House Flippers Near Me — the Lehigh Valley house-flipper buyer that pays what we say
When sellers search "house flippers near me" or "house flippers Pennsylvania" in the Lehigh Valley, they usually want three things: cash instead of mortgage (no financing contingencies), speed (7-21 days vs 60-90), and the ability to sell a property a conventional buyer would reject. The catch: most traditional flippers are wholesalers — they get a contract, then renegotiate downward after the inspection, or assign it to another real investor. ABE Homes operates differently because Mike IS the InterNACHI Certified Inspector — the contract price IS the closing price, no exceptions.
If I sell my flip or investment property to a house flipper for cash, will the offer get lowered after the inspection?
With most Lehigh Valley flippers and wholesalers, yes — the verbal offer is a bait number, and a third-party inspector gets sent in after you sign to "find problems" that justify dropping the price 15-25%. ABE Homes is built to remove that risk. Mike is an InterNACHI Certified Professional Inspector — InterNACHI is the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, the largest non-profit home inspector body in North America — and he walks every property himself, so his initial walkthrough IS the inspection.
Because Mike already saw the old electrical, the cast-iron plumbing, the basement water, the worn roof, and the contents before quoting, the contract price is the closing price — in writing, no second inspector, no mid-deal chop. You sell as-is and pay $0 commissions, $0 closing costs, and make $0 repairs. ABE is a flipper-buyer, not a wholesaler, so the deal doesn't get assigned away or renegotiated downward.
Answered by Mike, InterNACHI — verified Pennsylvania cash home buyer since 2010
Here's the problem: "house flipper," "investor," "cash buyer," "iBuyer," and "wholesaler" get used interchangeably by sellers who are looking for the same thing — someone who'll buy quickly and without contingencies — but they mean very different things for the price you get and the risk that the deal falls through. (1) A **flipper** buys to renovate and resell at retail. Has their own capital or a hard-money loan and a renovation plan before making the offer. Closes because they've already invested planning time. (2) A **wholesaler** puts the house under contract and then assigns that contract to another investor for a fee — the wholesaler never owns the house. Has incentive to renegotiate downward after contract because they need to leave margin for the end-buyer. Frequently backs out if they can't find that end-buyer. (3) An **iBuyer** (Opendoor, Offerpad) is an automated corporate buyer — real cash, fast close, but standardized national pricing that's frequently 30-50% below ARV because they have massive corporate overhead. (4) An **independent cash buyer** — like ABE — buys to hold or for slow renovation without the wholesaler-margin pressure or corporate overhead. ABE Homes is a true flipper-buyer (not a wholesaler) — that distinction is the entire reason we close at contract price and why wholesalers frequently don't.
ABE's position: the inspector-owned flipper-buyer
Here's the difference that defines ABE among Lehigh Valley flipper-buyers: Mike is an InterNACHI Certified Professional Inspector (cert). InterNACHI is the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors — the largest non-profit home inspector body in North America. What that means in practice: when Mike walks your property before making an offer, that walkthrough IS the inspection. There's no second "independent" inspector arriving after contract to "find problems" justifying a 15-25% price drop. Mike saw the basement water stains. He saw the old electrical panel. He saw the cast-iron plumbing. He saw the worn roof. It's all in the price he quotes. That price holds from contract to closing — in writing. This is the single thing separating ABE from wholesaler-operated flippers in the Lehigh Valley market. Competitors can't replicate it without hiring a full-time InterNACHI Certified Inspector — which is exactly who ABE's owner is.
What Lehigh Valley flippers typically buy (categories, not addresses)
Some recurring Lehigh Valley property categories that flipper-buyers like ABE evaluate regularly: **Pre-1950 Allentown center-city rowhomes** — frequently need complete kitchen and bath modernization, Federal Pacific-style electrical panel updates, oil-to-natural-gas heating conversion. The footprint is efficient for post-renovation rentals. **Mid-century single-family in Whitehall + South Whitehall** — generally structurally sound but with original 1960s HVAC ducting and pink bathrooms. Classic cosmetic-renovation candidates. **Foreclosure-eligible Easton homes** — often carry active code citations from Easton's Bureau of Codes plus back utility bills. The closing settlement statement clears both. **Inherited vacant properties in Bethlehem and surrounding townships** — 30 years of decedent's contents, deferred maintenance, old electrical panels. Flippers close as-is with contents inside. **Tenanted rental properties** in any city — investors assume the leases rather than promising to evict. Typical condition profiles: kitchen-and-bath modernization candidates, "structural-OK-but-cosmetic-needs" properties, code-violation properties with clear paths to clearance. What we don't show: specific addresses or prices paid — those would advertise your comp downward to any future seller reading this page.
Why the price drops after the initial offer (the wholesale trick)
The classic pattern you'll see in the Lehigh Valley: a wholesaler gives you a "ballpark number" verbally, you sign an option or non-binding contract, and they then bring in an outside inspector who magically "finds problems" justifying a 15-25% price reduction. This is because the wholesaler never intended to close at the initial price — they need margin for the end-investor they'll assign the contract to. The structural defense against this: ask for a flipper-buyer whose owner personally inspects the property before making the offer. That's ABE — Mike walks the property, makes his detailed remediation-cost list, and the offer reflects that. No "inspection surprise" after because the inspector was already there: it was the owner making you the offer.
What properties actually serve the cash-flipper market
Some Lehigh Valley properties are technically sellable traditionally but lose so much money in prep, commissions, and market-time that selling to a flipper-buyer is mathematically superior. These include: inherited houses with 30 years of accumulated contents + deferred maintenance, properties with municipal code violations (53 P.S. § 7101) or active liens, pre-foreclosure houses less than 90 days from sheriff sale (see our guide under PA's 4-7 month judicial foreclosure timeline), rental properties with tenants in place who can't be legally evicted, houses with known structural issues (roof, foundation, electrical), and homes in FEMA flood zones or adjacent to industrial sites with soil history. For each of these, a professional flipper-buyer closes. A traditional agent + mortgage buyer typically can't.
How to vet an investor / flipper before signing anything
Three quick tests every Lehigh Valley seller should run: (1) **State registration check** — look up the buyer's legal entity at file.dos.pa.gov. ABE Homes is a registered Pennsylvania company. If the "buyer" doesn't have a PA legal entity, they're probably wholesalers. (2) **Inspector-owner check** — ask whether the owner personally walks the property before making the offer. If they bring an "inspector" or "contractor" after the initial offer, that's the wholesale trick signal. Mike is an InterNACHI Certified Professional Inspector — verifiable at nachi.org/verify. (3) **Contract price = closing price check** — the most important question: "Is the contract price the closing price, guaranteed in writing?" If the answer is anything other than a rock-solid "yes," keep looking.
What Lehigh Valley flipper-buyers typically pay (categorical ranges)
Legitimate Lehigh Valley flipper-buyers typically pay 70-85% of full after-repair market value (ARV). National franchises tend to be at the low end (50-70% of ARV) because they have higher fixed costs. Local independent buyers like ABE Homes typically operate at 75-85% of ARV because they know the local market and don't have to leave margin for a corporate hierarchy. The exact offer depends on: (a) actual property condition after Mike's inspection, (b) location and local comparables (Center City Allentown doesn't price like West End Allentown — those are distinct submarkets), (c) any title complications (liens, inheritance, divorce, etc.). What should NOT vary after the initial offer is the price itself — that's the promise of an honest buyer. We don't publish specific close numbers because doing so would anchor every future seller's offer downward.
Sale Options Comparison — 4 honest paths
If you're searching "house flippers near me" you're already considering option 4. But comparing it honestly against the other three paths makes the math clearer:
Criterion
Traditional MLS
FSBO (For Sale By Owner)
Auction
Cash buyer (ABE)
Time to close
60-120 days (list + show + offer + financing + close)
90-180 days (self-managed)
30-45 days (advertised + auction day + close)
7 days from signed contract (5 days for urgent timelines)
Net price (% of full market value)
90-95% (full price minus 5-6% agent commission)
94-100% (no agent commission, but more market time + risk)
60-90% (unpredictable; depends on bidder competition)
75-85% (price reflects as-is condition; no commissions, no fees)
Repair / prep requirements
Significant. Code violations, structural issues, or major deferred maintenance will kill conventional financing
Significant. Same buyer-pool constraints as MLS
Minimal. Properties sold as-is, but auction crowds expect to see anything
None. Bought as-is including code violations, structural damage, hoarder conditions
Certainty (likelihood of completing sale)
Medium. 15-30% of accepted offers fall through (financing, inspection, appraisal)
Low-Medium. Same financing risk as MLS plus self-managed paperwork failure rate
High to close, but final price is unpredictable
Very high. Contract price = closing price, no financing contingency, no buyer pullout risk
$1K-$10K+ (marketing, MLS listing service, contract attorney, transfer tax)
Auctioneer fee 5-15% of sale price + advertising costs
$0. ABE pays transfer tax + recording fees + title costs
Best for
Houses in good condition + sellers with 30-60+ days of patience + budget for prep
Experienced sellers with unique properties + time to manage process
Properties hard to value traditionally (farms, large parcels, unusual investment property)
Distressed properties, time pressure, inherited/divorce/foreclosure situations, complex title
Comparison based on typical Pennsylvania market costs. Your specific situation may vary; ask for an honest assessment before signing anything.
About ABE Homes
ABE Homes is a cash home buyer based in Allentown, PA serving homeowners across the Lehigh Valley. Mike, owner, is an InterNACHI Certified Professional Inspector and handles bilingual closings in English and Spanish.
Cash offer in
24 hours from initial contact
Closing time
7 days from signed contract
Services
As-is purchases · No fees · No commissions · No repairs
Certified inspector
InterNACHI Certified Professional Inspector
Languages
Native English and Spanish (bilingual closings)
Address
1275 Glenlivet Dr Suite 100-03, Allentown PA 18106
Phone
(484) 895-1352
Verifiable at: InterNACHI registry, file.dos.pa.gov (PA Department of State), BBB Lehigh Valley.
Frequently asked questions
Questions sellers ask about flippers and investors in PA
Ten real questions, answers any honest Lehigh Valley flipper-buyer should be able to give.
Do house flippers actually pay in cash?+
Legitimate flippers and cash buyers close with verified funds — typically funds from an investment account, home-equity line of credit, or pre-approved hard-money financing. "Cash" in this context means "no mortgage contingency" — the contract doesn't fall through because an underwriter rejected the buyer. Ask for proof of funds before signing anything. Any legitimate buyer will provide a bank statement or hard-money lender letter within 24 hours.
How is flipper pricing different from listing on MLS?+
Flipper pricing reflects: (a) after-repair value (ARV) minus (b) estimated renovation costs minus (c) margin for risk and profit. MLS pricing is what a mortgaged end-buyer would pay for a move-in-ready property. The difference is typically 15-30% of ARV, which covers renovation cost + agent commissions + the 60-90 days of carrying cost you avoid. For a property needing $40K+ of work or with title issues, the math frequently favors the flipper after accounting for prep costs and market time.
Are house flippers regulated in Pennsylvania?+
Flippers don't need a PA real estate license to buy properties for themselves (brokers and agents do — those are different roles). However, they ARE subject to PA's Real Estate Seller Disclosure Act (68 P.S. § 7301 et seq.) when they resell, and to PA's Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law (73 P.S. § 201-1 et seq.) in their purchase negotiations. The buyer's legal entity should be registered at file.dos.pa.gov. If you can't find it there, it's likely an unregistered wholesaler operation.
What's the difference between a flipper and a wholesaler?+
A flipper buys the property for themselves, funds the renovation with their own capital or loan, and resells after. A wholesaler puts the property under contract and then "assigns" that contract to another investor for a fee — the wholesaler themselves never owns the property. The distinction matters because: (a) wholesalers have incentive to renegotiate downward after contract (they need margin for the end-buyer), (b) wholesalers can back out if they can't find an end-buyer, (c) flippers have pre-committed renovation capital and close because they've already invested planning time. ABE Homes is a flipper-buyer, not a wholesaler.
Will a flipper close even if my house has code violations?+
Yes — that's often why sellers go looking for flippers in the first place. Properties with active citations from Allentown, Bethlehem, or Easton's Bureaus of Inspections are hard to sell traditionally because most mortgaged buyers can't close on a property with outstanding safety violations. Flippers close because they plan to remediate the violations as part of renovation, and the municipal liens get settled out of closing proceeds through the title company. Mike knows PA's UCC + local property maintenance codes because he's an InterNACHI Certified Inspector — he knows exactly which citations are easily settled vs which ones change the price math.
Do I need to fix anything before selling to a flipper?+
No. That's the entire value proposition of selling to an investor-buyer. Mike walks the property as-is — trash, belongings, decedent's contents, failing systems, all of it. The price reflects actual condition, not "listing-ready" condition. If you fix things up before a flipper sale, you're spending money the flipper was going to spend anyway — but you spend it at retail and the flipper spends it at wholesale. That math never works in your favor. Only list traditionally if you're willing to go through the full rehab to access the retail price point.
How long does a typical flipper sale take in PA?+
Typical offer-to-close timeline with a cash investor-buyer in PA: 7-21 days. This breaks down as: (1) walkthrough and offer (day 1-2), (2) contract signed and earnest money to title company (day 3-5), (3) title company orders title search and verifies liens (day 5-14), (4) closing (day 14-21). Closing can be as short as 7 days if title is clean, or as long as 30-45 days with complications (probate, divorce, federal liens). Traditional mortgaged listings take 60-90 days from contract to close — cash flippers are 3-4x faster.
Will a flipper inspect my house before closing?+
Depends on the flipper. Investor-run flippers delegate inspection to a third-party inspector and contractor — that introduces the risk of "inspection surprises" justifying price renegotiation. ABE Homes works differently: Mike is an InterNACHI Certified Professional Inspector, and HIS initial walkthrough IS the inspection. There's no second step. The price at contract is the price at closing — that's the entire promise of the inspector-owner model. Verify any buyer's credentials at nachi.org/verify.
What if the flipper finds something during the walkthrough?+
With an inspector-flipper like ABE: the price Mike quotes after his walkthrough already includes everything he found. Old electrical, cast-iron plumbing, basement water stains, trash, contents — all evaluated on the first walkthrough. This is why contract price = closing price. With wholesaler-run flippers: "finding something" after contract is the trick — they use a second "independent" inspector to justify dropping the contract price 15-25%. Defend against this by asking: "Does the owner personally inspect the property before the offer?" If the answer is "no," assume a renegotiation is coming.
Can a flipper buy a house with tenants still in it?+
Yes, but PA's Landlord-Tenant Act (68 P.S. § 250.101 et seq.) rules determine how. An existing lease transfers to the new owner — the flipper inherits the lease and the tenant. If the tenant has a year-long lease, the flipper must honor it. If the tenant is month-to-month, PA's eviction notice rules apply (15-30 days notice, then 60-120 days of magistrate-court process). ABE assumes existing leases rather than promising to "evict" — "cash-for-keys" schemes frequently violate tenant laws. See our detailed guide at /sell-rental-property-with-tenants-pa for more.
Related Lehigh Valley pages
If you're researching a flipper-buyer, you're often also looking at these neighbors:
If you're looking for a flipper-buyer for a Lehigh Valley property — inherited, tenanted, code-violated, or just tired of holding it — ask Mike to walk the property. The offer comes in writing within 24 hours of the walkthrough. Contract price equals closing price. No surprises.
InterNACHI Certified Professional Inspector · · speaks English & Spanish
Ready When You Are
Let's Talk AboutYour Options
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.
