Learning the Philly Market – What Do Investors Look for in a Good Deal?

Question

Hi everyone, I’m new to wholesaling and based in Philadelphia. I’ve been educating myself heavily on acquisitions, ARV analysis, and structuring win-win deals.

I’m currently working on building my pipeline and I’d really like to connect with experienced investors, cash buyers, or anyone actively closing deals in the Philly market.

What advice would you give to a new wholesaler who’s serious about doing things the right way and providing value to investors?

Also, I’m curious — how do most investors here prefer to be contacted about deals?
Feel free to share any insights or drop me a message. Appreciate the community.

Eric N. · Answer

First of all, welcome to the game — and props for putting in the work to educate yourself before jumping in.

That said, you need to know that Pennsylvania recently passed a law that severely restricts wholesaling activity. It’s part of a broader trend where established players in the real estate industry team up with lawmakers to pass legislation that effectively locks out newer competition. While many of these laws are driven by political and financial motivations — and in some cases are questionably legal — once they’re on the books, violating them makes you directly liable. So you have to be smart about your approach.

Your first step should be to consult with a seasoned, investor-friendly real estate attorney who is familiar with wholesaling in PA. Ask them directly: “Can I wholesale in Pennsylvania, and if so, how do I do it legally?” Don’t rely solely on online advice — the legal consequences are too steep.

If you're cleared to proceed, a few key principles will help protect you:

• Transparency is everything. Add a simple clause to your Purchase and Sale Agreement (PSA) stating that you reserve the right to assign the contract to a third party.
• Include a clause clearly stating you are not a licensed real estate agent or broker, and you are acting solely as a Principal — meaning you’re buying for yourself and not representing the seller or any buyer.
• Review those clauses with the seller in person or on a call. Make sure they fully understand what they’re signing. This helps avoid issues later, especially from unethical sellers who might try to cut you out once you bring them a buyer. They will accuse you of misrepresentation to breach the contract with impunity, so don't let them do it by making sure your contract is properly written and is fully transparent.

Transparency is everything. Add a simple clause to your Purchase and Sale Agreement (PSA) stating that you reserve the right to assign the contract to a third party.

Include a clause clearly stating you are not a licensed real estate agent or broker, and you are acting solely as a Principal — meaning you’re buying for yourself and not representing the seller or any buyer.

Review those clauses with the seller in person or on a call. Make sure they fully understand what they’re signing. This helps avoid issues later, especially from unethical sellers who might try to cut you out once you bring them a buyer. They will accuse you of misrepresentation to breach the contract with impunity, so don't let them do it by making sure your contract is properly written and is fully transparent.

Unfortunately, even if you follow the law to the letter, PA's new rules allow the seller to cancel the contract within 30 days for any reason. So there's a real risk of doing all the work — finding the deal, finding the buyer — only to get cut out in the end. You may want to consider focusing on states with more investor-friendly wholesaling laws while you get your footing.

As for finding buyers: if the deal is truly good, selling it is the easy part. A strong deal practically markets itself. Start by posting in Facebook investor groups, InvestorLift, and similar platforms. Over time, you’ll want to attend local investor meetups and networking events in Philly to build your own cash buyer list. That network becomes one of your biggest assets.

Last thing — remember: bad deals don’t sell, no matter how good your buyer list is. Focus on finding deeply discounted properties. If you bring real value to the table, you’ll build your reputation fast.

Best of luck — and stay compliant out there.

James McGovern · Answer

I would think it would be easy to find below market real estate near Kensington