Sell your house fast in Humboldt Park
From greystones facing the park to two-flats off Division Street and frame cottages north of Chicago Avenue, we buy Humboldt Park buildings as-is, tenants and all, and close on the date you set.
- Cash offer within 24 hours
- No repairs, fees or commissions
- We pay normal closing costs
Your Humboldt Park cash offer
No obligation. We never sell your info. Prefer to talk? Call or text (773) 825-9855.
Selling a house in Humboldt Park
Humboldt Park is community area 23 on Chicago’s West Side. Officially it runs from Bloomingdale Avenue south to the Union Pacific tracks, and from California Avenue west to the rail line between Kostner and Cicero. Logan Square and Hermosa are to the north, Belmont Cragin and Austin to the west, the two Garfield Parks to the south and West Town to the east. The 2020 Census counted about 54,200 people.
The area takes its name from the 207-acre park on its east side. William Le Baron Jenney laid it out in the 1870s, and Jens Jensen later linked its lagoons with a river. The boathouse is a Chicago Landmark, and so are the 1895 stables built for the West Park Commission. A statue of Alexander von Humboldt has stood in the park since 1892. Division Street, North Avenue and Chicago Avenue are the main commercial streets, and CTA buses run on all three plus Kedzie, Pulaski and California.
Chicago annexed most of the area in 1869. Because it sat outside the fire limits drawn after 1871, builders could still put up frame houses here, so wood cottages appeared early. Streetcars on North Avenue in 1895 and on Pulaski in 1911 brought the next wave of brick flats. Greystones line the streets near the park. Many lots hold a front building and a small rear house.
This is two-flat country. CMAP counts about 31 percent of homes in two-unit buildings and another 26 percent in three- and four-unit buildings, with 10 percent in five- to nine-unit buildings, including courtyard buildings. About 62 percent of all units were built before 1940, with a median build year of 1930. If your greystone or two-flat is fully updated, listing it with an agent may get the higher price. A cash sale fits better for a building with long-time tenants, a frame house with foundation or siding problems, or a property in an estate.
What to expect
Send the form or call. We schedule one visit, and inside 24 hours you receive a written cash offer that spells out the repairs and sales we used. You choose when to close, from about 2–3 weeks out to a later date. We use a local title company and pay the normal closing costs.
Paperwork for selling a Humboldt Park building
- Transfer taxes. The city charges $3.75 per $500, which buyers usually pay, plus a $1.50 per $500 CTA tax that sellers usually pay. Another $0.50 per $500 goes to the state and $0.25 to the county. If you sell to us, all of that is ours to pay.
- Full Payment Certificate. Proof that the water and sewer account is paid must be on file before the city stamps the deed. Your title company orders it.
- Zoning certification. Needed for any residential building of five or fewer units, so most cottages, greystones and flats here need one. It lists the legal unit count.
- Tenants. The RLTO covers most rentals here, except owner-occupied buildings of six or fewer units. Security deposits and interest move to the new owner, and tenants get written notice.
- Estates. If the owner has died, Cook County probate is handled at the Daley Center downtown. Taxes are paid a year behind and settled as a credit at closing.
Rules and forms change, so your title company confirms the list for your building.
Humboldt Park: list the building or take cash?
| Sell to us | List with an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Repairs/updates | Skip them all | Buyers ask for fixes after inspection |
| Showings | One walk-through | Repeated showings in every unit |
| Commission | None | Usually a percentage of the price |
| Closing costs | We pay them | Seller pays |
| Tenants | Leases transfer, no move-out | Tenant schedules affect showings |
| Timing | Ready in 2–3 weeks or your date | Listing period plus financing |
| Certainty | No loan to fall through | Appraisal and loan risk |
| Price | Below retail, priced for condition | Top price for updated homes |
With most buildings here dating to the 1920s or earlier, the price gap between an updated greystone and an original frame two-flat can be large. If yours is updated, an agent may get you more. If it has old wiring, a tired boiler or tenants paying below market, our number may make more sense.
Selling a Humboldt Park two-flat with tenants
Many owners here rent one or more units, sometimes to tenants who have been there for years. Under Chicago’s Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance, the leases stay in effect after a sale. The security deposits and any interest owed pass to the buyer, and tenants must be told in writing who now holds them.
You don’t have to empty the building to sell to us. We need copies of the leases, or a simple list of units, rents and deposits if some tenants are month to month. The title company prorates rent and credits the deposits at closing. If you live in one unit and want to stay a little while after closing, tell us up front and we can talk about it.
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 Humboldt Park owners sell
Humboldt Park FAQ
Do you buy greystones near the park?
Yes. We buy greystones on any block, from original ones with old plaster and boilers to partly finished rehabs.
Can I sell a lot that has a front house and a rear house?
Yes. We buy properties with a rear coach house or cottage. The zoning certification shows how many legal units the lot has.
My tenants have lived there for 15 years. Do they have to move?
No. Their leases transfer to us at closing, along with their deposits.
Is the Chicago transfer tax my cost on a sale to you?
No. All four transfer taxes, city, CTA, county and state, are ours when we buy.
My frame cottage has foundation problems. Will you buy it?
Yes. Foundation, siding and sagging floors are common in older frame houses here, and we price the work in.
How quickly can we close on a Humboldt Park two-flat?
Often in 2–3 weeks once the water certificate and leases are in hand. You can also pick a later date.