Columbia, MD · Howard County, Maryland seller guide
Compare a direct as-is sale with the work, timing, and costs involved in listing a Columbia house.
We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us.
Share the address, condition, occupancy, and timing. No obligation.
The short answer
A direct sale can spare you repairs, cleaning, and listing preparation. A listing may bring a higher price, but the extra costs, showings, and time matter too. We give you written terms before you decide.
Selling choices
We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us. You get a written offer and written terms before you commit, and we close through a title company.
No agent commissions when you sell to us. No fees.
A listing may bring a higher price, but you will weigh preparation, showings, agent commissions, buyer requests, and the time needed to reach closing. Compare the likely costs and the amount you would keep with the written direct-sale terms.
We have two ways to buy. A Cash Offer is built for speed, condition, and tough situations — heavy repairs, tight timelines, difficult circumstances. EZ Sale is often the better fit when the house doesn't need major repairs and you want a higher number. Either way, you compare written numbers and you pick what works best for you.
Compare the numbers with the time, work, and costs involved for your house. Use the Columbia home-sale net-proceeds calculator to estimate what you might keep.
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Share the address, what needs work and who lives there. Tell us when we can see it and when you want to sell.
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We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
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You get a written offer and written terms before you commit, and we close through a title company.
Numbers and next steps
Review the Columbia market report, then compare your house and sale options in the editable calculator. Mortgage payoffs, liens, and current property-tax shares affect the amount left after closing.
Columbia property questions
Columbia’s village areas include Dorsey’s Search, Harper’s Choice, Hickory Ridge, Kings Contrivance, Long Reach, Oakland Mills, Owen Brown, River Hill, Town Center, and Wilde Lake.
If your home has a Columbia Association assessment, the Association sets it separately from Howard County real-property taxes; the County does not bill or collect the Association assessment. Compare it with the property’s other carrying costs when weighing a sale.
Exterior construction or changes to a Columbia Association-assessed property may also need review by the Architectural Committee for its village, separate from Howard County permits and licenses. If you are weighing that work before listing, call us — we can compare the repair plan with an as-is sale.
Columbia village Architectural Review Committee contacts · Howard County Columbia village map
Rental and occupancy
Howard County requires a rental license when a dwelling is not occupied solely by its owner or the owner’s immediate family. The County’s Inspections & Enforcement Division also inspects rental housing.
A sale does not end the lease. For a 1–3-unit home with a tenant named on the written lease for at least six months, Maryland generally requires written notice and gives the tenant 30 days to make an offer before the owner offers the home to someone else. If the tenant matches the offer terms, the owner must accept, subject to exceptions for certain family, court-ordered, foreclosure, estate, and trust transfers.
You don’t always need to evict to sell to us. We buy houses with tenants in place — we’ve done it many times, including cash-for-keys when that works better for everyone. We can talk through the lease and sale options with you.
Howard County rental licenses · Inspections & Enforcement Division · Maryland tenant opportunity to purchase law · Maryland law on leases after a sale
Estate, foreclosure, and closing questions
The personal representative appointed in the probate case signs for the estate, not the heirs. The representative can sell estate property without court approval unless the will or a court order limits that power. If the will restricts a sale or family members disagree, the representative can ask the court for permission. If you need an estate attorney, we can help you find one.
Md. Code, Estates & Trusts §1-301 · §7-401, personal representative’s powers · §7-402, court permission
A lender must mail a notice of intent to foreclose at least 45 days before filing, and cannot file until 90 days after default. Owner-occupants can generally request mediation within 25 days after service of the lender’s final loss mitigation affidavit. You can cure the loan through one business day before the sale. The circuit court must ratify the sale before it is final.
If you live in the house and are at least 60 days behind, you can cancel a contract to sell within five days after signing; a deed or other document affecting title cannot be recorded during those five days. If a sale is scheduled, call us right away and we can look at the date with you.
Md. Code, Real Property §7-105 · §7-105.1, foreclosure process and right to cure · §7-301, residence in default · §7-310, five-day cancellation right
Maryland’s state transfer tax is generally 0.5% of the sale price, with a 0.25% rate when the buyer is a first-time Maryland home buyer who will live in the home. County recordation and any county transfer taxes are separate; contract terms and the first-time-buyer rule affect who pays, and some transfers are exempt. When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including Maryland's state transfer tax, recordation tax and any applicable county transfer tax.
Maryland state transfer tax · Howard County recordation tax · Howard County real-property tax
Local contacts
Contact Howard County Finance about real-property tax bills and balances.
Howard County Finance collects County recordation and County transfer taxes.
The Clerk records land deeds and other land documents for Howard County.
Read the County’s information about tax-lien certificate auctions for delinquent County taxes, water and sewer bills, or other liens.
Find the closest situation
For current local measures, see the Columbia market report; for local articles, visit the Columbia blog. Read our article on as-is sale options in Columbia.
“LISTEN, PROPERTY TAXES GOT TOO HIGH FOR MY FIXED INCOME. SOLD IT TO THEM. WALKED AWAY WITH CASH. GLAD IT'S OVER.”
“Facing foreclosure ... Very stressful time... They handled it professionally and got me out of the debt...”
“no open houses. no realtors tracking dirt in. just a straight cash sale for our house so we could move. Glad it's over.”
The personal representative appointed in the probate case signs for the estate, not the heirs. The representative can sell estate property without court approval unless the will or a court order limits that power. If the will restricts a sale or family members disagree, the representative can ask the court for permission. If you need an estate attorney, we can help you find one.
A sale does not end the lease. For a 1–3-unit home with a tenant named on the written lease for at least six months, Maryland generally requires written notice and gives the tenant 30 days to make an offer before the owner offers the home to someone else. If the tenant matches the offer terms, the owner must accept, subject to exceptions for certain family, court-ordered, foreclosure, estate, and trust transfers.
Maryland charges a state transfer tax, and Howard County has separate recordation and county transfer taxes. The state rate is generally 0.5% of the price, with a 0.25% rate for a qualifying first-time buyer who will live in the home. Contract terms and the first-time-buyer rule affect who pays. When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including Maryland's state transfer tax, recordation tax and any applicable county transfer tax.
Call us right away and we can look at the date with you. You can generally cure the loan through one business day before the sale. A foreclosure sale is not final until the circuit court ratifies it. If you live in the house and are at least 60 days behind, you can cancel a contract to sell within five days after signing; a deed or other document affecting title cannot be recorded during those five days.
Call 888-274-5006 or share the address in the form above. We can compare the property, timing, and paperwork with you.