Pennsylvania Real Estate Purchase and Sale Agreement (Investor PDF)
An investor-ready purchase and sale agreement drafted for Pennsylvania transactions, plus a plain-English summary of what Pennsylvania law expects in a residential purchase contract. Free PDF, no signup required.
Pennsylvania Purchase and Sale Agreement
Free PDF • Updated July 2026
Part of our free real estate investor forms library.
What Pennsylvania Requires in a Purchase Contract
These are the contract and disclosure requirements our research identified for Pennsylvania residential transactions, with statute citations. Requirements change; always confirm the current rule before closing.
Seller's Property Disclosure Statement
Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law, 68 Pa.C.S. §§ 7301-7315
Seller of residential real property (1-4 units) must complete and deliver the property disclosure statement to the buyer BEFORE the buyer signs the agreement of sale (§ 7303); the form must cover the § 7304 subjects (roof, structure, water/sewage, plumbing/HVAC/electric, termites/wood-destroying insects, hazardous substances INCLUDING RADON, flooding/drainage, legal issues, etc.); the State Real Estate Commission form is standard. Buyer remedy: actual damages for willful/negligent violation (§ 7311); statutory exemptions include transfers by fiduciaries, foreclosure-related transfers, and new construction covered by builder warranty (§ 7302).
Applies to: all residential resales of 1-4 unit properties, subject to § 7302 exemptions; disclosure is form-based, not contract text
Licensee-prepared Agreement of Sale mandatory statements (zoning, Recovery Fund, etc.) Verbatim language required
RELRA § 608.2, 63 P.S. § 455.608b, implemented at 49 Pa. Code § 35.333; zoning also 21 P.S. § 611
Agreements of sale prepared by licensees must contain specified items: the zoning classification (except property zoned solely/primarily for single-family dwellings) with a statement that omission makes the agreement voidable by the buyer with automatic deposit refund; the Real Estate Recovery Fund notice (verbatim below); a statement of the licensee's capacity/role in the transaction; statements on deposit handling; and, where applicable, a statement that access to a public road may require a PennDOT highway occupancy permit.
Applies to: agreements of sale prepared by real estate licensees (zoning requirement under 21 P.S. § 611 reaches sales contracts generally)
Coal Severance Notice (bituminous coal areas) Verbatim language required
52 P.S. § 1551 (Act of July 17, 1957, P.L. 984)
In counties where bituminous coal has been severed from the surface estate, every deed, agreement of sale, title policy, and other written instrument (EXCEPT mortgages and quitclaim deeds) affecting the surface must carry a prescribed coal notice, set out in ALL CAPS, distinctive type, or underlined; deeds also carry the companion § 1406 (52 P.S. § 1551 group / 'Section 14') acknowledgment where structures overlie coal.
Applies to: properties in bituminous coal counties (primarily western PA) where coal has or may have been severed from surface title
Sewage Facilities (Act 537) sales contract statement Verbatim language required
Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act § 7, 35 P.S. § 750.7 (incl. (b)(4.1)(ii)); 25 Pa. Code § 72.32 (sales contracts)
Every contract for the sale of a lot NOT served by an existing community sewage system must contain a statement notifying the buyer of that fact and that a permit is required before an individual sewage system may be installed; where required sewage facilities planning has not been approved, the contract must clearly state that sewage facilities are not available and construction cannot begin until planning approval.
Applies to: sales of lots/homes relying on on-lot (septic) sewage or without approved sewage facilities planning
Radon disclosure
68 Pa.C.S. § 7304(b) (radon within the seller disclosure form); Radon Certification Act, 63 P.S. § 2001 et seq. (certification of testers/mitigators only)
Radon is disclosed through the mandatory Seller's Property Disclosure Statement (known radon tests/levels/mitigation); PA has no separate statute mandating a verbatim radon paragraph in the agreement of sale - the lengthy radon notice in the PAR standard agreement is form practice, not statutory text.
Applies to: all residential resales covered by the Seller Disclosure Law
Wholesale transaction disclosures (Act 52 of 2024)
Wholesale Real Estate Transaction Transparency and Protection Act, Act 52 of 2024 (SB 1173, signed July 8, 2024, eff. January 2025), amending RELRA
Wholesale purchase agreements must disclose that the transaction is a wholesale transaction in which the purchaser intends to transfer its interest for valuable consideration without taking record title, that the consumer may consult appraisers/legal counsel, that the seller may cancel until the earlier of midnight of the 30th day after execution or conveyance, and that payments will be refunded within 10 business days of cancellation; cancellation rights cannot be waived and non-compliant agreements are cancellable any time before conveyance.
Applies to: residential wholesale transactions (contracts intended for assignment/transfer without taking title)
Federal Lead-Based Paint Disclosure (note only) Verbatim language required
42 U.S.C. § 4852d; 40 C.F.R. Part 745 (federal)
Pre-1978 housing: federal Lead Warning Statement and disclosures required in/with the contract.
Applies to: pre-1978 residential housing
Pennsylvania Regulates Wholesaling
Statewide: Act 52 of 2024 (Wholesale Real Estate Transaction Transparency and Protection Act), eff. January 2025, amending RELRA (63 P.S. § 455.101 et seq.); Philadelphia: Residential Property Wholesaler license, Phila. Code Title 9, ch. 9-5200 (Bill 210778-A, 2021), $200/yr
PA now regulates wholesaling STATEWIDE: wholesalers fall within expanded broker/salesperson licensing definitions, must give mandated disclosures in the purchase agreement (wholesale intent, right to consult counsel/appraiser, seller 30-day cancellation right, 10-business-day refund), cannot obtain waivers, and face Real Estate Commission civil penalties (up to $1,000 per unlicensed practice violation) with non-compliant contracts freely cancellable before conveyance. Philadelphia separately requires a Residential Property Wholesaler license ($200, insurance certificate, criminal-history check) under Phila. Code ch. 9-5200.
See how Pennsylvania compares in our wholesaling laws by state table.
Pennsylvania Closing Practice at a Glance
| Deed convention | Special Warranty Deed is the customary deed for arm's-length residential sales in PA (grantor warrants only against claims arising under grantor); general warranty deeds are uncommon |
| Transfer tax | Realty Transfer Tax: 1% state (72 P.S. § 8102-C) plus local realty transfer tax, typically 1% combined municipal+school (higher in some places - e.g., Philadelphia 3.278% local for ~4.278% total; Pittsburgh ~4% local for 5% total) |
| Customary payer | customarily split 50/50 between buyer and seller (parties are jointly and severally liable; allocation is negotiable and stated in the agreement of sale) |
| Attorney closing | Attorney not required for a typical closing. Title-company/settlement-agent state; attorneys are not required and most residential closings proceed on the PAR standard agreement without counsel. Attorney involvement is the exception (complex, FSBO, or coal/mineral title issues). |
| Witness and notary | Notary/acknowledgment only - deeds must be acknowledged (21 P.S. §§ 42, 291.1 et seq.) for recording; no witness requirement. Recording accompanied by Realty Transfer Tax Statement of Value (Form REV-183) where needed; coal notice formatting requirements apply in bituminous counties. |
More Investor Resources
Disclaimer: This template and summary are provided free for reference and educational purposes. Clearway Home Buyers is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created by downloading or using these forms. Real estate law varies by state and by transaction. Review any form with a licensed Pennsylvania attorney before use. Read the full disclaimer.
Want SEO leads delivered to your team?
We generate motivated seller leads nationwide and route them to a small network of established local buyers. Apply to work with us in your market.
Apply to Work With Us