If you’re thinking about selling your Pittsburgh-area home to a cash buyer, you probably have questions. Here are honest answers to the ones we hear most often.

How does the cash home buying process work?

It’s a three-step process. First, you contact us — by phone or by submitting your address online — and give us basic information about the property. Second, we schedule a walkthrough, typically within 24-48 hours. Third, we present you with a written cash offer. If you accept, we move to closing on a date you choose. There are no open houses, no listing periods, and no waiting on a buyer’s mortgage approval. From first contact to closing typically runs 14-21 days, though we’ve closed in as little as seven days when the situation required it.

How do you determine what you’ll offer for my home?

Our offer is based on the property’s current condition, comparable sales in the area, the cost of repairs or updates the home needs, and what we can reasonably resell or hold it for. We’re not going to offer you retail value — a direct cash sale comes with trade-offs on price in exchange for speed, certainty, and no repair or commission costs. We aim to make offers that are fair given those factors. We’ll walk you through our reasoning when we present the number, and you’re never obligated to accept.

Do I need to make repairs before you’ll buy my house?

No. We buy houses in any condition — foundation issues, old roofs, outdated electrical, water damage, fire damage, code violations, hoarder situations. None of those prevent us from making an offer or closing. We factor repair costs into our offer price. You don’t need to fix anything, clean anything out, or do anything to prepare the property before we come out or before we close.

Are there any fees or commissions?

No agent commissions and no fees charged to you. In a standard agent-listed sale in Pennsylvania, the seller typically pays 5-6% of the sale price in commissions. With a direct cash sale to us, that cost doesn’t exist. You will have standard closing costs — title insurance, transfer taxes, and recording fees — which are normal in any Pennsylvania property transaction. We can walk you through what those typically look like so there are no surprises at closing.

What areas do you buy houses in?

We buy houses throughout the greater Pittsburgh area and surrounding counties. Our primary focus is Allegheny County, but we also buy regularly in Washington County, Beaver County, Westmoreland County, Butler County, and Armstrong County. If you’re in western Pennsylvania and unsure whether we cover your area, call us at (412) 424-6412 and we’ll tell you quickly.

Can you buy my house if I’m behind on payments or facing foreclosure?

Yes. Pennsylvania uses a judicial foreclosure process, which means there’s typically a window of several months between the first missed payment and an actual sheriff’s sale. If you’re in that window, a cash sale can close in time to stop the foreclosure and potentially preserve some of your equity — depending on how much you owe versus what the home is worth. The key is acting early, not waiting until the week before the sale. If you’re in this situation, call us as soon as possible so we can assess what’s realistic for your timeline.

Can you buy a house that has liens on it?

Yes. Liens — including property tax liens, mechanic’s liens, judgment liens, and HOA liens — don’t prevent a cash sale. Outstanding liens are paid off from the sale proceeds through the title company at closing before you receive the remainder. You typically don’t need to come up with money upfront to clear them. The situation gets complicated when the total of liens plus what we can offer exceeds the property’s realistic value — we’ll be straight with you if that’s the case and talk through what options exist.

Can you buy an inherited property going through probate?

Yes, but timing depends on where you are in the Pennsylvania probate process. The executor or administrator needs legal authority to sell before we can close. If probate hasn’t been opened yet, working with a Pennsylvania estate attorney is the first step — that process moves faster than most people expect. We coordinate with estate attorneys regularly and can work within probate timelines. Many of our purchases are estate properties, including homes that are occupied, vacant, or haven’t been maintained in years.

Do I need to be in Pittsburgh to sell?

No. We work with out-of-state sellers frequently, particularly on inherited properties where the heirs live elsewhere. Most of the process can be handled remotely — we communicate by phone and email, and closing paperwork can be coordinated through a local title company that handles remote signings. You may not need to set foot in Pittsburgh to complete the transaction.

What if the house is tenant-occupied?

We buy tenant-occupied properties. Pennsylvania landlord-tenant law requires proper notice before a tenant must vacate, and we’re experienced with that process. In most cases we take the property with the tenant in place and manage the transition after closing. You don’t need to evict or go through the notice process before selling — we handle that after we own it.

How is selling to a cash buyer different from listing with an agent?

The main differences are certainty, timeline, and net proceeds after costs. A listing may produce a higher gross offer in some cases, but the net after commissions, repair demands, carrying costs, and the risk of deal fall-through can look different than it seems upfront. A cash offer is typically below retail value, but it’s certain — no financing contingency, no inspection negotiations, no appraisal risk. We’re not the right fit for every seller, and we’ll tell you honestly if we think a traditional listing would serve you better based on your situation.

What happens after I accept your offer?

We open a title order with a local Pennsylvania title company, who runs a title search to identify any outstanding liens or title issues. We handle the purchase agreement paperwork simultaneously. Once title is clear — or liens are resolved — we schedule closing. At closing, the title company handles all money: paying off liens, paying our purchase price to you, and issuing your net proceeds as a check or wire. Most closings take under an hour. When it’s done, the property is no longer your responsibility.

Are you local buyers, or will you flip my contract to someone else?

We Buy Property LLC is a Pittsburgh-based real estate investment company. We purchase homes for our own account — to renovate and resell, or to hold as rentals. We are not a lead aggregator or a national wholesaling platform that sells your information to other buyers. When we make you an offer, we are the buyer. The person who walks through your home is the same organization you’ll close with.

How do I get started?

Call us at (412) 424-6412 or submit your property address online. We respond the same day in most cases, schedule a walkthrough within 24-48 hours, and deliver a written cash offer from there. No obligation and no pressure.