Sell Your House Fast in Pennsylvania

Estate sale (20 Pa.C.S. §3351)

In most estates, the executor can sell the house without going to court. Pennsylvania law gives the executor that power directly. If the will leaves the house to one specific person, that person signs too.

Court approval (20 Pa.C.S. §3353)

If the executor is not authorized to sell under Pennsylvania law or the will, the executor can ask the county's Orphans' Court for permission to sell, including property specifically left to someone. The court decides whether the sale is desirable for the estate's administration and distribution. A missing signature alone does not mean the court will approve a sale. It's less common than people fear, and you can call us before you know which applies.

Who signs for the estate (letters from the Register of Wills)

"Letters testamentary" (or "letters of administration") are the papers from the county Register of Wills that show who can sign for the estate. You can call us before you have them in hand.

Inheritance tax (PA Department of Revenue)

Pennsylvania taxes inherited property based on who inherits it:

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.

Tenant notice (Landlord and Tenant Act §501)

You can sell with the tenant still living there, so you may not need to give notice at all. If you want the house empty first, the usual notice is 10 days for unpaid rent, and 15 or 30 days when a lease ends, depending on how long the lease is.

Security deposits

At closing, the tenant's security deposit is typically shown as a line on the settlement statement and transferred with the rental. Sometimes it is handled differently by agreement, and the written closing terms will show how.

Divorce (23 Pa.C.S. §3507)

You only have to agree on one thing — the price. After that, we handle the rest. There's no realtor to pick together, no repairs or contractors to coordinate, no showings, and no back-and-forth over offers or who pays for what. You don't even have to be in the same room to sign: we can set up separate signings and send a notary to each of you, wherever you'd like to meet. If you own the house as tenants by the entireties, you both sign the sale papers while you're married. After divorce, Pennsylvania law (23 Pa.C.S. §3507) generally treats that former entireties property as equal one-half shares unless a court order under that chapter provides otherwise. A title professional or attorney can review how the deed, decree and recorded liens apply to your sale.

Back taxes (Real Estate Tax Sale Law)

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, the 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.)

Foreclosure notice (Act 91)

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 receive one and 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. (Act 91; PHFA HEMAP guidance.)

Sheriff sale (Pa.R.C.P. 3121)

Our agreement of sale will often get a sheriff's sale postponed so we can close. Signing alone doesn't postpone it automatically; we use the agreement to ask for the postponement, and it works more often than people think. (Pa.R.C.P. 3121.)

Transfer tax (PA realty transfer tax)

Pennsylvania charges a 1% state transfer tax when a house changes hands, and most towns add a local tax on top. When you sell to us, we pay the transfer tax.

Selling from out of town

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.

Code violations (Municipal Code and Ordinance Compliance Act)

Can the town stop the sale over code violations? Usually not. Under Pennsylvania's Municipal Code and Ordinance Compliance Act (68 P.S. §§1081–1083), the town still has to issue a certificate so the sale can close, and the buyer gets 12 months to fix the violations. The exception is a property already under a court order or a blight action. If that's you, call us and we'll walk through it. When you sell to us, we're the buyer, so the repairs become our job, not yours.

If your town requires an inspection before a sale, the certificate it issues depends on the violations. A temporary access certificate lets the buyer enter to make repairs; it does not let a new occupant move in. (Municipal Code and Ordinance Compliance Act, §§2, 2.1 and 3.)