Buffalo, NY · Erie County seller FAQ
Questions About Selling a House in Buffalo, NY
USA Home Buyers buys houses as-is in Buffalo and Erie County. We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us. These answers cover what you keep, Cash Offer and EZ Sale choices, repairs, timing, closing costs, paperwork, and common selling situations.
Call 888-274-5006 or use the form. You can start with a question about the house or the papers in front of you.
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Share the address and the question you want answered.
Money and choices
Compare what you keep, not only the sale price
Net proceeds are what remains after the sale price is reduced by property obligations and selling costs. Compare a written offer with the likely listing price after repairs, agent commissions, cleanout, holding costs, mortgage payoff, liens, taxes, and other property-specific amounts.
Change the assumptions for your Buffalo house in the existing calculator, then compare the written numbers for the Cash Offer and EZ Sale options.
Cash Offer or EZ Sale: compare the written numbers
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. |
Compare what you would keep after costs with the Buffalo calculator →
Questions about the two options? Call 888-274-5006.
Buffalo and Erie County seller questions
Do I have to fix, clean, or empty my Buffalo house before selling?
We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us. If an older Buffalo house needs work on the roof, heating, plumbing, electrical, or another part of the property, tell us what you know; you can ask about a sale without doing that work first.
When will I get a written cash offer?
We give written cash offers in 24 hours. Share the address and what you know about the house, occupancy, and timing so we can discuss the property.
How quickly can a sale close?
The Cash Offer is 30 days or less. EZ Sale is 60 days or less. The title, payoff, liens, occupancy, seller authority, and closing-provider requirements for the specific house still affect the closing steps.
Who pays New York and Erie County real estate transfer taxes?
New York State real estate transfer tax is $2 for each $500, or part of $500, of sale price when the price exceeds $500. Erie County Transfer Tax adds $2.50 per $500, for $4.50 per $500 combined before applicable exemptions. Erie County lists a reduction for qualifying senior owners. The sale agreement can allocate the state tax differently; ask the title company to show the amounts and allocation for the property. When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including New York State real estate transfer tax and any applicable local real estate transfer taxes. This does not pay your mortgage balance, liens, back taxes, or your share of current property taxes.
Compare possible Buffalo net proceeds →
Sources: New York State transfer-tax information · Erie County Clerk deed-recording and transfer-tax information
What paperwork should I have before I call?
You can start with the property address, what you know about its condition, who lives there, and your timing. A deed, payoff statement, lien or tax notice, lease, estate papers, or court notice can help answer the next question, but you can call before you have everything gathered.
Can I sell an inherited house if estate paperwork is not complete?
You can ask about the property before every estate paper is collected. The person signing and that person’s authority must be clear before closing; the will, estate appointment, deed, any court order, and title review determine what is needed for the specific house.
Can I sell a Buffalo house while a tenant is living there?
Yes, we can review a tenant-occupied house. Share the lease, occupancy, access limits, rent or deposit records, and any notices you have. A sale does not by itself end a tenancy or authorize removing an occupant; the actual lease and legal process matter.
Can I sell if there are liens or back property taxes?
We can review a house with liens or back taxes. Those balances are separate from the closing costs we pay; a sale does not make them disappear. The title and closing professionals confirm the property’s payoffs and how each amount is handled. Your mortgage, liens, back taxes, and share of current property taxes remain your separate obligations.
Can I sell my New York house while it is in foreclosure?
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. 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. Stopping foreclosure by paying the lender requires the full amount owed, including applicable interest, fees, and costs. Selling first may help protect any equity you have. 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. Check the actual court papers and deadlines for your case.
More about foreclosure in Buffalo and New York →
Sources: New York Courts foreclosure judgment and sale information · New York Real Property Law § 265-a
Can I ask about a house with code notices or fire damage?
Yes. We buy houses as-is, in any condition. You can ask about the property before taking on repairs; share any code notice, damage information, or insurance details you have so those facts can be reviewed.
Start with a question
You can call before you have every paper figured out
Tell us the property address, what is happening, and what you already know. A deed, lease, payoff statement, tax notice, estate paper, or court paper can help with a specific question, but you do not need to gather everything before calling.
Call 888-274-5006 with a question, even if you are still sorting out the next step.
Local help
Need Erie County deed or transfer-tax information?
The Erie County Clerk is the local starting point for deed-recording information. Its record-a-deed page also lists Erie County Transfer Tax information; check the current instructions for the property and transaction.
More detail
Buffalo selling guides and situation pages
- Foreclosure questions →Keep the New York court process, notices, payoff, and sale timing together.
- Inherited property →Review estate authority, title, cleanout, and repair questions.
- Tenant-occupied houses →Compare the lease, occupancy, access, and sale questions.
- Property liens →Find more detail about liens, payoff records, and tax balances.
- Code violations →Start with the notice or repair issue affecting the property.
- Fire damage →Review damage, safe access, insurance, and sale questions.
- Selling during divorce →Review ownership, signing authority, and sale coordination.
- Buffalo seller guide →Read a longer guide to comparing an as-is sale with listing.
- Buffalo seller resources →Find more local starting points for common seller questions.
- Net proceeds calculator →Compare possible sale paths using editable property assumptions.
For more local context, read the Buffalo seller article or the Buffalo seller blog.
What sellers say about USA Home Buyers
Here's what sellers have said about working with us.
“Monroe County family court, sale required. Park Avenue condo, beautiful neighborhood, but neither of us could buy out the other and we both needed the money to start over. USA Home Buyers gave us a written offer the same week we called. Both attorneys said yes, closed in thirteen days.”
“I was behind on my mortgage after a medical situation. New York judicial foreclosure takes 12-24 months, but once the bank files in Monroe County Supreme Court, your options narrow fast. USA Home Buyers explained exactly where I stood and closed before the foreclosure judgment. I walked out with enough to start over.”
“Lake Ontario flooding in the spring got into our basement on Lakeshore Boulevard twice. The second time killed the furnace and HVAC and left six inches of standing water. Our insurer totaled the contents but fought the structural claim. USA Home Buyers knew Charlotte's flood situation well — no surprises in the offer, no inspection drama. Closed in ten days.”
Still have a Buffalo house question?
Call 888-274-5006 or send the form. Tell us what you know so far; you do not need to have every detail settled to ask.
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Share the address and the question you want answered.