Local Guides

Selling a Home in Hilltown or Dublin, PA: A Letter for Your Lender and a Video for the Borough

Hilltown Township publishes a signed letter stating no resale inspection is required, while its police department issues free move-in and move-out permits. Dublin Borough requires no resale U&O either, but a sewer lateral video inspection must reach the borough two weeks before settlement. The Route 313 corridor, explained for sellers.

By Samantha Mallon, SRES®, licensed in PA & NJ · Reviewed July 31, 2026 · 6 min read

Hilltown and Dublin sit a traffic light apart on Route 313 and answer the seller’s municipal question in two currencies. Hilltown issues a signed letter saying no inspection is required, ready for any lender who doubts it. Dublin skips the inspection too, then asks for a video of your sewer lateral two weeks before settlement.

The Route 313 seller picture

This is Pennridge country between the Doylestown and Quakertown markets: Hilltown’s 27 square miles of farms, developments, and villages wrapped around Dublin’s single walkable square mile. Sellers here price against the district and the corridor commute, and the buyer pool leans toward households that wanted Central Bucks and found the line, plus downsizers trading township acreage for borough sidewalks.

Hilltown: a letter for the lender

Dublin: a video for the borough

The sewer lateral inspection. Dublin’s zoning FAQ requires the lateral inspection application and its video to reach the borough at least two weeks before settlement. Book the camera plumber when the agreement of sale signs, not when the title company reminds you, because a cracked lateral needs repair time.
The utility certification. Requested from the borough, usually by the title company, to close out water and sewer balances at the table. Confirm someone actually ordered it.
No resale U&O. The borough requires use and occupancy for commercial uses and new residential construction only. An existing home changes hands without an inspection.

The Pennsylvania money

Both municipalities sit at the standard 2% total realty transfer tax, customarily split, so the seller’s half on a $450,000 sale is $4,500. Pennsylvania withholds nothing at settlement, and the federal exclusion, $250,000 single and $500,000 married, covers most owner-occupants. The home-sale tax guide and the cost-to-sell guide carry the detail.

Getting started

The Route 313 order: a free valuation, the Dublin lateral video scheduled at agreement of sale, Hilltown’s letter saved for the lender file, the move-out permit filed, and pricing set against the Pennridge corridor. The Perkasie and Sellersville guide covers the boroughs north, the Plumstead and Bedminster guide covers the townships east, the Bucks County downsizing guide maps the county, and the sequencing guide settles what to do first.

Sources

Every guide on this site is built from primary sources (government agencies and recognized research institutions) and reviewed before publication.

Hilltown and Dublin seller questions

Does Hilltown require an inspection to sell a house?

No, and the township makes it unusually easy to prove. Hilltown’s code enforcement department publishes a signed letter from its zoning officer stating that no residential resale inspection or new certificate of occupancy is required at resale, no matter how long the property sat vacant and regardless of whether it is owner-occupied or a rental. The letter exists specifically for sellers to hand to lenders who ask. New construction and altered dwellings still need certificates under the state construction code, and open permits from past projects should be closed before listing.

What are Hilltown’s move-in and move-out permits?

A police department requirement, not a code enforcement one. Anyone moving into or out of Hilltown files a move-in or move-out permit with the Hilltown Police Department. There is no fee and no inspection; the permits keep the township’s records and emergency services current. Sellers should file the move-out permit and point their buyers to the move-in form, because the township does check.

What does Dublin Borough require to sell a house?

No use and occupancy inspection, but two other items. First, a sewer lateral inspection: the application and the video of the lateral must reach the borough at least two weeks before settlement. Second, a utility certification from the borough, which the title company usually requests during settlement prep. The lateral video is the item that surprises sellers, because it requires hiring a plumber with a camera and leaving enough calendar room to repair any breaks the video reveals.

What is the market like in Hilltown and Dublin?

Pennridge-district territory along Route 313, between Doylestown’s prices and Quakertown’s. Hilltown spreads across almost 27 square miles of farmland, newer developments, and village clusters at Line Lexington, Blooming Glen, and Dublin’s edges. Dublin Borough itself is a walkable square mile with borough utilities, twins, and singles priced for first-time buyers and downsizers who want sidewalks. Both sell to households working the 309 and 611 corridors who found Central Bucks inventory out of reach.

About the author

Samantha Mallon, SRES®

Samantha is a real estate agent with Compass, licensed in Pennsylvania (RS365940) and New Jersey (2440598), holding the SRES® (Seniors Real Estate Specialist®) designation. Before real estate she earned a finance degree at Rutgers and a master’s in analytics at Georgia Tech, and worked in management consulting at Deloitte, a background she now applies to pricing, preparation, and honest guidance for sellers navigating downsizing, longtime homes, and family transitions across Greater Philadelphia and South Jersey.

More about Samantha →

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