Jonathan J. Nelson Real Estate · Residential Real Estate
Buying in Northeastern Pennsylvania is straightforward when you have the right guidance. The market spans an unusually wide price range, from entry-level homes around $100K to premium Back Mountain and lakefront properties well above $900K, and an agent who knows which communities offer what value at what price point is your most important asset.
Pennsylvania is a settlement-state, not an escrow-state. Your transaction will close at a title company or law office with all parties present to execute the deed and transfer documents. We'll walk you through every document, every deadline, and every decision along the way.
| Pre-approval | Typically, one to three business days. |
| Active search to accepted offer | Varies, days to months, depending on inventory & preferences. |
| Inspection period | Typically, fifteen days from contract execution. |
| Mortgage processing | Typically, thirty to forty-five days. |
| Total contract to close | Typically, forty-five to sixty days. |
| PA Transfer Tax | Typically, two percent total, and split evenly between buyer & seller; there are scenarios where it can be negotiated. In areas such as Pittston City or Wilkes-Barre City, there's an increased percentage added to the transfer tax. |
| Down Payment | Typically, three to twenty-five percent, but varies, depending on loan type. |
| Closing location | We'd be able to close at the closing or settlement attorney's office, at our brokerage, or another predetermined location. |
| Deed recorded at | County Recorder of Deeds |
Before you begin your search, get pre-approved by a licensed lender to best understand your budget. A pre-approval is not the same as a pre-qualification, a pre-approval letter based on verified income, assets, and credit gives your offer real weight in a competitive situation. PHFA (Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency) offers competitive first-time buyer programs and down payment assistance for income-qualified borrowers across NEPA.
Northeastern Pennsylvania's municipalities each carry their own tax millage rates, school districts, and zoning character, and these factors drive value as much as the property itself. Whether you're focused on Pittston, the Back Mountain, Harvey's Lake, the Scranton corridor, the Pocono communities of Monroe County, or the Jim Thorpe and Lehighton area of Carbon County, we'll match your budget and lifestyle priorities to the right community before you ever schedule a showing.
We run targeted MLS searches across the Pennsylvania database and accompany you on showings with a prepared eye. We look at structural condition, deferred maintenance, neighborhood comparables, and negotiating position, so you don't just find a home, you find the right home at the right price.
When you're ready to offer, we prepare an Agreement of Sale. Pennsylvania's standard purchase contract, with sale price, contingencies, closing date, and seller concessions. In a competitive situation, the structure of your offer matters as much as the price. We advise you on earnest money, inspection contingency timing, and what to ask for versus what to leave on the table.
Pennsylvania does not require a home inspection, but we strongly recommend one for virtually every purchase. Your inspection contingency gives you the right to negotiate repairs or credits, or to walk away with your earnest money, if the inspection reveals material defects. In Northeastern Pennsylvania's historic housing stock, older roofs, knob-and-tube wiring, aging furnaces, and moisture in basements are common inspection findings. We connect you with qualified inspectors who know what to look for in a coal-era home.
While your loan is being processed your lender will order an appraisal. In short, the appraiser will compare the purchase price to recently sold comparable homes in the area. If the property appraises below your offer price, you have options; negotiate the price down, pay the difference, or invoke your appraisal contingency. We've managed this situation many times and know how to navigate it.
A title company will conduct a full title search, examining Luzerne, Lackawanna, Monroe, or Carbon County deed records, tax liens, judgments, and encumbrances.
At settlement, you'll sign the deed, mortgage documents, and transfer paperwork at the title company. You'll bring your down payment and closing costs in the form of a cashier's check or wire transfer. The deed is then recorded at the County Recorder of Deeds. You receive the keys. You've planted your flag. The Recorder of Deeds offices in Wilkes-Barre (Luzerne), Scranton (Lackawanna), Stroudsburg (Monroe), and Jim Thorpe (Carbon) handle recordings for their respective counties.
Northeastern Pennsylvania has distinct characteristics that every buyer should understand before making an offer.
Much of Luzerne and Lackawanna County sits above historical underground anthracite mines. Mine subsidence insurance is available through the Pennsylvania DEP's Mine Subsidence Insurance Fund and is strongly recommended for properties in mining-impacted areas.
Properties along the Susquehanna River and it's tributaries may fall within designated flood zones, which require separate flood insurance. Flood maps were updated following the 1972 disaster and subsequent levee construction. We verify flood zone status on every riverfront or low-lying property before you make an offer.
Pennsylvania consistently ranks among the highest states for naturally occurring radon, a colorless, odorless gas produced by uranium decay in soil and rock. The area's geology makes radon particularly prevalent. Radon testing is relatively cheap and should be part of every home inspection.
Pennsylvania's property taxes are levied by school district, municipality, and county. Understanding the relationship between school district, millage rate, and assessed value is critical to evaluating total ownership cost in any Northeastern Pennsylvania community.
The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency offers first-time buyer loans, down payment and closing cost assistance, and mortgage tax credit certificates for income-qualified buyers across the area. Eligibility limits vary by household size and county. We can connect you with PHFA-approved lenders who know the programs available in your target market.
Pennsylvania requires sellers to complete a Seller's Property Disclosure Statement covering known defects, water source, sewage system, environmental hazards, and structural conditions. We review every disclosure carefully and help you identify items that warrant further investigation during the inspection period.
Whatever your real estate need, we have the expertise and the local knowledge to guide you through it.
Tell us what you're looking for, budget, community, property type, and we'll start working the market for you today.
Contact Jonathan J. Nelson Real Estate