The short version
- We buy houses for cash all over Delaware County, PA (Delco), as-is: rowhomes, twins, singles and small 2 to 4 unit buildings, in any condition.
- Many Delco towns require a resale use and occupancy (U&O) certificate before settlement. Upper Darby wants the application at least 14 business days ahead, Haverford at least 30 days.
- A failed inspection does not have to stop an as-is sale: under state law the buyer can usually take over the repairs after closing.
- Probate runs through the Register of Wills at 201 W. Front St. in Media. Sheriff sales are the third Friday of each month at 11 a.m., also in Media.
- You get a written cash offer, usually within 24 hours. No repairs, no cleaning, no commissions or fees from us, and you pick the closing day.
Who buys houses for cash in Delco?
Plenty of companies say they do, so here is who we are. Vivid Properties is a local, family-owned real estate investment company based at 2614 Amber St in Philadelphia's Kensington and Fishtown area. We buy houses directly with our own written offer. We are not agents and we never list your house.
Delco starts where Philly stops, at Cobbs Creek and the end of the El at 69th Street, and many Delco houses look just like the Philly rowhomes and twins we buy. Call or text (267) 551-5554 and a real person from our local team answers. You deal with the same small family team, including Michael Neavson and Jen Gorsen, from your first question to settlement.
What kinds of Delco houses do we buy?
Any kind, in any condition: rowhomes and twins in Upper Darby, Darby, Collingdale and Chester, stone twins in Havertown and Drexel Hill, singles in Broomall, Media and Glen Mills, and 2 to 4 unit buildings with or without tenants. We buy in all of these situations:
Which Delco towns and neighborhoods do we buy in?
All of them. Your mailing address and the town you pay taxes to often differ here, so each card lists both, plus the sections people call home and the main ZIP codes.
Upper Darby, Drexel Hill and 69th Street
Upper Darby Township: 69th Street and Terminal Square, Bywood, Highland Park, Stonehurst, Kirklyn, Fernwood, Beverly Hills, Aronimink, Drexel Park, Llanerch Hills, Kellyville, Oakview and Drexel Hill, plus tiny Millbourne borough on Market Street.
ZIPs 19082 (Upper Darby), 19026 (Drexel Hill)
Clifton Heights, Primos, Secane and Westbrook Park
Clifton Heights and Aldan boroughs, plus Upper Darby's Primos, Secane (partly in Ridley Township) and Westbrook Park, which has a Clifton Heights address.
ZIP 19018
Lansdowne and Yeadon
Lansdowne, East Lansdowne and Yeadon boroughs, plus the part of Upper Darby with Lansdowne addresses.
ZIP 19050
Darby, Collingdale, Colwyn and Sharon Hill
Darby Borough (not Darby Township, and not Upper Darby), Collingdale, Colwyn and Sharon Hill.
ZIPs 19023 (Darby), 19079 (Sharon Hill)
Glenolden, Folcroft, Norwood and Darby Township
Glenolden, Folcroft and Norwood boroughs, plus Darby Township, which comes in two separate pieces; its Briarcliffe section sits next to Glenolden.
ZIPs 19036 (Glenolden), 19032 (Folcroft), 19074 (Norwood)
Ridley, Ridley Park and Prospect Park
Ridley Township (Folsom, Woodlyn, Holmes, Crum Lynne, and parts of Secane and Morton), Ridley Park and Prospect Park.
ZIPs 19033 (Folsom), 19094 (Woodlyn), 19043 (Holmes), 19078 (Ridley Park), 19076 (Prospect Park)
Essington and Lester
Tinicum Township by the airport, where a few addresses carry a Philadelphia 19113 ZIP. (Bucks has its own Tinicum.)
ZIP 19029 (Essington)
Springfield, Swarthmore, Morton and Rutledge
Springfield Township (Delco's own; Montco and Bucks each have one too), Swarthmore, Morton and tiny Rutledge.
ZIPs 19064 (Springfield), 19081 (Swarthmore), 19070 (Morton)
Media and central Delco
Media Borough, Upper Providence (not the Montco one), Middletown (Lima, Elwyn, Glen Riddle, Riddlewood, Wawa, and the Lenni and Glen Riddle Lima post office boxes), Nether Providence (Wallingford, Moylan, South Media) and Rose Valley. Most Media addresses are outside Media Borough.
ZIPs 19063 (Media), 19086 (Wallingford)
Chester, Brookhaven and the river towns
Chester city, Chester Township (a separate township that includes Toby Farms), Upland, Parkside, Brookhaven and Eddystone.
ZIPs 19013 (Chester), 19015 (Brookhaven), 19022 (Crum Lynne)
Marcus Hook, Aston and the Chichesters
Marcus Hook, Trainer, Lower Chichester (Linwood), Upper Chichester (Boothwyn) and Aston, including Village Green-Green Ridge.
ZIPs 19061 (Marcus Hook), 19014 (Aston)
Glen Mills, Garnet Valley and western Delco
Concord (Concordville, Glen Mills), Bethel (Booth's Corner, Garnet Valley), Chester Heights, Thornbury (Thornton, Cheyney University), Chadds Ford Township (Chadds Ford, Dilworthtown, some West Chester addresses) and Edgmont (Gradyville; its post office is spelled Edgemont).
ZIPs 19342, 19060, 19317, 19373, 19319, 19382
Havertown, Broomall and Newtown Square
Haverford Township (Havertown, Brookline, Llanerch, Manoa, Oakmont, Coopertown, Westgate Hills), Marple (Broomall, Lawrence Park) and Newtown Township (Newtown Square, plus a few Berwyn addresses). Bucks has its own Newtown and Middletown.
ZIPs 19083 (Havertown), 19008 (Broomall), 19073 (Newtown Square)
Radnor and the Main Line side
Radnor Township (Wayne, St. Davids, Villanova, Rosemont, Garrett Hill) and Haverford Township's side of Ardmore, Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Haverford College and Wynnewood. These names cross into Lower Merion in Montco.
ZIPs 19087, 19085, 19010, 19003, 19041, 19096
Which Delco towns do we know especially well?
These Delco towns have their own page, with local resale rules and the sections people know:
Three neighborhoods are often known by their own names. Westbrook Park is part of Upper Darby with a Clifton Heights address, so Upper Darby's resale rules apply. Briarcliffe is in Darby Township, next to Glenolden. Toby Farms is in Chester Township, next to Brookhaven.
Does my Delco town make me get a resale inspection?
Probably. Many Delco boroughs and townships require a resale use and occupancy certificate (a U&O) before settlement, and the seller usually applies. The town on your tax bill sets the rules, not the name on your mail. Six examples:
| Town | Apply | What stands out |
|---|---|---|
| Upper Darby | At least 14 business days before settlement (4 weeks suggested) | The seller is responsible. A sewer lateral certification from an approved contractor is required first. |
| Haverford (Havertown) | At least 30 days before settlement | The prep list covers smoke and CO detectors, sump pumps, floor drains, backwater valves, sidewalks and curbs. |
| Marple (Broomall) | At least 2 weeks before settlement | $200 for a house. Outside-only inspection. Oil tanks, septic tanks and wells, even abandoned ones, must be listed. |
| Lansdowne | Before settlement | Smoke detectors 10 or more years old must be replaced, and sump pumps must drain outside onto grass. |
| Ridley Park | Before settlement | Checklist covers handrails, GFCI outlets, smoke and CO alarms, dryer vents and sump pumps tied into the sewer. |
| Upper Providence (Media area) | At least 3 weeks before settlement | Open permits must be closed. For a conditional approval, the buyer signs to fix what remains. |
What happens if my house fails the inspection?
It can usually still be sold. Pennsylvania's Municipal Code and Ordinance Compliance Act, as changed by Act 133 of 2016, tells towns that require a U&O what to issue:
- No violations: a regular U&O certificate.
- Violations, nothing serious: a temporary use and occupancy certificate. The buyer can move in and work through the list.
- A serious violation (one that makes the house unfit to live in): a temporary access certificate, so the buyer can get in to make repairs before anyone lives there.
The buyer generally has 12 months to fix the cited items, and the town cannot demand an escrow or bond first. With an as-is sale, that repair list comes to us with the house, though items like open permits may need clearing before settlement. More on how an as-is sale works.
Where does probate happen for a Delco house?
At the Register of Wills for Delaware County, PA, in the Government Center at 201 W. Front St., Media. The office offers 30-minute in-person and virtual probate appointments, and the estate must be probated before it will issue Letters or short certificates, the papers that let an executor or administrator act for the estate. The same office accepts Pennsylvania inheritance tax returns and payments as the PA Department of Revenue's agent, though staff do not fill out or calculate the return. Our guide to selling an inherited house in Pennsylvania covers the state steps, which are the same here as in Philly.
How do sheriff sales and tax sales work in Delco?
A sheriff sale is the last step of a court case, usually a mortgage foreclosure. Delco holds them the third Friday of each month at 11 a.m. (Thursday if that Friday is a holiday) in the County Council Meeting Room of the Government Center in Media, and the monthly list is on the Sheriff's website. The winning bidder pays a deposit by certified check at the sale and the balance within ten calendar days, without ever seeing inside.
Back taxes take a different road. The county Tax Claim Bureau holds its upset sale usually in early September, with a continued sale in early December, and many owners pay before the sale date to get their house off the list. If you have a date, our Pennsylvania sheriff sale guide covers your options, including ones that do not involve selling.
What are Delco houses like, and what usually needs work?
Older brick rowhomes and twins fill much of Upper Darby, the eastern boroughs and Chester. Havertown, Drexel Hill and Springfield have more stone twins, Cape Cods and colonials. Broomall, Media and western Delco lean toward singles on bigger lots, some on septic. The town checklists above show what comes up at resale: sump pumps piped into the sewer, sewer laterals, old smoke detectors, missing CO alarms, loose handrails, cracked sidewalks, and forgotten oil tanks. Add original wiring, tired boilers, flat rowhome roofs and wet basements. None of it has to be fixed before you sell to us.
Landlords: Upper Darby requires rental properties to be licensed and inspected regularly. If you are done with that, read about selling a house with tenants.
What will a cash offer for a Delco house look like?
Honestly, it will usually be below what the same house would bring fully renovated and listed. A cash offer prices in the repairs, our risk, the months we carry the house (taxes, insurance, utilities) and the cost of reselling. In return you skip repairs, the cleanout, agent commissions, showings, and the risk of a buyer's loan falling apart after a failed U&O. We pay all the closing costs, and your written offer shows exactly what you walk away with before you sign. If your house is in good shape and you have time, listing may net you more, and we will say so. See how we calculate our offer, compare a cash sale and a listing, or get your cash offer.
What do sellers say about us?
If you are handling a parent's house, Keith's story may help.
“I had a very pleasant experience selling my house with Vivid Properties. Their representative, Aaron, was extremely professional and guided me through the entire process, even though the house was in my grandmother's name. I even referred a childhood friend, who is now selling his house with them. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would definitely give them a 10.”
Rated 4.6 on Google and 5.0 on Facebook. More on our reviews page.
Questions Delco sellers ask
Is Delaware County, PA the same as the state of Delaware?
No. Delaware County, PA (Delco) is the Pennsylvania county just west and southwest of Philadelphia, with its courthouse in Media. We buy there, but not in the state of Delaware.
My Delco house failed its U&O inspection. Can I still sell it as-is?
Usually, yes. Under Act 133, a town that requires a U&O issues a temporary certificate when violations turn up, and the buyer generally has 12 months to fix them. Tell us your town and we will check its rules before we make an offer.
Is Darby the same as Darby Township or Upper Darby?
No, they are three separate places with separate rules. Darby Borough is on the Philly line with the 19023 ZIP. Darby Township is its own township in two pieces. Upper Darby is the big township with 69th Street and Drexel Hill. Chester city and Chester Township are separate too.
Can I sell a Delco house that is still in probate?
The person handling the estate generally needs Letters from the Register of Wills in Media before signing a sale. We can make an offer before then and set the closing day for after the paperwork is ready. For legal questions, talk to a Pennsylvania estate attorney.
We also buy in Philadelphia, Montgomery County, PA and Bucks County, PA.
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. For your situation, talk to a Pennsylvania attorney or tax professional.
Sources
- Delaware County, PA Sheriff: Real Estate Sales
- Delaware County, PA Register of Wills
- Register of Wills: Probates and Estates
- Register of Wills: Inheritance Tax
- Tax Claim Bureau: Upset Sale Instructions
- Upper Darby Township: Use and Occupancy
- Upper Darby Township: Licenses and Inspections
- Haverford Township: Use and Occupancy
- Marple Township: Request for Inspection for Resale
- Lansdowne Borough: Resale Property Inspection Procedure
- Ridley Park Borough: Rental and Resale Checklist
- Upper Providence Township (Delaware County, PA): Resale U&O Application
- Pennsylvania Act 133 of 2016
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb: 2020 places and ZIP code areas