Selling a House With Code Violations or Condemnation
Local cash home buyers since 2016. 1,000+ houses bought in St. Louis MO & IL. 4.7 on Google from 65+ reviews. Read Google reviews.
As-is cash offer. No repairs. We typically cover closing costs. About 2 weeks — you pick the date.
House Sold Easy buys St. Louis houses with code violations, vacant-building notices, or condemnation as-is for cash. You do not have to bring the house up to code before you request an offer. We cannot promise the city will lift a condemnation. Call 636-525-1566.
In the City of St. Louis, building and condemnation matters generally run through the City’s Building Division. Confirm current status and any posted orders on the City of St. Louis Building Division site or the notice on the property. We do not invent fees or a punch-list.
Code notice vs condemned
A repair notice or occupancy failure is not the same as a building posted as unsafe or condemned. Bring the paper. Photograph the posting. The offer and the timeline change with the actual order, not with a rumor from a neighbor.
County municipalities have their own occupancy and code programs — University City, Webster Groves, Ferguson, and others. Those are not the City Building Division. Use the city named on the notice.
What we can buy
Houses with open repair orders. Houses that failed occupancy. Houses posted vacant. Houses that have been condemned, when we can still take title and the numbers work. Fire or water damage belongs on fire or water as well. Hoarder / cleanout if access is the problem. Foundation or roof if that is the cited work.
We buy as-is. We do not need you to hire a contractor to satisfy the city before the walkthrough. We also do not promise the city will withdraw an order because you called us. Permits, board-up, and demolition decisions stay with the city.
Title, liens, and vacant-building bills
City bills, special tax bills, and recorded liens show up on condemned and vacant files. The title company pays recorded amounts from proceeds when the file supports it. If the stack is larger than the house, we will say so. Liens and back taxes. If you inherited the house, inherited house and probate.
Access matters. If the house is boarded, tell us who has the key. If it is unsafe to enter, we will say what we can still do from the exterior and records. Do not pull boards to “help” if the city posted it closed.
City vs county
This page is written for St. Louis City condemnation and serious code. County occupancy failures are common and usually simpler — see the city page for that municipality. St. Louis is the city money page. Areas we serve for the rest of the map.
We have bought 1,000+ houses in Missouri and Illinois since 2016. David or Mike handles the walkthrough. 4.7 stars on Google from 65+ reviews. Office in Brentwood.
Common questions
Can you buy a condemned house in St. Louis City?
Sometimes, if we can take title and the numbers work. Send the posting and the address.
Do I have to complete the city’s punch-list first?
No. We buy as-is. The city still controls its own orders.
Will you get the condemnation lifted before closing?
We do not promise that. Status comes from the city, not from us.
What if I cannot get inside?
Tell us. Exterior and records may still be enough to decide whether we can write an offer.
Are city fees something you quote on this page?
No. Use the Building Division or the notice in your hand.
Do you buy if taxes are behind too?
We review the whole stack. Liens.
Is this legal advice?
No.
Who do I call?
Talk to a person
Call or text 636-525-1566 any time. House Sold Easy has bought 1,000+ houses in St. Louis, Missouri and Illinois since 2016. You will deal with David Dodge or Michael Slane. The office is at 1750 S Brentwood Blvd, Suite 503, in Brentwood. Google shows 4.7 stars from 65+ reviews — read those on Google, not as stars on this page.
If you want the cash path, send the address on the form. If you want a listing net sheet, get that from an agent and compare. We will not pretend every house should sell to us.
What a useful first call includes
Address, photos of every posting on the door or porch, any letters from the Building Division, and whether you can get in legally. If a family member boarded it after a break-in, say that. If the city boarded it, say that. Those are different keys.
We will not ask you to start unpermitted repairs to “help the offer.” Unpermitted work on a posted building can make the city’s file worse. If you already started work, tell us what was done and whether permits exist.
After we buy — still the city’s building
Buying the house does not rewrite city code. We take the condition and the municipal file as they are. You should not count on living in a condemned building through closing. If you still need personal items, ask about a supervised retrieval, not a quiet weekend with a crowbar.
County occupancy failures are usually a shorter conversation than a City condemnation. If your notice is from a municipality, start on that city’s page and send the notice anyway.
Cross-links: vacant house · liens · St. Louis city · situations
Neighbors, board-ups, and what not to do
Do not start a quiet demolition because a neighbor complained. Do not ignore a posted order because the house “still looks fine from the street.” The city’s file is the file. If you inherited the building and have never been inside, say that on the first call — inherited house plus this page.
We buy throughout the City and the inner ring. The condemnation conversation is City-first. County occupancy is the other stack of paper.