We Handle the House.You Handle Everything Else.

We deal with this all the time. As long as all parties eventually agree to sell, we can make it work. We've closed deals with 2, 3, even 5+ heirs spread across different states. We handle all the coordination and paperwork - each heir just needs to sign.

No. This is one of the hardest parts of inheriting a home, and we take it completely off your plate. Take the items you want to keep - photos, jewelry, meaningful items. Everything else - 40 years of furniture, clothes, dishes, everything - leave it. We handle the cleanout.

Easier than you'd think. Give us access to the property (key with a neighbor, lockbox, whatever works). We evaluate it, make an offer, and handle everything locally. For closing, we can use a mobile notary in your state or do remote online notarization. Many of our inherited property clients never visit Pennsylvania.

PA inheritance tax ranges from 0% (spouse) to 4.5% (children) to 12% (siblings) to 15% (others). This is based on the property's fair market value at the date of death. Selling to us actually simplifies this - our purchase price establishes clear market value for tax purposes.

We buy houses in any condition. Roof damage, foundation issues, outdated everything, hoarding situations - we've seen it all. Our owner Mike is InterNACHI certified, so we accurately assess repair costs instead of guessing. You won't get a lowball offer because we're scared of the work.

If probate is complete and all heirs agree, we can close in as little as 7 days. If you're still in probate, we work with your timeline - we've waited 6+ months for probate to complete. The key is getting started early so everything is ready when the court gives approval.

Federal law gives heirs a 'step-up basis' on inherited property — your tax cost-basis is the property's fair-market-value AT THE DATE OF DEATH, not what the deceased originally paid. So if your parents bought the house for $50K in 1985 and it's worth $250K at their death, your cost-basis is $250K. If you sell within ~1 year for $250K, you owe ZERO federal capital gains. If you wait and sell at $275K later, you owe gains on the $25K appreciation only. PA does not impose a separate capital gains tax (gains roll into PA personal income tax at 3.07%). PA inheritance tax is separate from capital gains — see the PA inheritance tax FAQ below.

Yes, but with major nuance. The capital gain (sale price minus your stepped-up cost basis) is reportable on federal Schedule D as capital-gains income. If you sell within ~1 year of inheriting at approximately the date-of-death value, the gain is usually $0 (no income impact). If the property appreciates significantly between inheritance and sale, the appreciation is taxable. Selling proceeds themselves don't count as ordinary income. Talk to a PA-licensed CPA before signing — the step-up basis can be worth tens of thousands if you sell strategically.

If siblings can't agree on selling vs holding, PA law offers two paths: (1) Buyout — the willing-to-keep sibling refinances the property and pays out the willing-to-sell sibling's share at fair market value. Requires the buyout sibling to qualify for a mortgage. (2) Partition action — under PA Rules of Civil Procedure 1551-1574, any tenant-in-common can petition the Court of Common Pleas to force a sale of the property and divide proceeds. Costs $5K-$20K in legal fees and takes 6-18 months. We've also seen cash buyers like ABE serve as the neutral exit: we buy the whole property, each heir gets their proportional share at closing, no partition action needed.

Three reasons: (1) Emotional — letting go of a parent's home is loaded, especially when contents include 30+ years of accumulated belongings. (2) Legal — you can't list the property until Letters Testamentary issue from the county Register of Wills (6-12 weeks typical), and selling before the will is admitted to probate is legally void. (3) Practical — most inherited houses have deferred maintenance (older mechanicals, dated kitchens/baths, possible code violations) that conventional buyers won't finance. Cash buyers like ABE close as-is with no broom-clean requirement, coordinate directly with the estate attorney, and don't require the property be staged or repaired before sale.