Sell your Allentown house fast, as‑is, for cash
We buy houses in Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton and the rest of Lehigh and Northampton counties, in any condition. You get a written cash offer, and if the City's pre-sale inspection finds code violations, we can take them on as the buyer.
Get your free cash offer
Takes 2 minutes. Zero obligation. We respond within 1 hour during business hours.
No fees, no commissions, no obligation. Your cash offer comes in writing.
Rather talk it through? Call or text (215) 703-9223
- Written cash offer, no obligation
- Inspection violations? We can accept them
- No commissions or listing fees
- Close in 7–30 days on your schedule
Selling a house in Allentown: what's different here
The Lehigh Valley splits across two counties, each with its own courthouse, sheriff and Register of Wills. Allentown adds a pre-sale inspection and a higher local transfer tax. Each fact links to the office that publishes it.
General information from official court, county and state sources, not legal advice. Last reviewed October 19, 2026.
- Two courts
- Allentown is in Lehigh County, the 31st Judicial District; its Court of Common Pleas sits at 455 W. Hamilton St. Easton is in Northampton County, the 3rd Judicial District (Pennsylvania courts). Bethlehem straddles both, so check which county your deed is recorded in.
- Pre-sale inspection (Allentown)
- Before a house in the City is sold, it must pass a safety and maintenance inspection under the Allentown Property Maintenance Code. A pass earns a Certificate of Compliance. If violations are found, the seller fixes them unless the buyer agrees to, using the City's Acceptance Form.
- Transfer tax
- Allentown's local rate is 1.5% on top of the 1% state tax, so 2.5% in total. In the rest of Lehigh County the local rate is 1%, split between the municipality and school district (Lehigh County Recorder of Deeds).
- Sheriff sales
- Lehigh County: usually the fourth Friday of each month at 10:00 a.m. in the Courthouse, with a 10% deposit at the sale (Lehigh Sheriff). Northampton County: once a month, typically the Friday of the first full week, at 10:00 a.m. in the Government Center's Council Chambers (Northampton Sheriff).
- Unpaid property taxes
- Lehigh County holds one upset sale a year, and properties with two years of delinquent taxes are eligible; the county uses an outside agent, lehighcountytaxclaim.com. Northampton County's 2026 upset sale was held on September 24.
- Probate
- Lehigh: Register of Wills, Courthouse Room 122, 455 W. Hamilton St., Allentown. Northampton: Register of Wills and Orphans' Court at the Government Center, 669 Washington St., Easton.
- Foreclosure conciliation
- Both counties send owner-occupied foreclosures to a conciliation conference. In Lehigh it is scheduled about 45 days after the complaint is filed; in Northampton it must happen before the house can be sold.
- Free counseling
- Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley, 1337 E. 5th St., Bethlehem (610-691-5620), is on HUD's list for mortgage default counseling.
How a cash sale works in the Lehigh Valley
Three steps, adjusted for the paperwork Allentown and the two counties add.
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Send the address
Tell us where the house is and whether it sits in the City of Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton or a township. That tells us which county, which transfer tax rate and which inspection rules apply.
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Get a written offer
We look at the house as it is today and send a written cash offer. If you already have Allentown pre-sale inspection results, share them and we will price the repairs in rather than ask you to make them.
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Close at a title company
Pick a date. A licensed title company handles the deed, the transfer tax and any payoff to your lender, the Tax Claim Bureau or the sheriff's docket before a sale date.
Situations we see in Lehigh and Northampton counties
How the local process shapes each one, and where a direct sale can help.
A sheriff sale is scheduled
In Lehigh County the sale is advertised for three Fridays in a row before the date, so you usually have some notice. A sale that closes before the sheriff sale pays off the debt and keeps the house from going to auction. Read how long foreclosure takes in Pennsylvania.
Failed the Allentown inspection
The City lets the buyer agree to take on the violations. We buy as-is and can sign the Acceptance Form, then file the Buyer's Information Report the City asks for within three days of settlement.
Inherited a Lehigh Valley house
The estate is opened with the Register of Wills in the county where the person lived, which also collects Pennsylvania inheritance tax. We can wait for letters to be granted and close with the executor.
Two years behind on taxes
That is the point at which a Lehigh County property becomes eligible for the annual upset sale. Selling before the sale lets the back taxes be paid from your proceeds at closing.
Tired landlord
Allentown and Bethlehem both register or license rental units. We buy with tenants in place, so you don't have to empty the building or bring every unit up to date first.
House needs too much work
A roof, a furnace, a full clean-out: you don't need to fix, empty or stage anything. We price the house as it stands and the repairs become our job.
Transfer tax by location
Pennsylvania's 1% state tax applies everywhere; the local share depends on where the house is. Buyer and seller are jointly liable, and the agreement of sale says who pays what.
| Where the house is | State | Local | Total | On a $200,000 sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Allentown | 1% | 1.5% | 2.5% | $5,000 |
| Elsewhere in Lehigh County | 1% | 1% | 2% | $4,000 |
| Northampton County (Easton, much of Bethlehem) | 1% | Set locally | Ask the Recorder | Ask the Recorder |
Rates from the Lehigh County Recorder of Deeds and the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. The dollar column is simple arithmetic, not a quote. We didn't find an official published local rate for Northampton County towns, so confirm it before you sign.
Where we buy in the Lehigh Valley
Selling a house in Allentown: common questions
Still have a question? Call or text (215) 703-9223 or email info@eternalhomebuyers.com.
Do I need a pre-sale inspection to sell a house in Allentown?
Yes. The City says a residential or commercial property must pass a safety and maintenance inspection under the Allentown Property Maintenance Code before it is sold. A pass gets a Certificate of Compliance; if violations are found, you fix them unless the buyer agrees to take them on.
Can a buyer take on the violations instead of me?
Yes. The City allows the buyer to accept responsibility using its Acceptance Form, and the buyer then files a Buyer's Information Report within three days of settlement. As an as-is buyer we can do that, so you don't have to make the repairs.
What is the transfer tax in Allentown?
2.5% in total: 1% to the state and 1.5% local. Elsewhere in Lehigh County the local share is 1%, for 2% in total. The agreement of sale decides who pays which share.
When are Lehigh County sheriff sales?
Usually on the fourth Friday of each month at 10:00 a.m. in the Lehigh County Courthouse. Northampton County holds one a month, typically the Friday of the first full week, at the Government Center in Easton. You can still sell before the sale date.
Where do I probate an estate for a Lehigh Valley house?
With the Register of Wills in the county where the person lived: Lehigh County at the Courthouse in Allentown, or Northampton County at the Government Center in Easton. The executor named in the letters can then sign the sale.
Is there free help if I'm facing foreclosure in Lehigh County?
Yes. Owner-occupied foreclosures in Lehigh County are scheduled for a conciliation conference about 45 days after filing, and HUD-approved counselors such as the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley offer default counseling free of charge.
More for Allentown sellers
Sources
Official pages we used for the local facts on this page, checked October 19, 2026.
- Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania, Courts of Common Pleas judicial districts
- City of Allentown, Pre-Sale Inspections
- Lehigh County Recorder of Deeds, Realty Transfer Tax
- Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, Realty Transfer Tax
- Lehigh County Sheriff's Office, Sheriff Sale
- Northampton County Sheriff, Sales
- Lehigh County Tax Claims, Tax Sale Dates (points to the county's agent)
- Lehigh County Tax Claim Bureau agent, Upset Sale
- Northampton County, Judicial / Upset Sale
- Lehigh County Register of Wills
- Northampton County Register of Wills and Orphans' Court
- Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas, Mortgage Foreclosure Conciliation Program (PDF)
- Northampton County Court of Common Pleas, Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program
- HUD housing counselor search, within 5 miles of Bethlehem
- PHFA, Homeowner's Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (HEMAP)
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules, rates and sale dates change; confirm with the office linked above, an attorney, a tax professional or a HUD-approved housing counselor. Last reviewed October 19, 2026.
Get your Allentown cash offer
Tell us about the house, including any inspection notice from the City, and we'll follow up with a written cash offer. No obligation, no pressure.
- A written, no-obligation cash offer
- No repairs, fees, or commissions
- Close in as little as 7 days
- Zero obligation to accept
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