Facing Foreclosure · Erie, PA

Selling a House Facing Foreclosure in Erie

A foreclosure case moves in set steps, and Erie County posts how its end stage works. In Pennsylvania the Act 91 notice from your lender gives you 33 days to apply for state help. If the case reaches a sale, the Sheriff's Real Estate Division lists the property, advertises it and holds the auction at the courthouse.

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Modest New Jersey split-level during a mortgage foreclosure

Kaizen Home Buyers can buy the house for cash in its current condition, with no repairs to make and no agent commission to pay. You get an offer within 24 hours, and closing can be 14 to 30 days out or on your schedule. If the home is worth more than you owe, selling before the auction may protect your equity. A housing counselor or lawyer should look at your options alongside any offer.

What’s different in Erie

How the sale is run

Erie County holds real estate sales every month except December. Properties are advertised in the Erie Times-News and Erie County Legal Journal on three successive Fridays before the sale. Sales are normally held on a Friday at 10:00 a.m. in Central Court at the Erie County Courthouse, 140 West Sixth Street. Each property has a writ number in the ad. The Real Estate Division's lines are 814-451-6006 and 814-451-6008. Look up your writ number in the ad and note it with your docket number. The county uses it at the auction, so the same number will appear in correspondence, and having it handy makes calls to the Real Estate Division faster.

Act 91 and counseling

PHFA says an owner-occupant who applies within 33 days of the notice date stops the lender from further action while the application is handled. Free counseling is available to Pennsylvania residents at 1.855.827.3466. After you meet a counselor you have 30 days to submit, and PHFA has up to 60 days to decide. The delinquency must come from circumstances beyond your control. If you are not sure whether the lender has started a foreclosure case, call the lender's attorney or check the court record. The sooner you know where the case stands, the more choices you have, including selling the house yourself.

Older houses and thin equity

Erie's record lists an aging housing stock, and the CFPB has a post about selling as an alternative to foreclosure for borrowers with equity. A roof or heater near the end of its life can cut what a retail buyer will pay. Ask a counselor to run the payoff, costs and condition together so you see what a sale would leave. Ask your counselor to compare staying with selling using real numbers: payoff, monthly cost and what a repaired house would bring. A decision based on a worksheet is easier to explain to family members and to your lender.

Checklist before you sell

  • The Act 91 notice, the complaint and every letter from the lender's lawyers
  • Writ number, docket number and the sale date
  • A written payoff with a line-by-line breakdown
  • Recent mortgage statements
  • Tax and utility bills for the address
  • Notes on the roof, heating and basement
  • Contacts for a housing counselor and an attorney

How Kaizen can help

Send us the address and the sale date. We review the house as it stands and quote cash with the repair work counted for you. Lay the number beside your payoff and see what a sale leaves. If it does not work, you will know before the date arrives.

A signed contract does not stop a sheriff sale. The plaintiff's attorney or the court has to postpone or cancel it, and you should get that in writing. If title work is clear, a closing can be scheduled with time to spare before the sale. Call or text Kaizen Home Buyers at 267-329-0084.

Facing Foreclosure in Erie: questions

Is there a program that might pause the case?

An owner-occupied home may be eligible for PHFA's Residential Mortgage Diversion Program. Its page does not say which counties take part now, so ask your attorney about Erie County. PHFA lists 1-800-635-4747.

Can I sell while the foreclosure is pending?

Often yes if the lender is paid at closing before the sale. Your attorney and the title company should walk you through the payoff request.

Where can I find free legal help?

A foreclosure prevention guide from the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network is free to read and points to local help.

Why is there no December sale?

The county says it holds sales every month except December. Check the calendar for your writ, since a date can move.

Keep reading

We buy houses in ErieFacing Foreclosure: full guideSelling an Inherited House in ErieSelling a Tired Rental Property in ErieSelling a Vacant House in ErieFacing Foreclosure on a Philadelphia Home: Your OptionsFacing Foreclosure in Upper Darby: Your OptionsFacing Foreclosure in Chester, PA: Your OptionsFacing Foreclosure in Norristown: Your OptionsFacing Foreclosure in Abington Township: Your OptionsFacing Foreclosure in Plymouth Meeting: Your Options

Sources

General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm details with the office or a professional.

  1. Foreclosure: Act 91 Notice and HEMAP (Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, undated page)
  2. Sheriff's Sale (Erie County Court of Common Pleas, current page, not dated)
  3. Kaizen process steps (Kaizen Home Buyers, 2026-10-23)
  4. For many struggling mortgage borrowers with home equity, selling their home could be an alternative to foreclosure (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, undated)
  5. City service-area content (Kaizen Home Buyers, 2026-06-30)
  6. Residential Mortgage Diversion Program (Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, 2026-10)
  7. Preventing Mortgage Foreclosure (Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PALawHELP), reviewed 2026-08-26)

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