Why Am I Getting Letters Offering to Buy My House?

Why do investors send letters about my house?

Because who owns a house is public information, and investors use it to find people who might sell. A letter does not mean anyone knows something private about you, or that your house is in trouble.

Philadelphia shows how much is out in the open:

• The City's property search lists the owner, mailing address, last sale date and price, and market value of every property.
• The City's tax lookup shows the Real Estate Tax balance for any address.
• Register of Wills (probate) records are open to the public unless impounded (sealed).
• Anyone can search civil court dockets online, and mortgage foreclosures are civil cases.
• Code violation notices from L&I (Licenses and Inspections) can be downloaded from the City's Atlas map.

Investors build lists from these records and mail everyone who fits. Phone numbers usually come from paid data services. The usual triggers: many years of ownership, a tax bill that goes to a different address, an estate that was opened, or a tax balance, foreclosure case or code violation on record.

If one of those fits, our guides to selling an inherited house in Philadelphia and stopping a Philadelphia sheriff sale explain your choices.

Are “we buy houses” companies legit, or a scam?

Some are real local buyers, some are contract flippers, and a few are scams. The letter alone will not tell you which.

• A direct buyer signs the agreement and pays for the house at closing.
• A wholesaler signs a contract to buy your house, then tries to sell that contract to someone else for a fee. Your sale depends on them finding that second buyer.
• A scam is after your money, your signature on a deed, or both.

Even an honest cash buyer will usually offer less than a fully repaired house would sell for on the open market. The buyer pays for repairs, takes the risk of hidden problems, and carries taxes, insurance and loan costs during the work. In return, you skip repairs, cleaning, showings, commissions and months of waiting. You can also keep the house and ignore the mail, or list it with an agent. Our cash sale vs. listing comparison, guide to selling as-is and offer math lay out the trade-offs.

How do I check a cash buyer before I sign anything?

Run every buyer, including us, through these checks.

1. Find a real local address and phone. A P.O. box and a call center are not enough.
2. Read reviews on more than one site. Search the name on Google and Facebook, then with the word “complaints.” Read the newest and the lowest reviews.
3. Ask: “Will you be the buyer at closing?” If they might hand your contract to someone else, ask for their Pennsylvania real estate license number and check it on the state's license search.
4. Ask for proof of funds. A recent bank statement or lender letter that covers the price.
5. Call the title company or settlement attorney yourself. Any deposit should be held by them, not by the buyer.
6. Never pay a fee. A buyer has no reason to charge you to apply, to “process” an offer, or to stop a foreclosure.
7. Get every number in writing. Price, deposit, who pays which closing costs, any inspection period, and the closing date.
8. Take your time and compare. Get at least two written offers, ask an agent what the house would sell for, and have an attorney read the agreement.

What does Pennsylvania's wholesaling law say?

Act 52 of 2024, in effect since January 2025, treats wholesaling as real estate work that needs a license. In plain English:

• Who needs a license. Anyone who markets a contract on a house or a 2 to 4 unit building, planning to transfer it to another buyer for a fee without first taking title, needs a Pennsylvania real estate license, whether they work for themselves or someone else.
• What the contract must say. That it is a wholesale deal; that you may get an appraisal, talk to an agent from another brokerage, or see a lawyer; that you can cancel; and that any money you paid comes back within 10 business days after they get your notice.
• Your right to cancel. Until midnight of the 30th day after you sign, or until the house is transferred, whichever comes first. If those statements are missing, you can cancel any time before the transfer. This right cannot be signed away, and you owe no damages for using it.
• How to cancel. Send notice by certified mail with return receipt, or by any delivery (including email or by hand) that gets you a receipt.

Philadelphia adds its own rules. A business that buys houses only to resell them, or gets owners to sell so someone else can resell, needs a Residential Property Wholesaler License from L&I. It must give you a written disclosure at least three days before an offer, pointing you to the City's property assessment website and telling you that you can hire an agent or a lawyer. If it was not licensed when it solicited you, you can cancel the agreement any time before the title transfers.

For a house in South Jersey, these Pennsylvania and Philadelphia rules do not apply. Ask a New Jersey attorney what protects you there.

What are the red flags?

What should I do if I feel pressured, or I already signed?

1. Stop. You never have to decide at the door or on the phone. Say “Send it to me in writing” and end the call.
2. Get a second set of eyes. Have a real estate attorney read anything you signed, and check the cancellation right above. Facing mortgage or tax foreclosure on the Philadelphia home you live in? The City's Foreclosure Prevention Program offers housing counseling and legal aid at (215) 334-4663.
3. Report it. Unlicensed real estate activity: the Pennsylvania Department of State. Scams: the Pennsylvania Attorney General, or New Jersey's Division of Consumer Affairs at 800-242-5846. Philadelphia offers that continue after you said stop: the Commission on Human Relations at [email protected].
4. Watch your deed. Philadelphia owners can register for the City's Deed Fraud Guard for free and get an email when a document is recorded in their name.

How do I stop the letters, calls and texts?

In Philadelphia, join the City's Do Not Solicit list online or by calling (215) 686-4500. Any residential owner can join, even an heir not yet on the deed. Once you join, or once you tell a company you do not want to sell, the City's law bars it from soliciting you by mail, phone, text, email or in person, with fines up to $2,000. The City says joining will not stop you from selling or listing later.

For flyers left at your door, get the City's free circular-free decal from L&I. If businesses still leave flyers, report them; L&I issues a $150 violation.

Anywhere, tell each sender to take you off its list, and reply STOP to texts. DMAchoice, run by the Association of National Advertisers, cuts promotional mail from companies you do not do business with ($8 online for 10 years when we checked in November 2026). It only reaches companies that check its list and says it will not stop all promotional mail, so it may not stop investor letters.

Did this letter come from Vivid? Check us the same way.

Please do. Vivid Properties is a local, family-owned real estate investment company at 2614 Amber St, Philadelphia, PA 19125. Text or call (267) 551-5554 and a real local person answers. We are rated 4.6 stars on Google and 5.0 on Facebook; read our reviews and seller stories and meet the family behind the company.

Ask us every question on this page, including whether we will be the buyer at closing. We pay all the closing costs, and your written offer shows exactly what you walk away with before you sign. If listing with an agent is the better choice, we will say so. Want our letters to stop? Text or call and tell us.

Get my cash offer Text or call (267) 551-5554

Questions sellers ask about investor mail

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. For your situation, talk to a Pennsylvania or New Jersey attorney or tax professional.