Philly Kelsey & Co

With single family custom builds only possible as volume investments, we're moving into a historic decade of wealthy lawyers and the restoration of what we're working with now. Silver lining, our city is now thinking about trash and quality of life. Here's an article from 2020 that you may have missed.

Philly now allows basement and garage apartments to boost historic preservation As of Jan. 1, for the first time, owners of historic properties in the city can add accessory dwelling units, such as in-law suites and basement rentals.

Expediters in Philadelphia are here for that extra 10% totality. (If you know you know)

Another Exciting Year On The Books!

This year has been a trip and a half – from new clients, little elves, and clientele types we’ve taken on here at Philly Kelsey & Co., it feels like the year breezed by!

We can’t wait to bring in the New Year with our clients, network, and community members but first, we’d like to go over some updates:

We’re still taking on the project types we always have, Permits, Certifications, and Licenses, but we’ve added some more to our list:

-Tax Compliance
-Right-of-Way Encroachments
-Utility Connections (including to the water main)
-Out-of-State Insurance for Licenses

And of course, we’re always taking projects in our most unique and specialized service of assisting in reallocating demolition materials to be donated back into the local community!

We are happy to help assist with any of these projects with individualized, customized proposals. Make sure to fill out our form in order to have the most streamlined experience possible with our intake process.

We can’t wait to see where this next year takes us and our community, the future is so bright and full of possibilities for us all.

Cheers to a happy holiday season and New Year!

~Philly Kelsey & Co. 🥂

🚩Are properties in still a viable investment strategy?
You tell us. 👈

In handling tax abatement applications and revisions to improvement cost, the current average cost for single family new construction in Philadelphia is $550,000, predominantly 230% over budget according to permits.

Regulated oversight has significantly increased since 2020, with requirements for soils investigation engineer reports, certified mailers to the neighbors, and additional requirements if the adjacent buildings are on the historic register.

Enforcement of the AirBnb zoning restriction is curbed until next year.

As of October 1, 2022, The Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act (Act 537, as amended) requires that sewage facilities planning be conducted for any proposed residential or commercial development that will generate sewage.

As of Friday (October 7), eCLIPSE now requires that out of state landlords identify a managing agent located within the City when obtaining rental licenses.

Also now effective in eCLIPSE is a new option for a plumbing rough-in permit.

Starting January 1, 2023:

L&I is increasing permit fees by 12.1%.

Excavation more than 5ft below grade is being separated from the building permit process (its own permit) and the Excavation Contractor License is now available in eCLIPSE.

New SI category is being enforced for Structural Stability of Existing Buildings or Structures. For licensed engineers, this module is now available in eCLIPSE.

~~ These are the most impactful updates we've encountered in terms of project cost and timeline. Please share your experience if something is not on the list - we'd love to hear it! ~~

https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia-building-safety-staffing-shortages-inspections-20220526.html

A third of Philly’s building inspectors have quit since 2019. Critics say that threatens public safety. The longtime problem appears to be getting worse amid what a union official called a "mass exodus" of inspectors.

Some humor for Friday the 13th!

True 911 Calls on TikTok No one got hurt 😊, funny call 😂 #911

My next YouTube video is premiering right now! Jump on and join the conversation. It's less than 15 minutes :)

L&I Updates You Need To Know Here's my September 2021 Update with the latest updates we practice right now to make your life easier with construction and license requirements. For develo...

Get your 2020 tax return uploaded or file your no tax liability ASAP. DOR hasn't been triggering this for non-compliance yet but will be very soon!
This means that a Tax Clearance Certificate will not be generated and any permits, even if they are pending, will not be issued by L&I. Get ahead of the curve and get it done ✔️

No business activity? File your Philly taxes regardless | Department of Revenue A blog post about business tax-filing

Anyone else being flooded with text messages and warnings about this tornado? We are closing up the office a little early today. While hunkered down indoors, here's the latest permit filing procedure update required to resolve unsafe structural violations.
MAKE SAFE and BE SAFE.
https://phillykelsey.co/make-safe-update/

It may surprise you that the solution here is communication! Violations can come from separate departments.

Zoning compliance is to ensure city services can support venue activities which is enforced by the district inspection office. These licenses and permits often require inspection from the local and state police, fire, and health departments.
Anything having to do with the structure/building itself is handled by the Contractual Services Unit (CSU) and requires a Make Safe permit that can only be filed in person. These inspections are only local - handled and enforced solely by the City of Philadelphia.

Having an experienced expediter on your team to be the middle man between city departments is critical.

PhilaMOCA we want to work with you and get this violation cleared ASAP!

After nearly $80,000 in repairs, PhilaMOCA threatened with demolition The Callowhill arts venue owned by the musician Diplo faces a threat from the city over problems with the historic building’s structural integrity.

Join me this evening at 7PM for a collaborative discussion all about eCLIPSE!
I am so excited to be sharing my knowledge about how to use eCLIPSE for licenses and permits in this webinar hosted by Jumpstart Germantown - Improving Our Community One House at a Time
Link to register https://phillykelsey.co/jumpinar-dont-get-stuck-in-eclipse-tonight/
See you there!

JUMPinar: Don’t Get Stuck in eCLIPSE TONIGHT!! – Philly Kelsey & Co Posted on August 30, 2021August 30, 2021 by phillykelseyJUMPinar: Don’t Get Stuck in eCLIPSE TONIGHT!! Monday, August 30th at 7pm (EST) Jump on to Zoom to listen to Kelsey Lee, Philly Kelsey & Co President, discuss eCLIPSE at the JUMPinar Lecture series. Navigating through eCLIPSE can be difficult...

Now that we have maxed out what our fathers built, we need to "move back to relying on the daily influx of energy from the Sun to meet the huge energy needs of eight billion people and counting."

Who's with us on sustainability?! 🙌
Did you know that our firm can be hired to file solar installation permits in Suburban PA & NJ? ☀️

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-56544239?utm_source=morning_brew

The real reason humans are the dominant species How demand for energy has been central to the development of humanity.

Are you vaccinated yet?
We'll be wearing our face mask for every meeting and project site visit until Philadelphia reaches 100% 🎉

Let’s Vax Up, Philly! | Department of Public Health It’s been over a year since this pandemic changed our lives. It’s time to get back to doing some of the things we love.

Until last year, this wasn't allowed in Philadelphia.

👉 Stack with Philly Kelsey & Co's proprietary Green Demolition Donation Program (we repurpose wood and brick into other historic renovation projects for the purpose of substantial federal tax deductions).
👉 Stack with Opportunity Zone Investments if you don't already own the property.

HISTORIC INVESTORS: This means your entire project for an ADU is paid for by Uncle Sam.

Philly now allows basement and garage apartments to boost historic preservation As of Jan. 1, for the first time, owners of historic properties in the city can add accessory dwelling units, such as in-law suites and basement rentals.

MSB doesn’t want you in person and you can’t file using eCLIPSE. Find out how to apply for MAKE SAFE Building Permits exclusively brought to you by Philly Kelsey & Co!

https://phillykelsey.co/make-safe-update/

We've been getting a lot of inquiries about the city's new Residential Property Wholesaler License.

We have good news!

Over the past few weeks, we have made great strides in our understanding of this license so our company can add this license to our list of services with the utmost confidence. On top of that, we are going to be compiling our findings that will be released on YouTube!

In our world of Licensed Expediters, nothing can be left to interpretation, so we have been working hard on getting in touch with the right person at L&I while speaking with a variety of RE professionals to understand how this may impact our industry.

In collaboration with Smart Real Estate Podcast, we are going to openly share our findings in a new comprehensive video series. As your L&I advocates, we believe that everyone should have access to regulatory information and have a qualified resource for questions. Please stay tuned for release dates soon!

The only public resource to obtain information about this license, is right here: https://www.phila.gov/services/permits-violations-licenses/get-a-license/business-licenses-permits-and-approvals/real-estate/get-a-residential-property-wholesaler-license/

IMPORTANT: Currently this license application is not open either through eCLIPSE or by appointment at the MSB licensing counter. If a city employee tells you otherwise, please educate them. We do however anticipate that the application will be opened very soon.

Get a Residential Property Wholesaler License | Service You need a Residential Property Wholesaler License if you intend to buy residential properties solely for resale.

We are so excited to be offering a salary position! The job will be mostly remote with at least 1 office day a week. If you enjoy the start-up culture and are great at customer service, please click the link to find out how to apply. We are looking to fill this position immediately and encourage all interested candidates to contact us promptly.

https://phillykelsey.co/we-are-hiring-an-executive-assistant/

Miley, you give us small businesses hope. Thank you!!! 💋🥂🗣

https://www.verizonbigconcertsmallbiz.com/

Verizon Big Concert for Small Business | Watch LIVE on 2/7 Alicia Keys & music's biggest acts perform LIVE in support of small businesses. Watch the Verizon Big Concert for Small Business Sunday 2/7 at 11pm EST/8pm PST.

With a heavy heart, we are saying goodbye to our wonderful and hard-working Office Manager, Elizabeth! Over a year ago, she started as an Adminstrative Assistant and stepped up to the plate when I got too busy. If you've worked with Elizabeth, then you know that she has a way of mitigating people's frustration with positivity and grace. This certainly extends to how she has responded to my grievances, which as any business owner would say, can be a lot.

From the perspective of a new business, going through it's first year (during a pandemic), I wouldn't have been able to accomplish as much as I did without her. In just 3 short months, Elizabeth learned Philadelphia Regulation remotely and her support allowed us to help twice as many people with eCLIPSE know-how and functionality. It was new for everyone and we ended up being the only resource people had when the government shut down March 2020. We stepped up to the plate and launched a YouTube channel for eCLIPSE education and tag-teamed a huge volume increase (which kind of felt like a "help-line") all the while we were having to redefine our entire operational process. Talk about turning a bad situation into work I can look forward to - the YouTube channel was certainly my favorite project that we did together.

I am honored to have worked with Elizabeth and she has been invaluable to Philly Kelsey & Co in becoming the company it is today. She's leaving this position to take her role as a full time mom and wife. She will be sorely missed but this next chapter in her life is honorable and comes with much respect. I only wish the best for Elizabeth, in health and in business roles she may have in the future. I only offer my best recommendation to future employers, but I'll probably ask her back first. Ha!

Job well done Elizabeth. Some nights were quite long, but we did it. We took a 1 person company to 5. Incredible.

Please send your family many thanks for their patience, they also deserve an applause. Thank you for everything and we will keep in touch for sure!

~ Kelsey

Philly Kelsey & Co updated their business hours.

****LIVE PODCAST INTERVIEW TONIGHT****

Kelsey, our President, and Lead Expediter will be on the Smart Real Estate Podcast TONIGHT, December 21st at 7PM talking about the time-sensitive topic of Tax Abatements!

Check out the blog post below for more details!

https://phillykelsey.co/live-interview-tonight-monday-december-21st/

Familiarize yourself with the Universal Construction Code (UCC). Act 35 of 2017 and Act 36 of 2017 went into effect October 25, 2017. These acts amend the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act.

https://www.dli.pa.gov/ucc/Pages/default.aspx

Uniform Construction Code Home These pages provide information regarding Pennsylvania's statewide building code, generally known as the Uniform Construction Code (UCC). Enforcement of the UCC began in April 2004.

Check out the latest blog post on our company website!

It's all about gratitude and reflection as we are working on wrapping up this crazy year - and just might give you a little more insight as to the character of who makes up Philly Kelsey & Co. 😊

Click the link below to read for yourself and leave us a comment about what you're thankful for or what silver lining you've found during this crazy year!



https://phillykelsey.co/why-we-love-our-job/

Why We Love Our Job – Philly Kelsey & Co Posted on December 18, 2020December 18, 2020 by phillykelseyWhy We Love Our Job In the spirit of remote holiday togetherness and not being able to attend company parties to share stories over eggnog, each member of our team took the time to express personal gratitude of our accomplishments. Not only...

City of Philadelphia's Licenses & Inspections released their report card for 2020 this week - what are your thoughts?

Did you submit a grade for your experiences this year?
What grade would you give L&I?

Gov. Tom Wolf's Pennsylvania COVID-19 briefing about possible new restrictions is starting any moment now.

Click here to watch live: https://www.governor.pa.gov/live/

https://www.phillyvoice.com/pennsylvania-covid-19-restrictions-indoor-dining-restaurants-gyms-wolf-levine/

How to watch Gov. Tom Wolf's Pennsylvania COVID-19 briefing about possible new restrictions Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is expected to make a significant announcement Thursday afternoon about the state's coronavirus response, with possible new restrictions set to be implemented.

Last night was a success and reminiscent of speaking engagements I enjoyed doing before CoVid caused shutdowns and made gatherings like this more difficult and uncertain!

Thank you to Smart Real Estate REIA for a great experience and to my guest, Adam of Pritzker Law Group for joining me!

Link to the recorded event coming soon!

Your Tip of the Day from Kelsey:

How do you upload your pictures, certifications, and documents to eCLIPSE?

The instructions from the City can be difficult to find so here's a quick link to help you find them!
https://www.phila.gov/departments/department-of-licenses-and-inspections/eclipse-faqs/

We're here to help - let us know in the comments what you've had a hard time finding through the City's websites or through the eCLIPSE helpline.

If you'd like to skip all the hassle and have us help with a project fo yours, fill out our form here: https://phillykelsey.co/get-started/

***BLOG UPDATE***

Stay up to date on the latest news regarding filing with the City of Philadelphia by following our social media and blog - our link is below 📣💪

We're on your side and ready to help get you across the finish line so e-mail us today at [email protected] to schedule your 15-Minute Complimentary Consultation! 🗓 ⏰

Make Safe UPDATE – Philly Kelsey & Co Posted on June 30, 2020October 21, 2020 by phillykelseyMake Safe UPDATE UPDATE 10-20-2020 We are now at L&I by appointment 2-3 times a week consistently. L&I protocol for any building that is tagged UNSAFE or ID (Imminently Dangerous), a Make Safe Permit or Demolition Permit MUST be submitted in pap...

Your Tip of the Day from Kelsey:

Where do you find your permits on eCLIPSE?

The instructions from the City can be difficult to find so here is the link to the instructions (but we also included a screenshot for you below)!
(Found here: https://www.phila.gov/.../department-of.../eclipse-faqs/ )

We're here to help - let us know in the comments what you've had a hard time finding through the City's websites or through the eCLIPSE helpline.

If you'd like to skip all the hassle and have us help with a project fo yours, fill out our form here: https://phillykelsey.co/get-started/

Your Tip of the Day from Kelsey:

Do not get stuck working with an UNLicensed Contractor!

How do you know you hired a LICENSED Contractor?

The instructions from the City can be difficult to find so here are some quick instructions on how to search for your Contractor within the City's list of Licensed Professionals within eCLIPSE!
(Found here: https://www.phila.gov/departments/department-of-licenses-and-inspections/eclipse-faqs/ )

We're here to help - let us know in the comments what you've had a hard time finding through the City's websites or through the eCLIPSE helpline.

If you'd like to skip all the hassle and have us help with a project fo yours, fill out our form here: https://phillykelsey.co/get-started/