Probate · Allentown, PA

Selling a House in Probate in Allentown

Probate is the court-supervised step that gives a family the legal right to act for someone who has died. In Lehigh County, that starts at the Register of Wills in the courthouse at 455 West Hamilton Street. The office probates wills and collects inheritance tax for the state. Until it issues letters, nobody can sign a sale contract for the estate.

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Older Delaware colonial awaiting an estate-authorized property decision

Kaizen Home Buyers makes cash offers on estate houses and buys them as-is. There are no repairs, no agent commission and no staging. You hear a number within 24 hours, and closing can happen in 14 to 30 days or after the estate is ready. A personal representative can ask for a price while probate moves forward and decide later.

What’s different in Allentown

What the Lehigh County office does

The Register of Wills is in Room 122, 455 West Hamilton Street, Allentown. The county gives 610-782-3170 as its phone and 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. as its hours, Monday through Friday. The office's two jobs are probate of estates and collection of inheritance tax for Pennsylvania. Bring the death certificate and the original will, and ask the office or your estate attorney which other papers it wants. If you are the person named in the will, ask the attorney whether you need to qualify before you sign anything, and how long the office expects to take after you file. That answer sets your earliest realistic closing date.

Selling while the estate is open

Under Pennsylvania law, a personal representative may sell real property that is not specifically devised, unless the will says otherwise. If the will leaves the house to a named person, that person generally has to join the sale. A bond, if one applies, can limit when proceeds can be taken. These are attorney questions, and the answer decides whether you wait for a court order or move now. If the will leaves the house to one person among several heirs, that person generally has to join the sale. Make sure the attorney checks the exact words of the will, since a single sentence can change who must sign.

Clocks that start at death

Inheritance tax is 0 percent for a spouse, 4.5 percent for direct descendants, 12 percent for siblings and 15 percent for other heirs. Paying within three months earns a 5 percent discount, and the tax is delinquent nine months after death. Allentown also asks sellers to request a pre-sale inspection through the Bureau of Building Standards and Safety at (610) 437-7694. Put both on the calendar before you accept a closing date. Allentown's inspection is requested by the seller, so the personal representative should be ready to apply once letters are in hand. Ask the Bureau what documents it wants from an estate and put the request date on your calendar.

Checklist before you sell

Certified death certificate and the original will
Letters testamentary or letters of administration, with extra certified copies
A list of heirs with addresses and phone numbers
The deed and the most recent tax, water and utility bills
Inheritance tax return or payment record
Name and number of the estate attorney
A walkthrough list of what is inside and what the family wants to keep

How Kaizen can help

Send us the address and a few photos if you can. We review the house as it stands, which matters in a city where our record notes lead paint and deferred maintenance among common issues. The price counts the repair work so the estate does not have to. Set it next to a listing estimate after commission and months of upkeep.

We do not decide who has authority. That belongs to the Register of Wills, your attorney and the title company. We can hold the offer while letters are issued and pick a closing date around the estate's schedule. Reach Kaizen Home Buyers at 267-329-0084.

Probate in Allentown: questions

How long does probate take in Lehigh County?

The county page does not give a timeline, and it varies with the estate. Ask the Register of Wills or your attorney what to expect for your filing.

Can the estate sell before the tax is paid?

The tax and the sale are separate steps. Ask the estate attorney how to pay the tax and when to file, and ask the title company how it treats any balance at closing.

Do we need letters before we sign a contract?

In practice, yes. Title companies ask for them, and the person signing needs documented authority. Your attorney can tell you what the title company will accept.

Can Kaizen buy if the house is full of belongings?

Yes. Kaizen buys as-is with no cleanout required. Agree in the contract on what stays, and remove papers and keepsakes first.

Keep reading

We buy houses in Allentown Probate: full guide How to Sell an Inherited House in Lehigh County (Probate Guide)Facing Foreclosure in Lehigh County, PA: Options Before a Sheriff Sale Selling an Inherited House in Allentown Selling a Tired Rental Property in Allentown Selling a House Facing Foreclosure in Allentown Selling an Atlantic City House in Probate

Sources

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

Register of Wills (Clerk of Judicial Records) (Lehigh County, PA, current page, not dated)
Kaizen process steps (Kaizen Home Buyers, 2026-10-23)
20 Pa.C.S. 3351, Power to sell (Pennsylvania General Assembly, current statute text)
Inheritance Tax (Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, 2026 (page cites Act 50 of 2025, effective Jan. 16, 2026))
Pre-Sale Inspections (City of Allentown, current page, not dated)
City service-area content (Kaizen Home Buyers, 2026-06-30)

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