Behind on Mortgage Payments in Philadelphia, PA?
EasyOffer works with vetted local cash buyers in Pennsylvania to get you a fair offer fast.
Get Your Cash Offer
Takes less than 30 seconds. No obligation.
How Does Selling Your House for Cash Work?
Three steps: tell us about the property, get a fair cash offer within 24 hours, and pick your closing date — anywhere from 7 to 60 days out. No repairs, no showings, no fees, and up to $10,000 advanced to you before closing — yours to keep if we back out.
Here is how homeowners behind on payments in Philadelphia sell with EasyOffer:
Tell Us About Your Property
Enter your address and contact info. Takes 30 seconds.
Get Your Cash Offer
We analyze your Philadelphia property and send a fair, no-obligation offer.
Close and Get Paid
Pick your closing date. We handle paperwork and pay all closing costs.
Tell Us About Your Property
Enter your address and contact info. Takes 30 seconds.
Get Your Cash Offer
We analyze your Philadelphia property and send a fair, no-obligation offer.
Close and Get Paid
Pick your closing date. We handle paperwork and pay all closing costs.
What's the Housing Market Like in Philadelphia, PA?
Latest available data from public sources. Updated .
Median Home Value
$243,100
Census ACS 2024
Zillow Home Value Index
$227,523
+2.2% YoY
Zillow ZHVI
Median Sale Price
$251,500
Redfin
Days on Market
65 days
Redfin
Population
1,573,916
-1.7% since 2020
U.S. Census
Median Household Income
$61,953
Census ACS 2024
Sale-to-List Ratio
97.0%
Redfin
Active Inventory
3,368 homes
Redfin
Owner-Occupied
51.8%
Census ACS 2024
Price per Sq Ft
$190/sqft
Redfin
Recent Sales
684 homes
Redfin
Unemployment Rate
8.1%
BLS
Property Tax
$2,003/yr
Census ACS 2024
Median Age
35.3 years
Census ACS 2024
Poverty Rate
21.4%
Census ACS 2024
Avg. Commute
32 min
Census ACS 2024
| Metric | Value | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $243,100 | — | Census ACS 2024 |
| Zillow Home Value Index | $227,523 | +2.2% YoY | Zillow ZHVI |
| Median Sale Price | $251,500 | — | Redfin |
| Days on Market | 65 days | — | Redfin |
| Population | 1,573,916 | -1.7% since 2020 | U.S. Census |
| Median Household Income | $61,953 | — | Census ACS 2024 |
| Sale-to-List Ratio | 97.0% | — | Redfin |
| Active Inventory | 3,368 homes | — | Redfin |
| Owner-Occupied | 51.8% | — | Census ACS 2024 |
| Price per Sq Ft | $190/sqft | — | Redfin |
| Recent Sales | 684 homes | — | Redfin |
| Unemployment Rate | 8.1% | — | BLS |
| Property Tax | $2,003/yr | — | Census ACS 2024 |
| Median Age | 35.3 years | — | Census ACS 2024 |
| Poverty Rate | 21.4% | — | Census ACS 2024 |
| Avg. Commute | 32 min | — | Census ACS 2024 |
Why Do Homeowners in Philadelphia Choose EasyOffer?
Philadelphia's median home value is $227,523 (Zillow, 2026), up 2.2% year-over-year. With 1,573,916 residents declining 1.7% since 2020. homes here sell in a median of 65 days with a 97.0% sale-to-list ratio. Philadelphia has unemployment at 8.1% (BLS), a poverty rate of 21.4%, median property taxes of $2,003/year (Census ACS). the median resident age is 35.3 years.
Every missed payment in Philadelphia adds late fees, damages your credit, and brings you closer to foreclosure. Lenders typically begin the foreclosure process after 90 to 120 days of missed payments. Selling now lets you pay off the mortgage, keep any remaining equity, and avoid the cascading consequences of inaction.
Philadelphia's housing market offers some of the best relative value among East Coast cities, with median home prices around $250K–$290K despite being the nation's sixth-largest city and benefiting from Amtrak access to New York and Washington. The city's strong anchor institutions — Penn, Jefferson, CHOP, and Temple — provide a stable employment base supporting rental demand, while rowhouse neighborhoods offer investors manageable acquisition costs with solid rent-to-price ratios. The ongoing transition of the tax abatement program and the city's above-average property tax rate require careful modeling for new construction and renovation projects.
We also serve property owners in nearby Center City, Wharton, Pennsport, and throughout Pennsylvania.
Where Do We Buy Houses Near Philadelphia?
Philadelphia was founded in 1682 by William Penn as a Quaker colony and served as the nation's capital during the Constitutional Convention of 1787, making it arguably the most historically significant city in the United States.
Neighborhoods We Serve
Rittenhouse Square
Philadelphia's premier urban neighborhood, where luxury condos and historic townhomes trade at $600K–$3M+ around the beloved public square, attracting executives, doctors, and empty-nesters seeking a walkable urban lifestyle.
Fishtown
A rapidly gentrified former working-class neighborhood that became one of the hottest markets in the mid-Atlantic, with rowhouses now selling for $450K–$800K and drawing young professionals in their 20s and 30s.
Germantown
A historic Northwest Philadelphia neighborhood of Victorian-era rowhouses and larger stone homes that trade at $150K–$350K, offering value for investors and buyers willing to trade off for lower price points.
Chestnut Hill
An affluent, village-like neighborhood in Northwest Philadelphia with a charming commercial corridor and stone homes averaging $500K–$1.2M, popular with wealthy families seeking city living with suburban character.
South Philadelphia
The traditional working-class Italian-American heartland that has evolved into a diverse mix of residents; rowhouses trade at $250K–$500K and the area is popular with first-time buyers and long-tenured families.
Kensington
A severely distressed neighborhood in North Philadelphia long associated with the opioid crisis, where houses can be acquired for $50K–$150K, attracting nonprofit and speculative investors working on long-term stabilization plays.
Notable Landmarks
Independence Hall and Liberty Bell · Philadelphia Museum of Art (Rocky Steps) · Eastern State Penitentiary · Reading Terminal Market · Philadelphia Zoo · LOVE Park (John F. Kennedy Plaza)
Major Employers
University of Pennsylvania Health System (Penn Medicine) — Ivy League health system and one of the region's largest employers · Jefferson Health — major regional hospital system employing thousands across the Philadelphia metro · Comcast — media and telecom giant headquartered in its landmark Comcast Technology Center downtown · Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) — world-renowned pediatric hospital and major University City employer · Aramark — food services and facilities management company headquartered in Philadelphia · Independence Blue Cross — Pennsylvania's largest health insurer with major Center City presence · Temple University Health System — large academic medical center serving North Philadelphia
Top Schools
Getting Around Philadelphia
Philadelphia is served by SEPTA rail and subway, NJ Transit cross-river trains, and Amtrak's Northeast Corridor at 30th Street Station; I-95, I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway), and I-676 anchor the highway network, with the Delaware Valley offering heavy interstate connectivity.
Natural Hazard Awareness
Philadelphia faces moderate flooding risk along the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers, particularly during nor'easters and remnant tropical systems; the city also experiences occasional heavy snow events and has seen increased urban heat island effects in lower-income neighborhoods.
Recent Developments
- •Philadelphia's 10-year tax abatement for new construction was reformed in 2022 and further modified through 2024, reducing the benefit and creating near-term headwinds for new residential construction as developers recalibrated projects.
- •The redevelopment of the former Philadelphia Inquirer building and 30th Street Station area continued to attract transit-oriented development investment in the University City corridor through 2024–2025.
- •Philly's residential market showed resilience with modest price growth in 2024–2025 despite interest rate headwinds, supported by chronic undersupply of move-in-ready inventory relative to demand.
- •Amazon's continued expansion of fulfillment and logistics infrastructure in the Philly suburbs supported industrial real estate demand and warehouse employment across South Jersey and the I-95 corridor.
What Our Sellers Say
“My mom passed and I inherited her place in Antioch. It needed a ton of work and I live out of state so I couldn't deal with contractors or showings. They came out, looked at it, and had a number for me the next day. We closed in 9 days. The whole thing was so much easier than I expected.”
Inherited Property
“Honestly I was skeptical at first because I'd heard horror stories about cash buyers lowballing people. But they explained exactly how they came up with the number and it was fair. We were behind on payments and they got everything done in a week. No last-minute changes, no surprises at closing.”
Avoided Foreclosure
“My husband got transferred to Dallas and we had about three weeks to figure out the house. A friend told us about EasyOffer. They gave us a cash offer that same afternoon and worked around our move date. We closed 11 days later without having to do a single showing or open house.”
Job Relocation
How Foreclosure Works in Pennsylvania — and How Much Time You Really Have
Pennsylvania is a judicial foreclosure state. Your lender cannot take your house without first filing a lawsuit in the Court of Common Pleas and winning a judgment. That court process is why Pennsylvania foreclosures move slower than in many states — from the first missed payments to a sheriff's sale commonly takes six months to well over a year in Allegheny County, and contested cases take longer. Every one of those months is time you can use.
Before a lender can even file, Pennsylvania law requires warning notices for most residential mortgages. The Act 6 notice (from the Loan Interest and Protection Law of 1974) must be sent at least 30 days before a foreclosure complaint is filed and must give you the chance to cure the default. The Act 91 notice tells you about the state's Homeowners' Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (HEMAP) through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, and gives you 30 days (plus mailing time) to meet with an approved housing counseling agency — and if you meet with one, the lender generally cannot file for another 30 days. Receiving one of these letters means the clock has started, but nothing has been sold. (These Act 6 protections apply to loans under a state-set principal cap, adjusted annually — currently in the low $300,000s.)
If the lender wins its judgment, the property is scheduled for a sheriff's sale. In Allegheny County, sheriff's sales are held monthly — historically on the first Monday of the month. Notice of the sale must be posted on the property and served on you at least 30 days before the sale date, and sales are advertised ahead of time, including in the Pittsburgh Legal Journal and on the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office website. After the auction, the sheriff prepares a schedule of distribution, and the deed to the winning bidder generally transfers within roughly 20 to 40 days.
The window that matters is the one before the auction. Under Act 6, most residential borrowers have the right to cure the default — pay the missed amounts plus allowed costs — up to one hour before the sheriff's sale (this right is limited to three times in a calendar year). You can also pay the loan off entirely, or sell the house. What you cannot do in Pennsylvania is get the house back afterward: there is no right of redemption after a mortgage-foreclosure sheriff's sale. Once the sheriff's deed transfers, the sale is final, and auction prices frequently come in below market value.
A cash sale fits inside that window. A direct cash buyer like EasyOffer can often close in two to three weeks — when the closing happens before the sale date, the mortgage is paid off, the sale is called off, and the remaining equity goes to you instead of being tested at auction instead of watching it disappear at auction. If you are behind on payments, it also costs nothing to call a HUD-approved housing counselor or a foreclosure defense attorney to understand every option; HEMAP loans help some Pennsylvania homeowners catch up and keep the house.
How long does foreclosure take in Allegheny County?
There is no fixed schedule, but the full path — Act 6 and Act 91 notices, a lawsuit in the Court of Common Pleas, judgment, then a sheriff's sale — commonly takes six months to more than a year. Contested cases, bankruptcy filings, and HEMAP applications can extend it. The key point: nothing is final until the sheriff's sale happens, so you have time to act.
I got an Act 91 notice. Can I still sell my house?
Yes. An Act 91 notice is a required warning that must go out at least 30 days before the lender files a foreclosure lawsuit — it is not a sale of your house. You can sell at any point up until the sheriff's sale itself, pay off the loan from the proceeds, and keep whatever equity is left. Many sellers in this position also meet with a free housing counseling agency, which pauses the lender's next step.
Can I get my house back after a Pennsylvania sheriff's sale?
For a mortgage foreclosure, no — Pennsylvania has no right of redemption after a mortgage-foreclosure sheriff's sale. Once the deed transfers to the buyer, the sale is final. (Tax sales are different; a short redemption window can apply after some tax sales.) That is why acting before the sale date matters so much. If a sale date has been set, talk to an attorney immediately about your remaining options.
This section is general information about Pennsylvania law, not legal advice. Statutes and timelines change; consult a licensed Pennsylvania attorney about your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sell my house if I am behind on mortgage payments?
Yes. As long as you still own the property, you can sell it. All missed payments, late fees, and the remaining mortgage balance are paid from the sale proceeds at closing.
How many payments can I miss before foreclosure in PA?
Most lenders in Pennsylvania begin the foreclosure process after 3 to 4 missed payments (90 to 120 days). However, timelines vary by lender and loan type. Acting sooner gives you more options.
Will I still owe money after selling if I am behind on payments?
If your home sells for more than you owe (including missed payments and fees), you keep the difference. If you owe more than the home is worth, we can negotiate a short sale with your lender.
What if the bank has already sent me a default notice?
A default notice means the clock is ticking, but you can still sell. We work fast and can close before the foreclosure process advances further. Contact us immediately to discuss your timeline.
Will selling hurt my credit less than foreclosure?
Significantly. A completed foreclosure can drop your credit score by 100 to 160 points and stays on your record for 7 years. A standard sale, even with missed payments already reported, is far less damaging.
Can I sell if I have a second mortgage or home equity loan?
Yes. All liens, including second mortgages and HELOCs, are paid off at closing from the sale proceeds. The title company ensures every lien holder is satisfied.