Sell Your House Fast in Washington, DC. No Tenant Complications, No Agent Fees.
Take control of your closing date and move on without the wait. Whether your property is in Petworth, Anacostia, or Columbia Heights, we buy DC rowhouses and condos as-is, with no repairs required and no commissions taken out of your proceeds.
- ✓TOPA-compliant process for tenant-occupied properties
- ✓Any condition accepted
- ✓Zero agent commissions
- ✓Your closing date, your choice
- ✓Cash offer in 24 hours
Prefer to talk first? Call us at (833) 330-1625
What would a direct cash offer on your DC property look like? Enter your address to find out.
Enter your address and a member of our DC team will review your property and reach out to walk you through your offer. No obligation, no pressure.
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DC Seller Situations We Actually Understand
Most cash buyer pages list generic situations. But selling in Washington DC carries friction points that don't show up on a national template - TOPA compliance, rent control, probate through DC Superior Court, and code violations enforced by DCRA. If any of these apply to your property, here is how we handle each one.
Tenant-Occupied Property and TOPA
DC's Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) gives tenants the right of first refusal before you sell. For single-family homes and condos, that begins with a 3-day notice to the tenant before you accept a contract. For multifamily buildings the timeline is longer. We've navigated TOPA compliance on rowhouses from Capitol Hill to Columbia Heights - we know the notice requirements and work within them so your sale doesn't stall. If you want to read more about selling a house as a landlord, that resource covers the ownership transition questions that often come up alongside tenant situations.
Rent Control and Section 8 Leases
A property under DC rent control or a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher lease is a hard sell on the traditional market. Most retail buyers don't want the compliance obligations. We do. We can purchase tenant-occupied properties with existing rent-controlled leases or active Section 8 contracts. Your tenant's situation doesn't kill the deal.
Inherited Property in DC Probate
Probate for DC real estate runs through the DC Superior Court Probate Division. A court-appointed personal representative must sign the deed - there's no way around that. The good news: separate court approval of the sale itself is not always required unless the will or a court order specifies it. We've worked with personal representatives in DC to close inherited rowhouses in Petworth, Anacostia, and Deanwood once the estate is open. If you're early in the process, we can walk you through what comes next and what a cash offer looks like within that timeline.
Code Violations and Unpermitted Work
DCRA issues code violation notices that don't just disappear when you list the property. Unpermitted additions - rear pop-outs, basement conversions, garage apartments - show up in title searches and kill conventional financing. We buy properties as-is. That means we purchase without requiring you to resolve open permits or violations first. You disclose what you know, we price accordingly, and the rest gets handled post-closing.
Facing Foreclosure
DC nonjudicial foreclosures typically run 6 to 12 months from the first missed payment. Federal law requires the loan to be more than 120 days delinquent before the first foreclosure notice, which means if you've just received a default notice, you likely still have a window to act. Selling before a foreclosure auction protects your credit, lets you walk away with proceeds rather than nothing, and stops the clock. Don't wait until the auction date is set.
Costly Repairs You Can't Afford to Make
Older rowhouses in Congress Heights, Brightwood Park, and Sixteenth Street Heights often carry deferred maintenance - aging HVAC, outdated electrical, foundation issues, or roof damage. In a market where buyers are now averaging 63 days to close and scrutinizing inspection reports line by line, a property that needs significant work sits. We buy it without a repair list or an inspection contingency.
How a DC Cash Sale Works, From Offer to Settlement
DC is an attorney state. That matters. Closing is not handled by the buyer alone - a licensed settlement attorney or law firm prepares the deed, coordinates any mortgage payoff, reviews title, and manages the recording with the DC Recorder of Deeds. For you as a seller, that means legal oversight at every step. Here is what the process looks like from your first call to the day you leave with your proceeds. You can also review the full how our cash buying process works page for more detail on our approach.
Tell us about your property
Submit your address above or call us at (833) 330-1625. We ask a few basic questions about condition, occupancy status, and any known issues - no inspection required at this stage.
Receive your cash offer
We research your property using recent comparable sales in your specific neighborhood - not just a city-wide average. Within 24 to 48 hours we present a written, no-obligation offer with a clear explanation of how we arrived at the number.
Review and accept on your terms
No pressure, no deadline games. If the offer works for you, we proceed to contract. If you have questions about the DC deed transfer tax, recordation tax split, or how your tenant situation affects the timeline, we walk through it before you sign anything.
Close with a settlement attorney
A DC-licensed settlement attorney handles the closing. They prepare the deed, coordinate title clearance, manage any lien payoffs, and file the deed with the Recorder of Deeds. You review the settlement statement, sign, and receive your proceeds - typically by wire the same day or the next business day.
If you are comparing this to a traditional listing or want to understand the full selling a house in Washington DC process, that resource covers what a conventional sale involves - which makes the difference in steps and cost easier to see.
What You Actually Net: Cash Offer vs. Traditional DC Listing
A $650,000 sale price on the MLS doesn't mean $650,000 in your pocket. DC has its own layer of closing costs that reduce seller proceeds - sometimes substantially. Here's how the numbers compare when you factor in what DC actually charges.
| Cost or Factor | Cash Offer (Eagle Cash Buyers) | Traditional DC Listing |
|---|---|---|
| Agent commissions | None - no listing agent, no buyer's agent fee | Typically 5-6% of sale price. On a $650,000 home, that's $32,500 to $39,000 off the top. |
| DC deed transfer tax | Split negotiated in contract - often buyer assumes full amount or costs are shared | Seller typically pays 1.1% on sales above $400K. On $650,000 that's approximately $7,150. |
| DC recordation tax | Allocation negotiated as part of the offer terms - clearly stated before you sign | Also 1.1% above $400K threshold, often split. Combined transfer and recordation taxes can approach $14,000-$15,000 total on a $650,000 sale, split roughly half each. |
| Repairs before listing | None - we buy as-is. Code violations, unpermitted work, deferred maintenance - all accepted. | Typical DC listings require $10,000-$30,000 in pre-listing work to compete with move-in-ready inventory, based on property age and condition. |
| Staging and prep costs | None | $2,000-$5,000 for professional staging is standard for DC row home and condo listings. |
| Carrying costs during 63-day average market | No carrying costs - close in as few as 14-21 days | Mortgage, taxes, insurance, and utilities during the average 63-day market exposure add up. Two to three months of carrying costs on a $650K home can run $4,000-$8,000 or more. |
| Financing contingency risk | No financing contingency - cash purchase | Buyers with financing can back out if their loan falls through, forcing you back to market and resetting the clock. |
| Inspection and repair negotiations | No inspection. No post-inspection repair credits. | DC buyers routinely negotiate $5,000-$15,000 in repair credits after inspection, especially on older rowhouses with aging systems. |
Note: DC transfer and recordation tax rates differ below and above the $400,000 threshold. The figures above reflect the rate applicable to most DC residential sales above that threshold. Tax allocation is negotiable in the purchase contract - we will explain our specific offer terms in plain language before you sign.
The DC Market Right Now - What Sellers With Problem Properties Need to Know
(Redfin, 3 months ending Apr 2026)
(Up from 53 days year-over-year)
Buyers have more negotiating room than a year ago
Washington DC's 2026 housing market is not the frenzied seller's market of 2021 or 2022. Buyers are choosier. Days on market have climbed from 53 to 63 year-over-year, which means if your property spends the average time on market before going under contract and then another 30 to 45 days in escrow, you are looking at 90-plus days before you see any money. For a seller dealing with a vacant inherited rowhouse, an active code violation, or a rent-controlled tenant in place, that timeline compounds every week.
The buyer pool in DC still includes relocating professionals and rate-insensitive affluent buyers who are less sensitive to interest rate fluctuations. That demand is real. But it is concentrated in move-in-ready properties priced within about 3-5% of recent comparable sales. Row homes in Logan Circle, Capitol Hill, and Dupont Circle that are staged and priced correctly move relatively quickly. Properties that need significant work - roof repairs, electrical upgrades, kitchen and bath overhauls - are sitting. Buyers in this market run inspection reports carefully and negotiate hard on repair credits.
Prices also vary meaningfully across DC neighborhoods. A rowhouse in Petworth or Brightwood Park trades at a different price point than a similar structure in Dupont Circle or Logan Circle, and condos in investor-heavy areas have slowed more than single-family inventory. If you are trying to price an as-is property across any of these markets, understanding where your specific address sits in the local comp stack matters more than the city-wide median.
That is the context in which a cash offer makes mathematical sense for some sellers. Not all sellers - but for those who cannot afford the repair outlay, cannot carry the property through 90-plus days of market exposure, or need certainty over a maximum price that may never materialize, a direct cash sale is worth serious consideration.
Where We Buy in Washington DC - Neighborhoods, Zip Codes, and Nearby Cities
We buy houses across all of Washington DC - from the rowhouses and condos of Capitol Hill and Columbia Heights to the single-family homes and multi-unit properties east of the river in Anacostia, Deanwood, and Congress Heights. Price points and buyer demand vary across these neighborhoods, which is why we research comparable sales for your specific area rather than applying a city-wide formula. If you want to sell your house fast in DC, the location matters - and we know the differences between markets across the District.
DC Neighborhoods We Serve
Zip Codes We Cover
We Also Buy in Nearby Cities
Prefer to talk through your situation before submitting anything? Call us directly - we answer questions without any pressure to commit.
(833) 330-1625Ready to Skip the DC Listing Maze? Here's Your Direct Path.
No repairs, no agent commissions, no DC transfer tax surprises, and no TOPA delays. If your property qualifies, we'll give you a written cash offer within 24 to 48 hours - and you decide whether it makes sense for your situation. There's no obligation to accept.
When you're ready to close, a DC-licensed settlement attorney handles every step of the paperwork - preparing the deed, coordinating recording with the DC Recorder of Deeds, and managing any lien payoffs. You walk into a professionally managed closing, not a handshake transaction.
DC is an attorney state - all closings are conducted by a licensed settlement attorney or law firm. Your deed transfer and proceeds are handled through a legally supervised closing process, not a DIY transaction. We work with established DC closing attorneys to protect your interests at the table.
Before You Decide
What DC Sellers Ask Before Accepting a Cash Offer
DC real estate has its own legal quirks - TOPA compliance, deed taxes, probate court, and an attorney-conducted closing. Here are the questions we hear most from sellers across the District, answered plainly.
My rental property has tenants. Does DC's Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) affect my cash sale?
Yes, and this is one of the most common surprises for DC landlords selling a rental. Under TOPA, tenants in most DC residential properties must receive a written notice of your intent to sell before you can transfer title to a third party. For a single-family home or a condo, you must give tenants at least 30 days' notice and the right of first refusal to purchase - but there is an important shortcut: if you are selling to a buyer who intends to occupy the property, the tenant waiver process can reduce the required notice period significantly. The statutory "contract ratification notice" is what triggers the 3-day clock for tenant response in some limited circumstances under the exemptions.
In practice, we prepare the TOPA notice as part of our process so you are not left figuring out the paperwork. The timeline adds a short window to closing, but it does not derail the sale or require you to negotiate with your tenant. Review a home selling checklist and process to see how TOPA fits into the broader DC selling timeline.
How do DC deed transfer tax and recordation tax affect what I actually walk away with?
DC imposes two separate taxes on most real estate sales - a deed recordation tax and a transfer (deed) tax. The combined rate typically lands in the mid-single digits of the sale price, and both taxes are technically negotiable in the contract, though the traditional split is roughly half from the buyer and half from the seller.
On a $650,000 DC home, the seller's share of these two taxes alone can run $10,000 or more before you factor in agent commissions. In a cash sale with us, there are no agent commissions - typically 5% to 6% on a traditional listing - and we are transparent about the tax split in the contract before you sign anything. Your net proceeds calculation is laid out clearly, not buried in a closing disclosure you see for the first time at the settlement table.
I inherited a DC rowhouse. Does the estate need court approval before I can sell it for cash?
DC probate runs through the DC Superior Court Probate Division. Before any property in an estate can be sold, the estate must be opened and a personal representative must be appointed by the court - that representative is the only person who can legally sign the deed.
The good news is that separate court approval of the sale itself is not always required. Unless the will specifically requires court oversight of the sale, or the court has issued an order to that effect, the personal representative generally has authority to sell the property once appointed. We work with the estate's timeline, meaning we do not push you to close before the personal representative has proper authority. If you are still in the early stages of opening the estate, we can give you a cash offer now and hold it while the probate process moves forward - which in DC typically takes several months from filing to appointment.
My property has code violations and some unpermitted work. Can I still sell it as-is?
You can sell it to us without resolving the violations or pulling retroactive permits first. DC's Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) code violations and unpermitted additions are issues that stop traditional buyers cold - lenders will not finance a property with open violations, and a conventional buyer cannot close without clear permits. We buy properties in exactly that condition, factor the remediation cost into our offer, and handle it after we take title. You are not responsible for clearing the violations before closing.
Do you buy houses in Anacostia, Deanwood, Congress Heights, and other neighborhoods east of the river?
Yes. We buy properties across all DC neighborhoods - including Anacostia, Deanwood, and Congress Heights east of the Anacostia River, as well as Capitol Hill, Columbia Heights, Petworth, Brightwood Park, Sixteenth Street Heights, Logan Circle, and Dupont Circle. Price points and buyer demand vary across these neighborhoods, and that is something we account for in our offer - a rowhouse in Petworth is priced and evaluated differently than a property in Congress Heights, and we do not apply a one-size formula.
How does the closing process work in DC? Who handles the paperwork?
DC is an attorney state, which means the closing must be conducted by a licensed settlement attorney or law firm. The attorney prepares the deed, coordinates the mortgage payoff if there is one, collects and disburses funds, and handles the recording with the DC Recorder of Deeds. You do not manage any of that - the attorney's job is to protect both parties and make sure the transaction is legally sound.
This is actually a seller protection, not a complication. You have a professional reviewing the transfer documents before you sign. We work with experienced DC settlement attorneys and will provide their contact information well before closing day so you have time to ask questions.
How do I know a cash buyer in DC is legitimate and not a scam?
A few concrete signals to check: Is the company registered to do business in DC? Can they provide proof of funds before you sign anything? Do they use a licensed DC settlement attorney for closing, or are they asking you to sign documents outside of a formal settlement process? A legitimate cash buyer will not ask you to sign over the deed before closing, will not pressure you to skip the attorney, and will not charge you upfront fees of any kind.
We are happy to provide proof of funds and our DC business registration on request. The fact that DC requires attorney-conducted closings adds a layer of protection you do not get in many other states - the settlement attorney independently verifies the transaction before any money or title changes hands.
My Columbia Heights condo is rented to a Section 8 tenant. Does that make it harder to sell?
It does make a traditional sale harder - most retail buyers cannot take over a Section 8 lease, and lenders often require the unit to be vacant. DC rent control status adds another layer, since the tenant's rights under a rent-controlled lease follow the property in some circumstances and affect what a new owner can charge or do with the unit. We buy Section 8-occupied and rent-controlled properties regularly. We factor the tenancy into our offer and take on the landlord obligations at closing, which means you do not have to navigate the eviction or lease-break process before you sell.