Pennsylvania

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Before the Europeans arrived in Pennsylvania in the 17th century, the state was occupied by several contemporary Native American Tribes like the Lenape, Shawnee, Erielhonan, and Iroquois. The history of human occupation in the area, however, goes back much farther than that, though. According to archaeologists, the area was originally inhabited by humans possibly at least about 15,000 years ago. The Meadowcroft Rockshelter here is one of the oldest and most convincing evidence of early human activity in the USA which appears to trace back to about 8,000 BC. The ancestors of the original American Indians residing here had already begun practicing agriculture in the place of hunting and gathering by 1,000 AD.

The Dutch Republic was the first European nation to have control over the state of Pennsylvania and was mainly interested in the fur trade that was then thriving. Later, but, still in the 17th century, the British also took control of the land when the king of England, Charles the second, granted the area to William Penn. As a British colony, Pennsylvania was the site of several battles with the Indians, and the future state later also played a pivotal role in the American Revolution. Both continental congresses were held here and the second continental congress at Independence Hall is where the Declaration of Independence was both drafted and signed.

Pennsylvania was among the original thirteen states that formed the USA. It was the second state to ratify the US Constitution, only after Delaware. It became a state on December 12, 1887, at a time when its population was about 400,000. The state now has a total area of 46,055 square miles and ranks 33rd in size. With the nearly 13 million people that call it home, it is ranked as the 13th most populous US state. The state’s motto, adopted in 1778, is 'Virtue, Liberty, and Independence’. It is nicknamed the Keystone State, in reference to the central architectural keystone that holds all the other stones in place. Other nicknames of the state are the Coal State, the Oil State, the Steel State, and the Quaker State.

The state is located in the North and Mid-Atlantic region of the USA. Delaware, West Virginia, Maryland, New York, Ohio and New Jersey are all neighboring states. It also borders the country of Canada and its Province of Ontario and part of the Appalachian Mountain Range is located here. Climate wise, it is very similar to other states lying in the continental zone. It experiences cold winter and humid summer. In the Southeast, the Summer tends to be long, hot and humid. Temperatures can reach into the 100’s in the southeast and southwestern areas (near Pittsburgh) during the summer. However, the average high summer temperatures are usually in the mid-80's. January is typically the coldest month of the year, with average low temperatures dropping to the mid-20’s. Towards the interior of PA, the Winter temperatures will be much lower as compared to other areas. The number of cloudy days increases as well, and snowfalls tend to be higher. In locations near to Lake Erie, it is normal to experience snowfall of over 100 inches annually. Precipitation is also high throughout the year, with severe weather conditions from spring to winter. Tornadoes come annually and can be in huge numbers. As an example, the year 2011 recorded a total of 30 tornadoes.

This area is among the top tourist destinations in the country. The state is also home to the Philadelphia Zoo, which was the first zoo in the USA. The Independence National Historical Park, located in Philadelphia, is often referred to as America’s most historic square mile’ due to its many historical sites associated with the American Revolution. The National Civil War Museum was set up at Harrisburg to preserve the story of the American Civil War in a non-biased form. The museum contains exhibitions of original war artifacts such as weapons, camp, and personal effects. The other main points of interest in the state include the Bald Eagle State Park, Clear Creek State Park, Bendigo State Park, Chapman State Park, and Cook Forest State Park.

The state's capital city is Harrisburg, which is also the county seat of Dauphin County. The city has a population of about 50,000, making it the 10th largest town in the state. Harrisburg is best known for its role in the American Civil War and the Industrial Revolution. During the Civil War, the city was a major training area for the American army. In the Industrial Revolution, the city was important for its steel and iron industries. Presently, Harrisburg hosts the country's largest indoor agricultural exposition, the Pennsylvania Farm Show, every year in January.

There are many public universities here that include PSU in State College, the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Temple University in Philadelphia, IUP in Indiana, WCUPA in West Chester, the KU in Kutztown, BU in Bloomsburg, and Cal U in California. Some of the main private universities here are the Penn in Philadelphia, Drexel University in Philadelphia, Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Villanova University in Radnor Township, and the Duquesne University of Pittsburgh.

For sports, there are several major league teams here like the Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburg Pirates of the MLB, the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburg Steelers of the NFL, the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA, the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburg Penguins of NHL, and the Philadelphia Union of the MLS. For NCAA Division I teams, it hosts the Temple Owls, the Penn State Nittany Lions, and the Pittsburgh Panthers. For race fans, there is the annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at the Pocono Raceway and for Golf fans, there is the annual US Open PGA tournament in Oakmont.

This region is also a center of culture, with museums distributed across the state. The state also hosts a number of cultural events all year round. One of the top events in Pa. is the Mummer’s Parade, which is held to mark the New Year. It has consistently ranked among the top 100 events in the nation. It involves a large group of people dressed in original costumes walking to the City Hall. The Groundhog Day, the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day and the International Chain Carvers Rendezvous are also significant events in the state.

The state has one of the best economies in the USA. In the world, if PA were a stand-alone country, it would be ranked among the top 20 largest countries. Agriculture plays a vital role in the economy as it is the US’s 19th most productive state in the agricultural sector. It is also home to nearly 20 Fortune 500 companies including corporations like AmerisourceBergen, Comcast, Rite Aid, PNC Financial Services Group, United States Steel, PPG Industries, Aramark, Lincoln National, PPL, H.J. Heinz, Air Products & Chemicals, Crown Holdings, Universal Health Services, UGI, WESCO International, Hershey, Dick's Sporting Goods, and Erie Insurance Group. Some of the other biggest employers here are Wal-Mart, Vanguard Group, Bayada Home Health Care, Protocall Group, Drexel University, Albert Einstein Medical Center, American Airlines, Allied Barton Security Services.

When buying or selling a house here, the real estate closing agent will typically use a Special Warranty Deed to convey the title of the property to the new owner. For the deed to be legally valid, the document must include the property’s exact legal description, which usually comes from language within the property’s original survey. This state primarily follows the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) methodology when surveying the properties. Since this state used to be part of the original 13 U.S. Colonies, it primarily follows the old English real estate surveying method of using Metes and Bounds to legally describe the property.

If you aren’t paying cash for the home and are instead getting a loan to buy the real estate, then understand that this state is primarily a lien theory state. This just means that the raw title of the property will remain as collateral until the lien is ultimately paid off. The most common document that is used here to secure the lender’s interest in the title is called a Mortgage.

If for some reason the borrower cannot repay the home loan, then the lender must go to court and start a judicial foreclosure which typically takes about 270 days to complete so long as it remains uncontested. During this process, the mortgage company’s attorney will also typically file a lis pendens against the property so that the public is made aware of the pending foreclosure. Once the judge rules in favor of the mortgage company, then the court will issue a final judgment of foreclosure and the property will either revert back to the bank or will be awarded to the highest bidder at the foreclosure auction. The laws that pertain to the foreclosure process here are mostly found in Pa. R.C.P. 1141-1164 and Pa. R.C.P. 3180-3183.

However, if you are a landlord that needs to evict a non-paying tenant, then you would need to reference the Pa. statutes of Title 68 instead. Whereas if you are looking to become a real estate agent, then you would just deal directly with the Pa. Real Estate Commission, which oversees all the licensing of the agents and most of the implementation and enforcement of the Pennsylvania Real Estate Laws. Amongst other things, the main requirements to get a real estate license here would be to be at least 18 years old, complete at least 60 hours of approved PA real estate courses, successfully pass the written state exam, pass certain criminal background checks, be sponsored by a licensed Pa. real estate broker, and pay the various required licensing fees.

As a major center of history and culture, the state is an excellent place in which to live. With the great variety and beauty of nature here, it’s no wonder why so many residents love to call the state home. Speaking of homes, if you happen to have one that you would like to sell, then we would be honored with the opportunity to purchase it from you. If the speed of selling your home is your concern, have no fear because we can close escrow very quickly. In fact, if you had only contacted Finally Sold ten days ago, your home could have already been Finally SOLD by now.

 

Some of the counties where we purchase properties in this state are: Adams | Allegheny | Armstrong | Beaver | Bedford | Berks | Blair | Bradford | Bucks | Butler | Cambria | Cameron | Carbon | Centre | Chester | Clarion | Clearfield | Clinton | Columbia | Crawford | Cumberland | Dauphin | Delaware | Elk | Erie | Fayette | Forest | Franklin | Fulton | Greene | Huntingdon | Indiana | Jefferson | Juniata | Lackawanna | Lancaster | Lawrence | Lebanon | Lehigh | Luzerne | Lycoming | McKean | Mercer | Mifflin | Monroe | Montgomery | Montour | Northampton | Northumberland | Perry | Philadelphia | Pike | Potter | Schuylkill | Snyder | Somerset | Sullivan | Susquehanna | Tioga | Union | Venango | Warren | Washington | Wayne | Westmoreland | Wyoming | York.

At Finally Sold, we buy most all single family homes in their as is condition. If you happen to have a property that you would like to sell, make sure you call us or fill out our short online form so that you too can once and for all get your property Finally SOLD!

Finally Sold is a national real estate investment company that specializes in helping homeowners sell quick for cash. We are not Realtors® or a real estate agency. We instead purchase houses and real estate for our benefit. No 'Agency' is created when selling a property to us. We are an Equal Housing Opportunity Provider. We do business in accordance to the Federal Fair Housing Law. One or more franchisees of Right Now Capital, LLC and the Finally Sold Brand may be licensed real estate agents.