Sell your house fast in Austin
Queen Anne houses in Midway Park, brick three-flats near Madison Street and bungalows in North Austin and Galewood all come up for sale here, and we buy Austin homes as-is for cash on your schedule.
- Cash offer within 24 hours
- No repairs, fees or commissions
- We pay normal closing costs
Your Austin cash offer
No obligation. We never sell your info. Prefer to talk? Call or text (773) 825-9855.
Selling a house in Austin
Austin is community area 25 on Chicago’s West Side, about seven miles from the Loop. By land it is the city’s second-largest community area, and with about 96,600 people in the 2020 Census it ranks third by population. Austin Boulevard divides it from Oak Park, Roosevelt Road forms the southern edge across from the town of Cicero, and the Belt Railway just east of Cicero Avenue forms the eastern edge. To the north, Galewood stretches west to Harlem Avenue next to Elmwood Park.
Developer Henry W. Austin bought about 470 acres in 1865 for a planned settlement called Austinville, and the area stayed part of Cicero Township until an 1899 vote annexed it to Chicago. Transit shaped what came next. The Lake Street L, now the Green Line, the Chicago and North Western tracks and streetcars on Madison, Chicago Avenue and Lake Street all drew new building. The Blue Line runs in the Eisenhower Expressway median through the southern part, and Metra’s Milwaukee District West Line stops at Galewood and Mars.
Austin’s landmarks include Columbus Park, a 1920 prairie-style park by Jens Jensen with a lagoon and golf course, and Austin Town Hall, built in 1929 and modeled on Independence Hall. The Midway Park district, north of Central and Lake, was listed on the National Register in 1985 for its Queen Anne and neoclassical houses, including work by Frederick Schock and Frank Lloyd Wright and his students. The Austin Historic District and several individual Chicago Landmarks are nearby.
The housing changes from north to south. North Austin and Galewood have brick bungalows, two-flats and small frame houses. South Austin has three-flats, rowhouses, corner apartment blocks and courtyard buildings. Regional planning data shows about half the homes were built before 1940 and nearly half are in two- to four-unit buildings. A restored Victorian or a renovated two-flat often sells well with an agent. A cash sale is a better match for a building with tenants, a vacant house, open violations or an estate that needs to settle.
What to expect
Here is how it works. You tell us about the property, we schedule one visit, and you get a written cash offer within 24 hours. We go over the repair estimate and the numbers with you. If you accept, a local title company prepares everything and closes on the date you pick, as early as 2–3 weeks out. We pay the normal closing costs.
Selling in Austin: Chicago rules to know
- Transfer taxes, all covered. Chicago’s transfer tax is $3.75 per $500 for the city, a buyer cost by default, and $1.50 per $500 for the CTA, a seller cost by default. The state’s $0.50 and the county’s $0.25 per $500 come on top. Sell to us and the whole amount is ours to pay.
- Paid-up water account. The Department of Finance must issue a Full Payment Certificate before the city will sell transfer stamps. If there is a water or sewer balance, it comes out of the sale at closing.
- Zoning certification. Required for most residential sales of buildings with five or fewer units, from a bungalow to a three-flat. Condos are not included.
- Vacant buildings. If a house or flat has no one legally living in it, the owner must register it with the Department of Buildings within 30 days, and deregister within 20 days after selling.
- Rental units. Tenant deposits and interest move to the buyer at closing under the city’s landlord-tenant ordinance, with written notice to tenants within 10 days.
- Probate. Estates for Chicago properties are handled at the Daley Center.
Because rules change and each building is different, the title company confirms what your sale needs.
Your Austin property: two ways to sell
| Sell to us | List with an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Repairs/updates | We buy it as it stands | Often needed before or after inspection |
| Showings | One visit | Many, sometimes with tenants home |
| Commission | None | Usually a percentage of the price |
| Closing costs | We pay them | Seller pays |
| Timing | As soon as 2–3 weeks | Commonly 60–90 days or more |
| Certainty | Cash, no lender approval | Lender can reject a building in poor shape |
| Price | Below retail, priced for condition | Top price for restored homes |
| City violations | We can buy with open violations | Usually must be addressed first |
Austin has everything from 1890s frame Victorians to 1920s brick three-flats and bungalows. A restored house can bring a strong price on the market. Older flats with deferred work, open violations or tenants are where a direct cash sale usually makes more sense.
Selling a Victorian or historic house in Austin
Some of Austin’s oldest houses are in the Midway Park and Austin historic districts, where frame Queen Anne and neoclassical homes from the late 1800s and early 1900s still stand. A National Register listing honors a district but does not, on its own, require private owners to restore anything before selling. Houses that are individually designated Chicago Landmarks do have city review for exterior permit work, so a buyer will want to know if yours is one.
Big old houses take big upkeep: wood siding and trim, slate or older roofs, knob-and-tube wiring and boilers. If you have kept up with it, an agent who knows historic homes may serve you well. If the work has gotten ahead of you, we buy these houses in their current condition and you skip the repairs.
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 Austin owners sell
Nearby areas we buy
Austin FAQ
Do you buy Victorian houses in Austin’s historic districts?
Yes. We buy older frame and brick homes in Midway Park and the rest of Austin in any condition.
Can I sell an Austin building that has open city violations?
Yes. We can buy with violations open, and the title company will tell us about any that show up on the record.
My two-flat near Madison Street has been empty for months. Is it a fit?
Yes. We buy vacant buildings. If it qualifies as vacant, it should be registered with the city, and you deregister within 20 days after selling.
Do you buy bungalows in Galewood and North Austin?
Yes. Brick bungalows in Galewood and North Austin are a common type we buy.
Will I pay Chicago’s transfer tax when I sell to you?
No. We pay the city and CTA portions along with the state and county transfer taxes.
Can you close around my move to the suburbs?
Yes. We can close in about 2–3 weeks or pick a later date, so your move and the closing line up.