Sell your Delaware County house fast, as‑is, for cash
We buy houses in Media, Upper Darby, Chester and the other Delco townships and boroughs, in any condition. You get a written cash offer, and where a town makes the seller get a use and occupancy permit before settlement, we can sign on as the buyer who takes the repairs.
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
- U&O repairs? We can take them on
- No commissions or listing fees
- Settle in 7–30 days, your call
Selling a house in Delaware County: what's different here
Delco runs everything out of one county seat in Media: the court, the sheriff, the Tax Claim Bureau and the Register of Wills. What changes from town to town is the transfer tax and whether the township inspects the house before it changes hands. 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.
- One courthouse, in Media
- Delaware County is the 32nd Judicial District (Pennsylvania courts). Its Court of Common Pleas sits in the Courthouse and Government Center complex at Front and Orange Streets, Media, so a foreclosure filed anywhere from Chester to Radnor is heard there.
- Sheriff sales
- Held on the third Friday of each month at 11:00 a.m. (the Thursday before if that Friday is a holiday) in the County Council Meeting Room of the Government Center. Each property is advertised once a week for the three weeks before the sale, and the winning bidder pays the balance within ten calendar days (Delaware County Sheriff).
- Tax upset sale
- The Tax Claim Bureau's 2026 Upset Price Sale is set for December 10 at 10 a.m., with the property list published November 2. Since January 1, 2026 the county also charges each buyer a $250 per-parcel fee at tax and mortgage foreclosure sales (Sheriff's Office notice).
- Transfer tax
- The local rate is 1% in most of the county, on top of the 1% state tax. The Recorder of Deeds fee schedule lists the exceptions: Radnor Township, Upper Darby Township and Chester City at 1.5%, and Upper Providence Township at 2%.
- Upper Darby U&O permit
- Upper Darby requires a Use & Occupancy permit for every property transfer, issued before settlement. Apply at least 14 business days ahead (the Township suggests four weeks), with a sewer lateral certification from an approved contractor. The seller obtains it, but a buyer can take on the repairs by filing a notarized Letter of Intent.
- Chester City
- Since September 1, 2023 the City no longer uses its own property registration form and $10 fee; instead every Chester City deed carries the 1.5% local transfer tax (Delaware County Recorder of Deeds).
- Probate
- The Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court is in the Government Center, 201 W. Front St., Media (610-891-4400; probate line 610-891-4419). Probate is handled by appointment, and the same office takes Pennsylvania inheritance tax.
- Free help
- Media Fellowship House, 302 S. Jackson St., Media (610-565-0434), is on HUD's counselor list for mortgage default counseling. The county also points homeowners to the Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania housing helpline, 1-877-429-5994, for foreclosure advice.
How a cash sale works in Delco
The steps are short. Most of the variation comes from which of the county's 49 municipalities the house sits in.
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Tell us the township
Share the address and, if you know it, the municipality on your tax bill. Upper Darby, Chester City, Radnor and Upper Providence each carry a higher local transfer tax, and Upper Darby wants a U&O permit before any settlement.
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Review a written number
We walk the house once, as it stands, and put a cash price in writing. If the Township has already sent a U&O inspection report, we read it with you and build those repairs into the offer instead of handing you a punch list.
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Settle on your date
A licensed title company prepares the deed, collects the state and local transfer tax for the Recorder in Media, and pays off the mortgage, any Tax Claim Bureau balance or the amount needed to stop a listed sheriff sale.
Delaware County situations we buy in
What the county or township process looks like in each case, and where selling direct can take the pressure off.
On the sheriff sale list
Delco sales run on the third Friday, and the property is advertised for three straight weeks first. If we close before the sale, your mortgage is paid from the proceeds and the listing comes off the auction. See how long foreclosure takes in Pennsylvania.
Upper Darby inspection problems
When the U&O inspection turns up violations, the Township lets the buyer accept them with a notarized Letter of Intent. We can be that buyer, so the sale doesn't wait on a contractor.
An estate to settle
The executor opens the estate at the Register of Wills in Media, which also handles the inheritance tax return. We can sign an agreement while letters are pending and settle once the executor has authority. More in our Pennsylvania inherited-house guide.
Behind on county or school taxes
Unpaid taxes go to the Tax Claim Bureau and can end up in the December upset sale. A sale to us before that date lets the title company pay the delinquency out of your proceeds.
Rental with tenants in place
Upper Darby needs a rental license application in the U&O file for any non-owner-occupied house. We buy rentals occupied, so you don't have to clear out tenants or chase a new license first.
Twin or rowhome that needs work
A Delco twin or rowhome might need a roof, a new sewer lateral or a full clean-out. Leave it as it is; we price the work in and do it after settlement.
Delco transfer tax by municipality
The state's 1% is the same everywhere. The local share is 1% unless the Recorder of Deeds lists your town as an exception. Buyer and seller are jointly liable for it, and the agreement of sale sets who pays which share.
| Where the house is | State | Local | Total | On a $180,000 sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Darby Township | 1% | 1.5% | 2.5% | $4,500 |
| Chester City | 1% | 1.5% | 2.5% | $4,500 |
| Radnor Township | 1% | 1.5% | 2.5% | $4,500 |
| Upper Providence Township | 1% | 2% | 3% | $5,400 |
| Media and other Delco municipalities | 1% | 1% | 2% | $3,600 |
Rates from the Delaware County Recorder of Deeds fee schedule and the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. The last column is plain arithmetic on an example price, not a quote; transfer tax is figured on the deed value, so confirm the final number with your title company.
Where we buy in Delaware County
Selling a house in Delaware County: common questions
Still have a question? Call or text (215) 703-9223 or email info@eternalhomebuyers.com.
Do I need a U&O permit to sell a house in Upper Darby?
Yes. Upper Darby Township requires a Use & Occupancy permit for every property transfer, and it must be issued before settlement. Apply at least 14 business days ahead; the Township recommends four weeks.
What happens if the Upper Darby inspection finds violations?
Minor violations can get a Temporary U&O, and the buyer must correct them within a year of purchase. Substantial violations lead to a Temporary Access Certificate. Either way, a buyer can take on the repairs by filing a notarized Letter of Intent, which we can do as an as-is buyer.
What is the transfer tax in Delaware County?
Usually 2%: 1% state and 1% local. Upper Darby, Chester City and Radnor are 2.5% in total, and Upper Providence is 3%, according to the county Recorder of Deeds.
When are Delaware County sheriff sales held?
On the third Friday of each month at 11:00 a.m. in the County Council Meeting Room at the Government Center in Media, or the Thursday before if the Friday is a holiday. A sale before that date can stop the auction.
When is the Delaware County tax upset sale?
The 2026 Upset Price Sale is scheduled for December 10 at 10 a.m., and the list of properties is published November 2. The county notes that action by the owner, the courts or the Tax Claim Bureau can remove a listed property from the sale.
Where can I get free foreclosure help in Delco?
Media Fellowship House in Media offers HUD-approved mortgage default counseling, and Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania runs a housing helpline at 1-877-429-5994. If you received an Act 91 notice, meet a counselor within 33 days to apply for HEMAP.
More for Delaware 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
- Delaware County, Directions to the Courthouse and Government Center
- Delaware County Sheriff's Office, Real Estate Department - Sheriff Sales
- Delaware County Treasurer, Upset Sales
- Delaware County Recorder of Deeds, Fee Schedule (PDF, local transfer tax rates)
- Delaware County Recorder of Deeds (Chester City transfer tax notice)
- Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, Realty Transfer Tax
- Upper Darby Township, Use & Occupancy
- Delaware County Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court
- Delaware County Housing & Community Development, Housing Initiatives (legal helpline)
- HUD housing counselor search, within 5 miles of Media
- 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 Delaware County cash offer
Tell us about the house, plus any U&O report or sheriff sale notice you've received, 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
Tell us about your property
Less than 2 minutes. No inspections needed.