TOM SKIFFINGTON, RE/MAX

Helping people reach their goal of homeownership.
By Angelina Sciolla

Tom Skiffington’s RE/MAX Real Estate headquarters is in Perkasie, but his reach and inventory of properties encompasses a half a dozen counties. For 23 years Tom Skiffington has been helping people invest in property, whether it is a first home or a large commercial building.

Tom’s enthusiasm for what he does and the people he serves is infectious. Talk to him for a few minutes and you’d quickly forget there’s been any kind of downturn in the real estate market. Sure, houses are lingering on the market a little longer and prices may have dropped some. But there are signs of life and of things beginning to return to normal.
“Values are down from where they were a couple years ago,” he says. “But they are nowhere near what other parts of the country are seeing. And in this market you can do very well.
If you are buying and selling, even in a down market, you can still make out well as you make up any loss in what you purchase,” he adds enthusiastically. “And with interest rates and incentives you cannot lose.”

The Hilltown, PA resident is busy as ever, working with close to 300 agents, staff and employees and handling about 1500 listings across Bucks, Montgomery, Northampton, Chester, Berks, Lehigh and Philadelphia counties.

“We’re very service driven,” Skiffington says of his organization. “I like helping people. I like that every transaction is different and I enjoy helping people reach their goals.”
Skiffington also helps clients obtain mortgages and he adds that portion of the business is doing better than expected.  For the last 8 years he has been heading a local affiliate of First Intercoastal Mortgage, LLC. Skiffington says he’s seeing a lot of first time buyers take advantage of FHA, VA and USDA financing and even an uptick in second home purchases. He is also quick to mention there are still many mortgage options available for potential home buyers, including 100% financing programs.

“People think that financing isn’t available,” he added. “But that’s not true. It is.”

A member of the Pennsylvania State Board of Directors of the Association of Realtors, Skiffington is also a past President of the Bucks County Association of Realtors. In addition to being heavily involved in the community, Skiffington cites computer technology as an avocation. And he’s brought that interest into his offices.
“Our whole office (including the title company) operates under a paperless system,” he explains. “Everything is online and that means that transactions are handled quickly and professionally.”

This use of technology to its fullest capability is rare among real estate companies in the area and Skiffington’s may be one of the only agencies at the moment employing such a system. Skiffington says this ultimately helps the clients because it’s easier for agents to send and receive information.

“Agents,” he says, are more productive and clients know when they list a house with one of our agents they are going to get results.”

Among the many listings Skiffington and his RE/MAX agents have available is a farmhouse style colonial in Doylestown. Described as a “mini-estate,” the custom-built 5-bedroom home sits on a little more than 5 acres and includes a 1 bedroom cottage, a barn, two-car garage, and enough land for one horse. Minutes from Doylestown borough, the stone house on a serenely landscaped setting, exudes all of that sought-after Bucks County charm. Inside there are numerous flourishes and amenities including, a fireplace, a finished attic, two kitchens and wall to wall carpeting.  Subdivision is possible.

Another home in Skiffington’s inventory is an expansive ranch style home in Quakertown, which is situated on close to an acre of land and features a large private backyard. This stone house features a large custom kitchen with solid cherry cabinetry and a full breakfast peninsula. A grand living room and elegant formal dining room are complimented by an adjoining sunroom equipped with a stone fireplace. There is also a finished basement, walk-in attic and many other special features such as hardwood floors and several built-in storage closets.
To learn more about these and numerous other properties, contact Tom Skiffington at RE/MAX 440 or RE/MAX Central at (215) 453-7883, or visit his website at www.TomSkiffington.com.