What a Pennsylvania title company requires to sell an estate’s home, farm, or land — and where to get each one.
To sell and actually close in Pennsylvania, a title company will want to see a specific set of documents. None of it is exotic — but missing a piece is the most common reason an estate sale stalls at the closing table. Here is the checklist.
• Certified death certificate — order several; you will use them more than once.
• Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration — your proof of authority, from the Register of Wills, usually as a short certificate.
• The existing deed — how the property is currently titled.
• A certified copy of the will, if there is one.
• Inheritance-tax clearance — the PA inheritance-tax lien has to be cleared at or before closing.
• Mortgage and lien payoffs — any loans, judgments, or liens are satisfied from the proceeds.
If the property is a farm, add the Clean & Green enrollment paperwork, any leases, and well and septic records. I help estates pull this together before we list, so closing day is calm instead of a scramble.
A title company will typically want a certified death certificate, your Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (often as a short certificate), the existing deed, a certified copy of the will if there is one, clearance of the PA inheritance-tax lien, and payoff figures for any mortgage or liens. If heirs must consent or a court order is required, add those.
A short certificate is a certified copy of your Letters from the Register of Wills that proves, on one page, that you are the executor or administrator with authority to act. Title companies and banks ask for it constantly, so order several certified copies when the estate is opened.
From the Register of Wills in the county where the person lived. You (or your attorney) file to open the estate, and the office issues the Letters. Procedures and fees differ from county to county across Pennsylvania's 67 counties.
Not if the estate still holds the property -- you sign as executor or administrator using your Letters. Heirs typically sign only if the property was already distributed to them, or if a particular situation calls for their consent. Your title company will tell you what it needs for clean title.
I’ll help you line up the pieces and price it correctly. Free valuation, no obligation.
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