Facing Foreclosure · Reading, PA

Selling a House Facing Foreclosure in Reading

Foreclosure rarely arrives all at once. In Pennsylvania the lender's Act 91 notice points to state help and gives you 33 days to apply. Berks County then holds sheriff sales virtually through Bid4Assets, which changes how a sale works for everyone, including the owner watching the calendar.

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 offers cash for houses and buys them as-is, so there are no repairs and no agent commission. An offer comes within 24 hours, and closing can run 14 to 30 days or land on the date you pick. A sale before the auction may protect your equity if the home is worth more than you owe. A housing counselor or lawyer should look at your options alongside any offer.

What’s different in Reading

Virtual sales through Bid4Assets

The Berks County Sheriff's Office says it holds all sheriff sales virtually through Bid4Assets. Bidders must submit deposits to Bid4Assets no later than 7 days before the sale, and the office does not accept deposits in person. The current sale list is posted on the Sheriff's real estate page. Find your address and docket on it, and note the date and the plaintiff's attorney. Deposits for an online sale are due at least a week before the sale, so the real planning window ends earlier than the sale date. If you plan to sell, work back from that date to leave time for title work and a payoff letter.

Act 91 and counseling

PHFA says an owner-occupant who applies within 33 days of the Act 91 notice date stops the lender from further action while the application is handled. Free counseling is offered to Pennsylvania residents at 1.855.827.3466. After the counseling meeting you have 30 days to submit the HEMAP application, and PHFA then has up to 60 days to decide. Ask the counselor to explain what each outcome costs. Selling, a loan workout and a deed in lieu each have different effects, and your counselor can lay them out using your own figures. We can price the sale, but the other options need an expert.

When equity is thin or the house needs work

Our Reading record lists vacant and under-maintained rowhomes, back taxes and flooding as common issues. Each one can leave a house worth less to a retail buyer than the loan balance suggests. The CFPB has a post discussing selling as an alternative to foreclosure when a borrower has equity. Ask your counselor to run payoff, taxes and costs so you see what a sale would leave. If the house is in a flood-prone part of the city, ask your insurer what is covered before you list. A claim history can affect a buyer's view, and a sale to us does not require the repairs that a retail buyer's lender might insist on.

Checklist before you sell

  • The Act 91 notice, the complaint and every letter from the lender's lawyers
  • Docket number, plaintiff's attorney and the sale date
  • A written payoff with a line-by-line breakdown
  • Recent mortgage statements
  • Tax and utility bills, including any Tax Claim Bureau notices
  • A note on repairs and any water history
  • Contacts for a housing counselor and an attorney

How Kaizen can help

Send us the address and the sale date. We price the house as it stands and show you a cash number with no repairs on your side. Then you can set it against your payoff. If the numbers do not work, you will know before the sale date and not after it.

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. When title work is ready in time, we can close ahead of the sale date. Call or text Kaizen Home Buyers at 267-329-0084.

Facing Foreclosure in Reading: questions

Is there a court program that could pause the case?

PHFA's Residential Mortgage Diversion Program is meant for owner-occupied homes. Its page does not say which counties take part now, so ask your attorney about Berks County. PHFA lists 1-800-635-4747.

Do I need to attend a virtual sale?

The county says sales are held virtually through Bid4Assets and bidders register there. As the owner, watch the posted list and your docket, and keep your attorney involved.

Can I sell while the foreclosure is pending?

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

Where can I find free legal help?

Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network's foreclosure prevention guide is a place to start if you need legal help.

Keep reading

We buy houses in ReadingFacing Foreclosure: full guideHow to Sell an Inherited House in Berks County (Probate Guide)Facing Foreclosure in Berks County, PA: Online Sheriff Sale GuideSelling a Vacant House in ReadingSelling a Tax-Delinquent House in ReadingSelling a Tired Rental Property in ReadingFacing 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 Executions (Berks County, PA, 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)

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