We Buy Houses in Briarcliffe

Is Briarcliffe in Glenolden or Darby Township?

Darby Township. The mail says Glenolden 19036, and so does the township building itself, at 21 Bartram Avenue. But we looked up addresses on Briarcliffe Road, Tremont Drive, Stratford Road, Westbridge Road, Crescent Drive and Hillcrest Drive in the Census Bureau's address finder, and every one came back in Darby Township and the Southeast Delco School District. Glenolden Borough, next door, is in the Interboro School District and runs its own certificate of occupancy.

Darby Township comes in two separate sections, north and south, and Briarcliffe is in the northern one, next to Glenolden. If your house is in Glenolden Borough, see our Glenolden page. Darby Borough and Upper Darby are different places again, and our Darby page sorts them out. Your property tax bill names the town you actually pay.

When was Briarcliffe built?

Mostly in the 1950s, and fast. The township's 1975 comprehensive plan, prepared by the county planning commission, counts 3,450 people in Darby Township in 1950 and 12,598 in 1960, an increase of 265 percent in ten years. The same plan describes "the densely populated Briarcliffe," a northern section built up with row houses, with small playgrounds on Brookwood, West Bridge and Park Drive, the Briarcliffe Swim Club at Oak Lane and Bartram Avenue, and a little shopping center on Ashland Avenue near Poplar.

The Census numbers for the tract that takes in Briarcliffe still show it:

After about 70 years, the big items in these rowhomes tend to be the roof, the sewer line out to the street, the heater, old wiring and plumbing, and water in the basement. We buy them with all of it, whether the house needs a few updates or everything.

What does Darby Township require when you sell?

A use and occupancy (U&O) certificate. Darby Township's License and Inspections office handles it at 21 Bartram Avenue, and the township lists a Use and Occupancy specialist for questions about selling and renting at 610-586-1514, extension 1. These are the fees on the township's current schedule:

The township says you'll hear back on a permit application in 7 to 14 days, and it encourages applying early, so file as soon as you have a closing date in mind. You can apply online through the township's iWorQ portal. Ask the U&O specialist whether your sale needs the sewer lateral test and when it can be scheduled. The lateral is the pipe that carries waste from your house to the sewer main.

Can I sell as-is if the U&O finds problems?

Yes, and you won't have to fix a thing. Pennsylvania's Act 133 of 2016 applies in Darby Township like everywhere else in the state. When the inspection finds problems, the township issues a temporary certificate instead of stopping the sale. If something makes the house unfit to live in, that certificate lets the new owner in to repair it before anyone moves in. The new owner gets 12 months to finish the work, and the township can't require an escrow or a bond. When we're the new owner, the whole list is ours. More in our guide to selling a house as-is.

Does Briarcliffe flood?

Some streets have, in heavy storms. Muckinipates Creek runs along the neighborhood, and the township's 1975 plan already noted flood-plain soils along it with a high water table. The same plan says residents had flood damage in the past, and Darby Township became eligible for federal flood insurance in November 1974.

More recently, the county's hazard mitigation plan lists flash floods that reached Briarcliff (the plan's spelling) on August 7, 2019, and on September 23, 2021, when there was a water rescue from a vehicle near West Oak Lane and Bartram Avenue. The repeat damage is small next to the towns along Darby Creek or Chester Creek, though. The plan counts 2 Darby Township properties with repeated serious flood damage, against 52 in Darby Borough and 23 in Chester Township. It also counts 118 of the township's 3,763 buildings in the 1% yearly chance (100-year) flood zone. Both counts cover the whole township, not just Briarcliffe.

Check your address on FEMA's flood map. Either way, flood history doesn't stop us from buying, and you don't have to repair water damage first. See selling a house after fire or water damage.

How much is the transfer tax in Briarcliffe?

It's 2% in all, 1% to Pennsylvania and 1% local, the same as Glenolden Borough next door. When you sell to us, we pay it, along with every other closing cost. On a $220,000 sale, that's $4,400 you don't pay. The only thing paid off from the sale at closing is what you already owe against the house, like a mortgage, liens or unpaid taxes.

What's the property tax bill in Briarcliffe?

About 47.5 mills in all. A mill is $1 for every $1,000 of assessed value, so that's roughly $4,754 a year for every $100,000 your house is assessed at. Your assessed value is on your tax bill.

The township's tax collector sends the township bill on February 1, and it includes the real estate tax plus the sewer and trash fees. Pay by March 31 for the discount. The Southeast Delco school bill goes out July 1, with the discount through August 31. Both are paid by check or money order only, not cash. Behind on either one? Call us early, and see selling with liens or back taxes.

Selling a Briarcliffe rental or an empty house?

At Vivid Properties, we buy rentals with the tenants in place, including Section 8 tenants and tenants who are behind on rent. We'll buy one rowhome, a 2 to 4 unit building or an apartment building, and we can close several at once. See how we buy rental properties and our guide to selling a house with tenants. If you keep renting, Darby Township's schedule lists $175 a year for a house's rental license.

Settling an estate and the house is sitting empty? Darby Township's schedule lists $125 per home to register a vacant property, and $100 to renew. Estates go through the county Register of Wills, and our guide to selling an inherited house in Pennsylvania walks through probate and the state inheritance tax. If it was a parent's home, see selling your parents' house. We buy it with the furniture and everything else still inside.

What will our offer look like?

It'll be in writing, usually within 24 hours of seeing the house, and it shows exactly what you walk away with before you sign. We pay all the closing costs, the 2% transfer tax included. There's no commission, no fees from us and no repairs, and you pick the closing day.

Our price will be less than what the same rowhome would bring fully fixed up. It has to cover the repairs, the surprises behind the walls, the months of taxes and utilities while we work, and the cost of selling it again. If your house only needs paint and you can wait for the right buyer, listing may get you more, and we'll tell you so. See how we calculate our offer or our cash sale vs listing comparison.

How does selling to us work here?

1. Reach out. Call or text (267) 551-5554, or send the form. A real local person answers.
2. Show us the house. Leave it alone, belongings and all.
3. Read your written cash offer. No pressure, and no rush.
4. Pick your closing day. We build in time for Darby Township's U&O, so settlement isn't held up.

Get my cash offer Text or call (267) 551-5554

What nearby areas do we also buy in?

Every other town we buy in is on our Delaware County, PA page.

Questions Briarcliffe sellers ask

This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. For your situation, talk to a Pennsylvania attorney or tax professional.