Sell your house fast in Pilsen
Three-flats on Cullerton and 21st Street, brick cottages near Harrison Park and storefront buildings on 18th Street: we buy Pilsen property in its current condition, tenants included, and you pick the closing day.
- Cash offer within 24 hours
- No repairs, fees or commissions
- We pay normal closing costs
Your Pilsen cash offer
No obligation. We never sell your info. Prefer to talk? Call or text (773) 825-9855.
Selling a house in Pilsen
Pilsen sits in the Lower West Side, community area 31, about three miles southwest of the Loop. The neighborhood itself runs from 16th Street south to the Stevenson Expressway and the river, and from the Dan Ryan west to Ashland Avenue. West of Ashland to Western is the part known as Heart of Chicago. The Near West Side is across the 16th Street tracks to the north, and Little Village is west of Western. The whole community area had about 33,800 people in the 2020 Census.
The Pink Line stops at 18th Street, Damen and Western, and Metra’s BNSF line stops at Halsted Street and Western Avenue. 18th Street is the main commercial street, and Blue Island Avenue, Cermak Road and Halsted are busy too. Halsted’s east side holds a large arts district. Factories, rail yards and the South Branch shaped the area. The Schoenhofen Brewery at 18th Street and Canalport once filled 17 buildings, and its powerhouse and administration building became Chicago Landmarks in 1988.
Some of Pilsen’s buildings survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and the area was formally founded in 1878. The large Pilsen Historic District, centered near 21st and Wood, was added to the National Register in 2006. Housing is old and dense. CMAP counts 58 percent of units built before 1940, a median build year of 1933, and about a third of all units in three- and four-unit buildings. Two-flats make up another fifth, and five- to nine-unit buildings about a fifth more. Expect brick and frame cottages, Victorian-era brick flats, courtyard buildings and corner storefronts with apartments above.
Newer condos and townhouses are mostly on the east side. A remodeled flat or newer condo often sells well on the market. A cash sale fits better for an original three-flat with tenants, a cottage with a sinking foundation or old wiring, a storefront building with an empty shop, or a property tied up in an estate.
What to expect
Call or use the form to set a time for us to see the building. A written cash offer follows within 24 hours, with our repair estimate and the Pilsen sales we compared. If it works, you name the closing date, which can be about 2–3 weeks out. A local title company closes the deal, and we pay the normal closing costs.
What Chicago requires when you sell in Pilsen
- Transfer taxes. The city portion is $3.75 per $500, usually charged to the buyer, and the CTA portion is $1.50 per $500, usually charged to the seller. State stamps run $0.50 and county stamps $0.25 per $500. Every one of them is on us when we buy.
- Full Payment Certificate. No deed gets stamped until Chicago confirms the water and sewer bill is paid up.
- Zoning certification. Buildings of five or fewer residential units need this city document. Many Pilsen buildings have garden or rear units, so this step confirms the legal count. Condos are exempt.
- Tenants. Most rentals here fall under the RLTO. Owner-occupied buildings with six or fewer units are excluded. Deposits and interest are credited to the buyer, and tenants receive written notice.
- Mixed-use buildings. If the ground floor is a shop, the commercial lease is assigned to the buyer at closing along with the apartment leases.
Before you sign closing papers, the title company verifies each requirement for your address.
Selling in Pilsen: cash offer or agent listing
| Sell to us | List with an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Repairs/updates | As-is, nothing to fix | Usually needed to get top dollar |
| Showings | One visit | Showings in every unit |
| Commission | No commission | Commonly a percentage of the sale |
| Closing costs | We pay them | Seller pays |
| Tenants | Stay in place | Need notice for every showing |
| Timing | About 2–3 weeks, or later if you like | Months on market and in escrow |
| Certainty | Cash in hand, no lender | Loan approval can derail it |
| Price | Below retail, priced for condition | Top price for updated homes |
In Pilsen, a three-flat built before 1920 and a condo from the 2000s are very different sales. A newer or fully rehabbed property may net more with an agent. An original multi-unit building with tenants, deferred masonry or an unlicensed garden unit is where a cash offer saves the most time.
Selling a Pilsen three-flat or four-flat
Three- and four-unit buildings are the most common type in the Lower West Side. Many are brick fronts with frame rear additions, a garden unit below, and porches and stairs at the back. The usual big-ticket items are tuckpointing, rear porches that need permitted rebuilds, roofs, boilers and old wiring.
When you sell one of these to us, the tenants stay. Bring the leases or a rent roll, and the title company credits deposits and prorates rent at closing. If one unit was added without permits, we take that into account instead of asking you to legalize or remove it first. You can also sell a storefront building with an empty or occupied shop on the ground floor.
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 Pilsen owners sell
Nearby areas we buy
Pilsen FAQ
Do you buy three-flats with tenants in Pilsen?
Yes. Tenants stay, and their leases and deposits move to us at closing.
Is Pilsen the official community area name?
No. Pilsen is part of the Lower West Side, community area 31, which also includes Heart of Chicago.
Does the Pilsen Historic District stop me from selling?
No. National Register listing does not limit who can buy a private building, and we buy inside the district.
My building has a garden unit that may not be legal. Can I sell?
Yes. The zoning certification shows the legal unit count, and we price the building on that basis.
Who pays the CTA portion of the transfer tax?
The seller, as a rule. Sell to us and that cost is ours, and so are the city, county and state stamps.
Will you buy a storefront building on 18th Street?
Yes. We buy mixed-use buildings with shops below and apartments above, occupied or vacant.