Sell your house fast in Riverdale
Bungalow, ranch or two-flat in Riverdale: we buy as-is and handle the village inspection and water bill.
- Cash offer within 24 hours
- No repairs, fees or commissions
- We pay normal closing costs
Your Riverdale cash offer
No obligation. We never sell your info. Prefer to talk? Call or text (773) 825-9855.
Selling a house in Riverdale
Riverdale is a Cook County village of about 10,700 people, split between Thornton and Calumet townships. It sits on Chicago’s southern border, with Blue Island to the north and west, Harvey to the south and Dolton to the east. Metra Electric trains stop at two stations in the village, Riverdale at 137th Street and Ivanhoe at 144th Street, and I-57 and I-94 are both close by.
Settlers arrived in 1835, and Riverdale and Dolton were practically one place until each incorporated in 1892. Distilleries, lumber yards and a sugar factory on the Little Calumet River came next, and Acme Steel became a major employer in 1918.
Riverdale grew fast after World War II. Census estimates show about a third of its homes built in the 1950s and a quarter from before 1950. The village was mostly single-family until 1960, when developer Harry J. Quinn started adding townhouses and apartments. His Pacesetter Gardens on South Lowe Avenue, twelve compact townhouse buildings, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today only about half of Riverdale homes are detached houses, and close to half of households rent.
That mix of older houses, townhomes and rentals shapes who calls us. Landlords with tenants, owners of small apartment buildings and families with an older house that needs work are the usual fit. If your house is updated and the village inspection comes back clean, an agent may get you more, and that is what we’d tell you.
What to expect
We set up one visit and look at the house with you. Within 24 hours you get a written cash offer that explains how we priced it. You decide when to close. Closing takes place at a local title company, and we handle the standard closing costs.
What to know before you sell in Riverdale
- No village transfer tax. Riverdale doesn’t charge one, but it still issues a transfer stamp once its requirements are met. State and Cook County transfer taxes are still due, and we pay both when you sell to us.
- Certificate of Compliance inspection. Every sale needs a village inspection. The fee is $220 for a single-family home or two-unit building, plus $55 for each unit past two, and it covers one re-inspection. Apply at least two weeks before closing. The certificate is good for six months.
- Conditional compliance. If repairs aren’t done before closing, the new owner signs a notarized 60-day closing affidavit and posts a deposit with the village. We sign it.
- Final water reading. Readings are taken on Wednesdays and are good for seven days. The bill, plus any tickets or grass-cutting invoices, is paid at Village Hall before the stamp issues. Online, phone and personal or business check payments aren’t accepted.
- Termite inspection. The village asks for proof of a termite inspection, and treatment if needed, with the application or within 60 days after the stamp.
- Property taxes and probate. Illinois taxes are a year in arrears, so the buyer is credited from your proceeds at closing. Probate for Cook County estates runs through the Daley Center.
Riverdale updated its forms in 2025, so the title company works from the current village packet.
Selling in Riverdale: the cash route and the listing route
| Sell to us | List with an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Repairs | None needed | Expected before or during the sale |
| 60-day repair affidavit | We sign it and post the deposit | Buyer must accept it, or you fix items first |
| Showings | One visit | Ongoing, including occupied units |
| Commission | No commission | Paid by the seller |
| Closing costs | We pay them | Seller pays |
| Timing | As little as 2–3 weeks | Listing period plus loan approval |
| Certainty | Cash, no appraisal | Loan or appraisal issues can sink it |
| Price | Below retail, priced for condition | Top price for updated homes |
In Riverdale, a lot of sales involve a 1950s house, a townhome or a small apartment building with tenants. Those often come with a list of code items, and a buyer using a loan may not want a 60-day repair deadline. A renovated house with a clean certificate is a different story.
How Riverdale’s 60-day repair rule works in an as-is sale
Riverdale’s inspection is a code review, not a full home inspection. The inspector checks the property against village code and lists any violations, and a clean stamp only issues when none are open. If there are violations, the buyer can close on a conditional certificate by signing the 60-day affidavit and posting a deposit. The work has to be finished with permits, and no one may live in the house until life safety items are fixed.
When you sell to us, the affidavit, the deposit and the 60-day clock are ours. You don’t pull permits or line up contractors. Your part is letting the inspector in and settling the final water bill, and we time those steps with the village so your closing date holds.
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.
Riverdale FAQ
Is there a transfer tax in Riverdale?
There is no village tax, but you still need a village transfer stamp after the inspection and water bill are cleared. We pay the state and county taxes when you sell to us.
How much does the Riverdale inspection cost?
$220 for a single-family home or two-unit building, with one re-inspection included. Apply at least two weeks before closing.
What if the inspector finds violations?
The buyer can sign a 60-day closing affidavit and post a deposit. When we buy, we sign it, so you don’t make the repairs.
Do you buy Riverdale townhomes and apartment buildings?
Yes, including buildings with tenants. Leases and deposits transfer to us at closing.
How long is a final water reading good for?
Seven days. Readings happen on Wednesdays, and the bill is paid in person at Village Hall.
Can a new owner move in before repairs are done?
Not until life safety violations are corrected, under the village affidavit. When you sell to us, that is our concern after closing.