Illustrative scene: a white couple in their seventies walking arm in arm up the front walk to their 1920s two-story white frame house with a deep front porch under a maple in Ohio

We Buy Houses in Ohio

One phone call about your Ohio house is all it takes. Your written cash offer arrives within 24 hours, and the closing date is yours to choose.

Prefer to talk it through? Call (984) 489-8269

Selling Your House for Cash in Ohio

Ohio sellers pay a conveyance fee when the deed is filed: $1 per $1,000 of the price, plus up to $3 per $1,000 more if the county adds one. Call us about your Ohio house and its condition, and a written cash offer comes within 24 hours. There are no commissions, repairs or showings. You choose when to close, in as little as 14 days.

At a glance

No repairs
No commissions or showings
Close in as little as 14 days

We Buy Houses in These Ohio Cities

Toledo: Lucas County
Dayton: Montgomery County
Akron: Summit County

What Does It Cost to Sell a House in Ohio?

In our $250,000 Ohio example, listing costs about $31,950 before your mortgage payoff, or 12.8% of the price, counting the commission, repairs, the conveyance fee, closing fees and three months of carrying costs. In Ohio, the seller pays the conveyance fee. It goes to the county auditor when the deed is delivered, before the deed can be recorded ¹². Cuyahoga County's transfer standards, for example, require the deed to name who prepared it, and say that should be an attorney or the owner acting for themselves, because the Supreme Court of Ohio treats preparing a deed as the practice of law ³. Here is what each cost is and who pays it.

See every cost line

Item	Usually paid by	Typical
Conveyance fee	The seller, by law ²	$1 per $1,000 of the price, set by state law, plus the county's own tax of up to $3 per $1,000 ⁴¹. The county table on this page has the five largest counties' rates.
Transfer fee	Whoever presents the deed; usually paid with the conveyance fee	50 cents for each transfer under state law ⁴, charged per parcel on the deed in counties such as Hamilton ⁵.
Deed preparation	Whoever your contract names. The preparer should be an attorney or the owner ³.	Varies. Ask for the figure in writing before you sign.
Owner's title policy	Whoever your contract names	Ask the closing agent for the premium in writing before you sign.
This year's property taxes	Split between you and the buyer as your contract says	Ohio property taxes are billed a year behind. Summit County's fiscal office, for one, says taxes are one year in arrears ⁶, so this year's tax usually isn't billed yet when you sell. The settlement statement shows each side's share.
Mortgage payoff and any liens	Paid from your sale money at closing	Whatever you still owe. Your lender generally has to send a payoff statement within seven business days of a written request ⁷.

Ohio's conveyance fee, county by county

Every Ohio county charges a $1 per $1,000 fee set by state law, and its commissioners may add a county tax of up to $3 per $1,000 more ⁴¹, so the rate you pay depends on where the house is. Some transfers owe no fee, such as a gift between husband and wife or between parent and child, or a deed that only corrects an earlier one ⁴. The example below uses $4 per $1,000, the highest rate, and the county table on this page shows what the five largest counties charge.

How Much Is the Conveyance Fee in Ohio's Biggest Counties?

It depends on the county, and it's more than the $1 per $1,000 set by state law: all five of Ohio's largest counties add their own tax, so on a $250,000 sale the fee is $750 to $1,000, not $250. Cuyahoga and Summit charge $4 per $1,000 of the sale price in all ⁸⁹¹⁰, and Franklin, Hamilton and Montgomery charge $3 ¹¹⁵¹². Here is what that comes to:

County (rate per $1,000)	On a $150,000 sale	On a $300,000 sale
Franklin ($3)	$450	$900
Cuyahoga ($4)	$600	$1,200
Hamilton ($3)	$450	$900
Montgomery ($3)	$450	$900
Summit ($4)	$600	$1,200

The 50-cent transfer fee isn't included. Ohio law also lets a county charge less when the seller has the homestead reduction ¹³, and Franklin County does: $1 per $1,000 instead of $3 ¹¹.

Is the Money From Selling Your Ohio Home Taxed?

Often not. Federal law generally lets you leave up to $250,000 of gain on your main home out of your income, or $500,000 on a joint return, if you owned it and lived in it for at least two of the five years before the sale ¹⁴. Ohio's income tax starts from your federal adjusted gross income ¹⁵, so gain left out of your federal income generally stays out of the Ohio figure too. If part of the gain is taxable, Ohio's rate for 2026 is 2.75% on income above $26,050 ¹⁶.

For an heir selling soon after a death, the taxable gain is often small: the tax basis of inherited property is generally its fair market value on the date of death ¹⁷.

You may still have to report the sale, for example if you get a Form 1099-S ¹⁴. This isn't tax advice. A tax preparer can run your own numbers.

Do You Need a New Survey to Sell an Ohio House?

Not always. Ohio counties set their own transfer standards. Cuyahoga County's, for example, accept a deed that reuses the legal description from the last recorded deed, unless it has errors, doesn't match county records or carries a "Survey Required" stamp, and the county can flag an old description for a new survey. A new description, such as for a split lot, must be prepared by an Ohio-registered surveyor ³.

A buyer or lender may still ask for a survey, so tell us about fences, sheds or a shared driveway on the call.

Are Cash Home Buyers in Ohio Legit? Four Checks Before You Sign

Ask four questions before you sign:

Is the offer in writing, with the price and the closing date? Read every page, and ask about anything you don't understand.
Who is the closing agent? You can look up an Ohio title agent's license in the Department of Insurance's agent locator ¹⁸, then call the agency yourself.
How will the money arrive? Under Ohio's good-funds law, a closing agent may pay out only money that is really there: wired in, sent electronically, or a deposit that has cleared, with uncleared checks allowed only in limited cases, such as $10,000 or less in all ¹⁹.
Will an Ohio attorney read the contract with you? We're glad when one does. And you shouldn't have to pay anyone anything to hear what they'll pay for your house.

Selling in Ohio

How Does Selling Your Ohio House for Cash Work?

Illustrative scene: a Black woman in her late sixties on the phone at the kitchen table of her older Ohio home

1. Tell Us About the House
Call and describe your Ohio house, from the roof to the basement. There are no repairs to make and no showings to hold.
2. Your Offer in Writing
A written cash offer comes within 24 hours, and no commission comes out of it.
3. Close on the Date You Pick
You choose the closing date, in as little as 14 days, and the closing agent handles the deed and the money.
Get My Cash Offer →
Takes about a minute.
or call (984) 489-8269

Do You Have to Fill Out Ohio's Disclosure Form to Sell As-Is?

Usually, yes. Selling as-is doesn't take you out of Ohio's disclosure law. The seller of a house with one to four units fills out the state's Residential Property Disclosure Form and gives the buyer a signed copy as soon as practicable ²⁰. It asks what you actually know about the water supply, the sewer or septic system, the roof, foundation, walls and floors, and lead paint, asbestos and radon. It is a statement of what you know, not a warranty ²⁰. The current form also asks about mold, termites, a flood plain or a Lake Erie coastal erosion area, boundary disputes, and any repairs made in the past five years ²¹.

Some sales don't need the form. They include a sale under a court order, a foreclosure sale, a sale by an executor or trustee settling an estate or trust, a sale to a co-owner, a spouse or a child, and a transfer between spouses in a divorce. Another exemption covers an heir who inherited the house and hasn't lived in it during the past year doesn't have to fill one out ²⁰. If the buyer gets the form only after signing the contract, the buyer may cancel in writing within three business days, but no later than 30 days after you accepted the offer or the closing, whichever comes first ²⁰.

Some Ohio cities add a point-of-sale inspection. In Cleveland Heights, an owner needs the city's Certificate of Inspection before agreeing to sell ²², and major violations not fixed by the time the title transfers must be covered by money held in escrow, at 125% of the city's repair estimate ²³. In Shaker Heights, a seller has to apply for the city's inspection before signing a contract with any buyer, cash buyers included, and the city tells sellers to allow at least two weeks, three to four in spring ²⁴. If your city has a rule like that, count the time whichever way you sell, and ask any buyer to say in writing who pays for the repairs and the escrow. If the house was built before 1978, federal law also has the seller share what they know about lead-based paint ²⁵. On the call, tell us what you know, and whether your city has sent an inspection report.

Cash Offer or Listing: Which Nets More for an Ohio House?

It depends on the house. In the $250,000 example below, a listing leaves about $218,050 before your mortgage payoff. Set our written offer beside that number.

A house in good shape, with time to wait, may well bring more on the open market. A listing usually costs an agent's commission, the repairs a buyer's inspection turns up, and a few months of mortgage, taxes, insurance and utilities. The example adds the county's deed fee at the top Ohio rate. If the listing comes out ahead and you can wait, listing may be the better choice.

On a $250,000 sale

Example, not a quote.

Listing with an agent

Sale price: $250,000
Agent commission (5.5% here; it varies): −$13,750
Repairs before listing (example): −$12,000
Deed fee to the county auditor (at $4 per $1,000; some counties charge $3): −$1,000
Deed preparation and your share of the closing agent's fees (example; they vary): −$700
Three months of carrying costs (example): −$4,500
You'd walk away with: $218,050

Comparing a cash offer

In this example, listing would leave you about $218,050 before your mortgage payoff. Compare that with your cash offer, less any closing costs you'd still pay.

Your numbers depend on your house, your loan, your county and your city. Want your real numbers? Enter your address above or call (984) 489-8269.

What Does Ohio Law Say If You're Selling in a Hard Spot?

If one of these is what you're facing, here's what Ohio law generally says about it, in plain words. It isn't legal advice. For your own case, talk to an Ohio attorney.

How long does foreclosure take in Ohio?

Usually six to 18 months or longer, the Ohio Attorney General says ²⁶, and in its foreclosure mediation guide the Supreme Court of Ohio warns it can be as short as three to six months once the suit is filed ²⁷. Ohio forecloses through the courts: a judge orders the sale ²⁸. The lender files a lawsuit, and you have 28 days after you're served to file an answer ²⁹. If the lender wins, the sheriff has three local property owners appraise the house, within 21 days for a home ³⁰. The sale is advertised once a week for three weeks ³¹, and at the first auction the house can't sell for less than two-thirds of that appraisal ³². If it doesn't sell, a second auction 7 to 30 days later has no minimum bid ³³. Until the court confirms the sale, you can still redeem the house by paying the judgment, the costs and interest ³⁴. If the sale leaves a balance on a home loan for a one- or two-family home, the lender generally has two years after the sale is confirmed to start collecting it ³⁵. If you've been served, talk to an Ohio attorney before you sign anything.

Do you need probate to sell an inherited house in Ohio?

If the estate is worth $35,000 or less, or $100,000 or less when everything goes to a surviving spouse, the probate court can release it from administration and order the house transferred to the people entitled to it ³⁶. In a full estate, the executor or administrator can sell the house if the will gives that power ³⁷, or if the spouse and all the heirs consent in writing, none of them is a minor, and the price is at least 80% of the estate's appraisal ³⁸; otherwise the probate court has to approve the sale. The other route is a certificate of transfer that puts the house in the heirs' names ³⁹. If the owner signed and recorded a transfer on death designation affidavit, the house passes to the person it names ⁴⁰. Which papers the closing agent will want depends on the route, so an Ohio probate attorney is worth a call before you sign a contract.

How far behind can you get before an Ohio foreclosure starts?

Federal rules generally bar a mortgage servicer from starting foreclosure until you're more than 120 days behind ⁴¹. Many Ohio courts also offer foreclosure mediation, where a neutral person helps you and the lender look for an agreement you both accept, and the Supreme Court of Ohio lists a contact for each county ²⁷. Those first months are the time to call your servicer, or to sell while the choices are still yours. Tell us on the call how far behind you are and whether any court papers have come.

Can you sell the house during an Ohio divorce?

In an Ohio divorce, the court decides what is marital property and what is separate property. It divides the marital property equally, unless an equal split would be inequitable; then it divides it in the way it finds equitable ⁴². A final divorce also ends each spouse's dower right in the other's real estate ⁴³. Selling turns the house into money that's simpler to divide. While the case is open, a court order may limit selling marital property, so ask your divorce attorneys what your orders and decree allow before either of you signs a contract.

Can you sell an Ohio rental with tenants in it?

The tenant doesn't have to move out before we make an offer. In Ohio, either side can end a month-to-month tenancy with notice given at least 30 days before a rent due date ⁴⁴. When a lease ends and the tenant moves out, the landlord has 30 days to return the deposit, with a written, itemized list of any deductions, once the tenant has given a forwarding address in writing. If the tenant has stayed six months or more, the part of a deposit above $50 or one month's rent, whichever is more, earns 5% interest a year ⁴⁵. Tell us about the lease, the rent and the deposit on the call, so the contract can say who holds the deposit after closing.

Can you sell an Ohio house after you move out of state?

The sale can line up with your move, and you don't have to come back to Ohio to sign. A deed signed and acknowledged in another state, following that state's law, is as valid as one signed in Ohio ⁴⁶. If you've already moved, tell us where you are now on the call, so the closing papers can be set up for you there.

Curious what your Ohio house would bring in cash?

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Ohio's Largest Housing Markets, September 2026

Figures are for the county each city sits in.
City (county figures)	Median asking price	Median days on market
Toledo	$183,750	37 days
Dayton	$209,900	45 days
Akron	$211,450	43 days

Franklin County, OH

Franklin County, OH housing market, September 2026
Median asking price	$314,950down 5% from a year earlier
Median days on market	46 daysup 6% from a year earlier
Homes for sale	2,812up 13% from a year earlier

Homes listed in Franklin County, OH sat a median 46 days on the market in September 2026, up from 43 a year earlier. The median asking price in Franklin County, OH was $314,950 in September 2026, down 5% from a year earlier.

Source: Realtor.com Economic Research, September 2026. Asking prices of homes listed for sale, not sale prices.

Ohio Cash Home Buyers: Common Questions

Prefer to talk it through?

Call (984) 489-8269

How fast can an Ohio home sale close?

You pick the closing date after you accept our written offer. Paperwork sets the pace. The deed has to go through the county auditor before it can be recorded ¹, and your lender generally has to send a payoff statement within seven business days of a written request ⁷. An estate or a tenant's lease can add steps, so tell us about either on the call.

Which parts of Ohio do you buy houses in?

All of it: Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo, Akron and Dayton, and the small towns and farm country between them. Tell us the address and what shape the house is in when you call.

Only my name is on the deed. Does my husband or wife still have to sign when I sell in Ohio?

Usually, yes, because Ohio still has dower. A spouse who hasn't given it up has a right to a life estate in one-third of the real estate the other spouse owned during the marriage. If you sold without your spouse's signature and died first, that right could still reach the house you sold ⁴³. When your spouse signs the deed the way deeds are signed, Ohio treats the deed as valid even if it never uses the word dower ⁴⁷. If your spouse can't sign, tell the closing agent early, and ask an Ohio attorney about the options.

I'm over 65 and get Ohio's homestead reduction. What happens to it when I sell?

The reduction is for the home you own and live in ⁴⁸, so you won't get it on this house for the years after you sell. It exempts the first $29,000 of the home's appraised value, and new applicants' income, counting a spouse's, can't be over $41,000 on their 2025 Ohio return ⁴⁹. If you already had the reduction for tax year 2013, the income limit doesn't apply to you on any Ohio homestead ⁴⁸. The reduction for the year of the sale can still show on the buyer's tax bill; the form filed with the deed records that, and you and the buyer account for it between you ². Tax year 2026 bills, mailed in January 2027, also carry a one-time second homestead credit ⁵⁰, so ask the closing agent how the split handles it.

My parent left me their Ohio house with a transfer on death affidavit. What do I file before I can sell?

Usually an affidavit of confirmation. Title to the house passed to you when your parent died ⁴⁰; the affidavit puts that on the record. A beneficiary named in the original affidavit signs it before a notary or someone else who can give oaths, attaches a certified copy of the death certificate, and presents it to the county auditor before filing it with the county recorder ⁵¹. An Ohio attorney can check the affidavit before it's filed.

The sheriff sale on my Ohio house is already scheduled. Is it too late to sell?

Not always. Until the court confirms the sale, Ohio law lets the owner redeem the house by depositing with the clerk the judgment, the costs and 8% yearly interest on the sale price from the sale date ³⁴. After an auction, the court checks the sale before confirming it, and it may hold off confirmation to give an owner time to redeem ⁵². Selling then works only if the sale brings in enough to pay the full amount the court requires before it confirms ³⁴. Call an Ohio attorney today, and call us with the sale date.

Get a Cash Offer on Your Ohio House