Sell your house fast in Cicero
Bungalow, two-flat or frame house off Cermak Road, with tenants or empty, needing a little work or a lot: we buy Cicero houses as-is and handle the town’s inspection and transfer stamp process for you.
- Cash offer within 24 hours
- No repairs, fees or commissions
- We handle Cicero’s inspection and stamps
Your Cicero cash offer
No obligation. We never sell your info. Prefer to talk? Call or text (773) 825-9855.
Selling a house in Cicero
Cicero is a Cook County town of about 85,000 people, incorporated in 1867, right on Chicago’s western border. Berwyn is to the west, Oak Park to the north, and Chicago’s Little Village and North Lawndale neighborhoods are to the east. The town is its own township. Metra’s BNSF line stops at the Cicero station near Cicero Avenue and 26th Street, the CTA Pink Line ends at 54th/Cermak, and the Eisenhower Expressway runs just to the north. Hawthorne Race Course and the old Western Electric Hawthorne Works tower near Cermak Road and Cicero Avenue are two of the best-known local landmarks.
Most of Cicero was built before World War II. Blocks are lined with brick bungalows, two-flats and older frame cottages on narrow city-style lots, and the average home is more than 60 years old. Close to half the homes in town are rented, so a lot of the houses that come up for sale are two-flats with one or both units leased.
An updated bungalow that passes the town’s compliance inspection with a short list will usually sell well with an agent, and we’ll tell you if that’s your house. A cash sale fits better when the inspection list is long, when a two-flat has tenants who aren’t moving, when there’s a basement or attic unit that may not be legal, when a parent’s house has sat empty for a while, or when you need to be out by a certain date. Houses with code problems, old wiring or a tired roof are what we see most here.
What to expect
Call us or fill out the form and you’ll have a cash offer within 24 hours. We look at the house with you, then go over how we came up with the price. You choose the closing date, we close at a local title company, and we pay the normal closing costs. If you already have a compliance report from the town, send it along with your request.
“I was trying to fix the house myself but ran out of time and money. It needed way more work than I thought: electrical, roof, plumbing, pretty much everything. They gave me a cash offer and closed in two weeks. I was finally free of it.”
What to know before you sell in Cicero
- Town transfer tax. Cicero charges $10 per $1,000 of the price, and the town puts it on the seller. The Illinois and Cook County taxes (50 cents and 25 cents per $500) also apply. When you sell to us, we pay all three as part of your closing costs.
- Compliance inspection and certificate. A town inspector lists everything that doesn’t meet code before stamps are issued. It costs $150 for a house or $190 for a two-unit, and should be scheduled at least 30 days before closing.
- As-is sales. Unfixed violations can pass to the buyer through an As-Is Repair Agreement, sometimes with escrow. When you sell to us, we sign it and take over the list.
- Zoning review. The application includes a zoning request, so an extra basement or attic unit can show up on the report.
- Water bill and town debts. Stamps require a paid final water bill dated within 72 hours and no unpaid debts to the town. Balances are paid from the sale.
- Property taxes are paid a year behind. The buyer gets a credit at closing for this year’s Cook County taxes, taken from your proceeds, not your pocket.
- Probate. Cook County estates go through the Daley Center in Chicago. We sign with the executor and close once the court allows the sale.
Cicero updates its forms and fees now and then, so the title company confirms what your address needs.
Two ways to sell your Cicero house
| Sell to us | List with an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Repairs | None. We buy it as it stands. | Buyers expect a move-in-ready house |
| Town compliance list | We sign as-is and take on the repairs | Seller usually fixes violations before stamps |
| Showings | One visit | Weeks of showings, often around tenants |
| Commission | None | Usually a percentage of the price |
| Closing costs | We pay them | Seller pays |
| Timing | As soon as 2–3 weeks, or your date | Time on the market, plus 30–45 days to close |
| Certainty | Cash, no loan or appraisal | Loans can fall through |
| Price | Below retail, priced for condition | Top price for updated homes |
Many Cicero houses are close to 100 years old, and the compliance list on an older two-flat can run long. If yours is updated and the list is short, listing will likely net more. If not, compare both numbers.
Selling a Cicero two-flat with tenants in place
Many Cicero calls are about two-flats: an owner who lived upstairs and rented the first floor, or a family that inherited a building with tenants in it. Listing a rented two-flat is hard. Showings work around tenants, and loan buyers often want a unit empty to move into.
We buy two-flats with tenants in place. Send us the rents, lease dates and deposits, and we’ll build them into the offer. Leases and deposits transfer at closing, so nobody has to move. If a unit was added without permits, tell us up front so it doesn’t surprise anyone on the compliance report. We handle the town inspection and repair agreement from there.
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.
Cicero FAQ
Do I have to fix everything on Cicero’s compliance report before I sell?
Not if you sell as-is. The buyer signs the town’s repair agreement and takes on the work, and when you sell to us, that’s our job.
Who pays Cicero’s transfer tax?
The town puts the $10 per $1,000 stamp on the seller. When you sell to us, we pay it, along with the state and county transfer taxes.
Can you buy my two-flat if the tenants are staying?
Yes. Leases and deposits transfer at closing, and you don’t have to ask anyone to move.
There’s an apartment in my basement that may not be legal. Can I still sell?
Yes. The zoning review may flag it, and we can buy with it open.
Do you buy outside Cicero, like in Little Village or North Lawndale?
Yes. We buy across Chicago’s West Side, including Little Village and North Lawndale, and in the near-west suburbs.
How long does the town process add to the closing?
Cicero wants the inspection scheduled at least 30 days before closing. We order it right after you sign and close as soon as the town and title company are ready, or on your date.
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