▸What cities does ABE Homes cover in the Lehigh Valley?
All 21 enriched cities within our 20-mile service radius: Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton (the three core cities), plus Emmaus, Whitehall Township, Northampton, Hellertown, Catasauqua, Macungie, Alburtis, Freemansburg, Coplay, Coopersburg, Slatington, Nazareth, Fountain Hill, Fullerton, Salisbury Township, Bath, Bangor, and Pen Argyl. If your property is within 20 miles of 1275 Glenlivet Dr, Allentown, PA 18106, Mike walks it personally. For properties outside that radius (Berks County to the west, Carbon County to the north), we evaluate case by case over the phone.
▸What's the difference between Lehigh County and Northampton County real estate taxes?
The two counties levy property taxes separately, plus school district and municipal taxes. Lehigh County (seat: Allentown) runs its Tax Claim Bureau Upset Sale every September for properties two years delinquent. Northampton County (seat: Easton) runs its Tax Upset Sale on a separate date, also in September. Millage rates vary — Allentown has three layers (State + City + Allentown School District = 2% total realty transfer tax). Bethlehem straddles both counties (76% Northampton, 24% Lehigh), which affects where your taxes are assessed and recorded. We coordinate directly with the correct county office at closing.
▸Do you ever take properties in Carbon County or Berks County?
Carbon County (Jim Thorpe, Palmerton, Lehighton) and Berks County (Reading, Kutztown) sit at the northern and western edge of our service radius. We take those properties case-by-case when: (a) the property is within 20 miles of Allentown, (b) Mike can walk it on a reasonable trip, and (c) the county processes (Sheriff Sale, Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds) don't add material time to the close. Call to ask — the radius edge isn't absolute.
▸Do you cover all six counties in the Lehigh Valley metro area?
The U.S. Census-defined Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton MSA (1.14 million residents per 2020 Census) covers six counties: Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks (northern), Montgomery (northwest corner), and Carbon (southern corner). Our operational 20-mile radius centers on Lehigh + Northampton (where most of the 21 served cities sit), with partial coverage of the other four. Quakertown (Bucks), Pennsburg (Montgomery), and Palmerton (Carbon) occasionally come into play — confirm by phone.
▸Why do school districts matter when buying in the Lehigh Valley?
PA school districts levy their own property taxes on top of county and municipal taxes, and rates vary dramatically. Allentown School District (among the highest in the state, Act 1 funding-challenged), Parkland School District (premium Trexlertown / Upper Macungie coverage), East Penn School District (Emmaus / Macungie / Lower Macungie — the suburban home-value anchor), Bethlehem Area School District (covers both counties), Easton Area School District. When we comp your house, we comp by school district — the same 3-bedroom in Parkland is worth materially more than the same house in Allentown SD, and that affects our cash offer.
▸How does a sale to ABE compare to a national iBuyer like Opendoor or Offerpad?
National iBuyers (Opendoor, Offerpad, RedfinNow) are limited to good-condition homes — generally post-1990 construction, current code, no deferred maintenance — and they operate algorithmically without walking the property. Their offer is model-generated. Mike walks every property himself. We buy homes in any condition, including pre-1940 stock with knob-and-tube wiring, original boilers, lead paint, fire damage, foundation issues. The offer is real, written, and firm — not contingent on a second inspection that drops the price. National iBuyers also charge 5-9% service fees — we charge no fees. Contract price is closing price.
▸How long does a cash sale in the Lehigh Valley take to close?
Standard close is 7 to 14 days from signed contract. The constraint isn't our money — it's the title work and coordination with any relevant lender, sheriff's office, or probate court. If your sheriff sale is within 14 days, we can close in time when title work starts today. If you're in probate waiting on Letters Testamentary from the Register of Wills, we wait for them to issue. If you're behind on Lehigh or Northampton County taxes, we pay the arrears at the closing table from sale proceeds.
▸Why is Mike the only Lehigh Valley cash buyer who's also a certified inspector?
Mike Sup holds InterNACHI certification #21032009 (InterNACHI = International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, the largest non-profit home inspector body in North America). No other Lehigh Valley cash buyer appears in the public InterNACHI directory. That means when Mike walks your property, that IS the inspection. There's no "third-party inspector" who shows up after the contract "finding" issues to chop the offer — the pattern wholesalers are known for. Contract price is closing price.
▸Do you work with Spanish-speaking sellers? The Census says Allentown is 54% Hispanic.
Yes — Allentown is 54.2% Hispanic per the 2020 U.S. Census, predominantly Puerto Rican and Dominican families. Bethlehem also has a substantial Hispanic population (roughly 30%). We do calls, documents, and closings fully in Spanish — not via Google Translate. As far as we can tell, no other Lehigh Valley cash buyer has Spanish content at all. This is genuine differentiation, not localization.
▸What if I have municipal liens or code violations?
Code violations and municipal liens (Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton — they all have a similar process) are signals to us that your house is exactly a candidate for a cash sale. We pay the liens from sale proceeds at closing. The code enforcement office (Allentown: 610-437-7541) will confirm to the title holder that the lien is paid off, and the transfer proceeds clean. Read more in our dedicated municipal liens guide.