Ithaca, NY · Tompkins County · Seller questions
Questions About Selling a House in Ithaca, NY
Clear answers about what you keep, what work you can avoid, and what can affect a sale.
USA Home Buyers buys houses as-is in Ithaca and Tompkins County. These answers cover sale choices, repairs, closing costs, paperwork, and local questions. Call 888-274-5006 or use the form to ask about your house.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
Money and choices
Compare what you keep, not just the sale price
What remains depends on the written price and the costs tied to your house. Put the cash-sale terms beside the costs of listing, repairs, commissions, and the time you may carry the property. The calculator lets you change the assumptions; it is not a property-specific offer.
Compare possible net proceeds for an Ithaca house →
We also have a side-by-side comparison of the Cash Offer and EZ Sale terms below. Either way, you can review the written numbers before you decide.
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 Ithaca calculator →
Questions about the two options? Call 888-274-5006.
Useful questions about selling in Ithaca
Can I sell my Ithaca house as-is?
We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us. Tell us what needs work and what you know about the property.
How much will I keep from a cash sale?
There is no single number for every house. Compare the written sale price with the costs and obligations that apply to your property, such as mortgage payoff, liens, back taxes, current property taxes, and any work or carrying costs in the other sale path.
What is the difference between a Cash Offer and EZ 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.
What closing costs and transfer taxes apply in Tompkins County?
Tompkins County Clerk lists an ordinary combined real estate transfer tax of $6 per $1,000 before applicable exemptions: $4 per $1,000 for the state portion and $2 per $1,000 for the county portion. New York State charges $2 for each $500 of sale price, or part of $500, when the price exceeds $500. The exact amount can depend on exemptions and the transaction. 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. That does not pay your mortgage, liens, back taxes, or share of current property taxes.
Can I sell my Ithaca house while it is in foreclosure?
Yes, 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. 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. 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. After the auction, there is no right to buy the house back. Check the dates on your court and lender papers promptly.
Can I start talking about an inherited house before I have every estate paper?
Yes. You can start with the property and the facts you have. Before a sale can move forward, the person signing and that person’s authority need to be confirmed. The deed, estate appointment, will, and any court order may matter, so have the title company or an estate attorney review the actual documents.
Can you review a tenant-occupied Ithaca house?
Yes. We can review tenant-occupied properties. Share the lease status, access limits, rent situation, and any notices involved. A sale does not erase the lease or replace New York court, lease, or title requirements.
Do I need all the paperwork before I call?
No. Start with the address, what you know about the house, who lives there, and any timing or notice you are working with. You can call before you have every document gathered.
Start with a question
You can call before you have everything figured out
Tell us the address, what you know about the condition, who lives there, and what question is on your mind. A lease, deed, tax notice, payoff statement, estate paper, or court notice can help with follow-up, but you do not need every document to start a conversation.
Call 888-274-5006. You can call before you have the paperwork gathered.
Local help
A local office for Tompkins County deed and transfer-tax questions
The Tompkins County Clerk handles county land-record services and publishes the county fee schedule. For a specific Ithaca property, ask the Clerk about the recorded deed or transfer-tax filing and have the title company confirm the amount and any applicable exemption.
More detail
Go deeper on the situation you are dealing with
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 question about selling in Ithaca?
Call 888-274-5006 or use the form above. Tell us what is happening with the house and start with the facts you know.