Sell your house fast in Little Village
Most homes off 26th Street are brick two-flats and three-flats built before World War I, with frame houses mixed in, and we buy Little Village buildings as-is for cash with the closing date up to you.
- Cash offer within 24 hours
- No repairs, fees or commissions
- We pay normal closing costs
Your Little Village cash offer
No obligation. We never sell your info. Prefer to talk? Call or text (773) 825-9855.
Selling a house in Little Village
Little Village sits in South Lawndale, which is community area 30 on the West Side. The official name covers the whole area, with Little Village making up the dense western and central blocks and Marshall Square to the east. It is wedge-shaped. Cermak Road runs roughly along the north edge, the Stevenson Expressway along the south, Western Avenue on the east and Cicero Avenue on the west, with the town of Cicero beyond. Rail lines, industrial land and the Sanitary and Ship Canal wrap around the residential core. The 2020 Census counted about 71,400 people in South Lawndale.
26th Street is the main commercial strip, two miles of shops that had filled in by the 1920s. The Little Village Arch over 26th Street just west of Albany was designed by architect Adrián Lozano and built in 1990, and it is now a Chicago Landmark. Piotrowski Park is the largest park, with Shedd Park and Washtenaw Park nearby. The former Crawford Generating Station, with its tall smokestack, was a long-time landmark until the city permitted its demolition in 2020.
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad arrived in 1862. In 1871 Alden Millard and Edwin Decker laid out a subdivision they called Lawndale, between Cermak, 26th Street, Hamlin and Homan, and the park in that plan is today’s Shedd Park. The McCormick Reaper plant opened at 27th and Western in 1873, and Western Electric’s Hawthorne Works opened just over the line in Cicero in 1905. Housing went up fast around them, and by the 1920s the neighborhood was fully built.
That history explains the housing. Regional planning data shows about 63 percent of homes were built before 1940 and about 60 percent are in two- to four-unit buildings, with two-flats the single most common type. A renovated two-flat with good tenants can do well on the market. We are a better fit for flats that need porch, roof or boiler work, buildings with leases you don’t want to manage through a listing, or property that heirs need to sell and split.
What to expect
Call us or send the form, and we will set up a time to see the building. Within 24 hours you have a written cash offer, and we go over every number with you. If you say yes, a local title company handles the closing, including the city certificates and any payoffs. Closing can be in 2–3 weeks or on the later date you choose. We pay the normal closing costs.
Little Village sale: what Chicago requires
- City, CTA, state and county transfer tax. Chicago’s portion is $3.75 per $500, which the buyer customarily pays, and the CTA portion is $1.50 per $500, which the seller customarily pays. Illinois charges $0.50 and Cook County $0.25 per $500 on top. Selling to us means we pay every one of them.
- Full Payment Certificate. No transfer stamps are issued until the Department of Finance confirms the water and sewer charges are paid. Any balance is cleared from the sale proceeds.
- Zoning certification. A two-flat or three-flat sale needs one, since the city requires it for residential buildings with five or fewer units. It certifies how many units are legal.
- Tenants. Deposits and the interest owed on them are credited to the buyer at closing, and Chicago’s landlord-tenant ordinance requires written notice to tenants within 10 days of the transfer.
- Probate. If the building is part of an estate, the case is heard in the Probate Division at the Daley Center, and the executor signs once authorized.
The title company confirms the full list for your building before closing day.
Little Village two-flats: cash offer or listing?
| Sell to us | List with an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Repairs/updates | Not required | Expected by most financed buyers |
| Showings | One walk-through | Several, scheduled with tenants |
| Commission | None | Usually a percentage of the price |
| Closing costs | We pay them | Seller pays |
| Timing | 2–3 weeks, or your date | Several months is common |
| Certainty | Cash, no loan contingency | Two-flat loans can take longer to approve |
| Price | Below retail, priced for condition | Top price for renovated buildings |
| Lead paint disclosure | You disclose what you know, no repair requests | Buyers may ask for a lead inspection |
Almost every building in Little Village predates 1940, and most are two- and three-flats. A renovated building with leases in place may sell well with an agent. An original building with tired porches, older wiring or tenants who would rather not have showings is where a cash sale is easier.
Selling an older Little Village building
Because the neighborhood was built out by the 1920s, nearly every home here predates 1978. Federal rules require sellers and landlords of housing built before 1978 to disclose any known lead-based paint and hazards, give the buyer an EPA information pamphlet, and include a lead warning in the contract. Buyers usually get a 10-day window for a lead inspection, which they can waive.
Those rules apply to every sale, including one to us. The difference is what happens next. On the open market, an inspection can turn into requests for repairs or a lower price. We buy the building as it is, so there is no repair list to negotiate. You sign the disclosure telling us what you know, and we account for the age of the building in our offer from the start.
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 Little Village owners sell
Nearby areas we buy
Little Village FAQ
Do you buy two-flats and three-flats in Little Village?
Yes. They are the most common buildings here, and we buy them with or without tenants and in any condition.
Is Little Village the same as South Lawndale?
Yes, for city purposes. South Lawndale is the official community area, and Little Village makes up most of it.
My building is over 100 years old and was never updated. Will you make an offer?
Yes. We price the building for its current condition, and you don’t need to repair or update anything first.
Do I have to do lead paint testing before selling?
No testing is required of the seller. You do have to disclose any lead paint you know about, as with any sale of a pre-1978 home.
Who pays the transfer taxes if I sell my building to you?
We pay the city, CTA, Illinois and Cook County transfer taxes when you sell to us.
Several of us inherited the building. Can we still sell it quickly?
Yes, once everyone on title or the estate’s representative can sign. The title company handles splitting the proceeds at closing.