What We Take On After a Fire
You don't need to repair the house, clean it up, or haul away debris before selling to us. We buy it exactly as it stands.
Stay out of any area a notice restricts or that may be unsafe.
Cosmetic fire damage
Smoke, soot, charred surfaces, and water from fire suppression can affect different parts of a house. We can talk through what you know about the damage.
Partial structural damage
If rooms or structural members were damaged, we can discuss the affected areas and safe access before anyone visits.
Major structural fire
A collapsed roof, damaged floor system, or compromised framing can make a house unsafe. Follow any official access restriction.
Total loss or condemned
If officials have condemned the house or ordered demolition, we can discuss the notice and what it means for a sale.
Insurance and Mortgage Questions
We buy the house exactly as it stands, and you keep your insurance proceeds. If you still have a mortgage, your lender may have a say in how that check is used — we'll walk through it with you.
Under the Pennsylvania Fire Insurance Escrow Act, an insurer needs a municipal certificate before paying a fire loss over $7,500. Delinquent municipal charges or certified costs to secure, repair, or remove the structure may be paid from the claim. A separate repair-or-removal escrow applies only where the municipality adopted an ordinance and the loss reaches 60% of the combined fire-policy limits; if it applies, some claim money is held for the work instead of paid directly to you. The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development keeps a filed fire-escrow ordinance list for Pennsylvania municipalities.
What Happens Next
Call or use the form and tell us the address, what happened, and what you know about the damage. You do not have to wait for the insurance claim to be settled before contacting us.
We discuss the property and the records you have. You receive a written offer and written terms before you commit. If you choose to proceed, a title company handles the closing and settlement paperwork.
Local Safety, Repair, and Permit Questions
If a fire or city notice restricts entry, do not enter that area. Contact the fire or building official named on the notice about access, work, and any dates listed. Before cleanup, repairs, or demolition, ask that official whether a permit or inspection applies to the proposed work at that address.
For a repair estimate, contact a contractor experienced with fire restoration. For Harrisburg city code information, see the City of Harrisburg Bureau of Codes or our Harrisburg code-violations page. For questions about a fire notice or repair/demolition permit, follow the instructions from the official named on the notice.
Compare Rebuilding and Selling
You can restore and keep the house, restore it before selling, or sell it in its current condition. Compare the repair estimate, time, insurance instructions, mortgage payoff, and costs of securing and keeping the property with the written sale terms.
Restore and keep
Pros
You keep the home and decide how to use it after the work.
Cons
You coordinate the restoration and the costs of keeping the property.
Best when:
When you want to stay and the estimates and claim instructions fit your plan.
Restore and sell
Pros
You can complete the work before putting the house up for sale.
Cons
You manage the restoration and compare its cost and time with the sale options.
Best when:
When you want to restore before marketing and the estimates support that plan.
Sell as-is to a cash buyer
Pros
Compare written terms with restoration estimates, your payoff, and the cost of keeping the house.
Cons
You sell instead of managing the restoration; review the written price and costs.
Best when:
When you want to avoid managing a rebuild and the written terms fit your plans.
The Harrisburg net-proceeds calculator lets you compare a listing value with what you might actually net. Use your own repair, payoff, and sale-cost estimates in the Harrisburg home-sale calculator →.
What our sellers say
“The house had some foundation issues and hadn't been updated since the 80s. I got quotes from contractors and the repair costs were going to eat everything I'd make listing it. USA Home Buyers bought it as-is. I'm glad I called.”
“My renters skipped out in the middle of my rental property needed 20k in work sold it to these guys instead good people”
“bought a fixer upper in akron and ran out of money place was torn down to the studs they took it off my hands and saved my credit highly recommend”
Selling a Fire-Damaged House — Common Questions
Can I sell a fire-damaged house in Harrisburg?
Yes. We buy the house exactly as it stands, and you keep your insurance proceeds. If you still have a mortgage, your lender may have a say in how that check is used — we'll walk through it with you.
Do I have to clean out or repair the house before selling to you?
No. We buy fire-damaged houses exactly as they stand — no cleanup, no repairs, no hauling debris.
Can I contact you before my insurance claim is settled?
Yes. Call or use the form and tell us what happened. You do not have to wait for the insurance claim to be settled before contacting us.
What should I do with a fire or city notice?
Do not enter an area the notice restricts or that may be unsafe. Contact the office or official named on the notice about access, work, and any date listed. Before cleanup, repairs, or demolition, ask that office whether a permit or inspection applies to the property.
What should I compare before deciding?
Compare the written offer and sale costs with your mortgage payoff, restoration estimate, and the costs of securing and keeping the property.
What happens after I contact you?
We discuss the damage and what you know about the house. You receive written offer and terms before you commit; a title company handles closing.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Tell us about the property and the damage.