Upper Bucks property mortgages related to oil/gas drilling

Life just isn't simple any more. Some folks in Upper Bucks were trying to make a few extra bucks with drilling leases and ended up complicating the titles to their properties.

Supposedly the folks found mortgages attached to their properties that the local title companies didn't know how to handle. Apparently the mortgages don't really encumber the sale of the house or property. One family had to hire a lawyer to help sort things out.

I don't think you have to worry about buying a house in Upper Bucks and suddenly finding an oil or gas well in your neighbor's yard but you should do some research on the subject if you are looking at real estate in that area.


see The Phillyburbs story for the whole story

Real Estate Prices - Up Up and Away

I'm not sure what the most recent trends are, but the real estate prices have really skyrocketed. When we bought in Bucks County in 1997, we looked at a LOT of homes. It was a real sellers market then. If you found a home you liked, you had to put the bid in before you walked out the door. There would often be bidding wars that evening.

If you look at a consumer price calculator to factor in inflation, say http://www.minneapolisfed.org/research/data/us/calc/ it appears that the value of our home has risen at a greater rate than inflation.

Bucks County has a lot to offer. Some of the advantages for Bucks County compared to our old neighborhood in Northeast Philly were

- Easier parking in Bucks
- Cooler temperatures overall - we are surrounded by trees now, not asphalt, buildings and cement.
- We like the Bucks Politics a whole lot better than philly and their constantly indicted politicos with strange stuff on their blackberries
- Better schools
- A more favorable environment for small business owners.
- Lower car insurance
- Generally safer neighborhoods





Bucks County real estate transactions Inquirer 06/03/2007:

"Upper Southampton Twp 1702 Hawkins Dr Evgueni and Irina Bobkov to Marina Gutman, $283,000.
1340 Jeanette Way Alan S and Ronda Lang to Michael D and Debra M Marano, $410,000.
1062 Rozel Ave James H and Heidi D Marquisette to Thomas Joseph and Joanne S Reilly, $310,000.
811 Willow St Edward S Walthery Jr to Ryan J Murray, $205,000."