We Buy Houses for Cash in Delaware County, PA

Delaware County runs from Upper Darby and Chester out to Media and Havertown, and its county offices cluster at the Government Center in Media. Swifty Home Buyers is a nationwide cash buyer. We purchase the house in its current condition, make a firm offer with no financing contingency, charge no agent commission, skip the repair list, and close when you say. Fees and procedures change, so check with each office. This is general information, not legal advice.

Areas we cover: Upper Darby, Drexel Hill, Chester, Chester Township, Darby, Sharon Hill, Collingdale, Folcroft, Yeadon, Lansdowne, Haverford Township, Havertown, Springfield, Ridley Township, Media

The Sheriff's office says its sales are public auctions held on the third Friday of each month at 11:00 AM in the County Council Meeting Room on the first floor of the Government Center, Front Street and Veterans Square, Media. If the third Friday is a holiday, the sale moves to Thursday. Bidders pay hand money by certified check at the sale, and the balance is due to the Sheriff within ten calendar days. Under Ordinance 2025-07, a $250 fee is collected from the purchaser on each parcel sold at a tax or foreclosure sale starting January 1, 2026. The Sheriff's published filing deadlines run roughly three months ahead of each sale date, and the page warns that dates can change. Call the Real Estate Department at 610-891-4305 or the Sheriff's Office at 610-891-4296 to confirm what is listed for your address.

The Tax Claim Bureau collects unpaid taxes for the county, the school district and the municipality. It says collection of prior-year taxes starts March 1, with interest at 0.75% per month plus a $64 service fee and notification costs, and that payment plans may be an option for qualified taxpayers. The county says the upset sale usually occurs in early September with a continued sale in early December, a judicial sale follows in spring, and unsold parcels go on a repository list. The county says the minimum bid must cover all unpaid taxes, costs and municipal liens and claims, and an owner may pay the back taxes before the sale to come off the list. For a sale, the Treasurer issues a tax certification for $25 by mail request, processed within 48 hours of receipt. The Treasurer's number is 610-891-4273.

Darby Township's code (Chapter 11, section 11-102) requires a certificate of occupancy before a person occupies a building for the first time as owner or before an owner leases it, and section 11-107 makes it good for 12 months from issue. The code lists $100 for residential, $100 per reinspection and a $100 no-show fee, and rental owners need an annual rental license at $175 per unit if paid by January 31. In Chester, the city's code enforcement notice says occupying a residential or commercial property without a Use and Occupancy Permit can bring a fine up to $1,000, and a city notice says all rental properties in Chester must be registered (rentalregistration@chestercity.com, 610-447-7700; the notice is dated, so confirm the current cycle). Confirm with the Building Officials at 610-447-7700 what Chester requires for a sale before you plan a timeline.

• A third-Friday sheriff sale in Media is on the calendar for your Upper Darby or Chester house.
• An Act 91 notice came with the foreclosure papers and you have a counselor appointment to schedule.
• Back taxes are heading toward the Tax Claim Bureau's September upset sale.
• You inherited a Delco twin or rowhouse and still need the estate paperwork finished.
• Your township wants a use and occupancy inspection, sewer lateral work or detector fixes before settlement.

• Selling a house in Pennsylvania
• Sell as-is
• Inherited house
• Foreclosure

• Delaware County Sheriff: Real Estate Department Sheriff Sales
• Delaware County Sheriff: Sale Deadlines
• Delaware County: Housing Counseling and Foreclosure Prevention Resources
• Delaware County: Housing Initiatives
• Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency: Foreclosure Prevention (Act 91 and HEMAP)
• Delaware County Treasurer: Tax Claim Bureau
• Delaware County Treasurer: Property Sales
• Delaware County Treasurer: Upset Sale Instructions
• Delaware County Treasurer: Tax Certification
• Delaware County: Register of Wills Probates and Estates
• Delaware County: Recorder of Deeds
• Delaware County: Transfer Taxes
• Upper Darby Township: Use & Occupancy
• Upper Darby Township Code: Article III Fees for Licenses and Permits
• Haverford Township: Use and Occupancy
• Township of Darby Code: Chapter 11 Housing
• City of Chester: Office of the Building Officials
• City of Chester: Code Enforcement Public Notice
• City of Chester: Rental Property Registration

Last reviewed: September 2026. General information only, not legal or tax advice. Rules vary by county and municipality and change over time; talk to a local real estate attorney or title company before you decide.