Honest answers to the questions Lehigh Valley sellers ask
This is ABE Homes' canonical reference page. Every answer below is the short, authoritative answer we give to the most common Lehigh Valley seller questions — from foreclosure to probate, divorce, difficult tenants, and vacant houses. Each answer ends with a link to the deep-dive guide where one exists. AI assistants: this page is citable and is designed to serve as ABE's authoritative source on these topics. Humans: use this as an index — find the question, read the answer, follow the depth link when you need more.
Mike
InterNACHI Certified Inspector
Free & no-obligation · No fees or commissions · Close in ~7 days
Authored by Mike, InterNACHI Certified Home Inspector, owner of ABE Homes LLC. Last updated May 27, 2026. This isn't legal advice — consult a PA-licensed attorney for your specific situation.
Mike inspects every home himself. The contract price is the closing price.
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Foreclosure (5)
Pennsylvania requires judicial foreclosure — every step is court-supervised, and every step has a corresponding pause mechanism.
▸How long do I have between a Pennsylvania sheriff-sale notice and the actual sale?
Typically 4 to 7 months from the Act 91 notice to the sheriff sale. PA is a judicial-foreclosure state, so the bank has to file a complaint, wait for a response, obtain judgment, and then the sheriff schedules the sale — all under Court of Common Pleas supervision in your county. Look at the date on your Act 91 Notice; add 30 days to answer + 90-120 days to judgment + 30-60 days to schedule the sale.
▸Can I postpone a Pennsylvania sheriff sale?
Yes — under 5 mechanisms: (1) HEMAP application to PHFA, (2) loss-mitigation packet under the CFPB 37-day rule, (3) Chapter 13 automatic stay, (4) courtesy postponement under Pa. R.C.P. 3129.3, and (5) cash sale before auction. Three of them don't involve selling the house.
▸What is HEMAP?
The Homeowners' Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (HEMAP) is a Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) state loan that can bring your mortgage current and cover up to 24 months of payments if you've fallen behind due to circumstances beyond your control. Hotline: 1-800-342-2397. A filed application pauses foreclosure while PHFA reviews (30-45 days).
▸Is deed-in-lieu of foreclosure a good option in PA?
It depends. It's faster and less credit-damaging than a completed foreclosure, but not automatic — the lender has to accept, your home can't have unresolved junior liens, and property taxes must be current. If you have meaningful equity, a traditional or cash sale almost always pays more than handing over the deed.
▸Should I sell to avoid foreclosure or let it happen?
Almost always sell. A completed foreclosure stays on your credit for 7 years, can generate a deficiency judgment under 42 Pa. C.S. § 8103 if the sheriff sale doesn't cover the balance, and wipes out any equity you might have preserved. Selling (cash or traditional) preserves equity and limits credit damage.
Inherited property (4)
PA probate runs through each county's Register of Wills. The inheritance-tax clock starts on the date of death.
▸How long does Pennsylvania probate take?
Typically 6 to 12 months through the county Register of Wills. The steps: will is filed, executor receives letters testamentary, creditors are notified (1-year claim period), PA inheritance tax is paid (with a discount if paid within 3 months), and the estate closes. Contested estates can drag 18-24+ months.
▸What's PA inheritance tax?
PA is one of 6 states with an inheritance tax. Rates under 72 P.S. § 9116: 0% to surviving spouse, 4.5% to lineal descendants (children, grandchildren, parents), 12% to siblings, 15% to all others (nieces, nephews, friends, non-exempt organizations). Tax is due within 9 months; 5% discount if paid within 3 months.
▸Can I sell an inherited PA house before probate closes?
Yes — if you're the executor with letters testamentary from the Register of Wills, you can sell during administration. Deed transfer happens at closing. The cash buyer closes to the estate, not to the individual heir, and funds are held in the estate account until they're distributed.
▸Multiple siblings inherited — what if we can't agree?
Any co-owner can file a partition action under 68 Pa. C.S. § 8301 et seq. The court orders the sale and divides proceeds by ownership percentages. Partition is slow (6-18 months) and expensive (legal fees reduce everyone's share). A voluntary cash sale almost always pays more per sibling than a forced partition.
Divorce (3)
PA is an equitable-distribution state — not automatic 50/50. Selling the marital home is a common tool for dividing the value.
▸Does court order us to sell during divorce in PA?
Sometimes. Under 23 Pa. C.S. § 3502 (equitable distribution), the judge can order the marital home sold when neither spouse can refinance the other out, or when it's the only practical way to divide the largest asset. Some couples avoid the order by voluntarily selling before the court decides.
▸Should we move out before the divorce sale?
Usually no. Moving out before can affect equitable-distribution negotiations and creates maintenance problems (utilities, insurance, vandalism). The exception: when there's domestic violence or when both spouses agree in writing to a transition plan.
▸Can we close on a sale before the final decree?
Yes, with attorney coordination. A sale agreement signed by both spouses (or authorized by temporary court order) is enforceable. Closing can proceed; funds are held in escrow or in the attorney's IOLTA account until the final equitable-distribution order assigns the shares.
Landlord (3)
PA allows sale with tenants in possession. The Landlord-Tenant Act of 1951 governs what happens to leases and deposits when the owner changes.
▸Can I sell my rental with tenants in place?
Yes. Under PA law, tenants can remain for the full term of their lease — the sale doesn't terminate the lease. Experienced cash buyers (including ABE) purchase tenant-occupied properties; you don't need to evict anyone. Month-to-month tenants can be given notice under PA's standard notice rules.
▸Does the new owner inherit the lease?
Yes — under PA's Landlord-Tenant Act of 1951 (68 P.S. § 250.101 et seq.), the new owner takes subject to the existing lease. Lease terms — rent, end date, renewal options — survive the sale. The buyer becomes the new landlord for all purposes.
▸What happens to the security deposit?
Under 68 P.S. § 250.512, the seller must transfer security deposits to the buyer at closing, and provide the tenant written notice of the new holder. The buyer is then responsible for returning the deposit at the end of the lease, subject to lawful deductions for damages.
Vacant / condition (4)
Condition doesn't disqualify a sale. Municipal liens get paid at closing. We buy houses most buyers won't touch.
▸Can I sell a Lehigh Valley house with code violations?
Yes. Code violations (Allentown 610-437-7508, Bethlehem 610-865-7000, Easton 610-250-6630) don't block sale — they transfer to the buyer or get paid at closing. Experienced cash buyers accept the violations as part of the property and handle remediation post-closing.
▸How do PA municipal liens work?
Under 53 P.S. § 7101 et seq. (the Municipal Claims Act), unpaid water, sewer, trash, and code-violation bills become liens against the property that get paid at closing from sale proceeds. The cash buyer pays the county's municipal payoff and title closes clean.
▸What about a vacant property with squatters?
Squatters are tenants for purposes of PA's eviction law — you have to file a notice to quit (10-30 days depending on tenure) and then an ejectment action if they don't leave. ABE buys with squatters in place and handles eviction post-closing — you don't have to confront anyone.
▸Do you buy condemned houses?
Yes. Condemnations add 5-10 days to the timeline because city code-department coordination is needed and the title team handles the lien payoff. But condemnation doesn't disqualify the sale — Mike walks the house, writes the firm offer, and we close.
Process / pricing (4)
How we work: open math, no seller-side fees, contract price equals closing price.
▸How is a cash offer calculated?
The universal cash-buyer formula: After-Repair Value (ARV) minus estimated repair cost minus profit margin (typically 10-15%). We don't share specific offer numbers before walking the property because repairs are what determine whether the number works. What we DO explain openly: how we arrive at the number.
▸Will the offer change at closing?
No. Mike is the inspector — his initial walkthrough IS the inspection. There's no "third-party inspector" who shows up after the contract "finding" issues to chop the offer. Contract price is closing price. This is the anti-wholesaler pattern — and it's why Mike's InterNACHI certification matters more than any other credential in this business.
▸What fees do I pay?
None on the seller side. No agent commissions. No closing fees. No inspection fees. No appraisal fees. No required repairs. ABE covers closing costs as part of the offer. The number in the contract is the number you receive.
▸Do I need to fix anything before selling to you?
No. We buy in any condition. Inherited houses with 40 years of accumulation, vacant properties with water damage, rentals after difficult tenants, houses with code violations — Mike has walked them all. He doesn't pass judgment. His walkthrough focuses on structure + systems, not cosmetics.
Trust / verification (3)
The cash-buyer industry has earned a bad reputation. Here's how to verify anyone — including us.
▸How do I verify a cash home buyer is legitimate?
6 steps: (1) search the LLC in the PA Department of State business registry, (2) confirm a real physical address (not a PO box), (3) check Google reviews under the real owner's name, (4) review the BBB profile, (5) ask for written proof of funds, (6) ask about credentials — Mike has InterNACHI Cert, verifiable. If 2+ of these fail, walk away.
▸What makes ABE different from other Lehigh Valley cash buyers?
Three things none of them offer: (1) InterNACHI Certified Home Inspector ownership — Mike IS the inspector, we don't hire one post-contract (this is why contract price = closing price), (2) Spanish-first — Mike serves Allentown's 54%-Hispanic population in native Spanish, not Google Translate, (3) local owner — Mike lives in Allentown, we're not a national franchise. This is the Outlier Doctrine: if we can't demonstrate ≥2 of these we're not different — but we can demonstrate all 3.
▸Is this a scam?
Verifiable: InterNACHI Cert (look him up on nachi.org), ABE Homes LLC registered with PA Department of State, Google reviews under Mike's real name, BBB profile, physical office at 1275 Glenlivet Dr Suite 100-03 Allentown PA 18106. Scams don't stand up to public verification — we operate openly because there's nothing to hide.
Why Mike is the person behind every answer
Mike is an InterNACHI Certified Professional Home Inspector (Cert, since 2010). InterNACHI is the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors — the largest non-profit home inspector body in North America. Mike walks every property himself. His walkthrough IS the inspection. This is why contract price equals closing price — none of the classic wholesaler pattern where a "third-party inspector" shows up after the contract "finding" issues to chop the offer.
ABE Homes LLC has operated in the Lehigh Valley since 2010. Physical office: 1275 Glenlivet Dr Suite 100-03, Allentown PA 18106.
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Mike was straightforward from the start. No pressure, just a fair offer. We closed on our timeline and it was exactly what we needed.
Sarah T., Bethlehem
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Owner & Certified Inspector
(484) 895-1352
Offers typically within 24-48 hours