Sell Your House Fast for Cash in Ohio

Ohio calls it a conveyance fee. When a deed is transferred, the county auditor collects a fee set by state law plus any real property transfer tax the county has adopted, so the total varies by county. Ohio law places the county transfer tax on the seller, and it's paid to the auditor before the deed is recorded, although a contract can shift who bears the cost. Your written offer will show who pays the conveyance fee, the title agency's fees and the recording costs.

Ohio real estate taxes are generally paid in arrears, meaning each bill covers a period that has already passed. Because of that, the seller usually credits the buyer at closing for taxes that have built up but haven't been billed yet. The exact split is set by the contract. If you had the owner-occupancy credit or the homestead exemption on your home, let the county auditor know after you move, since those apply only to a home the owner lives in.

Often, yes. Ohio still recognizes dower, a spouse's legal interest in real estate the other spouse owned during the marriage. Title agencies therefore usually ask a married owner's spouse to sign the deed to release dower, even when the spouse isn't on the title. If you're separated or going through a divorce, your attorney can tell you whose signatures are needed, and we can plan the closing around the court's schedule.

Usually it goes through the probate court in the county where the owner lived, and the executor or administrator the court appoints can sell it once they have authority. Some Ohio owners record a transfer-on-death designation affidavit, which can let the house pass to the named beneficiary without a full probate case. Ohio repealed its estate tax for deaths after 2012. The estate's attorney can tell you which path applies, and we're happy to wait for the court paperwork.

In most sales of a one- to four-unit home, yes. Ohio's disclosure law (Ohio Revised Code 5302.30) generally requires the seller to give the buyer a completed state form describing known problems, such as water in the basement, roof leaks or sewer issues. If the buyer gets the form after signing the contract, the buyer can generally cancel within three business days of receiving it, but no later than closing or 30 days after the offer was accepted, whichever comes first. Some transfers are exempt, including many sales by an executor, administrator or trustee, and sales by someone who inherited the house and hasn't lived in it in the past year. Homes built before 1978 also need the federal lead-based paint disclosure. Just tell us what you know. You don't need to inspect or repair anything for us.

We look at what similar renovated homes nearby have sold for, take off our cost to repair the house and to hold it during the work, and leave room for risk. That's why our offer is below what a ready-to-move-into home would bring on the market. Ask, and we'll show you the numbers.