Sell your house fast in Albany Park
Courtyard buildings near the Kimball Brown Line terminal, two-flats along Lawrence Avenue and bungalows in North Mayfair: we buy Albany Park buildings as-is for cash, with tenants in place, and close when you’re ready.
- Cash offer within 24 hours
- No repairs, fees or commissions
- We pay normal closing costs
Your Albany Park cash offer
No obligation. We never sell your info. Prefer to talk? Call or text (773) 825-9855.
Selling a house in Albany Park
Albany Park is community area 14 on Chicago’s Northwest Side. The North Branch of the Chicago River curves around its north and east edges, Montrose Avenue is its south edge, and the west side reaches past Pulaski into Mayfair and North Mayfair. North Park is to the north, Lincoln Square across the river to the east, Irving Park to the south, and Forest Glen, Jefferson Park and Portage Park to the west. The 2020 Census counted about 48,400 people.
The Brown Line ends here at Kimball and Lawrence, with stops at Kedzie and Francisco too. The Blue Line’s Montrose stop is just south, Metra’s Milwaukee District North Line stops at Mayfair, and the Edens Expressway runs along the west side. Lawrence Avenue is the main commercial street, along with Kedzie, Kimball and Montrose. Parks include Eugene Field, Gompers, Ronan, River Park and Jensen Park, several of them along the river.
Investors bought this land in 1893, and the name came from DeLancy Louderback, a developer from Albany, New York. Electric streetcars arrived in 1896, and in December 1907 the Ravenswood elevated line reached its Kimball terminal. That set off a building boom, and by 1930 the area was mostly built out. Ravenswood Manor, between the river and Sacramento from Montrose to Lawrence, was promoted by developer William E. Harmon and joined the National Register in 2008. North Mayfair has its own bungalow historic district.
Housing is a real mix. About 61 percent of the homes date from before 1940, per CMAP. Detached houses make up 21 percent, two-flats 17 percent, three- and four-flats 19 percent, buildings of five to nine units 20 percent, and larger buildings about a fifth more. That means plenty of two-flats, three-flats and courtyard buildings, plus bungalows west of Pulaski. An updated house in Ravenswood Manor or Mayfair usually lists well. Cash makes more sense for a flat building with tenants, a small apartment building that needs systems work, or an estate property.
What to expect
Give us a call or send the form, and we set one visit. Within 24 hours you get a written cash price with our repair list and the sales we compared. You decide on the closing date, as near as 2–3 weeks away or later. We close through a local title company, and the normal closing costs are our expense.
Albany Park sales: what Chicago asks for
- Transfer taxes. By custom the city’s $3.75 per $500 is a buyer cost and the CTA’s $1.50 per $500 is a seller cost. State and county taxes add $0.75 per $500 between them. In a sale to us, we cover all of it.
- Full Payment Certificate. The city must confirm the water and sewer account is paid before transfer stamps are issued. For larger buildings, the final bill can be sizable, and it is settled at closing.
- Zoning certification. Residential buildings with five or fewer units need one, which covers most two-flats, three-flats and small buildings here. Condos are exempt, and larger buildings follow a different process.
- Tenants and the RLTO. Most rentals are covered by the ordinance, apart from owner-occupied buildings of six or fewer units. The buyer takes over deposits and accrued interest, and each tenant is told in writing.
- Estates. Probate for Cook County properties runs through the Daley Center, and property taxes, billed a year late, are settled as a buyer credit.
The title company verifies each requirement for your building before you sign.
An Albany Park building: cash or the MLS?
| Sell to us | List with an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Repairs/updates | None required | Expected for top price |
| Showings | One walk-through of each unit | Many visits, every unit shown |
| Commission | No commission | A percentage of the price, as a rule |
| Closing costs | We pay them | Seller pays |
| Tenants | Leases and deposits transfer | Buyer financing may need rent rolls and estoppels |
| Timing | Around 2–3 weeks or a later date | Often several months |
| Certainty | Cash, no loan contingency | Commercial or residential loan needed |
| Price | Below retail, priced for condition | Top price for updated homes |
Few areas on the Northwest Side have as many small apartment buildings as Albany Park. A well-run building with updated units can draw several investor offers through an agent. One with an aging boiler, deferred masonry or below-market leases is often a cleaner sale for cash.
Selling a courtyard building or small apartment building
Chicago’s courtyard buildings are U-shaped brick buildings, usually three stories over a raised basement, wrapped around a landscaped court that opens to the street. Most went up between 1910 and 1930, when the Brown Line extension made Albany Park a fast trip downtown. Each entry usually serves two apartments per floor.
Owners of these buildings often deal with the same set of costs: tuckpointing and parapet repairs, a central boiler, back porches, and older wiring and plumbing in every unit. We buy courtyard buildings and other five- to twelve-unit buildings with tenants in place. Send us the rent roll and leases, and we can walk the building and make an offer based on its condition and current rents.
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 Albany Park owners sell
Nearby areas we buy
Albany Park FAQ
Do you buy courtyard buildings in Albany Park?
Yes. We buy courtyard and other small apartment buildings with tenants in place, in any condition.
Is my house in Ravenswood Manor in a historic district?
If it sits between the river, Sacramento, Montrose and Lawrence, it likely is. National Register listing doesn’t limit a private sale.
Do I need a zoning certification for an eight-unit building?
Zoning certification applies to residential buildings of five or fewer units. Your title company confirms what a larger building needs.
Do you pay the transfer taxes in Albany Park?
Yes. All four, city, CTA, Cook County and Illinois, are paid by us on a sale to us.
Can you buy a bungalow in North Mayfair?
Yes. We buy bungalows west of Pulaski in any condition, from original kitchens to wet basements.
What do you need from me to make an offer on a rental building?
A walk-through, plus the leases or a rent roll. If you don’t have those handy, a simple list of units and rents works.