Sell your house fast in Calumet Heights
Brick homes with built-in garages on Pill Hill, postwar houses on the side streets of Stony Island Heights, 1920s apartment buildings near Stony Island and 87th: we buy Calumet Heights property for cash, as it stands.
- Cash offer within 24 hours
- No repairs, fees or commissions
- We pay normal closing costs
Your Calumet Heights cash offer
No obligation. We never sell your info. Prefer to talk? Call or text (773) 825-9855.
Selling a house in Calumet Heights
Calumet Heights is community area 48 on Chicago’s Far South Side. It runs from 87th Street south to the rail lines along 95th Street, with South Chicago Avenue on the east and rail tracks on the west. Avalon Park is to the north, South Chicago to the east, South Deering to the south, and Burnside and Pullman to the west and southwest. The 2020 Census counted about 13,100 people. It has two main residential sections: Stony Island Heights, which covers about the eastern two-thirds, and Pill Hill.
The land changed hands early but built out late. The Calumet and Chicago Canal and Dock Company bought the Stony Island ridge in the 1870s and held it. A railroad and rail yards came along the west edge in 1881, and a quarry near 92nd Street brought a small settlement. Developer Samuel E. Gross bought part of the land in 1887 and laid out the Calumet Heights subdivision, and the area became part of Chicago when Hyde Park Township was annexed in 1889. Stony Island Avenue is the main road, and a shopping area grew around Stony Island and 87th after World War II.
The housing came in two main waves. In the 1920s, single-family homes went up across the area, with apartment buildings west of Stony Island between 87th and 91st Streets. Building nearly stopped in the Depression, then picked up again after the war, when the old quarry at 92nd Street was filled and small homes were built on top. About 60 percent of today’s homes date from 1940–1969 and about 29 percent from before 1940, per CMAP. About 70 percent are detached single-family houses, and three- and four-unit buildings make up about 13 percent. Pill Hill, roughly between 91st and 95th Streets and Paxton and Cregier Avenues, sits on the Stony Island ridge and is known for larger homes with built-in one-car garages.
A well-kept brick house here can bring a good price on the open market. Cash usually fits better when a house still has its original boiler, wiring and kitchen, when a three- or four-flat has tenants and repairs, when the foundation or basement needs work, or when you inherited the house and want a clean, quick sale.
What to expect
Get in touch by phone or online, and we set a time to see the house. Within a day you have a cash offer in writing, along with the repair list and sales we used to price it. Choose any closing date that works. A local title company closes it, and we pay the standard closing costs.
Calumet Heights sale: what Chicago asks for
- City and CTA transfer tax. The city charges $3.75 per $500 of the sale price, which buyers typically pay, and the CTA adds $1.50 per $500, which sellers typically pay. State and county stamps come to $0.75 per $500 more. On a sale to us, we pay every dollar of it.
- Water account certificate. A city Full Payment Certificate showing the water and sewer bill is current is needed before stamps are issued.
- Zoning certification. Single-family homes and residential buildings with up to five units, other than condos, need one at sale.
- Rented units. Most three- and four-flats are covered by Chicago’s landlord-tenant ordinance. Tenant deposits and any required interest are credited to the buyer at closing.
- Estate homes. When the owner has died, an estate case at the Daley Center usually comes first, so someone has authority to sign.
The title company reviews these items for your address before the closing date is set.
Calumet Heights: sell to us or list?
| Sell to us | List with an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Repairs/updates | Not needed | Expected by many buyers |
| Showings | One visit only | Ongoing showings while listed |
| Commission | None | A percentage taken at closing |
| Closing costs | We pay them | Seller pays |
| Older systems | Priced into our offer | May come up in inspection or appraisal |
| Timing | Close in 2–3 weeks, or later | Typically 60 days or more |
| Certainty | Cash, no bank approval needed | Loan approval required |
| Price | Below retail, priced for condition | Top price for updated homes |
Calumet Heights is mostly single-family brick homes from the 1920s through the 1960s, with Pill Hill’s larger houses on the ridge and a smaller group of three- and four-flats. An updated home will likely get more on the market. One with original systems, foundation issues or tenants is often easier to sell directly to us.
Selling a house on Pill Hill
Pill Hill is a small, rectangular section of Calumet Heights about eight blocks long, sitting on the Stony Island ridge. Its name is traced to the doctors from nearby South Chicago Hospital who once lived there. The homes are larger than many on the Far South Side, and many have built-in one-car garages and private yards.
Built-in garages and larger homes bring their own repairs. Garage slabs and the floors above them can crack, drainage around tuck-under garages can send water into the house, and a bigger house means a bigger roof, more windows and a larger heating system. When several of these come due at once, selling as-is can make more sense than fixing everything first. We buy Pill Hill homes in their current condition, price the work in and let you choose the closing date.
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 Calumet Heights owners sell
Nearby areas we buy
Calumet Heights FAQ
Do you buy homes on Pill Hill?
Yes. We buy Pill Hill homes in any condition, including those with garage, roof or drainage problems.
Do you buy three- and four-flats in Calumet Heights?
Yes. We buy them with tenants in place, and the leases carry over to us.
My house is near the old quarry site at 92nd Street. Does that matter?
We look at each house’s condition and recent nearby sales. If there is settling or foundation work, we price it in.
Who pays the transfer taxes when I sell to you?
None of it falls on you. We pay the city and CTA tax and the state and county stamps.
Can I sell my mother’s house before probate is done?
Yes, we can sign a contract now and set closing for after the Daley Center court appoints the executor.
How fast could we close?
In as little as 2–3 weeks after you accept, or on a later date you choose.