Sell your house fast in Pennsylvania for a fair cash price
We buy houses as-is for cash across Pennsylvania, from Philadelphia and Bucks County to Harrisburg, Lancaster, Reading and Scranton. Send your address for a written, no-obligation offer and close on the date you choose.
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Rather talk it through? Call or text (215) 703-9223
- A written, no-obligation cash offer
- No repairs, commissions or fees
- Closing through a licensed title company
Where we buy in Pennsylvania
Don't see your town? We often buy beyond the areas listed. Send us your address and we'll tell you right away.
Selling in Pennsylvania: the rules at a glance
Foreclosure, probate and closing-cost rules set by Pennsylvania law, in plain English. Each fact links to the official source.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Last reviewed October 19, 2026.
Foreclosure
- How it works
- Judicial. The lender sues in the county Court of Common Pleas, and the house is sold at a sheriff sale. Most servicers cannot make the first filing until you are more than 120 days behind (12 CFR 1024.41(f)).
- Act 91 notice
- Before suing, the lender sends an Act 91 notice. A face-to-face meeting with a HEMAP counseling agency within 33 days of the notice puts the foreclosure on hold while you apply for state help (PHFA).
- Court deadlines
- You generally have 20 days after service to respond to the complaint (Pa.R.C.P. 1026).
- Sheriff sale
- Handbills go up at the property and the sheriff's office at least 30 days before the sale, and the sale is advertised once a week for three weeks (Pa.R.C.P. 3129.2). The sheriff files a schedule of distribution within 30 days after the sale (Pa.R.C.P. 3136).
- Philadelphia
- Owner-occupied homes must get a conciliation conference before a sheriff sale (Diversion Program).
Inherited houses and probate
- Probate office
- Estates are opened at the Register of Wills in the county where the person lived, for example the Philadelphia Register of Wills.
- Inheritance tax
- 0% for a surviving spouse, 4.5% for lineal heirs such as children, 12% for siblings and 15% for most others. Paying within three months of the death earns a 5% discount, and the tax is delinquent after nine months (PA Department of Revenue).
Transfer tax
- Rate
- 1% state realty transfer tax plus a local rate set by the municipality and school district (PA Department of Revenue). Philadelphia is 3.578% city plus 1% state, or 4.578% in total (City of Philadelphia).
- Who pays
- Buyer and seller are jointly and severally liable. The agreement of sale decides the split.
Unpaid property taxes
- Upset sales
- Outside Philadelphia, county Tax Claim Bureaus sell tax-delinquent property at upset sales, usually in September (for example Bucks County). Philadelphia uses sheriff sales instead.
What this means if you're selling
Behind on your mortgage
You own the house until the sheriff sale, so a sale that closes first pays off the loan and ends the case. See how long foreclosure takes in Pennsylvania.
Inherited a house
The personal representative named by the Register of Wills signs the deed. We can buy the house as-is, contents and all, and close when the estate is ready.
Costs at closing
Transfer tax depends on the town, from 2% in many places to 4.578% in Philadelphia. Compare it across states in our transfer tax guide.
Pennsylvania selling questions
Still have a question? Call or text (215) 703-9223 or email info@eternalhomebuyers.com.
How long does foreclosure take in Pennsylvania?
There is no fixed total, and it usually takes many months because every case goes through the county Court of Common Pleas. Federal rules bar the first filing until you are more than 120 days behind, and the sheriff must post the sale at least 30 days ahead. Our stage-by-stage guide walks through each step.
What is an Act 91 notice?
It is the notice Pennsylvania lenders send before starting foreclosure. It tells you about the state's HEMAP assistance program; meeting a HEMAP counseling agency face to face within 33 days of the notice puts the foreclosure on hold while you apply.
Can I sell my house before the sheriff sale?
Usually, yes. You still own the house until the sheriff sale, so a sale that closes first pays off the mortgage from your proceeds. Tell the buyer your sale date so closing is scheduled before it.
Who pays realty transfer tax in Pennsylvania?
The law makes the buyer and seller jointly and severally liable for the 1% state tax and the local tax. Who actually pays is set in the agreement of sale, and many sales split it evenly.
Is there inheritance tax on a house in Pennsylvania?
Yes, on the estate. The rate depends on who inherits: 0% for a surviving spouse, 4.5% for children and other lineal heirs, 12% for siblings and 15% for most others. Paying within three months earns a 5% discount.
Do you buy houses everywhere in Pennsylvania?
We buy in the areas listed on this page and often beyond them. Send us your address and we'll tell you right away whether we can make an offer.
Sources
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Regulation X § 1024.41 (loss mitigation; 120-day rule)
- Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, HEMAP and Act 91 foreclosure counseling
- Pa.R.C.P. 1026, time for filing a responsive pleading
- Pa.R.C.P. 3129.2, notice of sheriff sale
- Pa.R.C.P. 3136, distribution of sale proceeds
- First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program materials
- City of Philadelphia, Register of Wills
- Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, Inheritance Tax
- Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, Realty Transfer Tax
- City of Philadelphia, Realty Transfer Tax
- Bucks County, Upset and Judicial Sales (Tax Claim Bureau)
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Find a housing counselor
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Laws and local rates change; confirm with an attorney, a tax professional or a HUD-approved housing counselor. Last reviewed October 19, 2026.
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