Welcome to your daily briefing on real estate developments in Delaware. Today we're covering 8 key stories including updates on delaware real estate headlines, background & context. Let's dive in.
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Check property records in Delaware, find owner info, search permits & purchase history, lookup up deed, tax, loan and lien records and much more.
Relevant to real estate professionals operating in DE.
A February 2026 survey of local real estate agents revealed the average real estate commission in Delaware is 5.66%, which is less than the national average of 5.70%.
Relevant to real estate professionals operating in DE.
Learn the average Delaware real estate commission rate and how much you might pay a Realtor to sell your house. Get tips to retain proceeds.
Relevant to real estate professionals operating in DE.
This is the old home page for the Delaware County Assessor, Larena Ellis Cook. Here you can find links to property assessment records in Delaware County, information about property tax exemptions, and contact information for the….
Relevant to real estate professionals operating in DE.
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Relevant to real estate professionals operating in DE.
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A Phase I ESA is required for most commercial loans and is strongly recommended whenever a site has had industrial, gas-station, dry-cleaner, or auto-repair use in its history. The ESA itself does not test soil — it researches historical use and identifies Recognized Environmental Conditions that may justify a Phase II (which does test).
CERCLA liability for contamination attaches to current owners regardless of who caused the contamination. A Phase I performed before purchase establishes the "innocent landowner" defense, which is otherwise nearly impossible to claim.
A 1031 like-kind exchange has three hard clocks: the 45-day identification window, the 180-day close window, and the same-taxpayer rule (the entity selling and buying must match). Missing any one of these collapses the deferral, exposing the full gain to tax. The most-missed is the same-taxpayer rule when LLCs change membership mid-exchange.
The tax exposure on a busted exchange is the full long-term capital gain plus depreciation recapture — often 25-30% of the basis difference. Process discipline is the only protection.
Some DE jurisdictions give the foreclosed owner a statutory right to redeem the property within a window after the sale (often 6-12 months). Buyers at foreclosure auctions in those jurisdictions take title subject to redemption — meaning the prior owner can reclaim the property by paying the auction price plus interest. Title insurance does not cover this exposure.
A redeemed property is returned to the prior owner, not refunded with the original purchase price plus appreciation. Auction buyers in redemption-rights states need to hold capital reserves for the entire window.
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