Sell your house fast in Hometown
A post-war Cape Cod or ranch in this small village next to Oak Lawn: we buy Hometown houses as-is and take care of the village housing inspection.
- Cash offer within 24 hours
- No repairs, fees or commissions
- We handle the housing inspection
Your Hometown cash offer
No obligation. We never sell your info. Prefer to talk? Call or text (773) 825-9855.
Selling a house in Hometown
Hometown is a small Cook County city in Worth Township, about 12 miles southwest of the Loop, with roughly 4,300 residents in the 2020 Census. It covers less than half a square mile. Its north edge is 87th Street, where it meets Chicago between Cicero and Pulaski, and its south edge runs about where 91st Street would be. Cicero Avenue (Illinois 50) is the main road, and Metra SouthWest Service trains pass through without stopping. Pace Route 383 and CTA Route 87 buses serve the city.
Hometown exists because of postwar housing. After World War II, developer Joseph E. Merrion built rows of inexpensive frame duplexes here for returning veterans, and the city incorporated in 1953. Merrion also developed nearby Merrionette Park. Unity, Anderson and Patterson parks are the main open spaces. On April 21, 1967, a tornado destroyed 86 homes and damaged about 500 more.
Those frame duplexes are still the defining house type, alongside single-family homes. Selling half of a duplex raises questions a detached house doesn’t: a shared wall, a shared roof line, and sometimes a neighbor whose repairs or timing affect yours. Many of these houses also still have original windows, siding and mechanicals.
No part of Chicagoland sees more of our purchases than the southwest suburbs. If your Hometown house has been updated, listing it may bring more, and we’ll tell you so. We’re a good match for duplexes with dated interiors, a unit with a tenant, an estate, or a seller who wants to skip the city inspection and repair list.
What to expect
Contact us, and a cash figure is in front of you inside 24 hours. One walk-through follows, and we explain how the number was built. Once you agree, pick the date. Closing takes place at a local title office. Normal closing costs go on our tab.
What to know before you sell in Hometown
- No Hometown transfer tax. Hometown doesn’t charge one, according to both ATG and Chicago Title. The state and Cook County stamps, 75 cents per $500 combined, are still due, and they’re our expense on a sale to us.
- $50 housing inspection. The city requires a housing inspection before transfer, with a $50 fee. Chicago Title notes you can apply up to six months before closing. When we buy, we handle the application and the results.
- Final water reading through City Hall. City Hall handles the final water reading, and the balance must be cleared. The title company arranges it and pays from the sale.
- Duplex legal descriptions. If you own one side of a duplex, the title company confirms your parcel’s legal description and any shared-wall or easement terms on record.
- Hometown tax proration. Hometown owners pay Cook County taxes a year behind. On the closing statement, that shows up as a buyer credit for this year to date.
- Hometown estates. Probate cases from Hometown go to the Daley Center in Chicago. Once the court gives the executor authority, the executor can sell to us.
City requirements change now and then, so the title company checks Hometown’s current process before closing. Whatever is needed, we cover.
Hometown sellers: compare your options
| Sell to us | List with an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Repairs and updates | Duplex or single, we buy it unrepaired | Expected, and the city inspection may add more |
| Showings | One walk-through | Showings, often working around a tenant |
| Commission | None charged | A percentage of your Hometown price |
| Closing costs | We pay them | Seller pays |
| Timing | Typically 2–3 weeks, or your chosen date | Weeks on market plus loan processing |
| Certainty | Cash with no loan contingency | Loan approvals and appraisals can stall |
| City inspection | We apply, pay and handle the results | Seller applies and makes required fixes |
| Price | Below retail, priced for condition | Top price for updated homes |
Hometown’s frame duplexes and small homes are now roughly 70 to 80 years old. Original windows, older siding and aging furnaces show up in almost every inspection. If yours needs those updates, compare our offer with what you’d net after making them.
Selling one side of a Hometown duplex
Many Hometown houses were built as duplexes, and each side is often owned separately. That works fine for a sale, but a buyer’s inspector will look at the shared roof, the party wall and the foundation as a whole, and a lender may ask questions if the other side needs work.
We buy one side of a duplex on its own, as long as it’s your parcel. You don’t need your neighbor’s cooperation to sell to us. If you own both sides, we can buy them together. If one side is rented, the tenant can stay, or we can agree on a move-out date. Tell us how the property is set up, and we’ll make the offer fit it.
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.
Hometown FAQ
Does Hometown charge a transfer tax?
No. There’s a $50 housing inspection fee instead. On a sale to us, that fee is ours, as are the Illinois and Cook County stamps.
Will you buy just my half of a duplex?
Yes, if your half has its own parcel and deed. We don’t need the neighbor to sell.
When should the Hometown city inspection be scheduled?
Chicago Title notes it can be applied for up to six months before closing. When you sell to us, we schedule it.
One side of my duplex has a renter. Can you still buy it?
Yes. We can keep the lease in place or arrange a move-out date that works for the tenant.
Is Hometown in a flood zone?
The county plan says Hometown isn’t in a mapped floodplain, but some streets flood in heavy rain. Let us know about any water in your basement.
How fast could I close on a Hometown house?
Often within 2–3 weeks, once the inspection and title work are done. Later is fine too.