing to restrictions in the state. A research on truck turning is now ongoing, and the results would be disclosed once they are ready. Driveway width, slope, distance from major thoroughfares, and retaining wall height were the primary points of variation. In order to ensure the safe operation of gasoline delivery trucks and three lanes of traffic, the plan calls for driveway widths of 102 feet on North Chestnut Street and 90 feet on Barrall Avenue.

The driveway entry on North Walnut Street is steeper, necessitating an 11% gradient, which is more than the 7% standard. The land has many frontages, which technically make most of the site a "front yard," where parking is usually not permitted. This is the main reason for the parking-related deviations. In addition to preserving natural space and existing trees, the design is small and fulfills Wawa's operating demands. We will meet the shade tree criteria by planting them elsewhere on the property, away from the parking area, so that visibility is not compromised.

PennDOT gave their approval to the project's traffic study on July 8. State highways will have medians included into the design to divide traffic among the three potential entry locations and limit left turns. The majority of Wawa's customers are just passing by, rather than making a special effort to visit the shop. He clarified that PennDOT has neither mandated the expansion of North Chestnut Street or the construction of any new traffic lights.

Municipality authorities stressed before discussions that the municipality would maintain its neutrality on the application subject to the applicant's compliance with all conditions mentioned in the municipal evaluation letters. The Wawa will adhere to all lighting regulations and install lights looking downwards in the parking lot.

The board declared its unanimous conclusion after a brief executive session lasting 10 minutes. The board determined that selling gasoline fits the zoning ordinance's convenience store use category, and that the applicant proved that the property's physical and geographic features made it difficult to get the necessary permits. Public health, safety, and welfare would not be negatively impacted by the deviations, and the proposed public improvements might be beneficial to the community.

In accordance with the requirements of the Municipalities Planning Code, the board instructed its attorney to complete the official written judgment, findings of fact, and conclusions of law within 45 days.

Wawa will no longer develop convenience shops without gas, referring to the company's national model and a package of exhibits that described twenty nearby convenience stores with petrol pumps.

A full-service Wawa selling groceries, packaged foods, and drinks would be the planned convenience store. A one-stop shop for all your needs!

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Northampton Borough Council has finally given the go-ahead to begin renovations to the public pool in preparation for its reopening in the summer of 2026 after months of deliberation, presentations, and public feedback. 

The borough did not take the decision lightly since fixing the pool would cost around $95,000 and homeowners are already anticipating a 2.5 mill tax hike in 2026. Though there may have been some expenses, the community's benefit from the pool far exceeded them.

Members of Northampton Council expressed their reservations about the idea, pointing to the already-planned tax rise for the new year. Many feel conflicted and many pushed to have the Pool reopen. 

Even though the pool has consistently lost money, Councilman Trevor Stone believes the borough should do what it takes to keep it open. He went on to say that if the pool were no longer available, people would have to swim in rivers and quarries, which are both unsanitary and potentially dangerous, and in agreement is Councilwoman Judy Haldeman, who supports doing all we can to keep the pool open. However, if the pool's income keeps going down, prespectives may be shifting.

In addition to restoring the pool to its original condition, several council members and Mayor Pristash see this opportunity to modernize the facility in a manner that attracts and retains community members. Mayor Pristash acknowledged the potential for the city to mitigate the impact of the loss over time. He used the example of other cities that have improved their pools by adding water slides and waterpark attractions to boost attendance and income.

The pool repairs may be covered by the allocated funds for 2026. 

Borough Manager Brian Welsko committed to doing all in his power to complete the task. The borough may be able to apply for grants and other forms of supplementary cash with the additional year, but that there is "no certainty" that anything would be available beyond 2026. It is possible that the repairs may not be finished in time for the 2026 season due to factors such as materials, weather, expenses, or other obstacles.

Any resident with thoughts, questions, or concerns about the pool's future should feel free to reach out to borough personnel. 

While the town starts fixing things up, Councilwoman Kutzler wanted to make sure people knew that they shouldn't fall for anybody pretending to be the borough's official solicitation agent or that the borough isn't collecting money for the pool. 

The borough's strategy had Kutzler's approval.

Also, in 2026, the Northampton rubbish collection price will go up by $80. Republic Services has a 5-year contract with the municipality. In the first year of the contract, there is a rise of $430 ($400 for seniors), and there will be annual increases throughout the term. 

Residents may save $395 ($365 for seniors) on their trash charge if paid early (before March 15). The late fee is $475 (or $440 for seniors) for payments made after April 30. Two new 95-gallon totes will be distributed to households by Republic Services. The trash won't be picked up until it's in these bags. 

Additionally, in 2026, the borough intends to raise the real estate tax by 2.5 mills.

The aim for next year is not to have another tax hike, despite knowing that the hike was needed.

The public is welcome to evaluate the preliminary budget at the borough office until Thursday, December 18, when council is next scheduled to meet. 

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A Northampton County shopping area now boasts a mom-and-pop store selling a variety of firearms. 

At 4330 Lehigh Drive, Unit 5, Lehigh Township, NJT Arms is now open for business, providing customers with a place to purchase, sell, and exchange weapons.

The Lehigh Town Center location, which was once a dry cleaner, has been renovated and is now home to the business. Northampton residents Nelson and Julia Tassie started NJT Arms around thirteen years ago.

The company was first operated out of the couple's house for around one year until they moved to a retail space in Northampton's 2100 block of Main Street then, subsequently, to a bigger shop a few streets south in the 1800 block of Main Street. In anticipation of the move to Lehigh Township, the most recent site of the firm, which had been open for around a decade, shut down on November 26.

The Tassies run Blue Mountain Billiards, a pool hall, out of the Lehigh Towne Center. The main reason NJT Arms was relocated there was to make things more convenient for customers. There is plenty of free parking in the lot at the new NJT Arms site, which is a nice change from the paid parking on Main Street in Northampton.

NJT—the initials of Nelson's first, middle, and last names—stand for a multitude of weapons, ammunition, and accessories sold by a federally licensed dealer. Glock, Sig Sauer, Ruger, and Smith & Wesson are among the well-known gun brands that anyone may purchase. Everyone has different taste, which is why they always have a variety of weaponry on hand. Customers have the option to shop in-store or online, and if an item is not in stock, we can also place an order to get it for them.

NJT ARMS Information: 

HOURS: 

12pm - 6pm Monday & Tuesdays

11am - 6pm Wednesdays and Thursdays

11am - 7pm Fridays

10am - 4pm Saturdays

Website: https://www.njtarms.com/

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An increase of 0.5% to the real estate transfer tax is being proposed by the Allentown City Council. The idea is being put forth by Council members as a change to the Mayor's budget. Just to give you an idea, the typical Transfer Tax, which is also called the Home Sales Tax, is 2% in the Greater Lehigh Valley and across Pennsylvania.

In Allentown, the Greater Lehigh Valley REALTORS® launched a massive effort last year to prevent the Transfer Tax from being removed from the list of non-levyable taxes according to the City's Home Rule Charter. With a final approval vote of 54% to 46%, the modification was accepted, and Council may now consider tax increase proposals.

All of the money that comes in from the increase has to go toward housing projects in Allentown. There is a sunset clause in the law that lasts for five years. An audit of spending will be received by a subsequent Council in 2030, which will then determine whether or not to maintain the rise.

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