Sell your house fast in Hermosa
Frame worker’s cottages near Armitage Avenue, brick bungalows in the Hermosa bungalow historic district and two-flats on dead-end streets by the tracks: we buy Hermosa homes as-is for cash and close when you say.
- Cash offer within 24 hours
- No repairs, fees or commissions
- We pay normal closing costs
Your Hermosa cash offer
No obligation. We never sell your info. Prefer to talk? Call or text (773) 825-9855.
Selling a house in Hermosa
Hermosa is community area 20 on the Northwest Side, about six miles from the Loop. It is small and clearly defined: Belmont Avenue on the north, Cicero Avenue on the west, the Metra Milwaukee District North Line on the east and the Milwaukee District West Line along Bloomingdale Avenue on the south. Hermosa proper runs from Bloomingdale to Fullerton, and the Kelvyn Park neighborhood runs from Fullerton to Belmont. About 24,100 people live here, based on the 2020 Census.
Rail lines wrap three sides of the area, which is why so many streets end at the tracks. The first big employer was the Laminated Wood Company in 1884, and the Schwinn Bicycle Company had its headquarters on Kildare Avenue and its plant on Kostner from 1895 to 1982. Armitage Avenue is the main business street, and CTA buses run on Pulaski, Cicero, Fullerton, Diversey, Belmont, Armitage and North. Kelvyn Park, about 8.5 acres on Wrightwood, is the largest park, and Hermosa Park sits on Kilbourn.
The area was first called Kelvyn Grove, then Garfield, and took the Hermosa name in 1885 before Chicago annexed it in 1889. The house at 2156 N. Tripp Avenue, built in 1893, is known as Walt Disney’s birthplace. The earliest homes were simple frame worker’s cottages from the 1880s Garfield subdivision. Streetcar lines on North, Armitage and Fullerton brought a wave of brick bungalows and two-flats in the 1910s and 1920s, and the area was nearly built out by 1930. Many lots have 25-foot frontages.
Hermosa has some of the oldest housing on the Northwest Side. Regional planning data puts about 72 percent of homes before 1940, with a median build year of 1925, and about 53 percent in two- to four-unit buildings. The Hermosa Bungalow Historic District, between Belmont, Lowell, Diversey and Kolmar, was listed on the National Register in 2018 with 298 bungalows. A renovated Hermosa home can sell well with an agent. A cash sale fits an old frame cottage, a flat with tenants, or a house that needs more work than you want to fund.
What to expect
Begin with a call or the form, then one visit. Within 24 hours we send a written cash offer and walk you through how we figured it. If you accept, a local title company prepares the closing, handles the city paperwork and pays off any loans. You choose the closing date, as early as 2–3 weeks away. Normal closing costs are paid by us.
City rules for a Hermosa home sale
- Transfer taxes. Chicago collects $3.75 per $500 from the buyer as a rule, and $1.50 per $500 for the CTA from the seller as a rule. The state’s and county’s taxes ($0.50 and $0.25 per $500) are added. In a sale to us, we pay the entire amount.
- Full Payment Certificate. The water and sewer account has to be certified as paid before Chicago will issue transfer stamps. The title company orders it, and any balance is paid at closing.
- Zoning certification. Required when a residential property with five or fewer units is sold in Chicago, which covers Hermosa’s cottages, bungalows and flats. It certifies the number of legal units.
- Tenants. Deposits and interest pass to the buyer at closing, and Chicago’s landlord-tenant ordinance requires telling tenants in writing within 10 days.
- Taxes and estates. Cook County property taxes are paid in arrears and credited to the buyer at closing. Estates go through probate at the Daley Center.
Before closing, the title company verifies what your specific property needs.
Selling in Hermosa: cash or the open market?
| Sell to us | List with an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Repairs/updates | None needed | Usually expected |
| Showings | One walk-through | Many over weeks |
| Commission | None | Usually a percentage of the price |
| Closing costs | We pay them | Seller pays |
| Timing | About 2–3 weeks or your date | Months, including the loan |
| Certainty | Cash, no lender | Loan approval required |
| Price | Below retail, priced for condition | Top price for updated homes |
| Frame house condition | Bought as-is | Siding, foundation and wiring get flagged |
With most homes built before 1940, Hermosa has frame cottages from the 1880s alongside 1920s bungalows and two-flats. A renovated building may bring more through an agent. An original frame cottage or a flat with deferred work is a simpler cash sale.
Selling an older frame cottage in Hermosa
Hermosa’s oldest homes are frame worker’s cottages, a style Chicago builders used from about the 1870s to the 1910s. Many in Hermosa date to the 1880s, when the Garfield subdivision was laid out for workers at the factories along the tracks. They are usually one or one-and-a-half stories on narrow 25-foot lots.
Houses that old tend to need foundation, siding, wiring and plumbing work, and some have been added on to over the years. That can make financing and inspections hard for a typical buyer. We buy frame cottages in whatever condition they are in, explain how the age and condition affect our offer, and let you choose when to close.
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 Hermosa owners sell
Nearby areas we buy
Hermosa FAQ
Do you buy old frame cottages in Hermosa?
Yes. Frame worker’s cottages are among the oldest homes here, and we buy them in any condition.
Is my bungalow near Kelvyn Park in a historic district?
It may be, if it sits between Belmont, Lowell, Diversey and Kolmar. Either way, we buy it as-is, and the listing does not prevent a sale.
Do I pay Chicago’s transfer tax if I sell to you?
No. We pay the city and CTA transfer taxes, plus the state and county amounts.
My two-flat backs up to the railroad tracks. Will you buy it?
Yes. Many Hermosa streets end at the tracks, and we buy homes on those blocks.
Can I sell a Hermosa house with tenants?
Yes. We buy with tenants in place, and their deposits transfer to us at closing.
What happens after I accept your offer?
A local title company opens the file, orders the city certificates and sets the closing for the date you picked.