Sell your house fast in Berwyn
Berwyn is the City of Homes, and most of them are 1920s brick bungalows. Whether yours is original, half-renovated or a two-flat with tenants, we’ll buy it as-is and handle the city’s inspection and transfer stamp.
- Cash offer within 24 hours
- No repairs, fees or commissions
- We handle Berwyn’s inspection and stamps
Your Berwyn cash offer
No obligation. We never sell your info. Prefer to talk? Call or text (773) 825-9855.
Selling a house in Berwyn
Berwyn is a Cook County city of about 57,000 people west of Chicago. Oak Park is to the north, Cicero to the east, Stickney to the south, and Riverside, North Riverside and Forest Park to the west. Berwyn became a city and its own township in 1908, when it split off from Cicero Township. Metra’s BNSF line has three stops in town, at Harlem Avenue, Berwyn and LaVergne, and the shops of the Depot District sit around the Berwyn station. Ogden Avenue, part of old Route 66, cuts across the south end of the city, and Cermak Plaza at Harlem and Cermak has been a shopping center since 1956.
Berwyn calls itself the City of Homes, and its bungalows are the reason. Most were built in the 1920s. The Central Berwyn Bungalow Historic District, added to the National Register in 2015, covers the blocks between Cermak Road and 26th Street and includes more than 1,100 brick Chicago bungalows, many with stained glass, clay tile roofs and terra cotta details. The city also has plenty of two-flats and three-unit buildings, plus older frame houses and smaller bungalows in other parts of town.
If your bungalow has newer mechanicals and a short inspection report, it will likely sell well on the market, and we’ll say so. We’re a better match when the city’s point-of-sale inspection comes back with a long list, when 1920s wiring, plumbing or a leaking tile roof would worry a loan buyer, when a two-flat or three-unit has tenants, or when you’re settling a parent’s estate from out of state.
What to expect
Reach out and you’ll have a cash offer within 24 hours. We only need one visit to see the house. We’ll show you exactly how we arrived at our price, then you pick the closing date. We close at a local title company and pay the usual closing costs. If the city has already inspected the house, share the report and we’ll price from it.
What to know before you sell in Berwyn
- City transfer tax. Berwyn charges $10 per $1,000 of the sale price, which is 1%, and the seller is normally liable for it. The state and Cook County taxes (50 cents and 25 cents per $500) also apply. When you sell to us, we pay all three.
- Point-of-sale inspection. Every transfer needs a city property inspection, plus a water service inspection. Order and pay for it at City Hall at least 30 days ahead. Reports expire after six months.
- As-is sales. If the violations won’t be fixed before closing, the city requires an escrow or an attorney’s letter based on the compliance report. We buy this way regularly.
- Final water reading. Schedule it 3–5 days before closing. The final bill is paid in person when the stamps are bought, along with anything else owed to the city.
- Survey and buyer affidavits. The city wants a survey from the last six months (or a No Change Affidavit), and each buyer signs a notarized affidavit before stamps are sold.
- Taxes a year behind. The buyer gets a credit at closing for this year’s Cook County taxes, paid from your proceeds.
- Probate. Cook County estates go through the Daley Center in Chicago. We can sign with the executor and close once the court approves the sale.
Berwyn revises its checklist from time to time, so the title company checks the current version for your address.
Cash sale or listing: which fits your Berwyn house?
| Sell to us | List with an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Fixing it up | Not needed. As-is. | Usually done before listing |
| City inspection list | We take it on through escrow or an attorney letter | Seller fixes items or negotiates with the buyer |
| Showings | A single walk-through | Showings until it sells |
| Commission | None | A percentage of the sale price |
| Closing costs | We pay them | Seller pays |
| Timing | 2–3 weeks, or the date you want | Market time, then 30–45 days to close |
| Certainty | Cash, no financing contingency | Deals can fall through on financing |
| Price | Below retail, priced for condition | Top price for updated homes |
A Berwyn bungalow with its original woodwork and an updated kitchen draws buyers. One with original wiring, an old boiler and a long inspection report often doesn’t. If yours is the second kind, compare both offers.
How Berwyn’s inspection fits into a sale
In Berwyn, the inspection comes first. Once you have a signed contract, the inspection is ordered at City Hall, ideally 30 days or more before closing. A city inspector checks the house against code, a water service inspection is done at the same time, and you get a compliance report listing anything that needs work.
When you list, that report often turns into a second negotiation, because the buyer’s lender and inspector see it too. When you sell to us, the list is already part of our price. We set up the escrow or attorney letter the city requires and take care of the repairs after closing. You don’t need to hire contractors or wait on a re-inspection before you move.
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 Berwyn owners sell
Berwyn FAQ
Who pays Berwyn’s transfer tax?
The city’s ordinance makes the seller liable for the $10 per $1,000 stamp. When you sell to us, we pay it, along with the state and county transfer taxes.
What happens if my house fails the Berwyn inspection?
You can still sell. The city allows as-is sales with an escrow or attorney’s letter, and we buy that way.
Do you buy bungalows in the historic district?
Yes. We buy brick bungalows anywhere in Berwyn, including the Central Berwyn Bungalow Historic District, in original condition or partly updated.
Can you buy my two-flat or three-unit with tenants?
Yes. We buy multi-unit buildings with tenants in place and factor the leases into the offer. Leases and deposits transfer at closing.
I inherited my parents’ Berwyn house. Where does probate happen?
Cook County probate cases are heard at the Daley Center in Chicago. We can sign with the executor and close once the court allows the sale.
How much notice does the city need before closing?
Order the inspection at least 30 days out and the final water reading 3–5 days before. We start both right after you sign.
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