Beyond the Survey: Why “Standard” Due Diligence Fails in NEPA’s Industrial Boom

Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) has rapidly transformed into a critical logistics hub for the Eastern Seaboard. We see it every day: national developers and industrial investors rushing to acquire land for distribution centers, data complexes, and healthcare expansion.

Understandably, sophisticated investors often bring their own counsel from large metro areas. Routinely, these firms are exceptionally qualified—but they often lack essential operational and local intelligence that exists only on the ground.

“Paper” Reality vs. “Ground” Reality

In a region defined by complex municipal boundaries, legacy coal lands, and tight-knit community politics, what looks clean on paper can be something quite different in practice.

This is where the distinction between “processing a transaction” and truly “investigating a deal” matters.

Investigator’s Edge

At Polishan Solfanelli, we approach real estate and commercial transactions with an investigative mindset. Attorney David Solfanelli’s background—spanning over a decade as a Pennsylvania Municipal Police Officer before becoming a founding partner of this firm—means we look at deals differently. We don’t just review the documents; we foresee the known, likely path of the transaction. We anticipate where the friction will come from—whether it’s a zoning challenge, a legacy environmental issue, or a dispute with a neighboring landowner.

Local Insight, Institutional Speed

Through our affiliate, DJS Abstract, we provide necessary speed and precision, but with a layer of “intel” and risk assessment that only long-rooted locals can provide. And if a dispute arises, we don’t have to refer you to a litigator; we are the litigators.

If you are expanding into NEPA, you need more than a rubber stamp. You need a partner who knows the map–and the terrain.