We Buy Houses for Cash in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania sellers often deal with a stack of costs and paperwork: transfer taxes, disclosure forms, older homes that need work, and in some cases a mortgage that is behind. Swifty Home Buyers buys Pennsylvania houses for cash, as-is, with no agent commissions and no repair requests. This guide covers the Pennsylvania rules that matter so you can compare a cash sale against listing the traditional way.

We buy houses in all 50 states. This guide covers the rules that matter in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania charges a 1% state realty transfer tax, and most municipalities and school districts add their own local transfer tax, commonly another 1%, so many sellers see about 2% in combined transfer tax. By custom the tax is split between buyer and seller, and the contract can shift who pays. Under state law both the buyer and the seller are liable for the tax. Philadelphia is higher: the City of Philadelphia publishes a combined rate of 4.578% (3.578% city plus 1% Commonwealth). On a $200,000 sale, 1% is $2,000. Add agent commissions and repairs and the cost of a traditional sale adds up quickly. We show you the numbers for a cash sale in writing before you decide.

Before a lender can begin foreclosing on an owner-occupied home, Pennsylvania requires an Act 91 notice explaining your options. After you receive it you generally have a short window, 33 days from the postmark, to contact a housing counselor and meet to apply for help. If the lender then files a foreclosure complaint, the sheriff serves it on you and you generally have 20 days to respond in court. Pennsylvania also runs HEMAP, a state program that can help some homeowners who fell behind through no fault of their own. After a sheriff's sale the deed is transferred within weeks. If you are behind, selling before the sale can protect your equity and your credit. Talk to a housing counselor or Pennsylvania attorney about your deadlines.

• Sell as-is
• Inherited house
• Foreclosure
• Tenants or rental property

Philadelphia sellers

Philadelphia's combined transfer tax is more than double the typical rate elsewhere in the state, which makes the total cost of a traditional sale higher. Older rowhomes with deferred repairs, open violations and unpaid city liens are common in the city, and we buy Philadelphia properties as-is.