Sell your Wilmington house fast, as‑is, for cash
We buy houses in Wilmington and across New Castle County, in any condition, including rentals and houses already headed to a sheriff sale. You get a written cash offer and choose the closing date.
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
- Tenants in place are fine
- No commissions or listing fees
- Close in 7–30 days on your schedule
Selling a house in Wilmington: what's different here
New Castle County's Superior Court, Sheriff and Register of Wills all sit in downtown Wilmington, and the City adds its own taxes and rental rules. 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.
- Court
- Delaware lenders foreclose by suing in the Superior Court of the county with a writ of scire facias on the mortgage (10 Del. C. § 5061). New Castle County's Superior Court is in the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center, 500 N. King St.
- Mediation
- If you live in the one- to four-unit home being foreclosed, Delaware's automatic mediation program applies before any judgment. The Attorney General's office runs it; the hotline is 1-800-220-5424.
- Sheriff sales
- The New Castle County Sheriff holds sales in person at 9:00 a.m. on the second Tuesday of each month, at the City/County Building, 800 N. French St. Mortgage sales need a 20% deposit at the sale; tax (monition) sales are paid in full that day.
- Unpaid county taxes
- New Castle County can start collection proceedings on unpaid taxes from January 1 each year. After a tax sale, the owner can still redeem within 60 days of the Superior Court confirming it, by paying the price plus 15% (9 Del. C. §§ 8741, 8758).
- City property tax
- The City of Wilmington bills its own property tax, separate from the county's. For fiscal 2025-26 the City's residential rate is $3.7413 per $1,000 of assessed value.
- Transfer tax
- Delaware's rate is 3%, or 2.5% where the city or county levies the full 1.5% local tax, and the law splits it equally between seller and buyer (30 Del. C. § 5402). The County Recorder of Deeds settles the City's transfer tax when the deed is recorded.
- Rentals
- Every rental property in the City must be registered, licensed and inspected under City Code Chapter 34-45. The City also runs a vacant property registration program.
- Probate
- New Castle County Register of Wills, 800 N. French St., 2nd Floor, Wilmington (302-395-7800). Opening an estate takes an appointment.
How a cash sale works in Wilmington
Three steps. Downtown offices handle most of it, and the title company deals with them for you.
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Send the address
City of Wilmington or elsewhere in New Castle County? Inside the City there are City property taxes and rental licensing on top of the county's, so we check both.
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Get a written offer
We price the house in its current condition, tenants included, and send the offer in writing. If a sheriff sale date is set, tell us so we can work back from it.
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Close at a title company
The title company pays your lender and any City or county tax balance from the sale, records the deed and splits the transfer tax as the law and the contract say.
Situations we see in New Castle County
How Delaware law and the local offices shape each one.
Served with a foreclosure complaint
If it's your home, mediation comes before any judgment. Use that time to compare a loan workout with a sale that pays the mortgage off. See Delaware foreclosure basics.
Sheriff sale already scheduled
Sales run on the second Tuesday of the month. A closing before that date pays the lender first. Once the sale happens, the Sheriff's terms say sales are final.
Behind on county or City taxes
Wilmington owners can owe the City and the county separately. A sale pays both from the proceeds. Even after a county tax sale, Delaware gives 60 days from confirmation to redeem.
Landlord ready to be done
Every City rental has to be registered, licensed and inspected. If keeping up with that is the problem, we buy with tenants in place and take over from there.
Inherited a Wilmington house
A house in the person's name alone usually means a full estate with the Register of Wills; Delaware's small-estate affidavit isn't available for it. See Delaware inherited homes.
Vacant and costing you money
The City registers vacant properties, and an empty house still carries taxes and upkeep. We buy vacant houses as they are, clean-out included.
Delaware transfer tax, split by law
In Delaware the statute itself divides the transfer tax evenly between seller and buyer, so the seller's share is predictable.
| Where the local 1.5% applies? | State | Local | Total | Seller's half on $250,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes, full local tax | 2.5% | 1.5% | 4% | $5,000 |
| No local tax | 3% | 0% | 3% | $3,750 |
Municipal transfer tax in Delaware is capped at 1.5% (22 Del. C. § 1601). A first-time buyer's reduction comes off the buyer's half only. We could not load an official page stating the City of Wilmington's own rate, so ask your title company or the Recorder of Deeds for the exact figure. The dollar column is arithmetic, not a quote.
Where we buy around Wilmington
Selling a house in Wilmington: common questions
Still have a question? Call or text (215) 703-9223 or email info@eternalhomebuyers.com.
When are New Castle County sheriff sales?
At 9:00 a.m. on the second Tuesday of each month, in person at the City/County Building, 800 N. French St. in Wilmington. Mortgage sales need a 20% deposit at the sale. You can still sell before the date.
Do I have to go through mediation before foreclosure in Delaware?
If you live in the one- to four-unit home being foreclosed, Delaware's automatic mediation program applies and the lender can't get a judgment until it's done. The Attorney General's foreclosure hotline is 1-800-220-5424.
Who pays the transfer tax when I sell in Wilmington?
Delaware law splits the realty transfer tax equally between seller and buyer. The total is 4% where the full 1.5% local tax applies, so the seller's half is 2% of the price; confirm the local share with your title company.
Do I pay property tax to both Wilmington and New Castle County?
Yes, inside the City you get a separate City of Wilmington tax bill as well as county taxes. For fiscal 2025-26 the City's residential rate is $3.7413 per $1,000 of assessed value. Both are settled at closing.
Where do I probate an estate for a Wilmington house?
With the New Castle County Register of Wills at 800 N. French St., 2nd Floor. Opening an estate takes an appointment, and a house in the person's name alone usually means a full estate rather than a small-estate affidavit.
Where can I get free foreclosure help in Wilmington?
HUD-approved agencies in the city, including Neighborhood House, Interfaith Community Housing of Delaware and Housing Opportunities of Northern Delaware, offer default counseling, often at no cost. The state's DEMAP program is not taking applications.
More for Wilmington sellers
Nearby areas
Sources
Official pages we used for the local facts on this page, checked October 19, 2026.
- Delaware Code, Title 10, Chapter 49, Subchapter XI (§ 5061 scire facias; § 5062C mediation)
- Delaware Superior Court (court locations)
- Delaware Department of Justice, Automatic Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program
- New Castle County, Sheriff Sales
- Delaware Code, Title 9, Chapter 87, Subchapter III (§§ 8741, 8758)
- City of Wilmington, Property Tax FAQs
- Delaware Code, Title 30, Chapter 54 (§ 5402 realty transfer tax)
- Delaware Code, Title 22, Chapter 16 (§ 1601 municipal transfer tax cap)
- City of Wilmington, Residential Rental Property Program
- New Castle County, Register of Wills
- Delaware State Housing Authority, Housing counselors
- Delaware State Housing Authority, FAQ (DEMAP status)
- HUD housing counselor search, Wilmington DE
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 Wilmington cash offer
Tell us about the house, including any sheriff sale date or tenants, 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.