Sell your house fast in Countryside
Ranch, split-level or two-story in Countryside: we buy as-is and handle the village water and fee paperwork.
- Cash offer within 24 hours
- No repairs, fees or commissions
- We pay normal closing costs
Your Countryside cash offer
No obligation. We never sell your info. Prefer to talk? Call or text (773) 825-9855.
Selling a house in Countryside
Countryside is a Cook County city of about 6,400 people (2020 Census) in Lyons Township, about 15 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. Hodgkins, McCook and La Grange are neighbors. La Grange Road and Joliet Road, part of old Route 66, are the main corridors, and I-55 and I-294 run along the south edge.
The area stayed mostly farmland through the 1800s. The Marx Brothers bought a chicken farm near Joliet and La Grange roads around 1917. Real growth came after World War II, starting with the LaGrange Terrace subdivision in 1947, then Don L. Dise in 1954 and Edgewood Park in two phases. Residents formed associations to deal with failing wells, a sanitary district was created in 1959, and Countryside incorporated as a city in 1960. Lake Michigan water arrived through McCook in 1964.
Most homes in Countryside date from the late 1940s through the 1960s, in those postwar subdivisions. Countryside Plaza and the auto dealerships on La Grange Road anchor the commercial side, with two Cook County forest preserves nearby. The 80-acre Dansher Industrial Park dates to 1962, and in 1971 the city annexed land south of Joliet Road and extended water service there.
The southwest suburbs are where most of our buying happens. A Countryside house that’s been updated usually draws more through an agent, which we’ll tell you. Our offer suits a postwar house with original systems, a home that may not pass the city’s pre-sale inspection without repairs, an estate, or a sale that needs to happen on a set schedule.
What to expect
After your call, a cash offer follows within 24 hours. One walk-through with you comes next, and we explain how the number was reached. Then you choose a closing day. A title company near Countryside handles the closing. Normal closing costs get billed to us.
What to know before you sell in Countryside
- $50 city transfer stamp, on the seller. Countryside charges $50 per PIN, and the city’s form puts the tax on the seller. Personal checks aren’t accepted. Sell to us, and the $50 becomes our cost, together with the state and county taxes.
- Countryside pre-sale permit and inspection. The city requires a pre-sale permit and inspection. For a house, townhome or condo unit, the fee is $100, including reinspections. When we buy, we apply, pay the fee and handle what the inspection finds.
- Water read five days out. Countryside’s Final Water Read Request has to reach the city at least five days before closing. Water, sewer and weed-cutting charges must be certified paid before the stamp is issued.
- Escrow for open items. If violations aren’t fixed by closing, the city can require the purchaser to post an escrow, $750 or less for smaller repairs and $1,500 when repairs are estimated at $3,000 or more. As the buyer, that’s on us.
- Countryside taxes in arrears. Cook County’s bill trails by a year. Your closing statement will list a buyer credit for January through the day you close.
- Countryside estates. Inherited Countryside houses go through Cook County probate downtown. After the judge grants authority, the executor signs with us.
Countryside revises its forms and fees on occasion. The title company verifies the current versions before closing, and whatever is needed, we take care of.
Two ways to sell your Countryside home
| Sell to us | List with an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Repairs and updates | No repairs. We take it in its current state. | Expected, plus any inspection repairs |
| Showings | One walk-through | Weekend open houses and private showings |
| Commission | None | A percentage of your Countryside price |
| Closing costs | We pay them | Seller pays |
| Timing | A closing in 2–3 weeks, or your chosen date | Market time plus loan processing |
| Certainty | Cash, no lender | Loans and inspections can delay or end it |
| City pre-sale inspection | Our application, our fee, our fixes | Seller applies and corrects what’s cited |
| Price | Below retail, priced for condition | Top price for updated homes |
Many Countryside homes were built in the postwar subdivisions between the late 1940s and the 1960s. Original electrical, plumbing and windows can turn up on the city’s pre-sale inspection and on a buyer’s inspection. Set our number next to your likely net once those are fixed.
How Countryside’s pre-sale inspection works when you sell to us
Countryside requires a pre-sale permit and inspection before it issues a transfer stamp. The application and fee have to be in before the inspection is scheduled, and the checklist covers items such as visible address numbers and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. The building commissioner sets a deadline for corrections.
On a regular sale, you’d have to fix what the inspector lists or have the buyer agree to an escrow. With us as the buyer, we file the application, pay the $100 fee, meet the inspector and take responsibility for any corrections. If the city requires an escrow at closing, we’re the purchaser, so it’s ours. No contractors or reinspections for you to chase.
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 Countryside owners sell
Countryside FAQ
Who pays the Countryside transfer stamp?
Countryside’s form names the seller. Our purchase flips that: we cover the $50 and the state and county stamps.
Do I need to pass the city’s pre-sale inspection before selling to you?
No. We apply, pay the fee and handle any corrections or escrow the city requires.
Do you buy homes in LaGrange Terrace, Don L. Dise or Edgewood Park?
Yes. We buy postwar homes throughout Countryside in any condition.
When does the final water read need to be requested?
At least five days before closing. We or the title company send in the request, and the bill is paid from the sale.
I inherited a house in Countryside. What happens first?
Usually Cook County probate. The executor may sign a contract with us during the case, and the closing waits for the judge’s approval.
How long does a Countryside sale take?
Plan on roughly 2–3 weeks after the pre-sale inspection is scheduled, or set a later date.