Sell Your House With Tax Liens 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 with tax liens in Philadelphia sell to 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.
In Philadelphia, unpaid property taxes accrue interest and penalties that compound every month. When taxes remain delinquent, the county can file suit and seek a court order to sell your property at a tax auction. The opening bid at these auctions is the full delinquent amount plus penalties, interest, attorney fees, and court costs — meaning most properties sell for far below market value. After the sale, you may have a redemption period to reclaim the property by paying the purchase price plus interest, but most homeowners cannot afford this. You can pay the amount owed and dismiss the lawsuit at any time before the sale. Selling to EasyOffer before the auction lets you keep whatever equity remains above the tax debt rather than losing everything.
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
Behind on Property Taxes in Pittsburgh or Allegheny County? Here Is the Timeline
Unpaid property taxes in Allegheny County do not just accrue penalties — they become liens against the house, and enough delinquency puts the property on the path to a forced sale. In much of the Pittsburgh area, the letters do not come from a government office at all: Jordan Tax Service, a private collector, handles delinquent taxes and municipal claims for Allegheny County and the Pittsburgh school district, and collects taxes and utility bills for many municipalities and school districts in the region. A letter from Jordan Tax Service about delinquent taxes or a lien is real and worth taking seriously.
Two different forced-sale tracks operate here. Tax-delinquent properties in Allegheny County can be sold at a sheriff's sale under the state's Municipal Claims and Tax Liens Act. Separately, the City of Pittsburgh runs its own Treasurer's Sale for properties inside city limits with unpaid city, school, and county taxes. Either way, the sale is advertised in advance — which means you get warning, and time to act, before anything is auctioned.
Pennsylvania does allow redemption after some tax sales, but the windows are short and they recently got shorter. For Allegheny County sheriff's tax sales on or after September 5, 2023, state law cut the redemption period from nine months to three months after the sheriff’s deed is acknowledged (recorded), which is typically some weeks after the auction itself — and redemption is generally available only if the property was occupied (someone actually living there in the 90 days before the sale and still living there when the deed is recorded). A vacant house typically cannot be redeemed at all. After a City of Pittsburgh Treasurer's Sale, the redemption window is 90 days. Redeeming also requires paying the full amount owed plus costs in one shot — if you could not pay the taxes, paying taxes plus sale costs on a 90-day deadline is even harder. Do not plan around redemption; talk to an attorney if a sale has already happened.
Property taxes are not the only liens that follow a house. Unpaid water and sewer bills, garbage fees, and other municipal claims become liens on the property too, and they all must be cleared when the property changes hands. The good news: if you sell before the tax sale, all of those liens simply get paid out of the sale proceeds at closing — you do not need cash upfront to fix the problem.
Many owners in tax trouble still have equity, and a tax sale is the worst possible way to lose it. A direct cash buyer can close in a few weeks, pay off the delinquent taxes and municipal liens through closing, and, if the closing beats the sale date, the sale comes off the list and the remaining equity is yours. Compare that with an auction, where the debt gets paid but your equity is at the mercy of whatever the property fetches.
Can I get my house back after a tax sale in Allegheny County?
Sometimes, but the window is short. For Allegheny County sheriff's tax sales on or after September 5, 2023, the redemption period is three months (down from nine), and it generally applies only if the property was occupied for the 90 days before the sale — vacant properties usually cannot be redeemed. After a City of Pittsburgh Treasurer's Sale, the window is 90 days. Redemption requires paying everything owed plus costs, so consult an attorney immediately if your property has been sold.
Can I sell a house that has tax liens on it?
Yes — this is one of the most common situations cash buyers handle. The delinquent taxes, water and sewer claims, and other municipal liens are paid out of the sale proceeds at closing, and you keep what is left. You do not need to pay the liens before selling, and selling before the tax sale date protects your equity.
Why is Jordan Tax Service sending me letters instead of the county?
Jordan Tax Service, a private collector, handles delinquent taxes and municipal claims for Allegheny County and many municipalities and school districts in the region. If your taxes or municipal bills are delinquent, their letters are legitimate. Ignoring them lets the debt grow and moves the property closer to a forced sale.
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 with unpaid property taxes in PA?
Yes. The delinquent taxes are paid from the sale proceeds at closing. The title company ensures the county is made whole and the lien is released.
How long before the county auctions my property for unpaid taxes?
In Pennsylvania, the timeline from delinquency to tax sale varies by county. Some counties begin the process after one year of unpaid taxes, while others wait longer. Either way, acting sooner protects more of your equity.
What if the back taxes are more than my house is worth?
In rare cases where tax debt exceeds equity, we can still help. We evaluate the full picture and may be able to negotiate with the county on penalties and interest.
Will I owe capital gains tax if I sell with delinquent property taxes?
Capital gains tax is based on your sale price versus your cost basis, not on whether you had unpaid property taxes. Consult a tax professional for your specific situation.
What happens if a tax lien has already been sold on my property?
Even if a tax lien certificate has been sold to a third-party investor, you can still sell the property. The lien holder is paid off at closing, just like any other encumbrance.
Can I sell if I owe both property taxes and mortgage payments?
Yes. Both the mortgage balance and the delinquent taxes are paid from the sale proceeds at closing. We handle properties with multiple liens regularly.