Transaction Coordination · Pennsylvania
Transaction Coordinator in Northampton County, PA.
Precision Leverage Solutions coordinates real estate transactions in Northampton County for Keller Williams agents, from ratified contract through settlement. Realty transfer tax here is 2.0%, deeds record through the Northampton County Recorder of Deeds, and we handle the county and municipal steps that decide whether your file closes on time. Billed per file, no retainer.
At a glanceNorthampton County, PA
Figures from the sections below. Confirm with the issuing office before relying on one for a live file.
What we handle on a Northampton County file
Northampton County has 38 municipalities and records everything at the courthouse complex in Easton, where the Recorder will not take an overpayment or a personal check. Every deed also carries a $10.00 per parcel certification charge on top of the recording fee, and recordings that need that certification stop at 4:00 p.m. The municipal side is uneven: Bethlehem, Bethlehem Township, and Hanover Township all inspect on resale, Palmer Township states that it does not, and Hellertown wants the sidewalk inspected before the deed transfers. Knowing which rule applies to the address is the first job on a Northampton County file. 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.
Realty transfer tax in Northampton County: 2.0%
Realty transfer tax is 2% across the county: 1% to the Commonwealth, 0.5% to the municipality, and 0.5% to the school district. The PA DCED Municipal Statistics tax register for 2026 lists a 1% combined local rate for 35 of the 38 municipalities. The other three, the City of Bethlehem, Palmer Township, and Lower Mount Bethel Township, each sit in two school districts and appear in the register with doubled figures, one row per school district. For Bethlehem the City ordinance settles it: Article 335 imposes 1% and automatically halves the City rate where another political subdivision taxes the same transfer. For Palmer Township the Township Code settles it: section 173-47 sets the township tax at $0.50 for each $100, which is 0.5%. Lower Mount Bethel Township Code section 24-302 states a rate of 1% and the code text does not address the school district share, so confirm the local rate on a Lower Mount Bethel deed with the Recorder at 610-829-6210 before drafting the settlement statement. A Statement of Value (REV-183) filed with a deed costs $2.00 and counts toward the page count.
Recording a deed in Northampton County
The Northampton County Recorder of Deeds sits at 669 Washington Street, Room L116, Easton, PA 18042, 610-829-6210. The current recording fee is $76.25 for a deed plus $10.00 per parcel certification, effective December 1, 2025. The December 1, 2025 schedule is the current one. The $76.25 deed fee covers four pages and four names, and a single-parcel deed therefore totals $86.25 with the parcel certification. Each single-sided page over four is $2.00, each name over four is $0.50 counting all parties, and a Statement of Value is $2.00 and is included in the page count. A mortgage is also $76.25 plus parcel certification. The office is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and recording that requires PIN certification concludes at 4:00 p.m. No personal checks are accepted: only business checks, certified checks, money orders, or cash, payable to Recorder of Deeds, with no more than five documents per check. Maximum document size is 8.5 by 11 inches, legal-size paper draws a $10.00 penalty fee, and a self-addressed stamped envelope with sufficient postage is required for returns.
Parcel numbers must be on all documents relating to real estate, and the parcel certification fee of $10.00 per parcel is charged in addition to the recording fee on deeds, mortgages, assignments, releases, satisfactions, and easements. The office requires the exact fee with every document and states that it will not accept any overpayments, so a miscounted page or name sends the package back. Blanket assignments, releases, and satisfaction pieces are not accepted. Parcel numbers can be looked up on the county public records site at ncpub.org.
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
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.
Bethlehem Township starts the clock 48 hours after listing
Bethlehem Township runs a Property Resale/Lease Inspection Program under Ordinance 6-78, adopted November 13, 1978, and section 101 as posted by the Township makes it the duty of every seller, lessor, or agent to obtain the Building Inspector's report within 48 hours of offering or listing the property for sale or rent, so the application goes in at listing. The report covers uncorrected violations of housing, building, safety, or fire ordinances plus the zoning classification and legality of the present use, and the purchaser must obtain the Certificate of Occupancy. The Township fee schedule effective June 1, 2025 sets the residential Certificate of Occupancy at $100.00, which includes two inspections, with a $50.00 re-inspection fee. The Township application states that the inspection is not a substitute for a home inspection and that the electrical portion covers only GFCI issues. This is a separate municipality from the City of Bethlehem with its own form and office: Community Development, 4225 Easton Avenue, 610-814-6435.
Hanover Township resale certificate: apply within ten business days
Hanover Township requires a Resale Certificate for both residential and commercial properties, and the application must be made within ten business days from the date the property is listed for sale or the seller enters into an agreement of sale. The 2026 fee schedule sets Residential Resale and Inspection at $150.00, which includes up to two inspections, and $75.00 for each reinspection. Inspections run Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. The certificate expires one year from the date it is issued, and a new inspection is required if ownership has not transferred by then. Unless the structure is tagged unsafe for occupancy or habitable repairs necessary, the buyer can move in on a Conditional Occupancy by giving a notarized statement acknowledging the inspection report and agreeing to begin abating violations within 60 days of taking possession and finish within 18 months. The office is at 610-866-1140, extension 226. Do not confuse it with Hanover Township in Lehigh County.
Palmer Township does not inspect on resale
Palmer Township states on its Building Codes and Permits page that it does not require an inspection on the resale of a dwelling and that any inspection requirement is between the seller and buyer. That removes the municipal certificate from a Palmer file, which matters because neighboring Bethlehem Township and Hanover Township both require one and addresses along the borders are easy to misplace. Confirm the municipality from the county parcel record rather than the mailing address, since Easton and Bethlehem postal addresses cover several townships. The Township Permit Department is at 610-253-7191, extension 1112.
Hellertown requires a sidewalk inspection before the deed transfers
Hellertown Borough states that Ordinance 683 sets the sidewalk inspection requirements and that all properties up for sale need to schedule a sidewalk inspection and make any repairs to failed sidewalks and curbs before any deed transfer. The Borough puts the inspection and all incurred costs on the property owner as seller, not the buyer. Concrete work is weather dependent, so on a Hellertown listing the inspection should be ordered at listing rather than after the agreement is signed. The Borough issues occupancy permits for newly constructed properties and when an existing structure has a change in use.
Easton gives a rental buyer 30 days to apply for a new license
Easton City Code section 456-2B requires the new owner or operator of a rental to register the transfer by applying for a new rental license within 30 days of the time of acquisition. Section 456-7 requires the seller to include in or with the agreement or instrument of sale a copy of any outstanding notice or order issued by the Department of Planning and Codes. Section 435-7F makes it unlawful for an owner under a compliance order or notice of violation to sell until it is complied with, unless the owner gives the buyer a true copy and delivers to the Code Official a signed and notarized statement from the buyer accepting responsibility for the repairs without condition.
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.
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.
- Northampton County Recorder of Deeds
- Northampton County Recorder of Deeds fee schedule, effective December 1, 2025
- Northampton County, Our Communities
- City of Bethlehem Article 335, Realty Transfer Tax
- Palmer Township Code Chapter 173, Article IV, Real Estate Transfer Tax
- Lower Mount Bethel Township Code Chapter 24, Part 3, Realty Transfer Tax
- City of Bethlehem Article 119, Registration, Sale and Transfer of Real Estate
- City of Bethlehem Article 1731, Inspections
- Bethlehem Township Property Maintenance and Resale/Lease Inspection Program
- Bethlehem Township fee schedule, effective June 1, 2025
- Bethlehem Township resale application
- Hanover Township Resale Property Inspection
- Hanover Township 2026 fee schedule
- Palmer Township Building Codes and Permits
- Hellertown Borough FAQ
- City of Easton Code Chapter 456, Property Registration
- City of Easton Code Chapter 435, Property Maintenance
- PA DCED Municipal Statistics, 2026 tax register
- PA Department of Revenue, Realty Transfer Tax
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FAQ
Northampton County questions.
Do you provide transaction coordination in Northampton County, PA?
Yes. Precision Leverage Solutions works exclusively with Keller Williams agents and coordinates transactions throughout Northampton 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 Northampton County?
Realty transfer tax is 2% across the county: 1% to the Commonwealth, 0.5% to the municipality, and 0.5% to the school district. The PA DCED Municipal Statistics tax register for 2026 lists a 1% combined local rate for 35 of the 38 municipalities. The other three, the City of Bethlehem, Palmer Township, and Lower Mount Bethel Township, each sit in two school districts and appear in the register with doubled figures, one row per school district. For Bethlehem the City ordinance settles it: Article 335 imposes 1% and automatically halves the City rate where another political subdivision taxes the same transfer. For Palmer Township the Township Code settles it: section 173-47 sets the township tax at $0.50 for each $100, which is 0.5%. Lower Mount Bethel Township Code section 24-302 states a rate of 1% and the code text does not address the school district share, so confirm the local rate on a Lower Mount Bethel deed with the Recorder at 610-829-6210 before drafting the settlement statement. A Statement of Value (REV-183) filed with a deed costs $2.00 and counts toward the page count.
How much does it cost to record a deed in Northampton County?
$76.25 for a deed plus $10.00 per parcel certification, effective December 1, 2025, through the Northampton County Recorder of Deeds. The December 1, 2025 schedule is the current one. The $76.25 deed fee covers four pages and four names, and a single-parcel deed therefore totals $86.25 with the parcel certification. Each single-sided page over four is $2.00, each name over four is $0.50 counting all parties, and a Statement of Value is $2.00 and is included in the page count. A mortgage is also $76.25 plus parcel certification. The office is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and recording that requires PIN certification concludes at 4:00 p.m. No personal checks are accepted: only business checks, certified checks, money orders, or cash, payable to Recorder of Deeds, with no more than five documents per check. Maximum document size is 8.5 by 11 inches, legal-size paper draws a $10.00 penalty fee, and a self-addressed stamped envelope with sufficient postage is required for returns.
How much does a transaction coordinator cost in Northampton 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.
Does the City of Bethlehem require a certificate of occupancy when a home is sold?
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.
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