Sell your house fast in Burnside
Inside the small triangle of rail lines near 95th Street, Burnside is mostly older single-family houses with a few two-flats on the side streets. We buy Burnside houses as-is for cash, on a closing date you set.
- Cash offer within 24 hours
- No repairs, fees or commissions
- We pay normal closing costs
Your Burnside cash offer
No obligation. We never sell your info. Prefer to talk? Call or text (773) 825-9855.
Selling a house in Burnside
Burnside is community area 47 on Chicago’s Far South Side. At about 0.6 square miles, it is the smallest of the city’s 77 community areas, a triangle bounded on every side by railroad tracks: the Canadian National line on the west, the Norfolk Southern on the east and the Union Pacific on the south. Chatham is to the west, Avalon Park to the north, Calumet Heights to the east, and Pullman and Roseland to the south. The 2020 census counted about 2,500 people.
The railroads came before most of the houses. In the 1890s the Illinois Central began building a roundhouse and repair shop near 95th Street and South Park Boulevard, now King Drive, and the railroad put a station at 95th Street. Developer W. V. Jacobs bought land inside the triangle and began building homes. Factory work at the Burnside rail shops, the Pullman Company and the Burnside Steel Mill was close at hand until the mills and the Pullman plant closed between the 1960s and 1981.
Today Burnside is mostly single-family houses. CMAP counts about 61 percent of homes as detached houses, with two-flats near 9 percent and three- and four-unit buildings about 6 percent. Roughly 38 percent of homes were built before 1940 and another quarter between 1940 and 1969, with a later round of building from 1990 to 2009. Buses on 95th Street connect west to the Red Line’s 95th Street terminal.
If the house has newer mechanicals and finishes, listing it may net you more, and we will tell you that. We are the better fit for a house with original wiring, plumbing or heating, a roof or foundation that needs work, a vacant house, or an inherited home where the heirs want one clear price and a set date.
What to expect
Reach out by phone or the form and we’ll come see the house. Inside 24 hours a written cash offer arrives, listing our repair estimate and the sales we used, including how we handled the small number of Burnside sales. Accept it and choose a closing day. The deal closes at a local title company, and we cover customary closing costs.
City steps for selling a Burnside house
- Transfer taxes. The CTA portion, $1.50 per $500 of the price, is the piece Chicago puts on sellers. The main city tax of $3.75 per $500 goes to the buyer, and Illinois and Cook County charge $0.50 and $0.25 per $500 more. Sell to us and none of these comes from you.
- Full Payment Certificate. No transfer stamps are issued on a Burnside deed until the city signs off that water and sewer charges are paid up. The title company requests it.
- Zoning certification. Selling a residential building with five or fewer units, from a single house to a two-flat, requires a zoning certification from the city. Condos and co-ops are excluded.
- Property taxes. Because Cook County taxes trail by a year, your share of this year’s bill becomes a buyer credit on the settlement statement.
- Probate. A house still titled to an owner who has died often needs a Cook County probate case, heard at the Daley Center, before it can be sold.
Rules do change, so the title company verifies what applies to your house before closing.
Burnside house: cash sale or listing?
| Sell to us | List with an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Repairs/updates | No repairs. We buy as it is. | Often needed to pass a loan inspection |
| Showings | One visit | Several showings and open houses |
| Commission | None charged | Typically a percentage of price |
| Closing costs | We pay them | Seller pays |
| Appraisal | None. We buy with cash. | Few local sales can make appraisals harder |
| Timing | Close in 2–3 weeks or on your date | Market time plus 30–45 days to close |
| Certainty | No loan contingency | Buyer financing can fall apart |
| Price | Below retail, priced for condition | Top price for updated homes |
Burnside is mostly older detached houses in a small area with few sales each year. An updated house in good shape can still do well with an agent. One that needs a roof, a furnace or a full interior update is where our offer is worth comparing with what you would net after repairs and commissions.
Pricing a house in a small community area
Burnside is the smallest community area in Chicago, with a little over a thousand housing units, so only a few houses sell here in a typical year. That matters most when a buyer is using a loan. The lender’s appraiser needs recent, similar sales to support the price, and in a small area like this they often have to reach across the rail lines into Chatham, Avalon Park or Calumet Heights, where houses can differ in age and size.
A low appraisal can force a price cut or end a deal late in the process. Because we pay cash, there is no appraisal on our side. When we send our offer, we show you the sales we compared, inside Burnside and nearby, and how we adjusted for your house’s condition. You can check the math yourself before you decide.
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 Burnside owners sell
Nearby areas we buy
Burnside FAQ
Do you buy houses inside the Burnside rail triangle?
Yes. We buy single-family houses and two-flats anywhere in Burnside, in any condition.
Burnside has so few sales. How do you price my house?
We use the recent Burnside sales we can find plus similar houses in the areas around it, then adjust for your house’s condition. We show you those sales with the offer.
My furnace and wiring are original. Do I need to update them?
No. We price that work into our offer and buy the house as it is.
Does my two-flat need a zoning certification?
Yes. Residential buildings with five or fewer units need one at sale. The title company or your attorney orders it after the contract is signed.
Will I owe any transfer tax on a Burnside sale?
No. When we buy, we pay every transfer tax on the deed: city, CTA, county and state.
Can I stay in the house for a few weeks after we agree?
Yes. You pick the closing date, so you can set it far enough out to pack and move.