Henry Meigs is a licensed REALTOR® with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach. He lives in Mt Airy and represents buyers and sellers from East Falls to Glenside.
Northwest Philadelphia and the Montgomery County townships above it get treated as one market, and in most respects they are. The same regional rail lines, the same stretch of Germantown Avenue, the same buyers touring both sides in a single weekend. The county line running along the top of Chestnut Hill is easy to miss on a map and easy to miss in a search. It is much harder to miss at settlement.
The clearest example is the transfer tax. Philadelphia charges 4.578% of the sale price, 3.578% to the city and 1% to the Commonwealth. Springfield, Upper Dublin and Cheltenham townships charge 2%, made up of 1% local and the same 1% state. Buyer and seller customarily split either one evenly. On a $600,000 house that is roughly $13,700 out of the buyer’s pocket inside the city and roughly $6,000 a few blocks north, for an identical price.
The school district changes, the township requirements at resale change, and the set of comparable sales an appraiser will pull changes with it. None of that makes either side the better buy. It does mean that if you are looking at both, it helps to work with someone who transacts on both.
The full line-by-line breakdown is in what buyers actually pay at closing.
| Town | Municipality | Transfer tax | School district | Median sale price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mt Airy | Philadelphia | 4.578% | School District of Philadelphia | $515,000 |
| Chestnut Hill | Philadelphia | 4.578% | School District of Philadelphia | Not published |
| Wyndmoor | Springfield Township | 2% | Springfield Township | $958,000 |
| Flourtown | Springfield Township | 2% | Springfield Township | $1,075,000 |
| Oreland | Springfield and Upper Dublin | 2% | Mostly Springfield Twp | $617,000 |
| Glenside | Cheltenham and Abington | 2% | Varies by street | $425,000 |
| East Falls | Philadelphia | 4.578% | School District of Philadelphia | $379,000 |
| Manayunk | Philadelphia | 4.578% | School District of Philadelphia | $418,950 |
| Roxborough | Philadelphia | 4.578% | School District of Philadelphia | $400,000 |
Transfer tax is the combined state and local rate on the full sale price; buyer and seller customarily split it evenly. Median sale prices are from the most recent monthly Bright MLS pull and are updated each month. Town names link to a service page where one exists, otherwise to the neighborhood guide.
He was communicative, kind, and always replied in a timely manner — and went above and beyond to help my clients get their deposit in on time. I would love to work with Henry again.
Henry walked me through the entire process as a first-time seller. Extremely professional, and responsive and timely with every question. Highly recommend.
Henry has tremendous knowledge and experience, with great communication and professionalism. Patient and supportive at every step — I would definitely love to work with him again.
Northwest Philadelphia, which is Mt Airy, Chestnut Hill, East Falls, Manayunk and Roxborough, plus the Montgomery County communities just over the line: Wyndmoor, Flourtown, Oreland and Glenside. I live in Mt Airy and my office is on Germantown Avenue in Chestnut Hill, so this is a compact area I am in constantly rather than a territory list.
Both, though about two thirds of my closed transactions have been on the buy side. That balance is worth knowing when you are choosing an agent. Someone who mostly lists homes and someone who mostly represents buyers develop different instincts, and I will tell you plainly which parts of a deal I have seen most.
It depends on what you are solving for. The city side gives you walkability, a deeper set of comparable sales, and generally lower entry prices, against a transfer tax more than double the township rate and the Philadelphia school district. The township side gives you more land for the money, lower transaction costs and district schools that many buyers move specifically to reach, against thinner inventory and faster competition when something does come up. I sell on both sides and have no reason to steer you.
Commission is negotiable and always has been, and since August 2024 it is set explicitly in writing before we start rather than assumed from a listing. For sellers it is agreed in the listing contract. For buyers it is agreed in the buyer agency agreement, and where a seller offers less than that amount the difference is yours to cover or negotiate. I would rather walk through those numbers at the first conversation than have them surface later.
Tell me which side of the line you are looking at and roughly when. Call 484-571-4577 or send a note and I will give you an honest read on what that market is doing.
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