Sell your house fast in Washington Park
Three-flats on the blocks south of Garfield Boulevard, courtyard buildings near the Green Line and older houses facing the Olmsted-designed park itself: we buy Washington Park property as-is for cash and close when you’re ready.
- Cash offer within 24 hours
- No repairs, fees or commissions
- We pay normal closing costs
Your Washington Park cash offer
No obligation. We never sell your info. Prefer to talk? Call or text (773) 825-9855.
Selling a house in Washington Park
Washington Park is community area 40 on Chicago’s South Side. It takes its name from the park on its east side, about 372 acres laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, running from 51st Street south to the Midway Plaisance between Cottage Grove Avenue and King Drive. The community area runs west to the Dan Ryan Expressway and south to 63rd Street. Grand Boulevard is to the north, Hyde Park and Woodlawn to the east, Greater Grand Crossing to the south, and Fuller Park and Englewood across the Dan Ryan. The 2020 census counted about 12,700 people.
The Green Line runs north and south through the area, with stops at 51st Street and Garfield Boulevard, and Red Line trains stop in the Dan Ryan median at Garfield. The old Garfield Boulevard station house and overpass is a Chicago Landmark. Garfield Boulevard, 55th Street, is the main east-west route, and King Drive and Cottage Grove carry traffic north and south. In the park you’ll find the DuSable Museum and Lorado Taft’s Fountain of Time sculpture. Other Chicago Landmarks here include the Raber House on Lafayette Avenue, Engine Company 61 on Wabash and the Pate-Comiskey House on Michigan Avenue.
Most of the housing is in apartment buildings. CMAP counts more than a third of units in buildings of five to nine units and close to 30 percent in buildings of 20 or more. Three- and four-unit buildings add about 14 percent, while detached houses are only around 4 percent. About 39 percent of homes went up before 1940 and another quarter between 1940 and 1969. CMAP also shows about 15 percent of the land as vacant, so many blocks mix older brick buildings, newer infill and empty lots.
Renovated condos and recently rehabbed two-flats can do well on the market. We are usually the better fit for a three-flat with a failing roof or boiler, a building that has been empty and boarded for a while, a property with open building-code cases, or a house that has passed through several heirs and needs a buyer who can wait out the probate paperwork.
What to expect
Phone us or use the form, and we’ll book a walk-through. A written cash offer arrives within a day, showing our repair numbers and the sales we compared. Closing happens at a local title company on the day you choose, and the usual closing costs are covered by us.
What the city needs for a Washington Park sale
- Transfer taxes. For each $500 of the price, the city takes $3.75 as a buyer charge and $1.50 for transit as a seller charge, while the state and county take 50 cents and 25 cents. On a sale to us, the full set is ours.
- Full Payment Certificate. Stamps aren’t issued until the city confirms water and sewer charges are paid in full. Old balances on an empty building are cleared out of the sale at closing.
- Zoning certification. When the building has five or fewer units, the city wants a zoning certification before the sale that lists the legal number of units. It does not apply to condos or co-ops.
- Vacant buildings. An empty building has to be registered with the Department of Buildings and kept secured. If yours has sat empty, we buy it as it is.
- Property taxes. Since Cook County bills come a year late, your months of ownership show up as a buyer credit on the closing statement.
The title company checks each requirement for your address ahead of closing, since city rules do change.
Cash sale or listing in Washington Park?
| Sell to us | List with an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Repairs/updates | Nothing to repair or clean out | Lenders may require fixes first |
| Showings | A single walk-through | Open houses and repeat visits |
| Commission | None | Paid by the seller, typically a percentage |
| Closing costs | We pay them | Seller pays |
| Vacant building | We buy it empty, boarded or open | Few loan buyers will take it on |
| Timing | 2–3 weeks or the date you choose | Often 60–90 days from listing to closing |
| Certainty | Cash offer, no appraisal hurdle | Appraisal or loan can derail it |
| Price | Below retail, priced for condition | Top price for updated homes |
Washington Park’s buildings run from 1890s three-flats to newer infill, with a fair amount of land sitting empty in between. An updated, leased building near the Green Line may be worth listing. A building that has been vacant, has code cases on file or needs a new roof and mechanicals is where our number is worth a look.
Selling an empty building in Washington Park
CMAP counts about 15 percent of Washington Park’s land as vacant, and some of the remaining buildings have been empty for years. In Chicago, an owner has to register a vacant building with the Department of Buildings, keep it secured and keep it insured. Unpaid water bills, boarding costs and building-code cases can pile up while it sits.
Most buyers using a loan can’t buy a building with no working plumbing or heat, so the market for an empty three-flat is often cash buyers only. We buy vacant Washington Park buildings in the condition they are in, boarded or open, with or without code cases. At the walk-through we look at the structure, roof and mechanicals, then build the repair cost into our offer. Any water balance is settled at closing, so you don’t have to clean it out, fix it or fill units before you sell.
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 Washington Park owners sell
Washington Park FAQ
Do you buy three-flats south of Garfield Boulevard?
Yes. We buy three-flats and four-flats across Washington Park, rented or empty, with old mechanicals or recent updates.
My building has been vacant for two years. Can I still sell it?
Yes. We buy vacant buildings as they are, and unpaid water or registration costs can be settled from the sale at closing.
There are open building-code cases on my property. Is that a problem?
No. We review the cases with you and price the needed work into our offer. You don’t need to clear them before selling.
Does a courtyard building need a zoning certification?
Only if it has five or fewer units. Larger courtyard buildings, along with condos and co-ops, fall outside the certification rule.
Who pays the CTA part of the transfer tax?
By default, the seller. On a sale to us, we pay it, and we pay the other transfer taxes too.
I inherited a house near the park. Can I sell before probate is done?
We can sign once the court gives the executor authority to sell. Cook County probate is at the Daley Center, and we can close when the estate is ready.