The guides
7 so far- 01
Which parts of Chester County are USDA-eligible
The zero-down program, how to run a Chester County address on USDA's own map, why the boundary moves, and what the site rules in 7 CFR 3555.201 actually require. · 5 min
- 02
Chester County's $40,000 first-time buyer program
The $40,000 second lien, the income table to eight people, the 20% down payment ceiling and the $15,000 liquid asset rule, plus the PHFA limits it sits behind. · 6 min
- 03
Transfer tax in Chester County: 2%, 2.5% in Malvern and Tredyffrin, 3% in Coatesville
The 2% standard rate, the three municipalities that deviate, the customary split, joint liability, the family exemptions, and what the difference costs on real July 2026 medians. · 5 min
- 04
1996 assessments and the 30.6% CLR: reading a Chester County tax bill
Why the assessment is a fraction of the price, what the 30.6% ratio and the 3.27 factor are for, and how county, municipal and school millage stack into one bill. · 6 min
- 05
Wells, septic and Act 537: the two extra inspections when you buy land or a farmette
FHA's well and septic standards, the stricter Chester County Health Department distances and water panel, what Act 537 means for a lot, and the township pumping rules on top. · 7 min
- 06
How a construction loan pays the builder: draws, inspections, the final conversion
The single closing, how lot equity becomes the down payment, written authorization at each draw, the 12-and-18-month clock, the VA draw account, and what the builder has to produce. · 7 min
- 07
Flood zones along the Brandywine and what they do to your loan
What the three Brandywine gauges recorded in 2021, the flood planning money since, and what a mapped zone does to insurance, escrow and the payment you qualify on. · 6 min
How these are written
Every figure has a source, most of them the county, the state or the federal program that owns the number. When a figure is a range, the guide says why. When something has not been verified, it does not appear. The guides are re-read on a schedule, and the date at the top of each one is the last time that happened.
If a note raises a question the page does not answer, call. A licensed Pennsylvania lender who does that kind of loan calls you back, usually the same business day.