Inherited Property · Philadelphia, PA

Selling an Inherited House in Philadelphia

A rowhome that passes to a family often comes with more questions than keys. Whose name is on the deed? Who is allowed to sign? In Philadelphia, the Register of Wills probates wills and issues letters of administration when a Philadelphia resident dies without a will. That paperwork is what shows who speaks for the estate. Until someone holds that authority, no one should sign a sale contract.

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Inherited brick twin with family boxes beside a quiet front window

Kaizen Home Buyers buys inherited houses for cash and takes them as they are. You fix nothing and pay no agent commission, and you hear a number within 24 hours. Closing can happen in 14 to 30 days or wait for the date your family picks. A lot of the city's older brick rowhomes hold decades of belongings and deferred work, and nobody has to empty or repair a thing to ask what we would pay.

What’s different in Philadelphia

Start at City Hall, Room 180

The Register of Wills sits in City Hall, Room 180, and takes probate calls at (215) 686-6255. The office says it can walk you through the probate process but cannot give legal guidance. Attorneys file through an online system. Use this office first, then bring the resulting letters to the estate attorney and the title company. If the family has no lawyer yet, a Pennsylvania estate attorney is the right next call before you accept any offer. If hours or phone lines have changed, confirm before you travel to City Hall.

Inheritance tax has its own clock

The Register of Wills also acts as an agent for filing and paying Pennsylvania inheritance tax. The state rate is 0 percent for a surviving spouse, 4.5 percent for direct descendants, 12 percent for siblings and 15 percent for other heirs. Paying within three months of the date of death earns a 5 percent discount, and the tax becomes delinquent nine months after death. A tax professional should tell you how a sale price and date-of-death value fit together.

Transfer tax on the sale

Since July 1, 2025, Philadelphia's realty transfer tax is 4.578 percent, made up of 3.578 percent for the city and 1 percent for the state. The city page exempts transfers under a will to heirs, but a sale to a buyer is a different transaction. On a hypothetical $200,000 sale, 4.578 percent is $9,156. State guidance says the contract can decide who pays. Ask the title company to put the number on the settlement statement.

Checklist before you sell

  • Certified death certificate and the original will, if there is one
  • Letters testamentary or letters of administration from the Register of Wills
  • The most recent deed, or a note of whose name is on it
  • Date of death, plus any inheritance tax filing or payment record
  • Recent real estate tax, water and utility statements
  • A list of who has keys, what is inside and whether anyone lives there
  • Name and phone number of the estate attorney

How Kaizen can help

Send us the address and what you know. We review the house as it stands and make a cash offer, without any repair work or showings on your side. Rowhomes share walls, so we ask about roof, basement and any water history. You decide whether the number beats listing with an agent, after you count the repair bills, the commission and the months of carrying cost.

We cannot decide who owns the house or who may sign. Your attorney and the title company do that. What we can do is hold the offer steady while the letters arrive and pick a closing date that fits the estate rather than rushing it. Call or text Kaizen Home Buyers at 267-329-0084.

Inherited Property in Philadelphia: questions

Can an estate sell a Philadelphia rowhome before probate is finished?

Sometimes. Pennsylvania law gives a personal representative power to sell, subject to the will, and it has a joinder rule for real estate left specifically to one person. Closing the sale does not close the estate. Ask the estate attorney to confirm the signing path before you accept an offer.

What if the deed is still in a grandparent's name?

That is common with older rowhomes. The Register of Wills lists a service for clearing a home's title, and the city sheriff page points to a grant for the same purpose. An attorney can tell you which route fits your family tree.

Do we owe inheritance tax if we sell quickly?

The tax is set by who inherits and what passed at death, not by when you sell. Rates run from 0 to 15 percent by relationship. Ask a tax professional how the sale price and date-of-death value interact.

Do we have to clean out the house first?

No. Kaizen buys as-is with no repairs. The contract should list anything that stays or must leave, so keep family photos, papers and valuables aside before closing.

Keep reading

We buy houses in PhiladelphiaInherited Property: full guideHow to Sell an Inherited House in Philadelphia County (Probate Guide)Facing Foreclosure in Philadelphia County: Diversion Program and Sheriff Sale GuideSelling a Philadelphia House With L&I Code ViolationsSelling a Philadelphia House With Back Property TaxesFacing Foreclosure on a Philadelphia Home: Your OptionsSelling an Inherited House in Upper DarbySelling an Inherited House in NorristownSelling an Inherited House in Abington TownshipSelling an Inherited House in Plymouth MeetingSelling an Inherited House in Levittown, PASelling an Inherited House in Bensalem, PA

Sources

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

  1. Kaizen process steps (Kaizen Home Buyers, 2026-10-23)
  2. City service-area content (Kaizen Home Buyers, 2026-06-30)
  3. Realty Transfer Tax (Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, 2026-07)
  4. 20 Pa.C.S. Section 3351, Power to Sell (Pennsylvania General Assembly, 2026-07)
  5. Publication 559 (2025), Survivors, Executors, and Administrators (Internal Revenue Service, 2025)
  6. Researching Your Pennsylvania House: Deeds (State Library of Pennsylvania, 2026-07)
  7. Inheritance Tax (Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, 2026-10)
  8. Register of Wills (City of Philadelphia Register of Wills, 2026-10)
  9. Sheriff and lien sales (City of Philadelphia, 2026-10)
  10. Philly's realty transfer tax rate is now 4.578% (City of Philadelphia, 2025-07-28)

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