Done being a landlord? Here's how to sell a Central PA rental fast

You're not alone if you're done

I talk to a lot of Central PA landlords who bought a rental years ago, or ended up with one when they moved, and it just isn't fun anymore. Maybe the tenant's tough. Maybe the place needs a roof, a furnace or a full turnover. Maybe you're just tired of being on call. That's a perfectly good reason to sell.

The mistake I see is grabbing the first "we buy houses" offer because it feels like the fastest way out. Fast is great. Fast and leaving a pile of equity behind isn't.

First, check what it's really netting you

A lot of owners have never actually run the numbers on a rental. Here's a quick way to do it.

If that number's small, or negative, or just not worth your time and stress, it's probably time to look at your exit.

Your exit options

Every rental's different, so the right plan depends on condition, location and whether it's occupied. Here's how I usually lay it out:

• Sell to one cash buyer. Quick and as is, but their offer has to cover repairs, holding costs and their profit, so it's usually the lowest number.
• Sell to an investor with the tenant in place. Some buyers want the rent from day one. A lease with a good payment history can actually help here.
• Sell it vacant to an owner occupant. If the lease is ending, some homes bring more from a buyer who wants to live there. Vacant homes are also easy to show. See selling a vacant property fast.
• List it as is, built for speed. That's the 7-Day Stress-Free Home Sale. It goes out as Coming Soon to buyers, investors and agents, goes live on a Thursday, gets one weekend of showings and offers get reviewed early the next week. Cash buyers can still offer, they just have to compete.

Here's the full side by side: 7-day sale vs instant cash offer.

Selling with tenants in place

You can usually sell while a tenant's living there. The lease generally goes with the property, showings need proper notice, and how cooperative the tenant is matters a lot. I go deeper on this in selling a rental with tenants in Central PA. For anything specific about your lease or notice, talk to a real estate attorney.

Does it need work?

Most tired rentals do. You don't have to fix everything, and every month you spend on a rehab is another month of taxes, insurance and loan payments. Here's my take on selling a house as is, what's actually worth fixing, and how to sell an ugly house fast.

What the 7-day approach has done

Across the program's 31 documented Central PA closings, all 31 sold at or above list price, at 114% of list on average, about $28,400 over list, with about 7 days to an accepted offer.

Past results don't guarantee future results. Every home and every market week is different, and these numbers are shown for illustration only.

Selling in a specific town?

See what a fast sale looks like in Mechanicsburg, Carlisle, Harrisburg, Enola, Hampden Township, East Pennsboro Township, Hummelstown and Perry County.

Send me the address

If you've got a rental here in Central PA you're done with, send me the address using the form on this page, or call or text me at (717) 510-1452, eXp Realty office (888) 397-7352 x1034. I'll look at the property, the numbers and a few exit strategies. Some prioritize speed, others help you keep more equity. It's $0 with no obligation.