Sell your Wilkes‑Barre house fast, as‑is, for cash
We buy houses in Wilkes-Barre, Kingston, Pittston, Hazleton and the rest of Luzerne County, in whatever condition they're in. You get a written cash offer, and if the City's buyer notification inspection turns up code violations, we take the house with them.
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, yours to accept or decline
- Inspection violations become our problem
- Nothing owed to an agent
- You choose the settlement date
Selling a house in Wilkes-Barre: what's different here
Wilkes-Barre is the Luzerne County seat, so the courthouse, the Sheriff, the Recorder of Deeds and the Register of Wills are all on River Street. The City adds two things many Pennsylvania towns don't: a pre-transfer inspection and one of the higher transfer tax totals in the county. Each item 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
- Luzerne County is the 11th Judicial District. Its Court of Common Pleas sits in the county courthouse at 200 N. River Street, Wilkes-Barre, where mortgage foreclosures from across the county are filed.
- Foreclosure diversion
- If you live in the house and a foreclosure complaint has been filed, the county's Mortgage Foreclosure Diversionary Program applies. You start it by booking with the Commission on Economic Opportunity, 165 Amber Lane, Wilkes-Barre (570-826-0510); the court then schedules a conciliation conference and puts the foreclosure on hold until it is held. The same agency is on HUD's list of local housing counselors.
- Sheriff sales
- The Sheriff sells foreclosed property in person at the courthouse, normally on the first Friday of every other month at 10:30 a.m. The next listed dates are December 4, 2026 and February 5, 2027. Sales are advertised on three Fridays beforehand, handbills are posted on the property at least 30 days ahead, and a winning bidder pays 10% by noon on sale day.
- Tax sales
- Unpaid property taxes go to the Luzerne County Tax Claim office at Penn Place, 20 N. Pennsylvania Ave., 3rd floor. In 2026 it held a special upset sale on April 23, a judicial sale on August 6 and the upset sale on September 24, all at King's College in Wilkes-Barre.
- Transfer tax
- The Recorder of Deeds puts the usual total at 2%, but 3.5% for property in the City of Wilkes-Barre and in Pittston City, and 2.5% in Kingston. Its fee schedule notes that Hazleton City is now 2% in total.
- Wilkes-Barre inspection
- Houses sold in the City get a Buyer Notification Inspection ($90 per unit) and are rated Approved, Not-Approved or Conditional. A Not-Approved house can't transfer until violations are fixed, unless the inspector accepts a written buyer-seller agreement with a firm repair deadline.
- Wilkes-Barre rentals
- Landlords need a rental license ($100 per building) plus an inspection ($100 per unit), renewed every two years or when a new tenant moves in. Renting without them can bring a $1,000 fine.
- Kingston rentals
- Kingston's landlord ordinance requires every rental unit to be registered by April 1 each year, and a buyer of a rental must notify the Municipality within ten days of the purchase.
- Probate
- The Register of Wills is at 153 N. River Street, Wilkes-Barre. Opening an estate takes an appointment (570-825-1672 or 570-825-1646), and the executor or administrator must come in person to take the oath.
How a cash sale runs in Wilkes-Barre
Three stages, shaped by the City's inspection and the county's recording rules.
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Tell us where it is
Inside Wilkes-Barre city limits, a buyer notification inspection comes before transfer and the local tax rate is higher. In Kingston, Pittston or a township, the paperwork differs. The address settles which set applies.
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Review a price on paper
After one walkthrough we put a number in writing for the house exactly as it stands. If the City marks it Not-Approved or Conditional, those items come out of our margin, not your weekend.
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Settle with a title company
The title company gets the parcel number certified by the county Assessor, records the deed on River Street, collects the transfer tax and pays off your lender, a tax claim balance or the debt behind a sheriff sale listing.
Luzerne County situations we see
Where the county and city process meets each one.
On the sheriff sale list
Luzerne County sales come around every two months, and the handbill on the door gives at least 30 days. A sale to us before that Friday clears the judgment from the price. More on timing: how long foreclosure takes in Pennsylvania.
Just served with a foreclosure
Owner-occupants can ask for a conciliation conference through the county program, which pauses the case. Selling is another route, and the two can run side by side. If an Act 91 notice came first, start there.
City inspection came back Not-Approved
Wilkes-Barre won't let the transfer go ahead until violations are fixed or the inspector accepts a written agreement with a deadline. As the buyer, we take on that deadline and the repairs.
Behind on county or school taxes
Delinquent parcels can end up in the Tax Claim office's upset or judicial sales. Selling first means the balance is paid out of your proceeds at closing. Background: how Pennsylvania upset sales work.
Settling a family estate
The executor books an appointment with the Register of Wills on North River Street to be sworn in. Once letters are issued, we can close with the estate. See our guide to inherited houses in Pennsylvania.
A rental you're done with
Wilkes-Barre licenses and inspects rentals on a two-year cycle, and Kingston registers them every spring. We buy with tenants still living there and handle the notice to the town ourselves.
Transfer tax inside and outside the city
The county Recorder lists a 3.5% total for Wilkes-Barre against 2% in most of Luzerne County. It must be paid when the deed is recorded, and in most agreements buyer and seller split it.
| Where the house is | Total rate | On a $120,000 sale | On a $180,000 sale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania share (everywhere) | 1% | $1,200 | $1,800 |
| City of Wilkes-Barre, total | 3.5% | $4,200 | $6,300 |
| Kingston, total | 2.5% | $3,000 | $4,500 |
| Most other Luzerne County towns, total | 2% | $2,400 | $3,600 |
Rates from the Luzerne County Recorder of Deeds and the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue; Pittston City is also 3.5%. Dollar amounts are simple arithmetic on sample prices, not quotes. The tax can be figured on fair market value rather than the price, so your title company confirms the final number.
Where we buy in Luzerne County
Selling a house in Wilkes-Barre: common questions
Still have a question? Call or text (215) 703-9223 or email info@eternalhomebuyers.com.
Does Wilkes-Barre inspect a house before it is sold?
Yes. The City's Code Enforcement Department does a Buyer Notification Inspection, $90 per unit, and rates the property Approved, Not-Approved or Conditional. A Not-Approved property cannot transfer until violations are corrected, unless the inspector accepts a written agreement with a set repair timeline.
What is the transfer tax in Wilkes-Barre?
The Luzerne County Recorder of Deeds lists a 3.5% total for property in the City of Wilkes-Barre, including the 1% state share. Most other municipalities in the county total 2%, Kingston totals 2.5% and Pittston City 3.5%.
When are Luzerne County sheriff sales held?
Normally on the first Friday of every other month at 10:30 a.m. in the county courthouse. The next listed dates are December 4, 2026 and February 5, 2027. Handbills go up on the property at least 30 days before.
Is there help if I'm facing foreclosure in Luzerne County?
Owner-occupants with a filed foreclosure can enter the county's Mortgage Foreclosure Diversionary Program by calling the Commission on Economic Opportunity at 570-826-0510. The court then schedules a conciliation conference and holds the foreclosure until it takes place.
Where are Luzerne County tax sales held?
The 2026 sales, a special upset sale on April 23, a judicial sale on August 6 and the upset sale on September 24, were held at King's College in Wilkes-Barre. The Tax Claim office is at 20 N. Pennsylvania Ave.
How do I open an estate in Luzerne County?
Call the Register of Wills at 570-825-1672 or 570-825-1646 for an appointment. The office is at 153 N. River Street, Wilkes-Barre, and the executor or administrator must appear in person to take the oath.
More for Wilkes-Barre 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
- Luzerne County Courts (11th Judicial District)
- Luzerne County, Mortgage Foreclosure Diversionary Program
- Luzerne County Sheriff, Sheriff Sales
- Luzerne County Tax Claim Bureau
- Luzerne County Tax Claim, tax sales and office
- Luzerne County Recorder of Deeds, FAQs (realty transfer tax)
- Luzerne County Recorder of Deeds, fee schedule (PDF)
- Luzerne County Recorder of Deeds, About Filing Deeds
- Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, Realty Transfer Tax
- City of Wilkes-Barre, Buyer Notification and Certificate of Occupancy
- City of Wilkes-Barre, Residential Property Rental License and Inspection
- Municipality of Kingston, 2026 landlord registration letter (PDF)
- Luzerne County Register of Wills
- Luzerne County Register of Wills, Opening an Estate
- HUD housing counselor search, within 10 miles of Wilkes-Barre
Photo: Diana from Pennsylvania USA via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, 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 Wilkes-Barre cash offer
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