What we take on
A fire can leave cleanup, repairs, and debris to deal with. You do not need to clean the house, arrange repairs, or haul debris before selling to us. We buy fire-damaged houses exactly as they stand.
If the house may be unsafe or officials have restricted access, follow their directions before entering or starting work.
Your insurance proceeds and mortgage
We buy the house exactly as it stands, and you keep your insurance proceeds.
Under the Pennsylvania Fire Insurance Escrow Act (40 P.S. § 638), a qualifying fire claim over $7,500 requires a municipal certificate. If the agreed loss is at least 60% of the combined limits of all fire policies on the structure, the law directs a set-aside to the municipality—$2,000 for each $15,000 or fraction of the claim, or a lower amount if a signed contractor estimate submitted with the loss report applies. Certified unpaid municipal taxes or charges, and costs the municipality has already incurred to repair, remove, or secure the structure, may also be paid from the proceeds.
The municipality holds the set-aside to cover its repair, removal, or securing costs. After the structure is repaired, removed, or secured, the municipality pays its costs from the fund and returns any balance. Both the Borough of Somerset and Somerset Township appear on the Pennsylvania DCED fire-escrow ordinance list; for other Somerset County addresses, the municipality responsible for the property determines whether its ordinance applies.
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.
What happens next
- Tell us what was damaged and what access is available.
- We discuss the property with you and give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
- You receive written offer terms before you commit. If you choose to proceed, closing is through a title company.
Somerset building safety, repairs, and permits
Do not enter a structure that may be unsafe. Follow fire officials' access directions. Before repair work, ask the municipality responsible for the property address whether permits or inspections apply.
For a Borough address, contact the Borough of Somerset Building Inspections Department at 814-445-5595 about permits and inspections. The Borough's permit page identifies the Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance as the office for UCC-regulated permits (814-444-6112).
Compare rebuilding with selling as-is
Compare contractor estimates, cleanup and debris costs, permit requirements, and the time and carrying costs of rebuilding with the written terms for an as-is sale. Ask your insurer and mortgage servicer how their requirements apply to your claim and loan; do not assume a particular insurance payout.
Use your own planning assumptions to compare a possible listing with selling as-is in the Somerset home-sale net proceeds calculator →.
What our sellers say
“After my mother passed, my brother and I inherited her house off Derry Street. Neither of us lives in Harrisburg anymore, and the thought of cleaning it out and making repairs before listing felt impossible. USA Home Buyers made us a fair offer and closed in 12 days. We didn't have to touch a thing.”
“I was four months behind on my mortgage and the notices were stacking up. I didn't even know I could sell and still come out with money. USA Home Buyers explained the whole thing, the offer was fair, and we closed before things got worse. Huge weight off my shoulders.”
“I had a tenant who stopped paying rent and refused to leave. I was paying the mortgage out of pocket for months. USA Home Buyers bought the property with the tenant still in it. That was the end of my landlord days. Done.”
Questions about selling a fire-damaged Somerset house
Can I sell a fire-damaged house in Somerset, PA?
Yes. USA Home Buyers buys houses as-is in the Borough of Somerset and Somerset County, Pennsylvania. We buy fire-damaged houses exactly as they stand — no cleanup, no repairs, no hauling debris.
Do I need to clean, repair, or haul debris before selling?
No. We buy fire-damaged houses exactly as they stand — no cleanup, no repairs, no hauling debris.
Who keeps the insurance proceeds, and could a municipality hold part of my claim?
We buy the house exactly as it stands, and you keep your insurance proceeds. Somerset Borough and Somerset Township appear on Pennsylvania’s fire-escrow ordinance list. For a qualifying fire claim over $7,500, Pennsylvania’s Fire Insurance Escrow Act requires a municipal certificate. If the agreed loss is at least 60% of the combined fire-policy limits, the law directs a set-aside for municipal costs. 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.
Can I enter the house or start repairs after a fire?
Do not enter a structure that may be unsafe. Follow fire officials’ access directions, and ask the municipality responsible for the property address whether permits or inspections apply to planned repair work.
What happens after I ask about an offer?
Tell us about the damage and what access is available. We’ll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours. You receive written offer terms before you commit, and closing is through a title company.
Talk with us about the house
Call 888-274-5006 or use the form to describe the damage and ask for a cash offer.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Share what you know about the damage and the property.