Transaction Coordination · Pennsylvania

Transaction Coordinator in Lehigh County, PA.

Precision Leverage Solutions coordinates real estate transactions in Lehigh County for Keller Williams agents, from ratified contract through settlement. Realty transfer tax here is 2.0% in most municipalities, 2.5% in Allentown, deeds record through the Lehigh County Recorder of Deeds Division, and we handle the county and municipal steps that decide whether your file closes on time. Billed per file, no retainer.

Lehigh CountyEvery Pennsylvania county covered

At a glanceLehigh County, PA

Transfer tax2.0–2.5%varies: 2.0% in most municipalities, 2.5% in Allentown

Recording fee$81.25for a deed

PLS, per file$400contract to close, billed per file with no retainer

Figures from the sections below. Confirm with the issuing office before relying on one for a live file.

What we handle on a Lehigh County file

Lehigh County has 25 municipalities, and three of the busiest put a municipal inspection in front of every sale. Allentown requires a presale inspection requested within five business days of listing, Bethlehem requires a new certificate of occupancy on every residential title transfer, and Whitehall Township requires a certificate of occupancy before a new owner moves in. Allentown is also the one place in the county where the transfer tax is not 2%: the City raised its share on January 1, 2026, so an Allentown deed now carries 2.5%. Emmaus adds a sewer lateral test before title passes, which makes the municipal side of a Lehigh County file the part to open first. Once your deal is ratified, PLS builds and manages the file in KW Command, tracks every deadline and contingency, routes documents for signature, and coordinates with lender, title, attorneys, and the co-op agent. See the full transaction coordination service for the complete scope, and the Pennsylvania overview for statewide notes.

On every Lehigh County fileFrom ratified contract through settlement

KW Command fileBuilds and manages the file in KW Command.
Every deadlineTracks every deadline and contingency.
SignaturesRoutes documents for signature.
Every partyCoordinates with lender, title, attorneys, and the co-op agent.

Realty transfer tax in Lehigh County: 2.0% in most municipalities, 2.5% in Allentown

Outside Allentown the realty transfer tax is 2%: 1% to the Commonwealth and a combined 1% local share, which the PA DCED Municipal Statistics tax register for 2026 lists as 0.5% municipal and 0.5% school district in 23 of the 25 municipalities. Allentown is the exception. City Code section 570-13, as amended December 3, 2025 by Ordinance No. 16179, imposes the City tax at 1.5%, and the City states that effective January 1, 2026 the total on an Allentown transfer is 2.5%: the 1% Commonwealth tax plus 1.5% local. The City also states that the rate is determined by the date the deed is submitted to the Lehigh County Recorder of Deeds, not the settlement date. In Salisbury Township the register shows the full 1% local share going to the township and none to the school district, so the total is still 2%. The Recorder requires a Statement of Value (REV-183) on every transfer that does not pay full transfer tax or state the full consideration, and on transfers claiming an exemption, except a family exemption, which must be clearly stated on the document.

Total transfer taxState plus local, by where the property sits

Most municipalities2%
Allentown2.5%

Figures from this section. Confirm the municipality before quoting a rate.

Recording a deed in Lehigh County

The Lehigh County Recorder of Deeds Division sits at Lehigh County Courthouse, 455 West Hamilton Street, Room 122, Allentown, PA 18101, 610-782-3162. The current recording fee is $81.25 for a deed, effective January 1, 2026. The $81.25 fee is the current schedule and covers up to four pages, four names, and one PIN certification. Each additional page is $2.00, each additional name is $0.50, and each additional PIN certification is $10.00. A mortgage is also $81.25. The office is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, but PIN certification runs only from 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. E-recording is available through Simplifile, CSC, and ePN, and the county states that e-recorded documents are usually recorded the same day. Paper submissions need a stamped, self-addressed envelope or the office adds a $3.00 per document mail back fee. Overpayments of $10 or less are forfeited, a returned check costs $20.00, and no refunds are given for duplicate or erroneous submissions.

Recording officeWhere the deed goes

OfficeLehigh County Recorder of Deeds Division
AddressLehigh County Courthouse, 455 West Hamilton Street, Room 122, Allentown, PA 18101
Phone610-782-3162
Deed recording fee$81.25 for a deed, effective January 1, 2026

Paperwork named hereWhat this office looks for

Statement of Value
UPI certification

When each one applies is explained in the requirements below.

Lehigh County Ordinance 2009-No. 201, effective January 4, 2010, requires the UPI or Parcel ID on all documents involving real estate in Lehigh County when presented for recording. The UPI is the 12-digit PIN followed by a 1 to 5 digit Parnum, and the county GIS office certifies each one on the document after it is submitted to the Recorder. The fee is $10.00 per UPI with one included in the base recording fee, so a multi-parcel deed needs $10.00 for each additional parcel. GIS PIN certification runs only from 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., 45 minutes before the office closes, so get a same-day deed in before that cutoff. A Statement of Value (REV-183) must accompany any transfer that does not pay full tax or state the full consideration, or that claims an exemption other than a family exemption stated on the deed. The Recorder also puts the responsibility on the submitter to make sure no personal information such as a Social Security number or a bank account or loan number appears on a document.

Recording fees and transfer tax rates for every county we coordinate in are collected side by side on our recording fee and transfer tax reference.

What actually holds up a closing here

Allentown presale inspection has to be requested within five business days of listing

Allentown City Code Chapter 455, Article III, as amended December 17, 2025 by Ordinance No. 16180, requires the owner to apply and pay for a presale inspection before the sale of any residential or commercial property. Section 455-17C gives the seller or the agent five business days from the date of listing or offer to sell to request the inspection from the Bureau of Building Standards and Safety. The residential fee under section 455-23 is $100 for up to three units plus $25 for each additional unit, and the inspection report expires one year from the original inspection. Under section 455-20, violations are handled one of two ways: the seller abates them before transfer of title, or the buyer signs the buyer acceptance form acknowledging the report and agreeing to begin abating within 30 days of taking possession. The two City sources disagree on when that form is due: section 455-20B of the code says 30 days prior to transfer of title, while the Pre-Sales Inspection Procedure sheet on the City website, which is labeled program effective January 1, 2018, says the notarized form must reach the department at least 3 days prior to transfer. Work to the code deadline, have the form notarized, and get it signed as soon as the agreement is executed. If the seller never obtained a presale, the code puts the application, the fee, and compliance on the buyer. Building Standards and Safety is at 610-437-7694.

Allentown wants the buyer reported within three business days of settlement

Section 455-19B of the Allentown City Code requires the buyer or the buyer agent to give the Bureau of Building Standards and Safety the buyer name, address, and date of transfer within three business days of transfer of title. Penalties under section 455-23 start with a written notice and climb to $500, $750, and then $1,000 for each later offense. On an investor purchase the clock is separate and longer: section 455-6A requires a residential rental license application within 10 business days of title transfer, the license is $75 per unit annually, and where the previous owner complied with the registration, presale inspection, and fee requirements before the transfer, a new owner who files the required documentation inside those 10 business days does not pay the fee again for the current year. Operating an unlicensed rental is a summary offense with fines up to $1,000 per unit per month.

Bethlehem requires a new certificate of occupancy on every residential transfer

Bethlehem Codified Ordinances Article 1731, as amended by Ordinance 2026-19 passed July 21, 2026, requires a new certificate of occupancy each time title to a residential property is transferred (section 1731.03(a)). Under sections 119.04(b) and 1731.02(a) the transferor or the agent must contact the Housing Inspections Bureau within 10 days of the property being offered for sale and schedule the inspection at least 30 days before the transfer, the City must inspect before the date of purchase, and the inspection report must be attached as an addendum to any offer or agreement of sale. The fee is $150.00 per residential dwelling unit, paid before the inspection, with the first reinspection free, $75.00 for the second, $100.00 for the third, and $125.00 for each one after that (section 1731.07), and the City may double the fee where a unit is sold without the inspection. The report is valid for one year from the original inspection. An inspection with no violations produces a certificate of occupancy, violations that are not substantial produce a temporary certificate of occupancy, and a substantial violation produces a temporary access certificate under which no new occupant may move in (section 1731.04). The purchaser then has 12 months from the date of purchase to bring the property into compliance or demolish it (section 1731.06). Refinances and properties with a valid demolition permit are exempt. Section 1731.08 gives the buyer of a rental 30 days from the date of purchase to register the units with the Bureau of Inspections. Bethlehem lies in both Lehigh and Northampton counties, and the same City rules apply on either side of the county line.

Whitehall Township issues a certificate of occupancy before the new owner moves in

Whitehall Township states that under Chapter 5, Part 5 of its Codified Ordinances all structures must be inspected prior to sale or lease and a new Certificate of Occupancy issued before the new owner occupies, and that responsibility lies jointly with the seller, landlord, or their agents and the buyer. The current application and guide, revised September 2025, sets the fee at $100.00 for a single family home and $50.00 per apartment unit, payable by cash, check, or money order, or by credit card in person only with a 3.75% convenience fee. An inspector calls the contact person within 1 to 3 business days of receiving the form and fee, the inspection is arranged within 5 to 10 business days, and a clear certificate issues within 1 to 3 business days after a passing inspection. For an as-is sale a notarized Buyer or Seller Acceptance Form goes back to the Township with an additional $100.00 fee and a $500.00 refundable deposit on a single family home, which produces a Conditional Certificate of Occupancy that permits the sale only: no one may occupy until repairs pass reinspection. The Township does not inspect sewer, well, or septic service. The Bureau of Development is at 610-437-5524, extension 1138.

Emmaus requires a sewer lateral test before title passes

Emmaus Borough Ordinance No. 1185, adopted January 21, 2019, requires the building sewer and sewer lateral to be cleaned and tested subsequent to a sale or transfer of the property and prior to the passage of title or occupancy (section 18-504.2A(3)). The testing is done by or on behalf of the property owner at the owner's expense, using a contractor licensed in Pennsylvania and experienced in sanitary sewer construction or the Borough itself at the fee in its fee schedule (section 18-508). A video inspection stays valid for two years from the date of the video. Exemptions in section 18-504.2B include a transfer within 10 years of construction or complete replacement of the lateral with proof, a conveyance between family members without full consideration, a transfer to a buyer who has lived at the property with the seller for at least one year, and a transfer into a trust with no change in occupancy. Section 18-511 requires repairs to be completed before the sale or transfer unless funds are escrowed. The ordinance gives two different deadlines for escrowed work, 30 days from the transfer of title in section 18-506 and 180 days in section 18-511, so plan on the shorter one and confirm the date with the Borough when the escrow is set up. Fines run $500 to $1,000 per violation plus costs, with each day a separate violation (section 18-516).

Salisbury Township gives a rental buyer 30 days to register

Salisbury Township Code section 11-202.4 requires registration within 30 days following the purchase of a residential rental property or the conversion of a structure to one. Under Ordinance No. 11-2018-619, adopted November 8, 2018, registration is $20 per unit for 1 to 20 units, renewals are due by September 30 for the following year, and the initial inspection is a $50 flat fee with $25 per reinspection. Section 11-203.1 requires an inspection each time the unit is vacated on a change of tenancy and before a new tenant moves in, so a buyer who plans to re-tenant after closing should schedule it right away. Fines reach $300 for a first violation, $500 for a second, and $1,000 for a third.

Pricing

Transaction coordination in Pennsylvania is billed per file, not as a monthly retainer. Contract to close is $400 per transaction, and the full rate card including dual agency, transaction licensee, unrepresented party (FSBO or URB), and listing management is published on our pricing page. No fixed overhead, no minimum volume.

Contract to close$400per transaction, billed per file

Listing management$150per listing, from the published rate card

Retainer$0no fixed overhead, no minimum volume

Where these figures come from

The county-level figures on this page come from the official sources listed below. Municipal fees and deadlines come from each municipality's own published schedules and ordinances, which are revised more often than they are archived. We publish what we could verify and leave out what we could not. Fees and ordinances change; if you are relying on a figure here for a live file, confirm it with the issuing office, and tell us if you find a discrepancy so we can correct the page.

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FAQ

Lehigh County questions.

Do you provide transaction coordination in Lehigh County, PA?

Yes. Precision Leverage Solutions works exclusively with Keller Williams agents and coordinates transactions throughout Lehigh County and the rest of Pennsylvania, from the ratified contract through settlement. We also serve KW agents in New Jersey and Delaware. Pricing is per file with no retainer.

What is the realty transfer tax in Lehigh County?

How much does it cost to record a deed in Lehigh County?

$81.25 for a deed, effective January 1, 2026, through the Lehigh County Recorder of Deeds Division. The $81.25 fee is the current schedule and covers up to four pages, four names, and one PIN certification. Each additional page is $2.00, each additional name is $0.50, and each additional PIN certification is $10.00. A mortgage is also $81.25. The office is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, but PIN certification runs only from 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. E-recording is available through Simplifile, CSC, and ePN, and the county states that e-recorded documents are usually recorded the same day. Paper submissions need a stamped, self-addressed envelope or the office adds a $3.00 per document mail back fee. Overpayments of $10 or less are forfeited, a returned check costs $20.00, and no refunds are given for duplicate or erroneous submissions.

How much does a transaction coordinator cost in Lehigh County?

Contract-to-close coordination is $400 per transaction in Pennsylvania. Dual agency, transaction licensee service, unrepresented party coordination (FSBO or URB), multi-unit transactions, and listing management are each priced separately and published in full on our pricing page. There are no monthly fees, retainers, or minimum volume requirements.

What does Allentown require before a property can be sold?

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