Henry Meigs is a licensed REALTOR® with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach. He lives in Mt Airy and represents buyers and sellers throughout Philadelphia's 19119.
Mt Airy gives buyers something the surrounding towns often do not, which is real choice. Forty-two homes came to market in June and twenty-one closed, at a median of $515,000 and an average of seventeen days on market. That pace lets you see several houses in a weekend and sleep on a decision, which is rarely possible in the tighter markets just north of here and over the county line.
Two things tend to surprise buyers. The first is the transfer tax. Philadelphia charges 4.578% of the sale price and custom splits it evenly, so on a $515,000 house the buyer’s share is roughly $11,800 at settlement, on top of the down payment. The second is the age of the housing stock. The Victorian twins and stone singles here are mostly a century old, which makes knob and tube wiring, slate roofs near the end of their service life, and clay sewer laterals live questions rather than theoretical ones.
My job on the buy side is telling you which of those questions actually matter on the specific house you are standing in, and what it costs to resolve them. I represent buyers in about two thirds of my transactions, so this is the work I do most.
Read the buyer guide →Selling in Mt Airy means listing into genuine competition. In June, forty-two homes came to market and twenty-one sold. Buyers here are comparing your house against several similar twins in the same price band, often in the same week, which puts more weight on pricing and presentation than on how long you leave it exposed.
The seventeen day average hides a split. Well-priced, well-presented houses go quickly. Houses priced against last year’s comparable sales sit, and the longer they sit the more negotiating room buyers assume they have. I would rather have an honest pricing conversation before we list than a price-reduction conversation six weeks in.
Read the seller guide →Figures are from the most recent monthly Bright MLS pull for 19119. For the twelve-month trend and a fuller breakdown, see the Mt Airy market data.
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.
Mt Airy runs along the ridge of Northwest Philadelphia between Germantown and Chestnut Hill, in zip code 19119. For the full picture of housing stock, schools, Wissahickon access and month-by-month market data, I keep a detailed guide to the neighborhood.
Read the full Mt Airy neighborhood guidePhiladelphia’s total realty transfer tax is 4.578% of the sale price: 3.578% to the city and 1% to the Commonwealth. By local custom buyer and seller split it evenly, about 2.289% each, so on a $515,000 sale that is roughly $11,800 per side. The split is customary, not law, and it is negotiable in the agreement of sale. In a competitive situation, offering to cover the seller’s share is often a cheaper way to strengthen an offer than raising the price.
Yes. Since the NAR settlement terms took effect in August 2024, a buyer working with an agent signs a written agreement before touring homes. It sets out what the agent will do and how they are paid. Both the term and the compensation are negotiable, and a short agreement covering a single property is a normal way to start if you want to see how we work together first.
Beyond a general home inspection, three things matter most on century-old stock here. Slate roofs can often be repaired well past the point buyers assume they are finished, so get a roofer rather than a guess. Knob and tube wiring is common in unrenovated houses and affects what insurers will write. Clay sewer laterals crack and take on root intrusion, and a camera scope costs a few hundred dollars against a repair that runs into five figures once it reaches the city right-of-way.
The June average was seventeen days, slower than the towns just north of here, which gives you room to think. That average covers a wide spread though. A well-priced twin in the $400,000s can draw multiple offers in a weekend, while houses above the median often sit long enough to leave real negotiating room. Read the individual listing rather than the neighborhood average.
Buyer agent compensation is negotiable and is set in your buyer agency agreement, not by any rule or rate card. In practice it is often still offered by the seller through the listing, but that is no longer automatic and it is not guaranteed. Where a seller offers less than the amount we agreed, the difference is yours to cover or to negotiate into the deal, and I put those numbers in front of you before we write anything.
If you are early enough that you are still deciding between East and West Mt Airy, that is a good time to talk. Call 484-571-4577 or send a note and I will tell you what the blocks are actually like.
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