Ithaca, NY Seller guide
Ithaca and Tompkins County, New York
Yes. USA Home Buyers buys houses as-is in Ithaca and Tompkins County. We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us. We’ll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours. You get the written offer and written terms before you commit; closing is through a title company.
Compare the written terms with a listing plan and what you may keep after repairs, commissions, concessions, and the time it takes to sell. You can call with a question or use the form to tell us about the property.
Call USA Home Buyers: 888-274-5006Tell us about your Ithaca house
We’ll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
Share the address and what is happening with the house. We’ll ask about condition, occupancy, access, and timing.
Start with the Ithaca address, what you know about the house, who lives there, and the date that matters to you. We review the property as-is. You can read the written offer and terms before you decide whether to accept.
1
Share the address, what needs work and who lives there. Tell us when we can see it and when you want to sell.
2
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
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Written offer and written terms before you commit; title-company closing.
A listing may suit a house you can prepare and show while waiting for a retail buyer. Compare its expected net after repairs, commissions, concessions, and holding costs—not just the list price—with the written terms of a direct sale.
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.
Swipe across the table to compare all four selling options.
| Factor | List with a realtor | FSBO | Cash Offer | EZ Sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timeline | Market-dependent | Market-dependent | 30 days or less | 60 days or less |
| Price | Highest, if it sells | Varies | Lower price | Higher price than the Cash Offer |
| Repairs | Repairs may be needed before listing or after inspection | The seller handles repair decisions | No repairs | No repairs |
| Commissions | Agent commissions apply under the listing agreement | No listing-agent commission; the seller handles the sale | No commissions | No commissions |
| Closing costs | Seller costs depend on the contract and settlement statement | Seller costs depend on the contract and settlement statement | No closing costs | No closing costs |
| Showings | The seller prepares for and coordinates showings | The seller markets the property and coordinates showings | None | None |
| Who buys | Retail buyer | Retail buyer | USA Home Buyers buys directly | Goes to one of our partners |
| Certainty | Depends on the buyer, inspections, financing, and contract | Depends on finding and qualifying a buyer | Written offer and written terms before you commit; title-company closing. | Written offer and written terms before you commit; title-company closing. |
| Net proceeds | Compare the expected sale price after commissions, repairs, costs, and waiting | Compare the expected sale price after seller-managed costs and work | Compare the written price after your payoff and other property obligations. No commissions. No closing costs. | Compare the written price after your payoff and other property obligations. No commissions. No closing costs. |
The program table’s “no closing costs” line does not pay a mortgage balance, liens, back taxes, or your share of current property taxes. Those are separate items to review for the property.
Prices, timing and your selling options
Homes in Ithaca, NY sold for a median of $425,000 for the three months ending August 2026 (Redfin). Repairs and condition affect what someone will pay for your house. Homes in Ithaca, NY spent a median of 62 days on the market for the three months ending August 2026 (Redfin). You still have bills while waiting to sell, including utilities and any mortgage payments. Allow time for closing, too.
The market figures above describe a market measure, not the value of one house. The calculator lets you change the assumptions and compare what you may keep after selling costs.
Ithaca, NY Home Sale Net Proceeds Calculator
CalculatorCompare what you would keep from listing your house or selling as-is for cash. Change the repair costs, cleanout, monthly bills and closing costs to fit your house.
Ithaca is in Tompkins County. The City lists Downtown and Greater Southside neighborhood plans and a Waterfront Plan, which it identifies as a planning area. The County identifies parts of the Towns of Ithaca, Lansing, and Dryden, and the Villages of Lansing and Cayuga Heights, in the county’s urbanized area. If the property is outside the City of Ithaca, confirm its municipality before relying on a city office or permit path.
Tompkins County describes its population and housing market as closely tied to Cornell University, Ithaca College, and Tompkins Cortland Community College. That is local context, not a forecast for an individual home. If your move or lease dates drive the decision, compare the dates and access facts for your property directly.
The title company checks the title and paperwork and can confirm which signatures it needs. If an estate or court matter is involved, raise it early and confirm signing authority with the title company, the appropriate court, or your attorney before relying on a closing schedule.
New York State real estate transfer tax is $2 for each $500 of sale price, or part of $500, when the price exceeds $500. The seller normally pays the state tax, but the sale agreement can provide otherwise. Tompkins County Clerk lists an ordinary combined real estate transfer tax of $6 per $1,000 before exemptions: $4 per $1,000 for the state portion and $2 per $1,000 for the county portion.
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including New York State real estate transfer tax and Tompkins County real estate transfer tax. Mortgage balances, liens, back taxes, and your share of current property taxes are separate from that promise.
Share the lease status, access arrangements, and any dates already agreed to. A sale plan should be based on the actual occupancy and paperwork, not an assumed move-out date. See the Ithaca tenant-occupied property guide for more on that situation.
A sale may still be possible before the foreclosure auction if the mortgage payoff and other closing obligations can be covered. New York foreclosures go through court, and a referee conducts the sale. After the auction, there is no right to buy the house back. Stopping foreclosure by paying the lender requires the full amount owed, including applicable interest, fees, and costs.
If you live in the house and are in foreclosure or two or more months behind, New York’s Home Equity Theft Prevention Act gives you 14 business days to cancel a sale to an investor. The statute and court guidance explain the rules; check the notice and current case status for your deadline.
Our agreement of sale will often get a foreclosure sale postponed so we can close. Signing alone doesn't postpone it automatically; we use the agreement to ask for the postponement, and it works more often than people think.
A signed agreement does not itself move a deadline. If a notice gives you a date, act on that date while the postponement request is considered.
Yes. USA Home Buyers buys houses as-is in Ithaca and Tompkins County. We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us.
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours. You get the written offer and written terms before you commit; closing is through a title company.
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 pick what works best for you. Cash Offer is a direct purchase by USA Home Buyers, 30 days or less, at a lower price. EZ Sale goes to one of our partners, 60 days or less, at a higher price than the Cash Offer. Both have no repairs, no commissions, and no closing costs.
The title company checks the title and paperwork and can confirm which signatures it needs. If an estate or court matter is involved, raise it early and confirm signing authority with the title company, the appropriate court, or your attorney before relying on a closing schedule.
New York State real estate transfer tax is $2 for each $500 of sale price, or part of $500, when the price exceeds $500; the seller normally pays the state tax, though the sale agreement can provide otherwise. Tompkins County lists an ordinary combined rate of $6 per $1,000 before exemptions: $4 state tax and $2 county tax. When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including New York State real estate transfer tax and Tompkins County real estate transfer tax. That does not include mortgage balances, liens, back taxes, or your share of current property taxes.
Our agreement of sale will often get a foreclosure sale postponed so we can close. Signing alone doesn't postpone it automatically; we use the agreement to ask for the postponement, and it works more often than people think. New York foreclosures go through court, and a referee conducts the sale. If you live in the house and are in foreclosure or two or more months behind, the Home Equity Theft Prevention Act gives you 14 business days to cancel a sale to an investor. After the auction, there is no right to buy the house back.
Call 888-274-5006 with a question, or use the form to share the property details.
We’ll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
Share the address, condition, occupancy, and timing so we can review the house.