@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from git.config import GitConfigParser
     from git.objects.commit import Actor
-    from git.refs import Head, TagReference, RemoteReference, Reference
     from git.refs.log import RefLogEntry
     from git.repo import Repo
 
@@ -387,17 +386,23 @@ def set_object(
         # set the commit on our reference
         return self._get_reference().set_object(object, logmsg)
 
-    commit = property(
-        _get_commit,
-        set_commit,  # type: ignore[arg-type]
-        doc="Query or set commits directly",
-    )
+    @property
+    def commit(self) -> "Commit":
+        """Query or set commits directly"""
+        return self._get_commit()
+
+    @commit.setter
+    def commit(self, commit: Union[Commit, "SymbolicReference", str]) -> "SymbolicReference":
+        return self.set_commit(commit)
+
+    @property
+    def object(self) -> AnyGitObject:
+        """Return the object our ref currently refers to"""
+        return self._get_object()
 
-    object = property(
-        _get_object,
-        set_object,  # type: ignore[arg-type]
-        doc="Return the object our ref currently refers to",
-    )
+    @object.setter
+    def object(self, object: Union[AnyGitObject, "SymbolicReference", str]) -> "SymbolicReference":
+        return self.set_object(object)
 
     def _get_reference(self) -> "SymbolicReference":
         """
@@ -496,12 +501,14 @@ def set_reference(
         return self
 
     # Aliased reference
-    reference: Union["Head", "TagReference", "RemoteReference", "Reference"]
-    reference = property(  # type: ignore[assignment]
-        _get_reference,
-        set_reference,  # type: ignore[arg-type]
-        doc="Returns the Reference we point to",
-    )
+    @property
+    def reference(self) -> "SymbolicReference":
+        return self._get_reference()
+
+    @reference.setter
+    def reference(self, ref: Union[AnyGitObject, "SymbolicReference", str]) -> "SymbolicReference":
+        return self.set_reference(ref)
+
     ref = reference
 
     def is_valid(self) -> bool:
 
@@ -354,21 +354,19 @@ def __ne__(self, rhs: object) -> bool:
     def __hash__(self) -> int:
         return hash(self.git_dir)
 
-    # Description property
-    def _get_description(self) -> str:
+    @property
+    def description(self) -> str:
+        """The project's description"""
         filename = osp.join(self.git_dir, "description")
         with open(filename, "rb") as fp:
             return fp.read().rstrip().decode(defenc)
 
-    def _set_description(self, descr: str) -> None:
+    @description.setter
+    def description(self, descr: str) -> None:
         filename = osp.join(self.git_dir, "description")
         with open(filename, "wb") as fp:
             fp.write((descr + "\n").encode(defenc))
 
-    description = property(_get_description, _set_description, doc="the project's description")
-    del _get_description
-    del _set_description
-
     @property
     def working_tree_dir(self) -> Optional[PathLike]:
         """
@@ -885,13 +883,14 @@ def _set_daemon_export(self, value: object) -> None:
         elif not value and fileexists:
             os.unlink(filename)
 
-    daemon_export = property(
-        _get_daemon_export,
-        _set_daemon_export,
-        doc="If True, git-daemon may export this repository",
-    )
-    del _get_daemon_export
-    del _set_daemon_export
+    @property
+    def daemon_export(self) -> bool:
+        """If True, git-daemon may export this repository"""
+        return self._get_daemon_export()
+
+    @daemon_export.setter
+    def daemon_export(self, value: object) -> None:
+        self._set_daemon_export(value)
 
     def _get_alternates(self) -> List[str]:
         """The list of alternates for this repo from which objects can be retrieved.
@@ -929,11 +928,14 @@ def _set_alternates(self, alts: List[str]) -> None:
             with open(alternates_path, "wb") as f:
                 f.write("\n".join(alts).encode(defenc))
 
-    alternates = property(
-        _get_alternates,
-        _set_alternates,
-        doc="Retrieve a list of alternates paths or set a list paths to be used as alternates",
-    )
+    @property
+    def alternates(self) -> List[str]:
+        """Retrieve a list of alternates paths or set a list paths to be used as alternates"""
+        return self._get_alternates()
+
+    @alternates.setter
+    def alternates(self, alts: List[str]) -> None:
+        self._set_alternates(alts)
 
     def is_dirty(
         self,