Sell your Chester County house quickly, as‑is, for cash
We make cash offers on houses in West Chester, Coatesville, Phoenixville and every other corner of Chester County, in any condition. If the city or borough inspection turns up items to fix, we can accept them as the buyer instead of you paying a contractor first.
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No fees, no commissions, no obligation. Your cash offer comes in writing.
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- A firm number in writing, free to turn down
- Use and occupancy items can stay with us
- Nothing deducted for listing commissions
- Settlement on the date you choose
Selling a house in Chester County: what's different here
West Chester is the county seat. The Sheriff and the Register of Wills both work out of the Justice Center at 201 West Market Street, and the Recorder of Deeds and the Tax Claim Bureau have suites at 313 West Market Street. The 73 municipalities each set their own resale paperwork, and one of them, the City of Coatesville, charges double the usual local transfer tax. Each fact below links to the office that publishes it.
General information from official court, county and state sources, not legal advice. Last reviewed October 19, 2026.
- Court of Common Pleas
- Chester County forms the 15th Judicial District. Its Court of Common Pleas sits in West Chester with 15 full-time judges and 3 senior judges, and it oversees the county's 16 magisterial district court offices.
- Sheriff sales
- The Sheriff holds real estate sales on the third Thursday of each month from January to November, starting at 11 a.m. as an online Bid4Assets auction; there is no December sale. The May through August 2026 sales were postponed, and November 19, 2026 is the last date listed for this year. Listings run in the Law Reporter, the Daily Local and the Chester County Press for three weeks before each sale (Sheriff FAQ).
- Tax Claim Bureau
- The Tax Claim Bureau collects late real estate taxes for the county, 73 municipalities and 14 school districts. Taxes unpaid at December 31 go to the Bureau in January and accrue interest at 9% a year. The upset sale runs in September (September 21 in 2026), a continued upset sale in December, and judicial sales during the year.
- Avoiding the upset sale
- The Bureau may, at its discretion, sign an Agreement to Stay Tax Sale: at least 25% of the delinquent taxes down, then the rest in three equal installments. A property that gets no bid at upset sale can go to a judicial sale, which clears mortgages and other liens.
- Transfer tax
- The Recorder of Deeds charges 1% for the state and 1% local, with exceptions: the City of Coatesville's local share is 2%, and Malvern and Tredyffrin take 1.5%. It accepts business checks, cashier's checks or money orders only, not cash or cards.
- Coatesville resale certificate
- Selling in the City of Coatesville requires a Use Registration Certificate of Occupancy for the transfer. The residential fee is $125 including one follow-up inspection, a certificate for gas or oil heating equipment is required, and a buyer can sign a notarized Agreement of As Is to take on the repairs.
- Phoenixville transfer permit
- The Borough issues a Property Transfer Permit ($125 for one- and two-family homes) before anyone moves in, and its checklist says the inspection happens no sooner than 30 days before the change of ownership. A Municipal Services Certificate application is due at least seven days before settlement.
- Register of Wills
- Estates are probated at the Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court, 201 W. Market Street, Suite 2200, West Chester (610-344-6335), by appointment only. The office also supplies the Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax Return forms.
- Free counseling
- Within 10 miles of West Chester, HUD's list shows the Housing Partnership of Chester County, 41 W. Lancaster Ave., Downingtown (610-518-1522), for budgeting, credit and pre-purchase counseling. After an Act 91 notice, PHFA says to meet a participating counselor face to face within 33 days to apply for HEMAP.
How a cash sale goes in Chester County
County offices handle the deed, the tax and any court case. The city or borough decides what has to be inspected first.
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Tell us the municipality
A Coatesville sale needs a use registration certificate, a Phoenixville sale needs a transfer permit and a municipal services certificate, and other towns have their own forms. Knowing the address lets us book these early.
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Get a price that ignores repairs
One walk-through, then a written figure for the house in its current state. If the code officer writes up a handrail, a deadbolt or a heater, that becomes our job after settlement, not a condition of the sale.
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Settle with a title company
The title company records the deed with the Recorder on West Market Street, pays the transfer tax by the check types the office accepts, and clears the mortgage, any Tax Claim Bureau balance or a judgment behind a scheduled sheriff sale.
Common Chester County situations
What the county and municipal rules mean in each case.
A sheriff sale is on the calendar
Sales run on the third Thursday at 11 a.m., and this year's summer dates were pushed back to the fall. A private sale before the auction lets the lender be paid from your proceeds. More in how long foreclosure takes in Pennsylvania.
A Coatesville inspection found problems
The city lets the buyer sign a notarized as-is agreement and finish repairs within an agreed number of days after settlement. We sign it, so the list moves to us.
Settling an estate in West Chester
Probate at the Register of Wills is by appointment. When the personal representative has letters, we can set a settlement date. Our inherited-house guide walks through inheritance tax.
Behind on property taxes
Unpaid taxes reach the Tax Claim Bureau each January and grow at 9% a year until the September upset sale. Selling first lets the balance come out of the sale price. See how PA upset sales work.
Done being a West Chester landlord
The Borough requires an annual rental license, July 1 to June 30, with a health and safety inspection and a 2026 fee of $66 per unit. We can buy with tenants still living there.
Brick or frame house needing work
Phoenixville's checklist covers railings, bathroom fans, sump discharge and more. You can skip all of it; our offer already assumes the work.
Chester County transfer tax by municipality
Most places pay 2% in total, but the Recorder lists three exceptions. State law makes buyer and seller jointly liable, and the agreement of sale sets who pays which part.
| Where the house is | State | Local | Total rate | Tax on $300,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Chester, Phoenixville and other municipalities at the standard rate | 1% | 1% | 2% | $6,000 |
| Malvern or Tredyffrin | 1% | 1.5% | 2.5% | $7,500 |
| City of Coatesville | 1% | 2% | 3% | $9,000 |
Rates from the Chester County Recorder of Deeds and the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. The dollar column is simple arithmetic on an example price, not a quote. The Recorder taxes the consideration or the computed value, usually whichever is higher, so your title company will confirm the figure.
Where we buy in Chester County
Selling a house in Chester County: common questions
Still have a question? Call or text (215) 703-9223 or email info@eternalhomebuyers.com.
What is the transfer tax on a house in Chester County?
The Recorder of Deeds lists 1% for the state and 1% for the municipality, so 2% in most places. The City of Coatesville's local share is 2%, and Malvern and Tredyffrin charge 1.5%.
Does Coatesville require an inspection before I sell?
Yes. The city requires a Use Registration Certificate of Occupancy for a transfer, with a $125 residential fee that covers one follow-up inspection and a certificate for gas or oil heating equipment. A buyer can accept the house as-is by signing a notarized agreement.
What does Phoenixville need for a sale?
A Property Transfer Permit, $125 for a one- or two-family home, with an inspection no sooner than 30 days before the change of ownership. A Municipal Services Certificate application must go in at least seven days before settlement.
When are Chester County sheriff sales held?
On the third Thursday of each month from January to November, at 11 a.m., as online auctions on Bid4Assets. There is no December sale, and the last 2026 date listed is November 19.
When does Chester County hold tax sales?
The Tax Claim Bureau holds its upset sale in September, a continued upset sale in December, and judicial sales during the year. Unpaid taxes accrue interest at 9% a year once they reach the Bureau.
Where do I probate a will in Chester County?
At the Register of Wills, 201 W. Market Street, Suite 2200, West Chester. Estate probates are taken in person by appointment; the phone number is 610-344-6335.
More for Chester County sellers
Nearby areas
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
- Chester County Court of Common Pleas
- Chester County Sheriff, Sheriff Real Estate Sales
- Chester County Sheriff, Real Estate Sales FAQs
- Chester County Tax Claim Bureau
- Chester County Tax Claim Bureau Overview
- Chester County Tax Claim Bureau, 2026 Tax Schedule
- Chester County Recorder of Deeds FAQs (transfer tax)
- Chester County Recorder of Deeds
- Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, Realty Transfer Tax
- City of Coatesville, Permits and Licensing
- City of Coatesville, Use Registration Certificate of Occupancy for Transfer/Sale form
- Borough of Phoenixville, Permits and Applications
- Borough of Phoenixville, Property Transfer Permit application
- Borough of Phoenixville, Property Transfer Permit checklist
- West Chester Borough, Rental Licenses
- West Chester Borough, Fee Schedule
- Chester County Register of Wills / Orphans' Court
- HUD housing counselor search, within 10 miles of West Chester
- PHFA, Homeowner's Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (HEMAP)
Photo: Smallbones via Wikimedia Commons, public domain, cropped and resized.
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 Chester County cash offer
Send us the address and anything you've received, such as a code inspection notice, a tax claim letter or a sheriff sale handbill. We'll reply with a written cash offer you're free to decline.
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