We Buy Houses in Seattle, Washington

A cash home buyer is an investor or company that purchases homes directly using cash, allowing for a faster, smoother sale with no financing contingencies. There is no bank loan, so there is no lender appraisal to wait on and no loan approval that can fall through the week before closing. In Seattle that matters, because county records and real houses do not always match. The King County Assessor sets values with yearly statistical models built from sales, and it checks each area in person at least once in a six-year cycle. A cash buyer looks at the house itself and makes one offer. The sale still closes through a title company or escrow office, and the deed is recorded with the King County Recorder at 201 S. Jackson St., Suite 204. You choose the closing date.

Selling fast can help you avoid foreclosure, relocate for a job, settle an estate, or handle a financial emergency without the delays of a traditional listing. Waiting costs money in King County. Property tax is due in two halves, April 30 and October 31, and a date that lands on a weekend moves to the next business day. Late charges are added every month a payment is missed. Once a tax is three full years late, the county can start tax foreclosure. Even when you are current, the Assessor revalues your home every year, using three years of sales adjusted to January 1, so your bill can change while the house sits. An older Seattle house can add costs too: a tired roof, an old heating system, or an empty building the city expects you to keep secured. Selling fast stops those clocks. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Direct cash buyers and companies like As-Is Home Buyer specialize in fast, as-is purchases throughout Seattle. Investors, builders, landlords, and companies like As-Is Home Buyer all pay cash for Seattle houses. They do not all want the same house, so ask each one what they buy. We buy houses in the shape they are in, including tenant-occupied homes, estate houses, and houses with old oil tanks, old wiring, or gaps in the permit file. We buy in Seattle ZIP codes such as 98107 in Ballard, 98116 in West Seattle, 98118 in Rainier Valley, 98125 in Northgate, and 98144 on Beacon Hill, and across the rest of King County. Call (323) 622-6021 and give us the street address. We will tell you plainly whether we can make an offer. If we can, you get a no-obligation cash number within 24 hours.

We review your property, make a no-obligation cash offer — often within 24 hours — and close on your timeline, usually in as little as 7 days. You call (323) 622-6021 or send the short form. Before we quote a number, we read the public record on your house. That means the King County Assessor's eReal Property page, which shows valuations, property characteristics, and sale history, and the King County Parcel Viewer, which shows the year built. We also run your address through the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) Permit and Site History tool, which opens permit activity from 2005 to today. If you say yes, a title company opens the file, you pick the closing date, and we can close in as little as 7 days. We handle the paperwork. You do not clean, repair, or stage anything.

No. We cover closing costs and charge no commissions or hidden fees, unlike a traditional real estate sale. Seattle has some fees of its own, and it helps to know them. A landlord has to register rental housing with the city's Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance program. Registration costs $126 for a property, including the first unit, plus $31.50 for each added unit. A vacant building that does not meet the city's standards can be placed in SDCI's monitoring program, with fees from $336.82 to $781.84 depending on whether the building is open to entry and whether violations remain. Those charges come from the city, not from us. If either one touches your house, tell us on the first call. We will explain how it affects the sale, and you will see every number before you sign. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Most cash sales close in 7–14 days, depending on your situation and title. We can close in as little as 7 days. The date is yours to choose. The clock mostly depends on title. A clean file moves fast. A file with a payoff to order, a tax account to bring current, or an estate to sort out takes longer. You can see part of that picture yourself. The King County Treasury shows your tax account online once you enter the parcel or account number, and the Recorder's online search shows recorded documents since August 1, 1991. If the house has a tenant, the timeline follows the lease, because we buy it with the tenant in place. If you need more time to find your next place, say so and we will build the closing around it.

Yes. We buy houses in any condition — no repairs, cleaning, or staging required. That includes work that was done without a permit. In Seattle, SDCI can issue a stop work order and fine an owner up to $500 per day for building without a permit. Tell us what you know about past projects, such as a finished basement, a converted garage, or a new deck. We look up the permit record in the Seattle Services Portal ourselves and price the house as it sits. You do not need to pull permits, hire a contractor, or hunt for old paperwork before you call. If you want to know what the city expects for a project, SDCI also offers a free 20 minute coaching session with a permit specialist. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Typically the title/deed, basic property disclosures, and a photo ID for verification. Bring the deed or the parcel number, a photo ID, and any payoff letters. We pull the King County tax record ourselves. Washington also has a seller disclosure statement. Under RCW 64.06.020 the seller delivers it within five business days after a written contract is accepted, unless the parties agree otherwise, and the buyer then has three business days to rescind. A buyer can waive the statement in writing. Some transfers are exempt under RCW 64.06.010, including transfers made by the personal representative of an estate, transfers in connection with a marital dissolution, and foreclosures. We will tell you which rule applies to your sale. If you cannot find the deed, do not worry. The Recorder's online search covers documents recorded on or after August 1, 1991. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Yes — we’re happy to talk through the numbers and how we arrived at your offer. Start with what we can see: the lot, the size and age of the house, and what the records say. The King County Assessor sets values with yearly statistical models for 89 residential market areas, so the assessed value is a starting point, not a quote on your house. An appraiser visits each area in person at least once in a six-year cycle, and the visit is frequently an outside look only. If the record is wrong, show us. A finished basement, a new roof, or a sewer line you replaced can change the math. So can the timeline you want. You are never under pressure. If our number does not work for you, you can say no, and it costs you nothing.

We routinely handle liens and title issues as part of closing. A lien is a claim against the property for money owed, and it has to be paid or released for the sale to close. In King County you can look at recorded documents yourself. The Recorder's online search covers documents recorded on or after August 1, 1991, and you can search by name, document type, parcel number, or recording date. Unpaid property tax is a separate matter. The county starts tax foreclosure when a tax is a full three years late, and its foreclosure unit can be reached at the number on the county's tax foreclosure page. Send us any notice you have received, even if it looks old. We order payoff amounts through the title company and show you how each one comes out of the sale. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Speed, certainty, no repairs, no commissions, and a close date you choose. In Seattle there is one more: you skip the approval step on exterior work. If your house is inside the Ballard Avenue Landmark District, created in 1976, or the Columbia City Landmark District, designated in 1978, a Certificate of Approval is needed before you change the outside of the building. That includes painting. The city says staff first check that the application is complete, then a board reviews it at a public meeting, and the certificate is typically issued within 28 days of that meeting. A seller who lists after a fresh coat of paint or a porch fix can lose weeks. Selling as-is avoids the wait. Seattle has eight historic districts in all, and the Historic Preservation Program, listed on the city's website, can tell you if yours is one. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Yes — a fast cash sale can help you avoid foreclosure and protect your credit. A Washington deed of trust foreclosure follows chapter 61.24 RCW. The trustee must record and mail the notice of trustee's sale at least 90 days before the sale, or 120 days when a lender letter under RCW 61.24.031 is required. The sale is held at a public place in the county, generally on a Friday. A housing counselor or attorney can refer you to foreclosure mediation, and for a deed of trust the referral must come no later than 90 days before the sale date. Call us the day the notice arrives. If the price covers what you owe, a cash sale can pay the lender in full before the sale, which can protect your credit. We will tell you quickly whether it fits your file. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Yes, we purchase tenant-occupied rentals and handle the details. The tenant can stay in place. If the rental is in Seattle, a few city items matter at the sale. Registration under the Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance, or RRIO, is good for two years. Each property is selected for inspection once during the first five years after registration, with a 10 percent chance of a second selection in the following five years. Missing a deadline or renting a unit that fails the checklist can bring penalties of $150 per day for the first 10 days and $500 per day after that. When you sell, tell RRIO, using the contact on the city's rental registration page, so the notices stop going to you and the next owner can claim the property. Send us your lease and registration, and we will take it from there. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Absolutely — we buy inherited and probate properties and can work alongside your attorney. We can also work with the personal representative. In Washington, a personal representative who has been given nonintervention powers can sell the decedent's real property without a court order, under RCW 11.68.090. Ask the estate's attorney whether those powers were granted in your case. The seller disclosure statement is not required for a transfer made by the personal representative of an estate, under RCW 64.06.010. Bring the parcel number and whatever papers you have. We look up the King County Assessor's record and the recorded deed history ourselves. You do not have to clear out, sort through, or clean the house before we make an offer. We take it as is, and we close when the family is ready. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Yes, a quick, clean cash sale is often the simplest way to divide a property. In Washington, property acquired after marriage is community property under RCW 26.16.030 unless an exception applies. Neither spouse can sell, convey, or encumber community real property without the other spouse, so both of you will sign. A dissolution also cannot be finalized until 90 days have passed since the petition was filed, under RCW 26.09.030. Talk with your divorce attorney about when and how the proceeds are split. We can put one price in writing, send both of you the same numbers at the same time, and close on a date that works for both sides. We keep the paperwork even-handed and do not take a side. If one of you has already moved out, tell us. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Yes — we specialize in homes that need major work. Seattle adds one thing to think about, and that is the lot. The city's Environmentally Critical Areas rules, in Seattle Municipal Code chapter 25.09, cover steep slopes, flood-prone areas, wetlands, and other geologic hazard areas. When a project on one of those lots cannot meet the standards, the city describes a variance or exception through a master use permit, and that kind of permit takes several months. That wait is a good reason not to start a big repair before you sell. SDCI's property information map shows environmentally critical areas, so you can check your lot yourself. Tell us about cracks, sloping floors, or a leaning retaining wall. You do not need an engineer's report first. We price in the repair and make the offer on the house as it is. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Demand across Washington makes Seattle a strong market for a fast, fair cash sale. Seattle is a good place to sell fast because so much of the paper trail is online. SDCI's Seattle Services Portal shows permit activity, inspections, and project documents from 2005 to today. Older permits, from about 1894 through 1970, sit in the Permit and Property Records library, and the 1970 to 2004 microfiche permits are being added. The King County Recorder's search covers documents recorded since August 1, 1991. When a buyer can check all of that in an afternoon, there are fewer surprises at closing, and a fast close becomes realistic. Seattle is also many neighborhoods, from Ballard to Beacon Hill, and we price each house from its own record and its own ZIP code, not from a citywide guess. A house in 98107 and a house in 98118 each get their own look.

Reputable buyers are transparent and can provide proof of funds — ask us and we’ll show you. Ask for proof of funds, and ask for the name of the title company. Then check the buyer yourself. The King County Recorder's online search lets you look up recorded documents by name, document type, parcel number, recording date, and consideration, which is the price shown on the paperwork. Search the buyer's name and see what they have bought in King County. Look for deeds that match what the buyer tells you. Ask us the same questions. We will send proof of funds, name the title company, and put in writing what we will pay and when we close. If anyone asks you for money before closing, stop and call someone you trust.

Yes — we cover the closing costs on our side of the transaction. The offer we quote is what you plan around, less any loan payoffs. The main tax to know about is Washington's real estate excise tax. The state part is graduated: 1.10% on a selling price up to $525,000, 1.28% from there to $1,525,000, 2.75% up to $3,025,000, and 3% above that. Seattle adds a local rate of 0.50%. The Department of Revenue says the seller usually pays this tax. On our purchases it is part of the closing costs we pay. For sales that close on or after January 1, 2027, the dollar limits move to $551,000, $1,551,000, and $3,051,000. Ask for a written closing sheet before you sign. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

At As-Is Home Buyer, we provide a quick, efficient solution for Seattle homeowners who need to sell fast — immediate cash offers and flexible closing dates. We’ve streamlined the process: no costly repairs, minimal paperwork, and a fair price based on your home’s condition.

A Seattle house has more paperwork behind it than you might expect. There is a King County tax record, a city permit history, and often a house that is older than the person selling it. We read all of it before we make an offer, so the number reflects your house as it sits today. With us you can expect a stress-free sale, a quick close, and a competitive offer.

Call Now! (323) 622-6021

Contact

1. Fill in the form or call (323) 622-6021 for a quick chat about your house. Give us the street address and ZIP code, and tell us what the house needs and when you want to be done.

Offer

2. Get your cash offer — in person or over the phone, right away. We read the county's online records on your parcel first, so the offer reflects your house and not a guess.

Payout

3. Collect your cash. We handle the paperwork; you pick the closing date. Need a few weeks to find your next place? Say so. Need to close in days? Tell us that instead.

We’re your direct as-is home buyers in Seattle. The process is quick, transparent, and fair — immediate cash purchases, flexible closing dates, and competitive rates with no paperwork or repairs on your end. Offer prices depend on the property’s location, condition, and size. Here is what each of those means for a Seattle house.

Location

The street, the ZIP code, and the lot all count. The King County Assessor values homes inside 89 residential market areas, so houses in different parts of the county are valued by different models. We look at your parcel the same way, one house at a time.

Condition

The roof, the wiring, the heating system, and the foundation. We walk the house or review your photos, and we price the repairs ourselves. You do not need a contractor's bid.

Size

Square footage, bedrooms, and any finished basement or extra unit. We check the county's property characteristics and compare them with what you tell us. If the two differ, we go with the facts on the ground.

Sell to us and avoid agent commissions, closing costs, repairs, and cleaning. We buy houses all over Seattle for any reason, including:

Situations We Buy Houses In

Avoiding foreclosure

If a notice of trustee's sale has been recorded, tell us the sale date so we can plan around it.

Repairs too expensive

Old roofs, old wiring, and cracked foundations stay with the house. You do not need to fix any of it.

Divorce settlement

One price, one closing date, and the same paperwork for both spouses.

Inherited house

We work with the family, the personal representative, and the estate's attorney.

Landlord/tenant issues

Tenants in place, unpaid rent, or a city rental registration you have not finished.

Downsizing or relocating

Pick a closing date that lines up with your move.

If your reason is not on the list, call us anyway. The offer process is the same whatever brought you here.

Dealing with us means dealing with a direct buyer — we make our own decisions and don’t rely on third parties. No cleaning, no repairs, no hassle. There is no listing agent to pay and no buyer's lender to wait on.

That is what “no closing costs” means in plain terms. We cover the closing costs on our purchases, so the number we offer is the number you plan around. You pay no commission and no fee to us. A traditional listing means showings and open houses; ours does not.

Call (323) 622-6021 or fill out the form and we'll get right back to you.

We purchase homes across Washington in all conditions — from short sales to distressed, vacant, inherited, and fire-damaged properties. No waiting, no open houses, no last-minute cancellations: just a straightforward cash offer from a direct home buyer.

On this page the focus is Seattle, and we buy in every part of the city: Ballard, West Seattle, Rainier Valley, Beacon Hill, Northgate, Capitol Hill, Georgetown, and the rest of the city's neighborhoods. If your house is outside Seattle but still in King County, the same offer applies. We also buy in Bellevue, Kent, Renton, and Federal Way.

Seattle is not one market. It is a set of neighborhoods, each with its own streets, ZIP codes, and kinds of houses. The ZIP codes below come from the Seattle Public Library's branch addresses.

Ballard

ZIP code 98107. The Ballard Branch is at 5614 22nd Ave. N.W.

West Seattle

ZIP codes 98116, 98126, and 98106. The West Seattle Branch is at 2306 42nd Ave. S.W. in 98116, the Southwest and High Point branches are in 98126, and the Delridge Branch, at 5423 Delridge Way S.W., is in 98106.

Rainier Valley

ZIP code 98118. The Columbia Branch is at 4721 Rainier Ave. S., the Rainier Beach Branch is at 9125 Rainier Ave. S., and the NewHolly Branch is at 7058 32nd Ave. S.

Beacon Hill

ZIP code 98144. The Beacon Hill Branch is at 2821 Beacon Ave. S.

Northgate

ZIP code 98125. The Northgate Branch is at 10548 Fifth Ave. N.E., and the Lake City Branch is also in 98125.

Capitol Hill

ZIP code 98102. The Capitol Hill Branch is at 425 Harvard Ave. E. Seattle also uses 98122, where the Douglass-Truth Branch is at 2300 E. Yesler Way, and 98112, where the Montlake Branch is.

Georgetown

Georgetown is home to the City Light steam plant at 6605 13th Ave. South. We buy houses here in whatever shape they are in.

South Park

ZIP code 98108. The South Park Branch is at 8604 Eighth Ave. S.

Whatever your street, call (323) 622-6021 with the address, and we will tell you plainly whether we can make an offer.

Seattle has many older homes. A City of Seattle table of Census Bureau survey data (2009 to 2013) counted 309,205 housing units in the city, with 89,639 built in 1939 or earlier and another 30,204 built from 1940 to 1949. If you own one of the older ones, three items can come up at a sale.

Old-House Issues to Check

Wiring

Washington's electrical rule, WAC 296-46B-394, covers houses that still have knob-and-tube wiring. Loose or rolled insulation can go in spaces with that wiring only after a licensed electrical contractor surveys the wiring and certifies its condition in writing. Foam insulation may not be used. An electrical inspector must inspect all repairs, alterations, or extensions. We buy the house without an electrician's report.

Oil

The City's Clean Heat Program page estimates that 8,000 to 10,000 Seattle homes still heat with oil. Under Seattle Fire Code section 5704.2.13, a heating oil tank that has been out of service for a year or more must be decommissioned. The work needs Fire Department permit code 6103 and an ICC-certified decommissioner, who must send the report form back within 30 days. A tank can be removed or filled with an inert solid, and a tank suspected of leaking should be removed.

Sewer

The owner of a Seattle house owns the side sewer all the way to where it connects to the public sewer pipe. The owner also looks after any backwater valve. Seattle Public Utilities is responsible for the mainline.

Before anyone digs

The Fire Department does not issue a tank permit after the decommissioning work has been done. Ask first.

Fire Prevention Division

Tank permits are handled at 220 Third Avenue South, 2nd Floor, Seattle, WA 98104-2608, and applications can be emailed to [email protected].

We buy these houses as they are. Tell us what you know, and we will price the house with the wiring, the tank, and the sewer in mind. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Seattle has its own rules for rentals. They matter if you are thinking about ending a lease before you sell.

Notice

Seattle's Just Cause Eviction Ordinance, SMC 22.205, lists 16 approved reasons to end a month-to-month tenancy. One is that the owner wants to sell a single-family house. In that case the owner must give written notice at least 90 days before the end of a rental period, and must list the house for sale at a reasonable price within 30 days after the tenant leaves.

If it is not listed or advertised, or if it is taken off the market or rented again within 90 days after the tenant leaves, the city presumes a violation. A tenant whose tenancy ended for this reason can sue the owner for up to $3,000, plus costs and reasonable attorney's fees, if the owner did not carry out the stated reason.

The state rule, RCW 59.18.650, also uses a 90-day notice for the sale of a single-family home.

Relocation

The Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance applies when tenants are displaced because a building will be torn down, substantially renovated, changed to a different use, or released from certain rent or income limits. Low-income tenants receive $5,552, with the owner paying $2,776 and the City paying $2,776. The owner must first get a Tenant Relocation License, and a 90-day notice of development activity comes before it. That notice is not a notice to end the rental agreement.

If you sell to us

We buy tenant-occupied houses with the tenant in place, so you do not have to end the tenancy to sell. If you want to end it anyway, check the notice rules first.

Who to call

The Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, or SDCI, can be reached through the phone number on its website. The Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance (RRIO) helpline number is on the city's rental registration page.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Seattle's vacant building standards say a vacant building must be secured and maintained to prevent unauthorized entry and deterioration from the weather. The premises must also be kept free of debris, overgrown vegetation, parked cars, and graffiti. SDCI inspects buildings that do not meet the standards every month, and a building comes out of the monitoring program after three consecutive monthly inspections with no violations found.

If your house is empty and the inspections are piling up, call (323) 622-6021. We buy vacant and fire-damaged houses as they are, including the cleanup. The next owner takes over the upkeep.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice.