Facing Foreclosure · Lancaster, PA

Selling a House Facing Foreclosure in Lancaster

A foreclosure notice is easier to handle when you know the calendar. In Pennsylvania the Act 91 notice gives you 33 days to apply for state mortgage help, and the lender cannot act further while a timely application is handled. Lancaster County then runs sheriff sales online, not in a courtroom. Knowing that structure helps you plan around it.

Call or Text: 267-329-0084

Request a cash offer

Get Your Free Cash Offer

No obligation. We respond within 24 hours.

Your info is private & secure. No spam, ever.
Modest New Jersey split-level during a mortgage foreclosure

Kaizen Home Buyers makes cash offers and buys houses as-is, with no repairs and no commission. 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 that equity. A housing counselor or attorney should review your choices alongside any offer.

What’s different in Lancaster

An online sale on a bimonthly schedule

The county says sheriff sales are held on the last Wednesday of every other month and that auctions have moved to an online format through RealAuction. The Real Estate Unit is at the Lancaster County Government Center, 150 N Queen Street, and its number is 717-299-8208. Check the posted 2026 and 2027 schedules for your address, and write down the docket and the plaintiff's attorney. Track the sale on the county's posted schedule and note the day you need a decision by, which is earlier than the sale itself. If you plan to sell, a closing needs time for title work, a payoff letter and the lender's confirmation that the loan is satisfied.

What happens after the hammer

The county lists a timeline counted from the sale date. The buyer files the realty transfer tax statement by day 15, pays the balance by day 30 or forfeits the deposit, and receives the deed around day 51. Written exceptions to the proposed schedule of distribution must be filed within 10 days after it is filed with the Sheriff's Office, or objections are waived. A lawyer can explain what those exceptions are for. If the sale goes through, the county's own timeline shows the purchaser's deed arriving around day 51. If you do not act before then, the property may be gone before you ever speak to a buyer, so treat the earlier dates as the real deadlines.

State help and free counseling

PHFA says free counseling is available to Pennsylvania residents at 1.855.827.3466. After you meet a counselor you have 30 days to submit the HEMAP application, and PHFA then has up to 60 days to decide. The home must be owner-occupied and the delinquency must come from circumstances beyond your control. PHFA also lists 1-800-635-4747 for its Residential Mortgage Diversion Program, though its page does not say which counties take part. Ask whether your lender will accept a payoff from a private sale and how it prefers to receive documents. A short call to the lender's attorney, followed by an email that records what was said, can prevent a surprise on the day of closing.

Checklist before you sell

  • The Act 91 notice, the complaint and every letter from the lender's attorney
  • Docket number, plaintiff's attorney and the sale date, if one is set
  • A written payoff with an itemized breakdown
  • Recent mortgage statements
  • Tax, utility and insurance bills for the address
  • Notes on repairs the house needs
  • Contact information 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 no repairs on your side. You can then set our number against your payoff to see whether you keep money, break even or still owe a balance. Our Lancaster record lists upkeep on historic homes as common, so tell us what the house needs.

Signing with us does not stop a sheriff sale. The plaintiff's attorney or the court has to postpone or cancel it, and you should get that confirmation in writing. We can pick a closing date that fits the schedule if the title work allows. Call or text Kaizen Home Buyers at 267-329-0084.

Facing Foreclosure in Lancaster: questions

Can I still sell my house after the sale is scheduled?

Often yes if the lender is paid at closing before the sale date. Ask the attorney and title company how the payoff is requested and documented.

Is there a fee when someone buys at a sheriff sale?

The county says a $250 per-parcel fee applies to purchasers beginning January 1, 2026, under Act 48 of 2024. It is the buyer's cost, but it shows how the county handles sales now.

What does the online format mean for me?

You do not need to attend. The sale takes place on the county's RealAuction site, so keep checking the posted schedule and your docket rather than waiting for a courtroom date.

Where can I get free legal help?

The Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network publishes a guide on preventing mortgage foreclosure. Start there if you need a lawyer and cannot afford one.

Keep reading

We buy houses in LancasterFacing Foreclosure: full guideSelling an Inherited House in LancasterSelling a Tired Rental Property in LancasterSelling Your Lancaster House Before a MoveFacing 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 Real Estate Unit (Lancaster County, PA, page lists 2026 and 2027 schedules)
  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. Residential Mortgage Diversion Program (Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, 2026-10)
  6. City service-area content (Kaizen Home Buyers, 2026-06-30)
  7. Preventing Mortgage Foreclosure (Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PALawHELP), reviewed 2026-08-26)

Ready to Sell Your House? → Get My Free Offer Today.

No obligation. No fees. Just a fair offer from a local buyer.

Get My Free Offer →
Call or Text: 267-329-0084Text Us Now
→ Get My Free Offer