Sell your house fast in West Englewood
Frame cottages and brick two-flats built before 1940, single-family houses near Ashland and 63rd and homes along the old rail lines: we buy West Englewood houses as-is, for cash, on your schedule.
- Cash offer within 24 hours
- No repairs, fees or commissions
- We pay normal closing costs
Your West Englewood cash offer
No obligation. We never sell your info. Prefer to talk? Call or text (773) 825-9855.
Selling a house in West Englewood
West Englewood is community area 67 on Chicago’s Southwest Side, covering about three square miles. Garfield Boulevard is the north edge and Racine Avenue the east. The CSX and Norfolk Southern tracks run along the west side, and the Belt Railway of Chicago marks the south. Englewood is across Racine, with New City, Gage Park, Chicago Lawn and Auburn Gresham around the other sides. The 2020 census counted about 29,600 people. Neighborhood names include Hermitage Park and Murray Park.
This was once called Junction Grove, after the junction of the Rock Island and Wabash rail lines, and the Junction Grove Playlot Park keeps the name. Chicago annexed the area in 1889 along with the Town of Lake. The CTA Green Line’s Ashland branch ends at 63rd Street and Ashland Avenue, and 63rd Street is the main commercial corridor. The West Englewood branch library is at 1745 W. 63rd Street. The Lindblom building on Wolcott Avenue has received preliminary Chicago landmark status.
West Englewood has some of the oldest housing on the South Side. Per CMAP, 53 percent of homes were built before 1940 and the median year built is 1937. Detached single-family houses make up about 53 percent of the housing and two-flats another 26 percent, with three- and four-flats at about 11 percent. That mix of frame and brick houses and two-flats from before the Second World War is what most sellers here are working with. CMAP also counts roughly one in five housing units as vacant.
Some houses here have been fully rehabbed and will do well on the open market. If yours is one of them, we’ll say so. A cash sale fits better for a 1910s or 1920s house that still has old paint, plumbing and wiring, a two-flat with tenants, a vacant house or an inherited property the heirs would rather not fix.
What to expect
You call or fill out the form, we set a time, and we walk the house together. Our cash offer comes within a day, along with the repair estimate and the sales we compared. When you’re ready, you name the closing date and sign at a local title company. Leave the normal closing costs to us.
What the city asks for in a West Englewood sale
- Real property transfer tax. Chicago puts $3.75 per $500 on the buyer and a $1.50 per $500 CTA tax on the seller. Illinois charges $0.50 and Cook County $0.25 per $500. On a sale to us, both the seller’s and the buyer’s shares are ours.
- Full Payment Certificate. Before the sale can record, the Department of Finance certifies the water and sewer account is paid in full or settled from the sale.
- Zoning certification. The city confirms the legal unit count for residential buildings of five or fewer units. Your two-flat needs one before it transfers.
- Tenant leases. If a unit is rented, the lease stays in force and the deposit moves to the buyer at closing. Owner-occupied buildings of six or fewer units are exempt from the city’s landlord-tenant ordinance.
- Lead paint disclosure. Federal law requires sellers of homes built before 1978 to disclose any known lead-based paint and give the buyer an EPA pamphlet.
Your title company double-checks each of these for the address before closing.
West Englewood: two paths to a sale
| Sell to us | List with an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Repairs and paint | We buy as-is, old paint included | Inspectors flag peeling paint and old systems |
| Showings | One appointment | Weeks of showings |
| Commission | Zero commission | Customarily a seller expense |
| Closing costs | We pay them | Seller pays |
| Tenants | Can stay where they are | Showings need tenant cooperation |
| Timing | 2–3 weeks or a date you choose | Weeks to months, then 30–45 days to close |
| Certainty | Cash with no financing | Lender conditions can stall |
| Price | Below retail, priced for condition | Top price for updated homes |
With a median build year of 1937, most West Englewood houses have had several owners and several rounds of repairs. If yours has a newer roof, updated electric and fresh paint, listing could net more. If it still has original systems or a rented unit, our offer is worth a side-by-side look.
Pre-1940 houses and lead paint
More than half of West Englewood’s homes were built before 1940, decades before lead-based paint was banned for housing in 1978. That doesn’t mean every house has a problem, but it does mean federal disclosure rules apply when you sell. You have to share any lead paint information you know about, provide the EPA pamphlet and, on most retail sales, give the buyer a chance to test.
On a listed sale, peeling paint on windows, porches and trim often shows up as a repair request or a lender condition. We buy older West Englewood houses with the paint as it is. You still fill out the required disclosure form, but we waive the testing period, so nothing holds up the contract and no paint work for you to do before closing.
Three steps. You pick the closing date.
- Tell us about the house
Fill out the form or call (773) 825-9855. A few quick questions, no pressure.
- Get a fair cash offer in 24 hours
We look at the house with you and show you how we got the number. No obligation.
- Close on your date
As soon as 2–3 weeks, or take more time. We close at a local title company and pay your closing costs.
Common reasons West Englewood owners sell
Nearby areas we buy
West Englewood FAQ
My house was built in the 1920s. Do I have to test for lead before selling?
No. You must disclose what you know and give the buyer the EPA pamphlet, but testing isn’t required of the seller. We buy older houses with the paint as is.
Do you buy frame houses in West Englewood?
Yes. We buy frame and brick houses, two-flats and small buildings across the area, in any condition.
Can my tenant stay after you buy the two-flat?
Yes. The lease stays in place and the security deposit transfers at closing.
What does the zoning certification cost me?
The city’s filing fee is $120. On a sale to us, it’s our cost.
Who pays Chicago’s transfer tax on a sale to you?
We do, including the CTA portion that normally falls on the seller, plus the county and state taxes.
How soon could you close on a house near 63rd and Ashland?
About 2–3 weeks in most cases. Pick a later date if packing will take a while.