Gov. Wolf Reopens Real Estate Across Pennsylvania

Governor Wolf was under a lot of pressure to reopen real estate. Due to the tremendous efforts of the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors (PAR) and many residents across the state including brokers and Realtors who called and emailed Wolf's office, he finally agreed and decided to re-categorize real estate/housing as an "essential" and life-sustaining business.

Though Wolf vetoed HB 2412 he signed an executive order to reopen real estate with precautions (please see the photo for details). This is great news! We're back in business! Who's ready to buy,s sell and invest?

Here are some of the new (and hopefully temporary) guidelines:

1. As of now open houses are not allowed.

2. When possible we are still encouraged to do all paperwork and meetings via the internet/electronically.

3. No more than three people at a showing, meeting, inspection, etc. at any given time AND social distancing must be adhered to.

4. Sellers and any occupants in a house being shown will be instructed to go outside during showings and when that's not possible social distancing must be practiced.

5. There will 30 minutes in between all showings.

But fear not. We will be taking all the necessary precautions and will guide our clients accordingly. We will provide face masks, gloves and hand sanitizer for anyone who needs them. Though only masks are required by the Governor, we will have gloves available for anyone who would feel more comfortable wearing them.

I'm sure you won't be surprised to learn that there is additional paperwork specific to COVID 19. Not only that, but everyone who wishes to view a listed property must answer some health-related questions to ensure that all parties are aware of the potential risks involved. If the seller has any reservations they are within their right to refuse any showing requests. Also, please be aware that sellers may have additional requirements that we must adhere to as well. In order for us to show homes, we must abide by the Governor's orders to the T as well as the sellers'.

We've been reading through the new documentation and getting familiar with it all so that we're clear on how to proceed. No doubt things will change and evolve over time so we'll be sure keep you updated as move forward.

So there you have it. We just wanted to give you a glimpse into some of the changes you will be seeing and experiencing to prepare you ahead of time. We hope this helps.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us. We're here for you and will find answers to your questions if we don't know them. Stay healthy and be well!