Can I Sell My Lancaster House Before Foreclosure?
Our agreement of sale will often get a sheriff's sale postponed so we can close. It doesn't always work, but it works more often than people think. We use the agreement to ask for postponement; signing it alone doesn't change the sale date.
If you're facing mortgage foreclosure, selling may still be an option before the sheriff's sale. We buy houses as-is in Lancaster and Lancaster County. Tell us the sale date on your notice when you call, and we'll talk through your options.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Takes 2 minutes. No obligation.
How we help you work toward closing
We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us. We look at the house, the mortgage payoff, and who needs to sign. You get a written offer and written terms before you commit, and we close through a title company.
No fees. No agent commissions when you sell to us. When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs. When you sell to us, we pay the transfer tax. Your mortgage payoff, liens, back taxes, and share of current property taxes are separate from those costs.
Mortgage foreclosure and tax sale have different deadlines
A sheriff's sale is part of a mortgage foreclosure. When property taxes go unpaid, the county can put the house up for a tax sale, and the county's notice gives the date. If a sale closes before that date, delinquent taxes may be paid from the proceeds if enough money remains after other liens and closing costs. A sale agreement alone does not resolve the tax claim. Call us as soon as a notice arrives; timing matters. (Real Estate Tax Sale Law, §§601–603.)
If the payoff is the problem
Think the payoff is more than the house is worth? Ask us — we've gotten lenders to come down before.
What happens next
- Talk with us about the house, the notice, and the sale date.
- We review the title and payoff details, then give you a written offer and written terms to review before you decide.
- If you choose to move ahead, we work with the title company to coordinate closing. Close as fast as 7 days when title and closing details allow.
It's real estate. Sometimes there are bumps in the road. We won't disappear when that happens, and we'll be fighting to get this to the closing table.
Local help for a foreclosure notice
For certain delinquent mortgages on a Pennsylvania one- or two-family home that is the borrower's principal residence, the lender must send an Act 91 notice before filing for foreclosure. If you want to seek HEMAP assistance, meet a designated housing counselor within 33 days; the counselor then has 30 days from that meeting to submit an application to PHFA. HEMAP is a state mortgage-assistance loan program. Selling is another option, and you can call us when the letter arrives.
PHFA HEMAP guidance →Find a HUD-approved housing counselor →
For a mortgage foreclosure's sale date and contact details, check your current notice. Lancaster County's Sheriff's Office provides local sheriff-sale information.
Lancaster County Sheriff's Office →Compare the possible net
Mortgage payoff, liens, back taxes, your share of current property taxes, and the written sale terms affect what remains. Use your own assumptions in the Lancaster calculator; it is a planning comparison, not a property valuation or offer.
Frequently Asked Questions — Lancaster PA Foreclosure Sales
Can my agreement postpone a Lancaster County sheriff sale?
Our agreement of sale will often get a sheriff's sale postponed so we can close. It doesn't always work, but it works more often than people think. The sale date on your current notice matters. Call us — we'll go over the date and your options with you.
What should I know about an Act 91 notice?
For certain delinquent mortgages on a Pennsylvania one- or two-family home that is the borrower’s principal residence, the lender must send an Act 91 notice before filing for foreclosure. To seek HEMAP assistance, meet a designated housing counselor within 33 days; the counselor then has 30 days from that meeting to submit an application to PHFA. Selling is another option, and you can call us when the letter arrives.
Is a tax sale the same as mortgage foreclosure?
No. A mortgage foreclosure involves the mortgage; a tax sale can follow unpaid property taxes. The county tax-sale notice gives its sale date. If a sale closes before that date, delinquent taxes may be paid from the proceeds if enough remains after other liens and closing costs. A sale agreement alone does not resolve the tax claim.
Do I have to pay back taxes or liens before we settle?
You don't need to pay off your back taxes before we settle. We buy houses with back taxes and liens — payoffs get handled through the closing, not by you upfront. If a tax sale is scheduled, call us as soon as the county notice arrives; a sale agreement alone does not resolve the tax claim.
What if the mortgage payoff is more than the house is worth?
Think the payoff is more than the house is worth? Ask us — we've gotten lenders to come down before.
How much could I net from a sale?
The mortgage payoff, liens, back taxes, current property-tax share, and written sale terms affect what remains. Use the Lancaster net-proceeds calculator to compare your own assumptions; it is a planning tool, not a property valuation or offer.
We're not attorneys and this isn't legal advice. It's what we've learned buying houses in situations like yours for more than 20 years. If you want advice on your specific situation, talk to an attorney — we're glad to work alongside yours.
More Lancaster help
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Takes 2 minutes. No obligation.
Prices, timing and your selling options
Home prices in Lancaster
- Typical home value (Zillow ZHVI)
- $386,389
- Zillow · Lancaster County, PA · countywide; As of September 2026
Homes in Lancaster, PA sold for a median of $264,874 for the three months ending September 2026 (Redfin). Repairs and condition affect what someone will pay for your house. Homes in Lancaster, PA spent a median of 16 days on the market for the three months ending September 2026 (Redfin). You still have bills while waiting to sell, including utilities and any mortgage payments. Allow time for closing, too.