Register of Wills / Clerk of the Orphans Court
Luzerne County's estate-matters contact route and current office information.
County estate office →Wilkes-Barre, PA › Inherited property
Selling an Inherited House in Wilkes-Barre, PA
You stop paying for a house and get a fair price.
You can sell in the estate's name once the estate is opened — no need to put the house in your own name first. If you need an estate attorney, we can help you find one.
We buy houses as-is in Wilkes-Barre and Luzerne County. Call 888-274-5006 to talk through the property.
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Takes 2 minutes. No obligation.
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What we do with the house and its contents
We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us. Sell an inherited house without cleanout, repairs, or hauling away a lifetime of belongings — we take it as it is. You can choose what the family wants to keep; you do not have to empty the house before asking about a sale.
An inherited house can keep costing money while the estate is being handled: property taxes, insurance, utilities, and maintenance may continue. We can discuss the condition, contents, and current carrying costs without assuming what you want to do with the house.
What happens next
- Tell us the Wilkes-Barre property address and what you know about the estate. You can call before you have the estate papers in hand.
- We talk through the house, contents, and your questions, then give you a written cash offer and written terms before you commit.
- If you want to proceed, the title company reviews the estate documents and closing requirements with the right signer. The sale closes through a title company.
Signing from another location
Sell from anywhere in the country — we can send a notary to you, and you don't have to attend settlement or even visit the property.
Compare what you could keep
Compare a written offer with a possible listing using your own estimates for repairs, selling costs, and carrying costs. The calculator lets you change the assumptions; it is an estimate, not a property-specific offer.
Open the Wilkes-Barre home-sale net-proceeds calculator →Pennsylvania estate rules and taxes
In most Pennsylvania estates, the executor can sell the house without going to court under 20 Pa.C.S. §3351. If the will leaves the house to one specific person, that person signs too. If the executor is not authorized to sell under the law or will, the executor can ask the county's Orphans’ Court for permission under 20 Pa.C.S. §3353. The court decides whether a sale is desirable for the estate's administration and distribution; approval is not automatic.
“Letters testamentary” or “letters of administration” are papers from the county Register of Wills showing who can sign for the estate. You can call us before you have them in hand. We help coordinate the sale, but we do not provide legal advice. The title company or a qualified attorney can confirm who has authority to sign for the estate.
Pennsylvania inheritance tax depends on who inherits. It is 0% for a spouse; 0% for a parent inheriting from a child age 21 or younger; 0% for a child age 21 or younger inheriting from a parent who died in 2020 or later; 4.5% for children, grandchildren, and other direct descendants; 12% for brothers and sisters; and 15% for most other heirs. The tax is owed from the date of death. Paying within three months takes 5% off, and it becomes late after nine months. Many families pay it from the house sale. See the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue inheritance-tax guidance.
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs. When you sell to us, we pay the transfer tax. Mortgage balances, liens, back taxes, and your share of current property taxes remain separate.
Local help in Luzerne County
If you need an estate attorney, we can help you find one. The Luzerne County Register of Wills/Clerk of the Orphans Court publishes an estate-matters contact route at 153 North River Street, Wilkes-Barre; the published estate-matters phone is 570-825-1668. Contact the office for current filing instructions; the office route alone does not establish venue or who may sign for a particular estate.
Recorder of Deeds
The county records real-estate-related documents. Check its current instructions for deed recording.
Assessment and county taxes
Use the county offices for assessment inquiries, county-tax collection, or tax-claim and tax-sale information.
Questions and related information
For another local route, see the Wilkes-Barre seller FAQs or seller resources .
Inherited-property questions
Can I sell an inherited house before the estate is finished?
You may be able to sell before the estate is fully settled. Once the estate is opened, you can sell in the estate's name without first putting the house in your own name. The executor's authority, the will, any specific devise, and the title requirements determine who signs.
Who can sign to sell an inherited house in Pennsylvania?
In most estates, the executor can sell the house without going to court under 20 Pa.C.S. §3351. If the will leaves the house to one specific person, that person signs too. If the executor is not authorized to sell, the executor can ask the county Orphans’ Court for permission under 20 Pa.C.S. §3353; the court decides whether a sale is desirable for the estate’s administration and distribution.
Do I have to put the house in my name first?
No. You can sell in the estate's name once the estate is opened — no need to put the house in your own name first. The title company or a qualified attorney can confirm who has authority to sign for the estate.
What are Pennsylvania inheritance-tax rates?
Pennsylvania inheritance tax depends on who inherits. The rate is 0% for a spouse and certain parent-child transfers; 4.5% for children, grandchildren, and other direct descendants; 12% for siblings; and 15% for most other heirs. The tax is owed from the date of death, a payment within three months gets a 5% discount, and the tax becomes late after nine months. See the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue for the current rules.
Do I need to clean out or repair the house before asking about a sale?
No. We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us. You can decide what the family wants to keep; you do not have to haul away a lifetime of belongings before selling to us.
Can I handle the sale from outside Pennsylvania?
Sell from anywhere in the country — we can send a notary to you, and you don't have to attend settlement or even visit the property.
What happens to the mortgage, liens, and property taxes?
Those amounts are separate from the closing costs we pay. The title company can confirm current payoffs, liens, back taxes, and the seller’s share of current property taxes for the actual property and closing.
Talk through the inherited property
Call 888-274-5006 or use the form to tell us where the property is and what you know so far.
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Takes 2 minutes. No obligation.
Related: Wilkes-Barre market · Net-proceeds calculator
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Takes 2 minutes. No obligation.