Violations attach to the property, not to you personally
That cuts both ways. It is why an unpaid citation follows the house and shows up on title — and it is also why it can be settled out of the sale proceeds at closing instead of being something you have to fund and cure first. Water and sewer balances behave the same way in most of the markets we buy in.
This is precisely where financed buyers fall out
An open violation or an unpermitted addition is often enough for a lender to decline, and it typically surfaces late — after inspection, weeks into a contract, when you have already turned down other options. A cash purchase has no lender to satisfy, so the violation becomes a line item at closing rather than a reason the sale collapses.
Open permits and work done without one
A permit pulled and never closed out, or a finished basement nobody permitted, is common and it is ours to resolve after closing. Tell us what you know about it; it changes the number, but it very rarely changes whether we buy.
What to have ready
- Any citations or notices you have received
- Unpaid water or sewer balances
- Whether any permits are still open
- What work was done without a permit
We are a cash buyer, not attorneys or accountants. Nothing here is legal or
tax advice — for a foreclosure, probate or divorce matter, talk to your attorney too.
Questions people ask about this
- Do I have to fix the violations before selling?
- No. We buy with them open and handle the cure ourselves. Outstanding fines are settled from proceeds at closing.
- There is a lien from the city. Is that a problem?
- No. Municipal liens are paid off through the title company at closing, the same as a mortgage. What matters is knowing about them early so the payoff is accurate.
- What if there is unpermitted work?
- Very common and not disqualifying. It affects the offer because it affects what we have to do afterwards, but a cash buyer has no appraiser to satisfy.
Who you will be dealing with
Trevor McAmis
Owner & Acquisitions Lead, Restar Acquisitions. (313) 710-6129 · More about us
Every offer on this site is underwritten by a person, not a form. If the
numbers do not work for you, say so and I will tell you what would.
The rest of the process is the same either way
The three steps, the cash-offer versus listing comparison, the three-day right to cancel and
the four-line math behind the number live on
how it works rather than being repeated here. This page is
only what changes when citations, liens or condemnation.
Next
Other situations we handle, or
your local market — every market page publishes its own
sale prices, ZIP breakdown and rent data.
