What $500K Will Buy You in Buckingham Township

3283 Durham Rd., Doylestown, Pa. 18902 | TREND image via BHHS Fox & Roach

Got $500,000 or so to spend on a house?

Want to live close to both Doylestown and New Hope but in neither?

You’ll wind up living in a newer center-hall Colonial with a two-story entrance hall in Buckingham Township, then.

Our middle-of-the-market tour’s search through the active listings in that Bucks County community this week turned up nine properties for sale in our target price range. Six of them were center-hall Colonials, all but two built in 1995 or 1996. And those ’90s Colonials, no matter what they looked like on the outside, all had the same thing on the inside: a soaring two-story entrance hall.

Well, if you’ve seen one center-hall Colonial with a two-story entrance hall, you’ve seen them all, so we picked one of those four to represent the category in our roundup today. But for those of you who would rather have something else, we also have two options for you to consider: a handsome 1785 farmhouse and a rambling 1970s Cape.

3283 Durham Rd. (above) | 4 beds, 2 full, 1 half baths, 3,822 square feet, $525,000

This property is actually tagged “commercial” on the agent’s listing. We’re guessing that’s because it started out in 1785 as a farmhouse. You couldn’t grow much on this home’s one-acre lot today; besides, why would you want to tear out its lovely landscaping? It’s just as gorgeous inside as out; a full-width front porch greets you and your visitors (the above view is of the rear of the home) and leads you into a gracious entrance hall and spacious living room.

Distinctive elements like deep windowsills, fanlight windows, three fireplaces and wide-plank hardwood floors remind you that this home has historic dignity you won’t find in newer properties. The home is up-to-date where it counts, though: the kitchen and all its bathrooms have been upgraded recently with modern fixtures, fittings and appliances. The electrical system is likewise upgraded, so this home can handle all your high-tech electronics too.

This home’s sale price was most recently reduced by $15,000 on Nov. 18. It’s been on the market since July 2016 and has had eight price reductions and one increase since it was listed.

3283 Durham Rd., Doylestown, Pa. 18902 [Lynn Boback | BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors]

TREND image via Coldwell Banker Hearthside

5015 Sundance Court | 4 beds, 2 full, 1 half baths, 2,456 square feet, $519,900

This center-hall Colonial is actually the least representative member of the quartet we found. First of all, it doesn’t announce its two-story center entrance hall with a large fan window, or a large window at all; it just has that little octagonal window over the entrance. (You probably thought that was the upstairs hall bathroom.) Second, it has a large backyard with a paver patio and an in-ground pool, which makes it great for summer fun. (If you have kids, you might want to make a deal with the owner for that playground set in the backyard too.)

Inside, you’ll find all of the classic Colonial design cues: crown moldings, wainscoting in the entrance hall, chair rails in the living and formal dining rooms (and two of the bedrooms too). The upgraded kitchen, breakfast room and family room form a seamless open space that makes casual entertaining and relaxation easy, and they look out on the patio for indoor-outdoor dining and entertaining. A six-foot privacy fence surrounds the backyard so that your seasonal carousing doesn’t bother your neighbors — and your neighbors don’t bother you.

This home has had four price reductions, the most recent for $5,000 on Jan. 1.

5015 Sundance Court, Doylestown, Pa. 18902 [Frank Dolski | Coldwell Banker Hearthside]

Bright MLS image via Weichert Realtors

1700 Brooke Drive | 5 bedrooms, 3 full, 1 half baths, 2,463 square feet, $510,000

Whatever led the agent marketing this sprawling Cape to post that this home “MUST BE UNDER AGREEMENT BEFORE NOVEMBER 4!” seems to have become non-urgent, for here it is January now and it’s still on the market. The reason this Cape Cod-style home rambles the way it does is because it wasn’t a Cape in the beginning: it started life as a rancher and stayed one until its owner added a second floor to it last year.

That never-used second floor is a second home in itself: it has a living room, kitchenette, full bath and two skylit bedrooms, making it ideal as an in-law suite or a “granny flat” for your Millennial kids who need to save up for a place of their own.

Down on the original main floor you’ll find lots of country charm in the main living spaces and a visually striking master bedroom with high vaulted wood ceiling, skylight and large windows. The kitchen is well-equipped as it is but could stand a little updating. Your three-acre lot gives you plenty of privacy, as does this home’s location on a quiet lane.

This home has had five price reductions, the most recent for $19,900 on Oct. 10.

1700 Brooke Drive, New Hope, Pa. 18938 [Kelley Winn | Walton-Winn Team | Weichert Realtors]