Pennsylvania's third-largest city — and one of the most varied housing markets in the state. Center City rowhomes don't price like West End singles, and we know the difference.
Lehigh County holds foreclosure sales monthly at the courthouse on Hamilton St. We close in 5–7 days — before the sale date — and pay off the lender from sale proceeds. See the Lehigh County foreclosure timeline →
Traditional cash buyers make an offer, then send a home inspector later to find reasons to pay you less. Mike IS the home inspector. His walkthrough IS the inspection. Your offer is fair from day one — no "revised" lowball later.
Other Cash Buyers
The bait and switch
1
Initial Offer
$280,000
Looks great! You accept and schedule closing...
2
Third-Party Home Inspector Arrives
"Issues Found"
Roof damage, HVAC concerns, foundation cracks...
3
"Revised" Offer
$280,000$240,000
Take it or start over with another buyer.
You lost $40,000
This "bait and switch" happens every day with traditional cash buyers.
With Mike
InterNACHI Certified Home Inspector
InterNACHI is the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors — the largest non-profit home inspector body in North America.
$280,000
Final price. Guaranteed.
Mike IS the home inspector. His walkthrough IS the inspection. No surprise reductions. The price you see is the price you get — that's the honest pricing he's built his reputation on.
Mike's InterNACHI certification (#21032009) means his valuation is accurate from day one — the contract price is the closing price. No surprise revisions after the walkthrough.
What a traditional Allentown sale actually costs you
ABE Cash Sale vs Traditional Sale — comparison on a $215K Allentown home
Metric
ABE Cash Sale
Traditional Sale
Days to close
7
45–60
Agent commission
$0
6% (~$13,000 on a $215K home)
Repairs required
None
Avg $15K–$40K
Showings
One walkthrough w/ Mike
12–25
Bank approval
None
Required (with appraisal contingency)
Net proceeds · $215K home
~$192K
~$172K–$185K
All numbers above are calculated on Allentown's median home value of $215K (Lehigh County, 2024). Your specific offer will be priced to your block, condition, and ZIP. Facing foreclosure? · Inherited a property? · Tired landlord?
Other cash buyers guess at your home's value, then drop their price at closing when they find issues. Mike sees the real picture from day one—so his offer stays the same.
I started buying homes in Allentown in 2010 because I kept seeing families get lowballed after the third-party home inspection. Getting my InterNACHI certification was the obvious answer — it's the only way I could give a price I'd actually stand behind.
Mike's 5.0-star reputation spans both his inspection practice and ABE Homes — same person, same standard.
What you'll actually take home after PA inheritance tax
Pennsylvania inheritance tax is owed by the heir, not the estate, and is due within 9 months of death (5% discount if paid in 3). Use this to estimate before talking to your estate attorney.
Pay PA tax within 3 months of death and receive a 5% discount.
Your inheritance tax rate
4.5%
PA inheritance tax owed
$9,675
Net proceeds after tax
$205,325
This estimate assumes the home is the only inherited asset. Real estate is taxed on the date-of-death fair market value. If you sell within a few months of inheriting, our cash offer typically equals the market value Pennsylvania uses to assess the tax.
Practical answers to the city- and county-specific questions we get most often. We'll walk you through any of these on a call — no obligation.
Lehigh County Courthouse · Allentown
TAX & FEES
City of Allentown property tax
Apr 30 · Jun 30 · 10% penalty
Allentown property tax is billed by the City Treasurer (435 Hamilton St). Bills mail in early March; full discount window closes April 30, face period runs May–June, then 10% penalty kicks in. If you're behind, the Lehigh County Tax Claim Bureau takes over collection in the second year — that's when you'd see Upset Sale notices.
Pennsylvania charges 1% state, plus Allentown's 0.5% local (0.25% city + 0.25% School District). On a $215,000 sale, that's roughly $3,225 total — typically split 50/50 between buyer and seller per local custom. We pay our half; on cash deals we often cover both.
Allentown's Bureau of Building Standards & Safety actively cites rental and vacant properties. If you have open citations or a 'Vacant Property' designation, you can sell as-is to us — we resolve the violations after closing using the sale proceeds. No need to fix anything first.
Deed transfers are recorded at the Lehigh County Recorder of Deeds. Recording is normally completed within 48 hours of closing. We handle title work and recording — you sign once and walk away with proceeds.
An Allentown property in probate must clear the Lehigh County Register of Wills before it sells. Letters Testamentary typically issue 2–6 weeks after the petition. Once issued, the executor can sell without all heirs' signatures (in most cases). We coordinate directly with your probate attorney and close after Letters issue. Register of Wills: 455 W Hamilton St, 4th Floor, Allentown.
These answers are specific to Allentown and Lehigh County, not generic PA guidance. Every Allentown sale we've handled flowed through these exact offices and processes.
Our Guarantee
The No-Nonsense Promise
We built our reputation on doing business the right way. Here is what you can expect when you contact us.
01
We won't sell your number
We hate spam too. Your phone number is safe with us — we will never sell it, share it, or use it to harass you. One conversation, at your pace.
02
We won't post a “Sold” sign
Your situation stays between us. No 'Sold' signs posted, no neighbor gossip, no public marketing tied to your property. Discretion is standard — not an upgrade.
03
We won't run a countdown timer on you
Take the offer or leave it. We are here to help, not to run countdown timers or call you five times a day. If the numbers don't work for you, no hard feelings.
04
We won't charge you a single fee
What we offer is what you get. We pay all closing costs, title fees, and transfer taxes — both sides. The number we put in writing is the number that hits your account.
The Inspector Difference
We won't lower your price at closing
Other cash buyers offer high to lock you in, then send a third-party home inspector to find ‘issues’ and lower the price at closing. Mike IS the InterNACHI Certified Home Inspector. His walkthrough IS the inspection. The first price is the closing price.
We coordinate Letters Testamentary; pay code citations at closing
VERIFIED
Last Close
$192K
Center City rowhome · 8-day close
Sources: US Census 2020 · Lehigh County · ABE operations
8 min read · Allentown Market Analysis
Selling a House in Allentown: What to Expect
By Mike·InterNACHI Certified Inspector·Updated
Allentown isn't one market — its neighborhoods price differently, and we price each one accurately.
500 Hamilton Street, Allentown — the Center City corridor we buy in most often. (Photo: Atwngirl, CC BY-SA 4.0)
125,845
2020 Population
3rd
Largest in PA
54.2%
Hispanic · Census
$215K
Median home value
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Center City rowhomes don't price like West End singles — and we know the difference.
Allentown's housing market is one of the most varied in Pennsylvania. Center City and Old Allentown are dense rowhome neighborhoods with stock dating to the late 1800s — many with original knob-and-tube wiring, slate roofs, and asbestos siding that scares off less-experienced buyers. The West End has more single-family stock from the 1920s–1950s, generally in better condition. Trexlertown and Cedarbrook on the western edge are newer subdivisions in the Parkland School District. The South Side's mix of working-class rowhomes is heavily Hispanic — roughly 60% of Allentown is Hispanic, predominantly Puerto Rican and Dominican families. We provide bilingual offers and contracts at no extra cost. Distress patterns we see most often in Allentown: tax delinquency moving toward Lehigh County Upset Sale, inherited estates from longtime Bethlehem Steel and Mack Truck families, and tired landlords exiting the rental business. As a certified InterNACHI inspector, Mike prices each property accurately to its specific neighborhood and condition — Center City rowhomes don't comp like West End singles, and we don't pretend otherwise.
Interactive Map
2.7M+ Served
We Buy Houses in the Lehigh Valley — Allentown, Bethlehem & Easton
Cash home buyers serving 45+ cities across 6 Pennsylvania counties in the Lehigh Valley and beyond.
The Sheriff's Office holds real-estate sales for foreclosure debt collection. Sale dates are scheduled by the court; we routinely close before sale dates to pay off the lender from sale proceeds.
Real estate tax bills mail at the end of March each year. Delinquent collection is handled by Elite Revenue Solutions as agent for the Tax Claim Bureau. Properties advance to Upset Sale, then Judicial Sale if unsold.
Lehigh County · Official Reference
Free Local Help
Free Help for Allentown Sellers
Selling to us is one option. These local resources can also help — call them first if you're in distress and want to explore alternatives.
Mortgage Assistance
PA HEMAP — Homeowner Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program
State-run program offering loans to PA homeowners facing foreclosure due to financial hardship beyond their control. Worth a call before deciding to sell.
Free civil legal aid for low-income Lehigh County residents facing foreclosure, eviction, or other housing crises. Spanish-speaking attorneys available.
Worried about foreclosure, taxes, or repairs? Answers below.
Allentown-specific. PA-law accurate. Updated for 2026.
“
How fast can you buy my house in Allentown?
We close on your Allentown home in as little as 7 days. Most sellers get a written offer within 24 hours of a brief call. Cash means no bank approval, no appraisal contingency, no waiting on financing — the three biggest reasons traditional Lehigh Valley sales fall through.
“
Do you buy Center City and South Side rowhomes?
Yes — Allentown's pre-1940 twin and rowhome stock is our specialty. Center City, Old Allentown, and South Side along Hamilton and Lehigh streets are the neighborhoods we buy in most. Knob-and-tube wiring, original boilers, lead paint, asbestos siding — Mike is an InterNACHI Certified Inspector (#21032009), so we price these issues accurately instead of using them to lowball you.
“
I'm behind on Lehigh County property taxes. Can you still buy?
Yes — we routinely close before the Lehigh County Upset Sale date and pay your back taxes at the closing table from sale proceeds. You walk away with a check and a clean slate. If you'd rather try to keep the home first, PA HEMAP (Homeowner Emergency Mortgage Assistance, 800-342-2397) is the state program built for that — call them before you decide to sell.
“
Do you work with Spanish-speaking homeowners?
Sí, hablamos español. Allentown is roughly 54% Hispanic — predominantly Puerto Rican and Dominican families. We provide bilingual offers, contracts, and walkthroughs at no extra cost. Many of our sellers came to us because their previous buyer or agent didn't communicate clearly in Spanish.
“
How is your Allentown offer calculated?
We start with recent comparable sales in your specific Allentown neighborhood — Center City rowhomes price differently than West End singles or Trexlertown new builds. Then we deduct accurate repair costs from a real inspection (not a guess) and a modest profit margin. Because Mike is the InterNACHI-certified inspector, our repair numbers are honest — they're not padded to lower your price after the contract.
“
Are there any fees, commissions, or closing costs?
None. The number on the offer is the number you take home from the closing table. We pay all standard closing costs, the PA realty transfer tax, and recording fees. No agent commission, no inspection fee, no surprise deductions.
“
What's the catch? Why would you cover all the closing costs?
There isn't one. Our profit comes from the spread between our cash offer and the after-repair value of the home — not from nickeling-and-diming the seller. We cover the PA realty transfer tax, title insurance, recording fees, and any back-tax payoff out of the deal. The number on the contract is the number you walk away with.
“
What if Mike finds major problems at the walkthrough — will the offer drop?
No. Mike pre-prices for likely issues using comparable sales and the photos and description you give us up front. If he walks the property and the condition is roughly what we expected, the contract price is what you sign for. The InterNACHI training (cert #21032009) is what makes this possible — most cash buyers can't accurately price old structure (knob-and-tube wiring, asbestos siding, lead paint) without padding the offer to "protect themselves." Mike doesn't have to.
“
What's the PA realty transfer tax in Allentown / Lehigh County?
Allentown's realty transfer tax is 2% total on the sale price — 1% to the Commonwealth of PA, 0.5% to the City of Allentown, and 0.5% to the Allentown School District. On the median Allentown home value of $215,000, that's about $4,300 total, traditionally split 50/50 between buyer and seller. On our cash deals we usually cover both halves.
“
What's the PA inheritance tax on an inherited Allentown property?
Pennsylvania inheritance tax depends on your relationship to the person who passed: 0% for a surviving spouse, 4.5% for lineal heirs (children, parents, grandparents), 12% for siblings, and 15% for any other heir. The tax is owed within 9 months of death (a 5% discount applies if paid within 3 months). We coordinate directly with your probate attorney once Letters Testamentary are issued by the Lehigh County Register of Wills.
“
What Allentown neighborhoods do you buy in most?
Center City and Old Allentown rowhomes (along Hamilton, Linden, and Walnut) make up the largest share of our deals. South Side along Lehigh Street is a close second. The West End — Cedar Crest single-family stock — and Trexlertown new builds round out our regular footprint. East Side twins and South Mountain estates we also buy. Each sub-market prices differently, and we comp each property to its own block — not a city-wide average.
We also help with
Selling an Allentown home in any of these situations? We cover all five.
Situations overlap — foreclosures on inherited estates, divorces with rental property, vacant houses heading to Upset Sale. We cover all of it.
Whether you're ready to sell today or just exploring your options, we're here to help. Get a free, no-obligation cash offer and decide on your own timeline.
What you get with ABE Homes:
Fair cash offer— Based on real market data
Close on your timeline— 7 days or 60 days — you choose
Zero fees or commissions— We pay all closing costs
No repairs needed— Sell completely as-is
Mike was straightforward from the start. No pressure, just a fair offer. We closed on our timeline and it was exactly what we needed.