Inherited property
You inherited a house and have to decide what happens to it. We buy directly, as the purchaser, so there is no listing, no showings and no repairs. Here is what has to happen first, and when selling to us is the wrong answer.
What this is
Most of the confusion in this corner of the market comes from companies that will not say plainly what they are. So here it is first.
When we make an offer we are buying the property for our own account, as the purchaser. We are not a real estate broker and we are not agents. We do not list your property, we do not market it, and we do not represent you or anybody else in a sale to a third party. If what you want is the property on the open market, that is work for a licensed real estate broker, and you should hire one.
Being precise about this is not lawyerly throat clearing. Pennsylvania’s Real Estate Licensing and Registration Act reaches the way a company describes itself, which is why you will not see us call ourselves a consultant, a counsellor, an agent or a finder anywhere on this site. We are none of those things.
Estate property cannot be sold or transferred until the Register of Wills in the county where the person lived grants letters: letters testamentary where there is a will, letters of administration where there is not. Families often spend weeks getting valuations before anyone has the authority to sign a deed. If nothing has been filed yet, start with how probate works rather than with price.
Under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3351 a personal representative may sell real property that is not specifically devised without court approval, unless the will says otherwise. Where the will leaves that particular house to a named person, the property is specifically devised and that person has to join in the sale. Two estates that look identical from the outside can therefore need completely different paperwork. We go through what has to happen before a sale in more detail in the guide.
Pennsylvania taxes what each person receives, real estate included, and there is no exempt amount. The rate follows the relationship rather than the size of the estate: 4.5% for a child or other lineal heir, 12% for a sibling, 15% for anyone else, and nothing at all for a surviving spouse. Paying within three months of the date of death takes 5% off, and the tax is delinquent after nine months. None of that waits for the house to sell. See the inheritance tax guide for the full table.
Sometimes it is. If the house is in reasonable condition, the family agrees on what should happen, and nobody minds waiting for a buyer, the open market will usually pay more than we will. We would rather say that than have you find it out afterwards.
Where a direct sale earns its keep is the awkward cases: a property that needs work nobody living three states away wants to manage, a house that has already sat on the market, a roof or a heating system that would have to be dealt with before a buyer’s lender would go near it, or several heirs who simply want the matter finished. In those situations a certain number now is worth more than a larger number that depends on everyone staying patient.
And if the family disagrees about what should happen to the property, that is a question for a probate attorney before it is a question about price. We will say so and stop there.
Checked against PA Department of Revenue and brochure REV-584 on .
How it works
Two of these have dates written into Pennsylvania law. The rest happen when you are ready and not before.
5 steps in total
2 deadlines that cost money if missed
Before anything else
The Register of Wills in the county where they lived grants letters testamentary if there is a will, or letters of administration if there is not. Until that happens nobody may sell or transfer estate property, and there is nothing for us to buy.
Once letters are granted
A personal representative may sell real property that is not specifically devised without court approval, unless the will says otherwise. If the will leaves that particular house to a named person, that person has to join in the sale.
20 Pa.C.S. § 3351
Whenever you are ready
We visit, we tell you what we would pay, and we put it in writing so you can compare it with what a broker thinks the property would fetch on the open market. There is no charge for this and no obligation to accept it.
By three months
DeadlinePay the Pennsylvania inheritance tax within three months of the date of death and 5% comes off. The statute allows 5% of the tax paid or the tax due, whichever is less. This deadline runs whether or not the house has sold.
By nine months
DeadlineForm REV-1500 is filed in duplicate with the Register of Wills. The house counts as part of what each person receives, so the tax is owed even if nothing has been sold yet. Interest for 2026 runs at 7%.
After that the estate is closed.
Being straight with you
The boundary, stated plainly rather than buried in the small print.
We buy the property ourselves, as the purchaser
We are not a real estate broker. We do not list your property, we do not market it, and we do not represent you or anyone else in a sale to a third party.
We tell you what we would pay, in writing
An offer is not an appraisal and it is not a valuation. If you need a formal opinion of value, that is work for a licensed appraiser.
We explain what Pennsylvania requires before a sale
We do not give legal advice. Whether a particular property can be sold, and by whom, is a question for the estate’s attorney.
We wait until there is authority to sell
We do not buy from someone who has not been appointed. If the heirs disagree about what should happen, that needs resolving before price is worth discussing.
Common questions
No. Until the Register of Wills grants letters, nobody has authority to sell or transfer estate property, whatever the family has agreed among themselves. Getting someone appointed is the first useful step, and it is usually the step people skip.
Often not. Under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3351 a personal representative may sell real property that is not specifically devised without court approval, unless the will says otherwise.
The exception matters. If the will leaves that particular house to a named person, it is specifically devised, and that person has to join in the sale. Read the will before you assume either way.
No. We are the buyer. When we make an offer we are buying the property for our own account. We are not a broker, we hold nothing out for sale, and we never act for a seller or a buyer in a transaction with somebody else. If you want the property put on the open market, hire a licensed real estate broker.
Often, yes. If the house is in reasonable condition, the family agrees on what should happen, and nobody minds waiting for a buyer, the open market will usually pay more than we will. We are worth a conversation when the property needs work nobody wants to manage, when it is far from where you live, when several heirs want the matter closed, or when a listing has already been tried.
Usually. Pennsylvania taxes what each person receives, real estate included, and there is no exempt amount. The rate depends on your relationship to the person who died: 4.5% for a child or other lineal heir, 12% for a sibling, 15% for anyone else. A surviving spouse pays nothing.
Then you need a probate attorney before you need a buyer. We will not try to broker a peace between family members, and we will not proceed with anyone who does not have the authority to sell. Telling you that early costs us work and saves you money.
Tell us who died, which county they lived in, and what is worrying you most. If the answer is that you need a probate attorney rather than us, we will say so.
Free, and there is no obligation afterwards.