Nobody sells a house directly because everything is going well. People land here because of a death, a divorce, a job, a diagnosis, a tenant, a roof, or a letter from a bank — and almost always at a moment when they have less time and less money than they would like. There is nothing unusual about any of it and there is no judgment here.
One thing worth saying before the list: most sellers have two of these at once. An inherited house is usually also vacant, usually also full of belongings, and quite often also needs a roof. A divorce and a missed payment arrive together more often than either arrives alone. That is normal, and it does not make the sale complicated.
So pick the closest one rather than the perfect one. Each page is written to stand on its own, and each links sideways to the ones that commonly come with it.
The house
When the problem is the building itself — its condition, what is owed against it, or what is inside it.
Sell a vacant house
An empty house keeps billing you for taxes, heat and insurance that may have quietly stopped covering it after 30 days.
Read this → The houseSell a house that needs major repairs
The roof, the panel, the wet basement — and why a lender’s appraiser, not a buyer, is what actually blocks the sale.
Read this → The houseSell a fire- or water-damaged house
Whose name is on the insurance cheque, and whether you can sell before the claim is settled.
Read this → The houseSell a house with code violations
What an open violation does to a closing, and what follows the property to the next owner.
Read this → The houseSell a house with liens or back taxes
A lien does not stop a sale — it gets paid out of one. The only real question is whether there is enough equity.
Read this → The houseSell a house full of belongings
What to take before you hand over the keys, and why the rest is a line item rather than a barrier.
Read this →Life and ownership
When the problem is not the house but who owns it, who can sign for it, and where they are.
Sell an inherited house
What you may and may not do before the court issues letters, and how siblings reach a number they can all see.
Read this → Life & ownershipSell a house in probate
Executor or administrator, what “letters” means, and how long Monroe County Surrogate’s Court really takes.
Read this → Life & ownershipSell a house during divorce
One number both parties can see, so the house stops being the thing you keep negotiating.
Read this → Life & ownershipSell from out of state
Mail-away closings, remote notarisation, and getting a deed copy without standing in the County Clerk’s office.
Read this → Life & ownershipDownsizing
When the house is simply more than you want to manage and nothing is wrong with it at all.
Read this →Money and landlords
When the problem is what the house costs you, what it stopped earning, or who is living in it.
Behind on payments or facing foreclosure
The New York timeline is longer than almost everyone fears, and you can sell right up to the auction date.
Read this → Money & landlordsSell a rental property
Vacate and list, list it occupied, or sell it as it stands — and what you hand over either way.
Read this → Money & landlordsSell a rental with a problem tenant
You do not have to finish the eviction first. What changes is the price and who inherits the problem.
Read this → Money & landlordsMy listing expired
Five reasons a Rochester house does not sell, and the clause in your old agreement to check first.
Read this →Not sure which one fits? That is completely normal — most people are in two of them.
Tell us about the houseTakes about 60 seconds · No repairs, no fees, no obligationWhich situation applies to me?
What if more than one applies?
Do you buy in situations that are not listed here?
What if nothing is wrong and I just do not want the house any more?
Where we buy
Every situation on this page, we buy in throughout the City of Rochester and across Monroe County.
In a hurry, or just done with it? Those are different pages and both are fine.
Tell us about the houseSee selling fast or selling as-isThis guide is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Laws and procedures change and every situation is different — for advice on your specific circumstances, consult a New York attorney or, for mortgage difficulties, a HUD-approved housing counselor.
See how this works in practice: real Rochester success stories.
Related guides
How Cash Home Buyers Calculate Offers (The Actual Math)
The exact formula behind every cash offer, explained line by line — so you can evaluate any offer with confidence.
Read guide →Selling Your HouseSelling to an Investor vs. Listing With an Agent
The honest comparison, including the cases where listing is clearly the better answer.
Read guide →Resource CenterBrowse Every Guide
The full Resource Center — process, pricing, closing costs and Rochester-specific guides.
Read guide →