We Buy Properties in All Conditions and Circumstances
People frequently open with an apology for the state of the house or the mess of the situation. There is no need. This is a list of what we buy, and almost all of it is ordinary to us.
A range of Cleveland properties in varying condition, all of which can be sold as-is
Condition
| Situation | What it means for the sale |
|---|---|
| Fire or smoke damage | Very hard to list — lenders will not fund it. A cash sale is often the only realistic route. |
| Water damage or mould | Same problem. Remediation is expensive and buyers are wary even after it is done. |
| Structural or foundation issues | Kills most financed offers. We price it in and buy as-is. |
| Roof at end of life | A common reason a listing falls apart at inspection. |
| No working heat | Usually blocks a mortgage outright. |
| Hoarder property | You do not need to clear it. Genuinely — leave everything. |
| Unfinished construction | A project someone started and could not complete. We take it on. |
| Condemned or boarded up | We buy these. Often the city is already involved, which we can work with. |
Circumstances
| Situation | What it means for the sale |
|---|---|
| Foreclosure or pre-foreclosure | Timing is everything. Tell us the sale date on the first call. |
| Behind on payments | Often still resolvable. Worth talking to your lender too. |
| Tax liens | Usually paid out of the proceeds at closing by the title company. |
| Code violations | Open cases transfer with the property. We handle them; tell us what you know. |
| Divorce | Both parties on the deed must agree. That is the main constraint. |
| Probate or inherited | Needs the estate opened first. See our probate guide. |
| Out-of-state owner | No need to travel. Closings can be done with a notary who comes to you. |
| Vacant property | Check your insurance — many policies lapse on unoccupied homes. |
| Bad tenants | You can sell with them in place. No eviction needed first. |
| Health or medical | We can work at your pace, or with a family member if you prefer. |
Property types
- Single-family homes
- Duplexes and small multi-family buildings
- Vacant land
- Commercial buildings
- Unusual buildings — we have bought firehouses
Three that need a word of caution
Depending on your equity and how far behind you are, a loan modification, a repayment plan, or a short sale may serve you better than selling. Talk to your lender, and if you can, a HUD-approved housing counsellor — their advice is free and they are not trying to buy your house.
Usually liens are cleared from the sale proceeds and you keep the balance. Occasionally what is owed is more than the property is worth, and there is nothing left for you. Better to find that out at the start than at closing.
If both parties are on the title, both must agree. A sale cannot proceed without that, whatever a decree may say about intentions. Get it settled or get legal advice first.
What we do not do
- We do not pay full retail. If the house is in good shape and you have time, list it.
- We do not give legal, tax or financial advice. We can tell you what we would pay; we cannot tell you whether selling is right for your circumstances.
- We do not pressure anyone. If you need six months to think, take six months.
- We do not close outside a title company. Ever, and neither should you with anyone else.
Whatever the situation, it is probably not the worst we have seen
Tell us what is actually going on. The offer is free, there is no obligation, and if selling is the wrong move we will say so.
Frequently asked questions
It is not a problem, and it is much of what we do. There is no threshold of bad condition past which we stop being interested — the condition changes the number, not whether we will buy.
On the open market it is one of the hardest problems, because odour survives cleaning and buyers notice it in the first ten seconds. Sold as-is it stops being your problem: we deal with the remediation, and you do not need to attempt it first.
Yes. Mould frequently ends conventional sales because buyers and their lenders react badly to it, and remediation quotes can be alarming. We buy with it in place and handle it ourselves.
Yes, including houses that are structurally affected. If there is an open insurance claim, mention it early — how the claim is handled can change what makes sense for you, and it is much easier to sort out before an agreement than after.
Vacancy brings its own problems: insurers restrict or void cover, frozen pipes cause serious damage over a Cleveland winter, and empty houses attract break-ins and copper theft. If a house is sitting empty, the cost of waiting is usually higher than people expect.
It is a genuine feature of some older Northeast Ohio housing stock, from before municipal water reached that street. It is not a defect in itself, though it can complicate a conventional sale when a lender or inspector does not know what to make of it. It does not trouble us.
Find out what we would pay
Free, no obligation, and no pressure. If our number does not work for you, that is a perfectly fine answer.
Keep reading
Why Sell As-Is
We Buy Cleveland Properties As-Is — No Repairs, No Cleanouts, No Hassle
What "as-is" actually means in practice, what you can leave behind, and the one thing you still have to do even when selling as-is.
Why Sell As-Is
Inherited a Property in Cleveland? Selling a Probate or Inherited Home
How probate works in Ohio, what you can and cannot do before it completes, and how to handle a house full of a lifetime of belongings when you live somewhere else.
Why Sell As-Is
Selling a Rental Property With Bad Tenants or Damage? We Can Help
You can sell with tenants in place. What that means for you, what it means for them, and why trying to empty the property first is usually the slower route.