We Buy Houses in Montgomery County, PA

Who are we, and what do we buy in Montco?

Vivid Properties is a local, family-owned real estate investment company based at 2614 Amber St in Philadelphia's Kensington and Fishtown area. Montco wraps around the city's north and northwest sides, and we buy in every part of it. We buy directly with a written cash offer; we are not agents and we never list your house. A real person from our local team answers when you call or text (267) 551-5554.

• River and rail towns: rowhomes, twins and old singles in Norristown, Bridgeport, Conshohocken, Pottstown, Royersford and Lansdale.
• Small multifamily: big old houses split into apartments and other 2 to 4 unit buildings, with tenants or empty.
• Near the city line: stone and brick houses in Lower Merion, Cheltenham, Abington and Jenkintown that need more work than the owner wants to take on.
• Postwar suburbs: ranchers, splits and townhouses in Willow Grove, Hatboro, Horsham, King of Prussia and Blue Bell.
• Upper Montco: farmhouses and country houses around Pennsburg, Red Hill and Green Lane, wells and septic included.

Which Montco town is my house really in?

Check your tax bill, not your mailing address. In Montco they often differ, and the town on the tax bill sets your resale rules. Watch for these:

• Montgomery County, PA is not Montgomery County, Maryland. We buy across Greater Philadelphia and South Jersey, not in Maryland.
• Springfield Township here (Wyndmoor, Erdenheim, Flourtown, Oreland) is not the Springfield in Delco or the one in upper Bucks.
• Upper Providence Township here (Oaks, Mont Clare) is not the Upper Providence near Media in Delco.
• Telford borough straddles the Bucks line, so some Telford homes are in Bucks County.
• Hatfield is both a borough and a separate township.
• Ardmore, Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Wynnewood, Villanova, Rosemont and Wayne cross into Delco's Haverford and Radnor townships.
• A Lansdale address can be Lansdale borough or Towamencin, Upper Gwynedd, Montgomery, Worcester or Hatfield township. An Ambler address can be Lower Gwynedd, Upper Dublin, Horsham or Whitpain.

Which Montco towns and neighborhoods do we buy in?

All of them. Each card lists the boroughs and townships in that part of Montco, the names people use, and the main ZIP codes.

Do Montco towns require a U&O before a sale?

Many do, and each runs its own program. Four examples from different corners of the county:

A failed inspection does not have to end an as-is sale. Under Pennsylvania's Act 133 of 2016, a town that requires a U&O issues a temporary certificate when it finds violations, and the buyer generally has 12 months to fix them. Ambler builds the same idea into its own program. That is how we take a house as it is. More on how an as-is sale works.

Where do Montco estates go through probate?

To the Register of Wills at One Montgomery Plaza, 425 Swede Street, 4th floor, in Norristown. The office probates wills and handles estates where there is no will, and it serves as the Commonwealth's agent for collecting Pennsylvania inheritance tax. No appointment is needed for in-person probate, and the office encourages e-filing; for inheritance tax matters, it takes no walk-ins after 3:30 p.m. The executor or administrator generally needs to be appointed here before signing a sale. Our guide to selling an inherited house in Pennsylvania covers the state steps.

How do Montco sheriff sales work now that they are online?

A Montco sheriff sale is the last step of a court case, usually a mortgage foreclosure, and it happens online through Bid4Assets. The Sheriff's Office schedules sales for the last Wednesday of the month, with auctions opening at 1 p.m., though dates can shift, so check the posted schedule. The winning bidder pays the balance within 12 calendar days, and the sheriff's deed usually follows about 45 to 60 days after the sale. Nobody can inspect the house before bidding, and the county does not promise clear title.

Unpaid real estate taxes go a different way. The county Tax Claim Bureau, at One Montgomery Plaza, schedules upset sales each September and December for property with taxes from two years earlier still unpaid, and judicial sales in August and December for property that did not sell at an upset sale. If you have a sale date, our Pennsylvania sheriff sale guide covers every option, including ones that do not involve selling.

What usually needs work in Montco houses?

It depends on the part of the county. The river towns have older rowhomes and twins, many with original systems. Near the city line, older stone and brick houses can bring big bills: slate roofs, old boilers and radiators, galvanized pipes and early wiring. The postwar suburbs often need a full update, and upper Montco adds wells and septic systems. At resale, the town checklists keep coming back to sewer laterals, GFCI outlets, smoke and CO detectors, sump pumps and water heater relief valves. You do not have to fix any of it before you sell to us.

What does selling for cash cost you?

A lower price than a fully fixed-up house would bring, and no fees or commissions from us. A cash, as-is offer is usually below retail because we pay for the repairs, carry the house while we work (taxes, insurance, utilities), take the risk, and pay to sell it again. In return you skip agent commissions, repairs, the cleanout and months of showings.

Every Pennsylvania sale also carries realty transfer tax: 1% to the state, plus a local tax set by the town and school district, and the law holds buyer and seller jointly liable for it. We pay all the closing costs, and your written offer shows exactly what you walk away with before you sign. If you would clearly net more by listing, we will tell you. See how we calculate our offer or get your cash offer.

What do sellers say?

Jerril was a tired landlord in Germantown, in Northwest Philadelphia. If you own a rental in Norristown or Pottstown and you are ready to be done, start with selling a house with tenants.

Tired landlord

Jerril, Germantown

Questions Montco sellers ask

We also buy in Philadelphia, Bucks County, PA and Delaware County, PA.

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