Sell your house fast in Evanston
A Victorian, a four-square, a two-flat or a condo near Northwestern: we buy Evanston properties as-is, including older homes with long repair lists.
- Cash offer within 24 hours
- No repairs, fees or commissions
- We pay normal closing costs
Your Evanston cash offer
No obligation. We never sell your info. Prefer to talk? Call or text (773) 825-9855.
Selling a house in Evanston
Evanston is a Cook County city of about 78,000 people on Lake Michigan, just north of Chicago, with Wilmette to the north and Skokie to the west. Northwestern University’s campus runs along the lakefront. The CTA Purple Line has seven stops in the city, from South Boulevard to Central, and Metra’s Union Pacific North line stops at Main Street, Davis Street and Central Street. Downtown Evanston is centered around Davis Street and Sherman Avenue, and public beaches and parks line much of the lakefront.
Evanston was already known as the City of Homes by the 1920s, and its housing goes back much further. Near the lake and along Ridge Avenue you’ll find Victorians, Queen Annes, American four-squares and Prairie-style homes, many inside the Lakeshore, Ridge, Northeast Evanston and Oakton historic districts. The city also has more than 850 individual local landmarks. Across the rest of town are bungalows, two-flats, three-flats, brick courtyard buildings and condos, and a large share of them are rentals.
A restored Victorian or an updated condo in a well-run building will draw plenty of buyers, and listing is usually the right call there. A cash sale is worth a look when an older house needs a roof, boiler, wiring and windows all at once, when a two-flat or three-flat has long-term tenants, when a landmark home needs exterior work that has to go through city review, when heirs want to settle an estate without months of showings, or when you simply need a firm date to move.
What to expect
Our process is short. We make a cash offer within 24 hours, tour the property with you, and explain how we priced it. You set the closing date. We close at a local title company, pay the standard closing costs, and keep you posted on the city paperwork along the way. If you own a rental, have the leases and rent amounts handy so we can price the building on the first visit.
What to know before you sell in Evanston
- Tiered city transfer tax. Evanston charges $5 per $1,000 on sales up to $1.5 million, $7 per $1,000 from $1.5 million to $5 million, and $9 per $1,000 above that. The seller typically pays unless the contract says otherwise. The state and Cook County taxes (50 cents and 25 cents per $500) also apply. When you sell to us, we pay all of them.
- Stamp request timing. The stamp is requested online 7–10 business days before closing, with the city’s declaration form. Processing takes five business days, and there’s no rush option.
- Final water bill and city debts. For most properties other than condos, the final water bill is processed with the stamp request. Stamps are issued only after everything owed to the city is paid.
- Rental registration. Rentals, from single homes to multi-unit buildings, are registered yearly and inspected by the city.
- Landlord and tenant ordinance. Most Evanston rentals fall under the city’s Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance, which caps and regulates security deposits. It was amended effective January 1, 2025.
- Historic districts and landmarks. Exterior work that needs a permit and can be seen from the street requires a certificate of appropriateness from the Preservation Commission.
- Taxes and probate. Cook County taxes are billed a year behind, so the buyer gets a credit at closing from your proceeds. Estates go through the Daley Center in Chicago.
Evanston updates these rules from time to time, and the title company confirms what applies to your property.
Listing or a cash sale for your Evanston property
| Sell to us | List with an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Repairs | None. We buy as-is. | Expected, especially on older homes |
| Tenants | We buy with leases in place | Showings around tenants, or wait for leases to end |
| Showings | One walk-through | Weeks of showings |
| Commission | None | Usually a share of the price |
| Closing costs | We pay them | Seller pays |
| Timing | 2–3 weeks once the city stamp clears, or your date | Time on market, then 30–45 days to close |
| Certainty | Cash, no loan approval | Depends on the buyer’s lender and appraisal |
| Price | Below retail, priced for condition | Top price for updated homes |
Evanston buyers pay well for restored older homes and updated condos. A 100-year-old three-flat with original systems and tenants on leases is a different sale. If that’s what you own, compare both paths.
Selling an Evanston two-flat or three-flat with tenants
Evanston has a lot of small rental buildings, and many owners have held them for decades. Selling one with tenants means working within the city’s landlord and tenant ordinance, keeping the rental registration current, and scheduling showings around people who live there. Loan buyers often want a unit empty, which can mean waiting out a lease.
We buy two-flats, three-flats and courtyard units with tenants in place. Send us the rent roll, lease dates and deposit amounts, and we’ll price the building as it is. Leases and deposits transfer at closing, and open rental inspection items don’t have to be fixed first. Just tell us about them so they’re in the offer.
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.
Evanston FAQ
How is Evanston’s transfer tax calculated?
It’s tiered by price: $5 per $1,000 up to $1.5 million, $7 per $1,000 up to $5 million, and $9 per $1,000 above that. The seller usually pays it, but when you sell to us, we do.
How early does the stamp need to be requested?
The city asks for the online request 7–10 business days before closing and takes five business days to process it. We start right after the contract is signed.
Can you buy my building if the tenants have leases?
Yes. We buy with tenants in place, and leases and security deposits transfer to us at closing.
My house is a landmark or in a historic district. Can you still buy it?
Yes. The designation stays with the house, and future exterior work goes through the Preservation Commission. It doesn’t stop a sale.
Do you buy condos and courtyard building units?
Yes. The title company gets the paid-assessment letter from the association, and dues owed are paid at closing.
My rental building has open inspection violations. Is that a problem?
Not for us. We can buy with open city items and handle them after closing.