Boston prices pull plenty of buyers into the city, but an estate house in Dorchester with a 1970s oil boiler, or a three-family with long-time tenants, still doesn't fit what most retail buyers or their lenders want. A cash buyer takes the house as it stands and works around the tenants, the heirs and the repair list.
Instead of calling buyer after buyer, send one request. Cash buyers who work in Suffolk County compete for the house, and we match you with the one that fits your price and your timeline.
How it works
- 1. Tell us about the house in one form.
- 2. Cash buyers who work in Suffolk County make offers.
- 3. We match you with the best fit. More
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Selling a house in Boston
Boston's neighborhoods are built on wood-frame triple-deckers, two-families and row houses, many of them more than a century old. Lead paint, knob-and-tube wiring, old oil or steam heat, slate and flat roofs, and damp fieldstone basements are the usual findings.
Buyers make offers on houses across Suffolk County, including:
- Dorchester
- Roxbury
- Mattapan
- Hyde Park
- Roslindale
- East Boston
- Jamaica Plain
- South Boston
- Charlestown
- West Roxbury
Common situations in Suffolk County
How each one works locally — and why a cash sale can help. General information, not legal advice.
Probate and inherited houses
Boston estates are handled by the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court division for the county. That court appoints the personal representative under the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code, and depending on the appointment and the will, that person may need a license from the court before selling the house.
More on probate and inherited houses →Behind on the mortgage
Foreclosure notices and deeds for Boston houses are recorded at the registry of deeds that serves the city. Most are auctions under the mortgage's power of sale, often held right at the property after the sale has been advertised in a newspaper. You own the house until the sale, so you can usually still sell.
More on behind on the mortgage →Behind on property taxes
Property taxes in Boston are billed by the city, not the county, and collected by the city's Collector-Treasurer. A long-unpaid bill can lead to a tax taking, which puts a tax title lien on the house that has to be paid at or before closing.
More on behind on property taxes →Code violations and city orders
Boston's Inspectional Services Department handles housing and building complaints, enforces the State Sanitary Code in rental units, and can cite owners of vacant or unsafe buildings.
More on code violations and city orders →Tired of being a landlord
Boston evictions (summary process cases) are heard in the Eastern Housing Court or in the Boston Municipal Court. You can sell with tenants in place — paying, behind, or mid-eviction.
More on tired of being a landlord →No fees or commissions, no showings or repairs, and buyers never see your contact details until you choose one. How DealSherpa works.
Selling for cash in Boston: questions
Can I sell my Boston three-family with tenants who have lived there for years?
Yes. Investors buy occupied multi-families all over Boston, and the tenancies and security deposits pass to the buyer at closing. Have your rent roll and your deposit and last-month's-rent records ready, because Massachusetts is strict about how those are held.
How fast can I sell my house for cash in Boston?
Massachusetts sales are closed by an attorney, who pays off the mortgage and any city taxes and records the deed at the county registry of deeds. Before closing, the seller usually needs a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm certificate from the local fire department. Once you accept an offer, most Suffolk County cash sales close in one to three weeks — sooner if there's no estate or lien paperwork to clear, or later on a date you choose.
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