Sell your house fast in Harvey
Vacant, inherited, behind on taxes or needing major repairs: we buy Harvey houses as-is, take on the city’s inspection and transfer stamp process, and close on your timeline.
- Cash offer within 24 hours
- No repairs, fees or commissions
- We handle Harvey’s inspection and stamps
Your Harvey cash offer
No obligation. We never sell your info. Prefer to talk? Call or text (773) 825-9855.
Selling a house in Harvey
Harvey is a Cook County city of about 20,000 people, split between Thornton and Bremen townships. Dixmoor and Riverdale border it on the north, Dolton, Phoenix and South Holland on the east, East Hazel Crest on the south, and Hazel Crest, Markham and Posen on the west. Metra Electric trains stop at two stations in town, near 147th Street and near 154th Street. Halsted Street, Dixie Highway and I-57 run through town.
The land was first sold in the 1870s as a development called South Lawn. Turlington W. Harvey bought in around 1890, and the town incorporated under his name in 1891 as a temperance community. It reached about 5,000 people within three years and picked up the nickname “The Magic City.”
Harvey’s houses reflect that history. Census estimates show close to a quarter of homes built before 1940 and close to half built from 1940 through the 1960s. About two-thirds are detached single-family homes, and two-flats and three- and four-unit buildings make up another 15 percent. The 2020 Census counted roughly one in six Harvey housing units as vacant.
The south suburbs are where we do most of our buying, Harvey included. A house with recent updates on a well-kept block may sell fine with an agent, and we’ll point that out. We’re a better fit for a house that has sat empty, an inherited home with old systems, a two-flat with tenants, or a property with unpaid city bills that have to be cleared before the transfer stamp is issued.
What to expect
First, a quick call about the house. Next, one walk-through, and a cash offer within 24 hours that shows our numbers. Then you set the closing date. Everything is signed at a local title company, and the normal closing costs are ours to pay.
What to know before you sell in Harvey
- City transfer stamp. Harvey’s tax is $5 per $1,000, split between buyer and seller at $2.50 each, and the buyer also owes a $60 processing fee. The state and Cook County taxes of 50 cents and 25 cents per $500 apply too. When you sell to us, we pay every one of them, your share included.
- Stamp application timing. The declaration and application go to the city at least five business days before closing. The city collector sends an invoice within three business days, and it must be paid in person at City Hall within three business days or the request is void.
- No city inspection now. As of April 7, 2025, Harvey no longer does point-of-sale inspections. A private home inspection is optional. The title company confirms the current rule.
- Water and city debts. The stamp invoice includes the final water bill and any other unpaid debt owed to Harvey. It all has to be paid before the stamp is issued, so those balances come out of the sale.
- Property taxes. Illinois property taxes are paid a year behind, so at closing the buyer gets a credit from your proceeds for the current year.
- Probate. Cook County estates go through the Daley Center in Chicago. We can close after the court approves the sale.
Harvey has changed its process more than once in recent years, so the title company works from the city’s latest packet.
What changes when you sell your Harvey house to us
| Sell to us | List with an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Repairs and cleanup | None. We buy it as-is. | Usually done before listing photos |
| Tenants | We buy with tenants in place | Showings scheduled around tenants |
| Showings | A single visit | Repeated showings |
| Commission | Zero | Paid out of the sale price |
| Closing costs | We pay them | Seller pays |
| Timing | As soon as 2–3 weeks | Listing time plus 30–45 days for a loan |
| Certainty | Cash purchase, no loan approval needed | A buyer’s loan can fall through |
| Price | Below retail, priced for condition | Top price for updated homes |
In Harvey, many of the houses we look at are prewar frame homes or 1950s and 1960s houses that have been rentals or have sat empty for a while. Those can be slow to finance. A well-kept, updated house is a different case, and listing may pay off.
Selling an empty house in Harvey
With about one in six Harvey homes vacant at the 2020 Census, many local sellers own a house no one lives in. Often it was a parent’s, the utilities are off, and the roof and yard have gone untended. That kind of house is hard to show and harder to finance.
Harvey bills the stamp, the final water bill and any other city debt on one invoice, payable in person within three business days. When you sell to us, we check those balances early so nothing surprises you, and we pay the stamp itself. We buy the house as it stands, empty for a month or for several years.
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 Harvey owners sell
Harvey FAQ
Does Harvey still require a point-of-sale inspection?
No. The city stopped doing them on April 7, 2025. We only need our own walk-through.
How much is Harvey’s transfer tax, and who pays it?
It’s $5 per $1,000, normally split between buyer and seller, plus a $60 fee for the buyer. When you sell to us, we pay all of it.
What if I owe the city for water or fines?
Those amounts show up on the city’s stamp invoice and are paid at closing from the sale. We check early so you know your net number before closing day.
Do you buy Harvey houses that have been empty for years?
Yes, in any condition, even with the utilities shut off.
Can you buy a Harvey two-flat with tenants?
Yes. We buy rentals with tenants in place, and leases and deposits pass to us at closing.
How much notice does the city need before closing?
The stamp application should be in at least five business days before closing. We start it as soon as the contract is signed.