Sell your house fast in West Town
Big brick houses on Hoyne and Pierce in Wicker Park, frame cottages and greystone three-flats in East Village, and converted lofts in River West: we buy West Town property as-is for cash and close when you are ready.
- Cash offer within 24 hours
- No repairs, fees or commissions
- We pay normal closing costs
Your West Town cash offer
No obligation. We never sell your info. Prefer to talk? Call or text (773) 825-9855.
Selling a house in West Town
West Town is community area 24, just northwest of the Loop. The Chicago River marks its east side, the Union Pacific tracks its south side and the 606 trail on the old Bloomingdale line its north side, with an uneven western edge near Humboldt Park. Logan Square sits to the north, the Near North Side across the river to the east, the Near West Side to the south, and Humboldt Park and East Garfield Park to the west. The 2020 census put its population near 87,800.
Inside it are Wicker Park, Ukrainian Village, East Village, Noble Square, River West, Smith Park and East Humboldt Park. The Blue Line runs along Milwaukee Avenue with stops at Grand, Chicago, Division and Damen, and the Kennedy Expressway crosses the east end. Division Street, Chicago Avenue, North Avenue, Augusta Boulevard and Milwaukee Avenue carry most of the shops. Parks include Wicker Park, the four-acre green the 1870 subdivision was laid out around, plus Eckhart, Smith and Pulaski Parks.
Several Chicago Landmark districts sit here: Wicker Park (1991), Ukrainian Village (2002, centered on Haddon, Thomas and Cortez between Damen and Leavitt), East Village (2006) and the Milwaukee Avenue District (2008), where most buildings date from 1870 to 1929. Housing runs from Queen Anne two-flats, frame cottages and greystone three-flats to merchant mansions on Hoyne and Pierce. In River West, large industrial buildings became loft homes starting in the mid-1980s.
CMAP counts about 40 percent of units built before 1940 and another 40 percent since 1990, so century-old flats stand next to newer condo buildings. Three- and four-unit buildings hold about 32 percent of units and five- to nine-unit buildings another 23 percent, while detached houses are only about 11 percent. A rehabbed flat or a condo with a fresh kitchen usually sells fine on the market. Cash tends to fit a vintage building with deferred masonry and porch work, a landmark-district house that needs exterior repairs, or a rental building you would rather not show around tenants.
What to expect
We start with a call or the online form and one walk-through of the property. You get a written cash number within 24 hours, along with the repair figures and nearby sales behind it. If you accept, you pick a closing date, the closing takes place at a local title office, and we pay the normal closing costs ourselves.
City requirements on a West Town sale
- City, state and county stamps. Chicago charges the buyer $3.75 per $500 of the price and charges the seller $1.50 per $500 for the CTA, and Illinois ($0.50) and Cook County ($0.25) add their own. Selling to us, you pay none of them.
- Landmark districts. In Wicker Park, Ukrainian Village, East Village and the Milwaukee Avenue District, permits for work on street-facing exteriors go through the Commission on Chicago Landmarks. Designation does not restrict a sale.
- Zoning certification. Required for residential buildings with five or fewer units, with condos and co-ops excluded. The city certifies the legal number of units.
- Condo documents. For a condo, the association provides a paid-assessment letter plus the resale disclosures Illinois requires, such as the declaration, budget, reserves and any pending suits. If the declaration gives the association a right of first refusal, the title company looks for a signed waiver.
- 606 district rentals. Parts of West Town fall inside the city’s 606 district, where a pilot program requires owners of rental property to notify tenants and the Department of Housing before selling.
- Water account. The city has to issue a Full Payment Certificate for the water and sewer account before the deed can record.
Requirements shift over time, so the title company confirms each one for your property.
Two ways to sell a West Town property
| Sell to us | List with an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Repairs/updates | We buy it with the punch list | Buyers expect move-in condition at retail prices |
| Showings | A single walk-through | Several weeks of appointments |
| Commission | None | A cut of the sale price, typically |
| Closing costs | We pay them | Seller pays |
| Condo documents | Association letter and disclosures, no lender questionnaire | Association letter, disclosures and a lender questionnaire |
| Timing | 2–3 weeks or a later date you pick | Listing time plus a 30–45 day loan close |
| Certainty | No loan, no appraisal | Financing problems can sink a contract |
| Price | Below retail, priced for condition | Top price for updated homes |
West Town has some of the city’s newer condo buildings alongside flats more than a century old. Newer units and restored landmark houses usually do well with an agent. Older two- and three-flats with deferred maintenance, or rental buildings in the 606 district with notice steps ahead, are where a cash offer is worth comparing.
Selling a house in a West Town landmark district
Four Chicago Landmark districts sit in West Town: Wicker Park, Ukrainian Village, East Village and the Milwaukee Avenue District. In those areas, building permits that affect exterior features visible from the street are reviewed by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks. Painting and minor repairs need no permit. Designation doesn’t change your tax assessment and doesn’t limit who you can sell to.
Where it matters is the repair list. Replacing windows, rebuilding a front porch or redoing a cornice on a landmark-district house can take more planning and cost more than the same work elsewhere. We buy these houses as they stand. Any future exterior work becomes the next owner’s permit and the next owner’s review, so you don’t have to start it 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 West Town owners sell
West Town FAQ
Can I sell a house in the Wicker Park landmark district as-is?
Yes. Landmark status doesn’t restrict a sale. It affects permits for future exterior work, and we account for that in our price.
Do you buy condos in River West loft buildings?
Yes. We need the association’s paid-assessment letter and resale disclosures, and we review any special assessment before we make an offer.
What if my condo association has a right of first refusal?
Some declarations give the board a chance to match an offer. If yours does, the title company asks the association for a written waiver before closing, and we build that into the timeline.
My East Village three-flat has tenants. Will they have to move?
No. The leases carry over to the buyer, and security deposits with any interest owed are credited at closing.
Does Chicago need a zoning certificate for a condo sale?
No. Condos and co-ops are excluded. Residential buildings with five or fewer units do need one.
What’s the earliest closing date you can offer in West Town?
Often 2–3 weeks after you sign, once title and the water certificate are in. Condo sales depend partly on how fast the association sends its letter.