Philadelphia has a lot of rowhomes that have been in the same family for decades, which means a lot of families end up holding a house after a parent or grandparent passes. Selling one is very doable, but Philadelphia and Pennsylvania add a few steps that catch people off guard: getting authority from the Register of Wills, the state inheritance tax, and a transfer tax that is higher than almost anywhere else in the state. Here is how those pieces fit together.
Step one: who has authority to sell
If the house was in the deceased person's name alone, someone has to be given legal authority to sell it. In Philadelphia that comes from the Register of Wills. If there is a will, the named executor applies for letters testamentary. If there is no will, a family member usually applies for letters of administration. Those letters are what a title company will ask to see before anyone can sign a deed for the estate. If the house was held jointly with a surviving spouse, or sits in a living trust, the path is different and may not need letters at all. Sort this out first, because nothing else moves until it is done.
Tangled titles are common here
A lot of Philadelphia houses are still in the name of someone who died years ago, sometimes two generations back. Relatives may have lived there and paid the bills without ever opening an estate. That is called a tangled title, and it does not mean the house can never be sold. It means the estate (or estates) have to be opened and the chain of ownership cleaned up before a clean deed can pass. Free legal help is available in the city for families in this spot, including through Philadelphia VIP and Philadelphia Legal Assistance. If your situation looks like this, call one of them before you call anyone about price.
Pennsylvania inheritance tax
Pennsylvania is one of the few states with an inheritance tax, and it applies to Pennsylvania real estate. The rate depends on who inherits: transfers to a surviving spouse are taxed at 0%, transfers to children and other lineal descendants at 4.5%, transfers to siblings at 12%, and transfers to most other heirs at 15%. The tax is generally due within nine months of the date of death, and the state allows a 5% discount if it is paid within three months. The executor or administrator files the return (Form REV-1500). Because the tax is tied to the property, title companies typically want it paid or accounted for when the house is sold, so build it into your numbers.
The transfer tax is bigger in Philadelphia
Most of Pennsylvania charges a combined 2% realty transfer tax. In Philadelphia, the city raised its share to 3.578% as of July 1, 2025, which together with the state's 1% makes the total 4.578% of the sale price. In Pennsylvania the transfer tax is customarily split between buyer and seller, though the contract controls who actually pays what. On an inherited house, that line item can be several thousand dollars, so it is worth seeing it written out on any offer you get.
Selling the house as it is
Inherited houses in Philadelphia often need work: old electrical, a tired roof, a basement that takes water, and a lifetime of belongings inside. You can clean it out, fix it up and list it, or sell it as-is to a buyer who handles all of that. We buy inherited houses in Philadelphia as-is, work with the estate's attorney and title company, and put every cost, including the transfer tax split, in writing. Out-of-town heirs often do not need to travel to close, depending on how the title company handles signing.