Fair Home Cash Home seller FAQ
Every question sellers ask us before they request an offer, one page per answer. Each page leads with the short answer, then the detail and the sources.
Pick the group closest to your situation. If your question is not here, call or text (773) 717-5643 or see the other ways to reach us. The longer guides and calculators live on the seller resources page.
OffersHow cash offers work
What a cash offer is, how the number gets built, and what happens once you say yes.
How long it takes and what it costs
The closing timeline, who picks the date, and which fees land on the seller in a cash sale.
Selling a house that needs work
Repairs, as-is sales, and what Illinois law still asks you to disclose when you skip the fix-up.
Foreclosure, missed payments and liens
Your options when the mortgage is behind, a sale date is set, or a lien sits on the title.
Inheritance, divorce, tenants and moving out
Probate, a split household, a rental with renters in it, and staying put for a while after closing.
Documents, and checking any buyer
What to gather before a sale, and how to tell a real buyer from a scam.
Every question, answered in brief
What is a cash offer on a house?
A cash offer means the buyer pays the full purchase price from money they already have — no mortgage, no loan underwriting, no appraisal contingency, and no financing that can collapse a week before closing. The funds still move through a licensed title company at closing; cash describes how the purchase is funded, not how the money is handed over.
Full answerHow are cash offers calculated?
Buyers base their cash offers on recent comparable sales in your neighborhood and work backward from the after-repair value. A common investor rule of thumb puts offers at 70 to 85% of ARV minus repair costs; real offers can land below that range, well below for a house that needs a lot of work, and you can always ask to see how the number was built.
Full answerHow do cash buyers estimate repair costs?
A cash buyer walks the house once and prices everything it would take to match the renovated homes yours will be compared against: the big systems first — roof, foundation, HVAC, plumbing, electrical — then kitchens, baths, and finishes, all at contractor rates rather than weekend-project prices. Ask to keep a copy of the written scope; a fair buyer hands it over.
Full answerWhat happens after I accept a cash offer?
You sign a purchase contract, a licensed title company opens escrow and searches the title, and any mortgage or liens are paid out of the sale proceeds at closing, so as long as the price covers what you owe, you bring no money. Cash sales usually run about 7 to 28 days (an estimate) from contract to closing, you pick the date, and the wire lands the same day you sign or the next business day.
Full answerDo I need a realtor to sell my house?
No. No state, Illinois included, requires you to hire a real estate agent to sell your own house. What an agent sells is marketing reach and negotiation, for a commission that averaged about 5.46 percent nationally, and 4.90 percent in Illinois, in Clever's survey updated September 1, 2026. Whether that trade is worth it depends on your house, your deadline, and how much of the work you are willing to do yourself.
Full answerHow fast can I sell my house for cash?
Closing on your Chicago home often takes about 7 to 28 days (an estimate, not a promise), depending on title work and your timeline. You pick the date that works for you.
Full answerHow long does a cash sale take to close?
From signed contract to funded closing, a cash sale typically takes 7 to 14 days when the title is clean, and 14 to 21 days when a mortgage payoff or lien has to be cleared (estimates, not promises). The pace is set by the title company's work — the search, the payoff letters, the closing documents — not by the buyer's money, which is ready on day one.
Full answerDo cash buyers pay closing costs?
Yes. When Fair Home Cash buys your house, we pay the seller's usual closing costs (about 1 to 3% of the price in a traditional sale) and the transfer tax, and you pay zero fees and zero commissions on top. Get it in writing either way: the closing statement shows exactly who pays what.
Full answerWhat fees do sellers pay in a cash sale?
In a direct cash sale the fee list can be zero: no agent commission, no service charge, and in a standard deal the buyer covers the usual seller closing costs. What still comes out of the price are your own obligations — the mortgage payoff, back taxes, and liens. When Fair Home Cash buys, we pay the seller's closing costs and the transfer tax. The settlement statement shows every line.
Full answerCan I sell a house as-is?
Yes — condition doesn't change the answer. You can request a cash offer from Fair Home Cash for a house with fire damage, water damage, foundation problems, code violations, or hoarder situations, all with no repairs needed. You don't fix a thing.
Full answerShould I sell as-is or fix it up first?
It depends on the size of the job and the cash and months you can commit. Light cosmetic work — paint, deep cleaning, small repairs — usually earns its money back on a listing. Major renovations usually do not: Remodeling magazine's annual Cost vs. Value report has shown for years that most big projects return less at resale than they cost. If the house needs systems work, or you cannot front the money and the time, selling as-is typically comes out ahead.
Full answerHow do I sell a house that needs major repairs?
You have three real options: pay for the repairs and then list, list it as-is on the open market, or sell it as-is to a cash buyer. Because most mortgage lenders will not finance a home with serious defects, the deeper the damage, the more your buyer pool narrows to cash — so the right choice usually comes down to repair math, not preference.
Full answerDo I have to disclose problems if I sell as-is?
In most states, yes. Selling as-is means you will not repair anything — it does not erase your disclosure duties. In Illinois, sellers of most homes with one to four units must complete a written report covering material defects they actually know about, and an as-is contract does not waive it.
Full answerCan I sell a house in foreclosure?
Yes. In Illinois you can sell your house during foreclosure. The sale has to close before the redemption period ends. That is the window the law gives you before any auction. A cash sale that closes in time can protect your remaining equity. The sooner you start, the more options you have.
Full answerCan I sell my house before a foreclosure auction?
Yes. In Illinois you have the legal right to sell your home during the redemption period. No auction can be held until it ends. For most owner-occupied homes, it ends on the later of 7 months after you were served or 3 months after judgment (735 ILCS 5/15-1504.5, 5/15-1603). Your real deadline is earlier. Your closing has to fund before the redemption period ends, and title work takes weeks. The earlier you start, the more of your equity you keep.
Full answerCan I sell my house if I'm behind on payments?
Yes. Missed payments do not take away your right to sell. The missed payments (arrears), interest, and fees are paid out of the sale price at closing, not from your pocket, as long as the price covers what you owe. Until an Illinois foreclosure is complete, the house and its equity are still yours. The earlier you act, the more of that equity you keep.
Full answerCan I sell a house with a lien on it?
Yes. A lien does not block the sale — it gets paid out of the sale price at closing. The title company finds every lien in its search, orders payoff letters, and clears each one from the proceeds before you receive the rest. The sale only gets hard when the liens add up to more than the house is worth.
Full answerCan I sell an inherited house before probate ends?
Usually, yes — the sale normally happens during probate, not after it. In Illinois, a representative with independent administration can generally sell the house before the estate closes, without a separate court order. What must come first is authority: the court has to appoint you before you can sign a contract.
Full answerCan I sell my house during a divorce?
Yes. A house can be sold at any point during a divorce as long as both spouses agree to the sale or a court orders it. In Illinois the home is usually marital property no matter whose name is on the deed, so expect both signatures at the closing table and, in most cases, proceeds held in escrow until the settlement says how they split.
Full answerCan I sell a rental with tenants in it?
Yes — occupied rentals sell every day, lease and all. The lease survives the sale: your buyer becomes the new landlord under the same rent and the same end date, and the tenant does not have to move. Investors purchase tenant-occupied houses as a matter of course, and a paying tenant can even make the sale easier.
Full answerCan I stay in the house after closing?
Sometimes. Staying after closing is a negotiated agreement — usually called a rent-back or post-closing occupancy — and it depends entirely on the buyer, so never count on one that is not written into the contract. The more dependable tool is the closing date itself: you pick it, so you can set a date far enough out to move once, on your own schedule.
Full answerWhat documents do I need to sell my house?
You personally need surprisingly little: a government-issued photo ID, a recent mortgage statement so the payoff can be ordered, your latest property tax bill, and the disclosure forms Illinois law requires. The deed and the rest of the closing file are prepared by the title company and your attorney — and if you cannot find your deed, the county recording office has a copy (in Cook County, the Clerk's Recordings Division).
Full answerAre cash-buyer companies legit?
Some are, and some are not. Legitimate cash buyers exist in every market, and this industry also has more than its share of operators who are two burner phones and a logo. The difference shows up fast when you check: a real company appears in the state's business records, puts its offer and its math in writing, runs every dollar through a licensed title company, and never asks you for money.
Full answerHow do I avoid cash buyer scams?
Verify the company in your state's business records, insist on a written offer with the math attached, never pay a cash buyer anything for any reason, and close only through a licensed title company with your own attorney reading the documents. A legitimate buyer passes all four checks without complaint; a scam usually fails the first two.
Full answerStill have a question?
Ask it directly. If the property is a fit, you may receive a written cash offer with the math attached. No fees, no obligation.
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