Cook County property taxes are among the highest in the nation, and when you add in special assessments, repairs, and a market that punishes homes that aren't move-in ready, keeping your property can feel impossible. If your house has become a financial burden, there's a faster path forward.
Get My Cash Offer$322,000
Median Sale Price
10–24 days (city proper moves fastest)
Days on Market (MLS)
+6.8% YoY (Illinois statewide, Mar 2026)
Price Change YoY
1–2 months
Months of Inventory
Source: Zillow, Illinois REALTORS, Norada Real Estate — Cook County, Q1 2026
Chicago is a city of 77 neighborhoods, and the housing market varies wildly from one block to the next. While Lincoln Park condos sell in days, homes on the south and west sides can sit for months, especially if they need work. Cook County's reassessment cycles have hit many long-time homeowners with massive tax increases they didn't expect. If you're a homeowner who's been squeezed by rising costs on a property that isn't gaining value, selling directly for cash lets you walk away on your terms without paying a dime in agent commissions.
Get a cash offer on your Chicago propertyIf any of these situations hit close to home, you're exactly who we built this for.
Cook County property taxes that doubled after the last reassessment
Special assessments or condo HOA fees you can't absorb
A two-flat or multi-unit you're tired of managing with problem tenants
A house that's been sitting on the MLS with no offers because it needs too much work
Not a national call center. Two people who buy homes here.
From tax appeals to water lien certificates, Chicago real estate has layers that most cash buyers do not understand. We handle all of it.
Englewood to Evanston, Austin to Alsip: we buy across the entire Chicagoland area and we do not cherry-pick neighborhoods.
When you reach out, you talk to Addai or Grant directly. We're real people who take the time to understand your situation before making an offer.
Three steps. No surprises. You talk directly to Addai or Grant — not a call center.
Share your address, condition, and situation. Takes about 60 seconds to fill out.
We review the property and send a no-obligation cash offer, usually within 24 hours.
Accept the offer and pick your closing date — as fast as 7 days or on whatever schedule works for you.
"My taxes went from $4,200 to $8,100 after the reassessment and I just couldn't do it anymore. I'd lived in that house for 22 years but I was choosing between my property tax bill and my retirement. Skip The Agent gave me a fair offer, let me pick my closing date, and I didn't pay a single fee. I wish I'd done it sooner."
— Denise W. — South Side Chicago, IL
Want the full picture?
See our detailed Chicago page — local stats, market context, a cost comparison, and more.
Full Chicago guideWe buy across all of Chicago — including the areas that traditional buyers skip over.
Englewood / West Englewood
Persistent vacancy, code violations, and one of the highest concentrations of distressed properties in the city: sellers here often can't wait for a traditional financed buyer.
Austin (60644)
Large aging housing stock, rising insurance costs, and a slow financed-buyer market make Austin one of the most active zip codes for cash buyer inquiries on the west side.
Roseland / Pullman (60628)
Long days on market for properties needing work and steady post-reassessment tax pressure have pushed more Roseland owners toward direct cash sales.
Douglas Park / North Lawndale
Some of Chicago's lowest ZHVI values combined with the highest tax-to-value ratios: owners here are often paying more in taxes per dollar of value than anywhere else in the city.
South Shore / South Chicago
Two-flat and three-flat landlords dealing with non-paying tenants and deferred maintenance regularly reach out to us when the math no longer works.
Cicero / Berwyn (inner Cook suburbs)
Post-reassessment tax shock hit southwest Cook County suburbs particularly hard; many long-time owners are selling rather than absorbing the new bills.
Pilsen / McKinley Park
Gentrification pressure cuts both ways: some longtime owners want to capture equity now rather than wait through years of neighborhood transition with an uncertain outcome.
Harvey / Calumet City (south Cook)
Some of the highest foreclosure activity in the Chicago metro sits in south Cook County: sellers here frequently contact us after receiving bank or county notices.
Every county has its own quirks. Here's what you need to know about selling in Cook County.
Title & Closing Process
Illinois closings use title companies, and Cook County adds layers that other markets don't have. Every transaction requires a PTAX-203 real estate transfer declaration. Title companies must conduct thorough lien searches that include not just the county tax records but also Chicago's water lien database; unpaid water bills can result in liens that attach to the property and survive a sale if not cleared.
Closing Timeline
Cook County financed closings typically run 30 to 45 days, but title cures for liens can add 10 to 14 days on top of that. Cash transactions close faster, typically 14 to 21 days, but the PTAX-203 requirement and any lien payoffs still need to be coordinated through title.
Tax Liens & Foreclosure
Cook County holds an annual property tax lien sale every November through the County Treasurer's office. Liens attach as of January 1 each year. Illinois's judicial foreclosure process runs 10 to 18 months from default to sale; Cook County averages around 14 months based on 2026 court backlogs. Additionally, Chicago water liens can run up to 20 years and must be paid off at closing via a payoff from the Chicago Department of Water Management.
One Thing Unique to Cook County
Chicago water lien certificates are a Cook County-specific issue that catches many sellers off guard. Any unpaid water or sewer bills create a lien on the property that must be cleared before closing. These liens are searchable through the city's online portal, and we factor them into our offer so there are no last-minute surprises at the closing table.
Straight answers to the questions we hear most from homeowners in Cook County.
We deliver a cash offer within 24 hours of reviewing your property. Closing typically takes 14 to 21 days in Cook County once the title is cleared. The main variable is how many liens need to be resolved: water liens, tax liens, and HOA arrears all need payoff figures, but we handle all of that coordination.
We factor current and projected tax obligations into our offer, yes. But many sellers find that even after a tax increase, a direct cash sale beats holding the property while carrying a higher monthly burden, especially if the home needs repairs that would cost more than the tax savings of waiting.
Yes. Water liens get paid from your closing proceeds; you do not need to clear them before contacting us. We'll pull the lien balance through the city's portal and factor the payoff into the closing statement. This is one of the most common title issues we deal with in Cook County.
Yes. Multi-unit properties with occupied or difficult tenancies are something we handle regularly. We assess the property's condition and the tenancy situation together and make an offer that reflects both. Illinois eviction law has specific timelines, but we account for that in our evaluation rather than making you resolve it first.
The overall Chicago metro market posted about 6.8% price growth through early 2026, but that number doesn't tell the full story. The south and west sides move much slower than the north side, and homes that need work sit regardless of the broader trend. Our offer is based on the specific property and neighborhood, not headline metro numbers.
None. We cover all closing costs, including title insurance, transfer taxes, and recording fees. Illinois does have a state transfer tax plus a Cook County transfer tax, and Chicago has its own city transfer tax; we pay all of those. You pay nothing out of pocket.
Yes. We buy occupied multi-unit properties in Cook County with non-paying tenants regularly. We assess the tenancy situation as part of our offer — we do not ask you to evict anyone or resolve the tenancy before selling. If you are burned out and ready to walk away, we can have a cash offer in your hands within 24 hours.
There is. A direct cash sale means you spend zero on repairs and zero on commissions. Our offer will reflect the property's as-is condition, which means it will be below full retail value — but once you subtract the $25,000 in repairs your agent is asking for plus 5 to 6% in commissions plus months of carrying costs, many Chicago sellers net more from a direct sale than they expect. Call us and we will give you an honest number to compare.
Act immediately. A tax sale does not automatically mean you lose the property — you typically have a redemption window — but the clock is running. A cash sale can resolve the situation fast: we can make an offer within 24 hours, the back taxes get paid at closing from your proceeds, and the lien is cleared. Contact us today and tell us exactly what notice you received so we can tell you where you actually stand.
We're actively working with homeowners in Chicago right now.
Every week you wait costs another mortgage payment or tax bill. Let's fix that.
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