Iowa Judicial Branch — Cerro Gordo County
The county Clerk of Court is a contact for county court and case-routing inquiries. The office is at 220 North Washington, Mason City, IA 50401; call 641-424-6431.
You're done — no turnover, no repairs, no more bad tenants.
Yes, you can sell with the tenants still there. We buy houses as-is in Mason City and throughout Cerro Gordo County, Iowa.
Call 888-274-5006. We answer 24/7 at 888-274-5006, or tell us what is happening with the lease, access, occupancy, or repairs.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Share the address and what you know about the lease, occupancy, access, or repairs.
What we do with a tenant-occupied house
We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us.
You don't 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. Tell us about the property and tenancy.
If a move-out arrangement may work better for everyone, tell us that as part of the conversation. We can discuss the tenancy alongside a sale with the tenants still in place.
Bring us the tenancy, access, or repair problem
A lease question, access that is hard to arrange, repairs that keep getting put off, or a difficult move-out conversation? Tell us what is happening. Start with what you know; you do not have to solve the tenancy before asking about a sale.
What happens next
1. We discuss the house and tenancy
We'll talk through the Mason City house, who lives there, the lease, access, its condition, and your timing. Questions about lease terms, deposit records, or tenant notices can come up in that conversation.
2. We put the offer and terms in writing
You will see the offer and terms in writing before you decide. If you choose to sell, we close through a title company.
3. The lease and deposit are part of the handoff
If you choose to move ahead, we discuss the lease, who is living in the house, and the deposit handoff as part of closing.
Your mortgage, liens, back taxes, and share of current property taxes are separate. When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including Iowa real estate transfer tax.
Local help for a Mason City property
Cerro Gordo County Recorder
Contact the Recorder for recorded-document, deed, and recording-fee information. The office is at 220 N. Washington Ave., Mason City, IA 50401; call 641-421-3056.
Iowa leases, sale notice, possession, and security deposits
Selling the house does not by itself cancel the lease or require the tenants to move. The buyer becomes the successor landlord and takes over the rights and obligations for the tenants' rental deposits. The written notice about a sale and the deposit handoff are separate from whether a tenant must move.
The lease and written notice of sale
Unless you agreed otherwise, after a good-faith sale you are relieved of lease obligations for events after the tenant receives written notice of the sale. That sale notice does not, by itself, require the tenant to leave. Read Iowa Code §562A.16.
Transfer or return each deposit
When your interest in the property ends, you or your agent must, within a reasonable time, either transfer each deposit—minus lawful deductions—to the buyer and notify the tenant of the transfer and the buyer's name and address, or return the deposit—minus lawful deductions—to the tenant. Either choice ends your deposit liability.
If a tenant does not object within 20 days after written notice of the amount transferred, the buyer's duty to return the deposit is limited to that amount. That notice must include a stamped envelope addressed to the buyer. Read Iowa Code §562A.12(5)–(6).
Compare what you could keep
Use the Mason City home-sale net proceeds calculator to compare your own sale assumptions and costs with a written offer.
What our sellers say
“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.”
Questions about selling a Mason City house with tenants
Can I sell my Mason City house with tenants still living there?
Yes. USA Home Buyers buys houses as-is in Mason City and Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, with tenants in place. The sale itself does not cancel a lease or require the tenant to move.
Do I have to evict before I talk with you?
You don't 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. Tell us about the property and tenancy.
What happens to the security deposit when the house sells?
Within a reasonable time after your interest ends, you or your agent must transfer each deposit, minus lawful deductions, to the buyer and notify the tenant, or return the deposit, minus lawful deductions, to the tenant. The Iowa rules below explain the written notice and transfer details.
Does the tenant have to move when I sell?
No. A sale by itself does not require the tenant to move. The lease and occupancy continue to matter, and Iowa law separately addresses written notice of the sale and the deposit handoff.
What happens after I contact USA Home Buyers?
We discuss the house, lease, occupancy, access, and timing. We give you a written cash offer within 24 hours, provide written terms before you commit, and close through a title company if you choose to proceed.
Talk through the tenant situation
Call 888-274-5006 or use the form above. Start with the Mason City address and what you know about the house and tenancy.