Sell your house fast in Armour Square
Brick cottages and two-flats on the blocks around Armour Square Park, townhomes near Cermak and Wentworth and walk-ups a short trip from the Sox-35th station: we buy Armour Square houses as-is for cash.
- Cash offer within 24 hours
- No repairs, fees or commissions
- We pay normal closing costs
Your Armour Square cash offer
No obligation. We never sell your info. Prefer to talk? Call or text (773) 825-9855.
Selling a house in Armour Square
Armour Square is community area 34 on Chicago’s South Side, a long, narrow strip between the Dan Ryan Expressway on the east and the Union Pacific tracks on the west. It runs from 18th Street south to Pershing Road. The Near South Side is to the north, Douglas and Grand Boulevard are to the east, Fuller Park is to the south, Bridgeport is to the west and Pilsen is to the northwest. The 2020 Census counted about 13,900 people.
The community area takes in Chinatown, centered on Cermak Road and Wentworth Avenue, along with the blocks around Armour Square Park and the ballpark at 35th and Shields. The Red Line has stops at Cermak–Chinatown and Sox–35th in the Dan Ryan median, and Metra’s Rock Island line stops at 35th Street. The first Comiskey Park opened here in 1910 and was replaced across 35th Street in 1991.
The housing mix is wider than in most South Side areas. CMAP counts about a quarter of units as single-family houses, detached or attached, plus two-flats at about 13 percent and three- and four-flats at about 16 percent. Close to 29 percent of homes were built before 1940, mostly brick and frame cottages and two-flats on narrow city lots. Another 30 percent went up between 1990 and 2009, including townhome and condo developments north of Cermak Road and newer infill on scattered lots.
An updated townhome or a two-flat with stable leases may sell well with an agent, and we’ll be honest if that fits yours. We tend to fit better when an older cottage still has its original wiring, plumbing or boiler, when a three-flat has tenants and a long repair list, when a newer unit needs work the association won’t cover, or when heirs want one firm closing date.
What to expect
It starts with a short call and one walk-through. Inside 24 hours a written cash offer reaches you, listing our repair estimate and the comparable sales so you can check the math. If you say yes, the closing date is yours to set, a Chicago-area title company handles the paperwork, and normal closing costs are ours.
Chicago rules that apply to an Armour Square sale
- Transfer taxes. The city charges $3.75 per $500, generally paid by the buyer, and a $1.50 per $500 CTA portion generally paid by the seller. Illinois’ $0.50 and Cook County’s $0.25 per $500 come on top. When we’re the buyer, we cover all four.
- Zoning certification. Any residential building with five or fewer units, from a cottage to a four-flat, needs a city zoning certification confirming the legal unit count. Condos and co-ops are excluded.
- Tenants and deposits. Under the Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance, leases stay in force after a sale, and security deposits plus any interest owed move to the buyer at closing.
- Water and sewer. Before Chicago will sell its stamps, someone has to pull a Full Payment Certificate proving nothing is owed on the building’s water meter. The title company makes that request.
- Property taxes. Cook County bills run a year late, which means you credit the buyer at closing for your share of the current year.
Requirements can change, so the title company confirms each one for your address before closing.
Two ways to sell your Armour Square property
| Sell to us | List with an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Repairs/updates | Leave them to us | Expect requests after inspection |
| Showings | One walk-through | Repeated showings, sometimes with tenants home |
| Commission | None | A share of the price, usually |
| Closing costs | We pay them | Seller pays |
| Tenants | Leases transfer with the sale | Some buyers want units empty |
| Timing | In as little as 2–3 weeks | Often two months or more in total |
| Certainty | Cash, no lender | Financing or a low appraisal can end the deal |
| Price | Below retail, priced for condition | Top price for updated homes |
Armour Square has two housing eras side by side: pre-1940 cottages and flats, and townhomes and condos from the 1990s and 2000s. An older building with original systems or rented units is where a cash price often nets out close to a listing. A recently updated townhome usually earns more on the market.
Selling an Armour Square two-flat or three-flat with tenants
About three in ten homes here are in two- to four-unit buildings, many of them brick or frame flats from before 1940. Selling one with people living in it is common. You don’t need to end the leases or empty the units first.
What we need is simple: a copy of each lease, the monthly rent, and the security deposit for each unit. Under Chicago’s landlord and tenant ordinance, the deposits and any interest owed move to the new owner at closing, and the tenants keep their lease terms. We look at the units during one walk-through, scheduled with proper notice to your tenants, and we price in whatever the building needs, from porches to boilers.
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 Armour Square owners sell
Armour Square FAQ
Do you buy houses near the ballpark on 35th Street?
Yes. We buy cottages, flats and townhomes across Armour Square, from the blocks near 35th and Shields up to Chinatown.
Can you buy my three-flat if the tenants are month-to-month?
No. The tenancies stay in place through closing, and we just need the rent amounts and deposit records for each unit.
Will you buy a 1990s townhome that needs updating?
Yes. If it’s part of an association, we review the resale documents and any assessments, then price the unit for its condition.
Who pays the CTA portion of Chicago’s transfer tax?
Normally the seller covers it. Sell to us and that charge is ours, along with the city, county and state portions.
Does my cottage need a zoning certification?
Yes. Chicago requires one for residential buildings of five units or fewer, and the title company or our team orders it after the contract is signed.
How fast could an Armour Square closing happen?
Often within 2–3 weeks, once the water certificate and title work are back. You can also choose a later date.