Do you buy houses in bad condition?

Yes. We buy houses in any condition, including fire damage, water damage, foundation issues, mold, hoarder situations, and open code violations. You do not need to make repairs, clean up, or haul anything out. We walk the property as it sits and make an offer based on what we see.

How fast can you close on an as-is house?

Most closings happen in 7 to 14 days from the signed purchase agreement. When title is clean and straightforward, we can close in as few as 5 days. The timeline depends on the title company's schedule and any liens or probate items that need to clear, and we tell you upfront what your specific timeline looks like.

Do you buy inherited houses?

Yes, and this is a large part of what we do. We work directly with heirs and estate attorneys, and we can close during or after probate depending on where the estate stands. If multiple heirs are involved, we coordinate signatures and disbursements at closing so each heir receives their share from the title company.

Do you buy foreclosures or pre-foreclosures?

Yes. If you have a sale date coming up, call us as early as possible so we have time to close before the auction. We handle the payoff directly with your lender and settle the loan balance at closing from the sale proceeds. In many cases, sellers walk away with cash even when they thought they had no equity left.

Do you buy houses with tax liens?

Yes. Tax liens, mortgage liens, HOA liens, and judgment liens all get settled at closing directly from the sale proceeds. You do not need to pay anything out of pocket to clear them. The title company disburses funds to each lienholder, and whatever remains after payoffs is yours.

What areas do you buy in?

We buy across South Louisiana, the Alabama Gulf Coast, and the Florida Panhandle. In Louisiana that includes Jefferson Parish, Orleans Parish, Metairie, New Orleans, Kenner, Uptown, and Mid-City. On the coast we cover Baldwin County (Gulf Shores, Orange Beach) and the Florida Panhandle (Fort Walton Beach, Escambia County, Okaloosa County).

Do I pay any fees or closing costs?

No. There are no agent commissions, no listing fees, no closing costs charged to you, and no repair credits taken out of your proceeds. The offer we give you is the amount you receive at closing, minus only any liens or payoffs owed on the property itself.

How is your cash offer calculated?

The math is simple and we show it to you: after-repair value (ARV) minus renovation cost minus a fair profit for our work equals your offer. ARV comes from recent comparable sales in your neighborhood. Renovation cost comes from what the property actually needs to be resold. We walk you through each number so you understand exactly how we got to the offer.

Do you require an inspection before making an offer?

No formal inspection is required. We walk the property ourselves, usually in 20 to 30 minutes, and factor condition into the offer at that point. Because we buy as-is and take on the repair risk ourselves, we do not send inspectors back for renegotiation after the offer is signed. The price we agree to is the price we close at.

How do I know you actually have the cash to close?

We provide proof of funds in writing before you sign anything, either a bank statement or a letter from our banking partner showing available cash for the purchase. We close with our own capital, not a mortgage or hard money loan, so there is no financing contingency and no lender who can back out at the last minute. If the title company confirms our funds are in escrow, closing happens on the date agreed.

Selling an Inherited Garden District House

By Andrew Rodriguez & Tony Bertucci

Request a cash offer for an inherited Garden District house

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If you inherited a Garden District house, you inherited a piece of what the city’s historic district commission calls a very early example of a luxury suburb, with a history that runs back to the 1830s. You may also have inherited a succession to settle, relatives to agree with, a historic district to navigate and an old house that needs attention, possibly from another state. Here is the history behind the house, the rules heirs should know, and the options for an inherited Garden District house, including selling it as-is.

Call 504-920-4747 anytime. No obligation to accept an offer.

The history behind an inherited Garden District house

Most of the Garden District was platted as the Faubourg Livaudais in 1832, on the former Livaudais plantation. In 1833 it became part of the City of Lafayette, and it did not join New Orleans until Lafayette was annexed in 1852. Established by the city’s American elite in the late 1840s, the area was being called the Garden District by travel writers as early as 1852.

The HDLC divides its building history into five periods: the financial boom of the 1840s; a second phase from the 1852 annexation to the Civil War; a third from the war to the financial crash of 1873; a fourth from about 1880 to the turn of the century; and scattered construction since. That is why one block can hold a Greek Revival raised center hall cottage, a side hall townhouse, an Italianate mansion on a double lot and a shotgun with a Victorian front. The Toby-Westfeldt House, built in 1838, is said to be the oldest building in the neighborhood. George Washington Cable lived on Eighth Street from 1874 to 1884, and Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 sits across Washington Avenue from Commander’s Palace.

Some of these houses have stayed in one family for generations, which is why many reach heirs rather than the open market.

Historic district rules for an inherited Garden District house

The Garden District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark. Since 2007 it has also been a city local historic district. The HDLC describes its boundaries as roughly Magazine, Josephine, Carondelet and Delachaise Streets, leaving out most parcels facing St. Charles Avenue. Inside it, the HDLC reviews proposed new construction, holds a public hearing for all proposed demolitions, and can cite owners who fail to maintain their buildings.

Houses facing St. Charles Avenue fall under a different local district, the St. Charles Avenue Historic District, which covers properties fronting the avenue between Jackson and Carrollton Avenues, with some corner exceptions. Rules differ between districts, so check the specific address with the HDLC before planning exterior work or a demolition. For heirs, the practical point is maintenance: a vacant house left to deteriorate can draw a citation, so keep the roof dry and the house secured while the estate is sorted out.

Settling the succession on an inherited Garden District house

In Louisiana, property passes through a succession. For a house in Orleans Parish, that runs through Civil District Court, and before heirs can sell they generally need a judgment of possession recognizing them as owners, or court authority for a succession representative to sell. If a parent died years ago and nobody opened a succession, the title may still be in a parent’s or grandparent’s name, and that has to be fixed before closing.

When there are several heirs, all of them, or the court-authorized representative, need to sign. Property taxes, insurance and utilities keep coming while the family decides, and a vacant old house can be harder and more expensive to insure.

Out-of-state heirs and an inherited Garden District house

Many heirs live in another state, and distance turns small problems into big ones: a slow roof leak or a break-in. A few steps help. Put one person in charge of keys and decisions, keep the utilities on and the insurance policy active, and hire a Louisiana succession attorney who can handle the filings without you traveling. Documents can often be signed before a notary where you live. If the parent who died lived outside Louisiana, an additional Louisiana proceeding may be needed for the Garden District house, so ask your attorney early.

Old-house repairs heirs find in a Garden District house

A house built in the 1800s usually carries some familiar issues: settled piers and rotted sills, termite damage, old wiring, aging plumbing, worn roofs, and rusted cast iron fences and galleries. Some of those repairs touch the exterior and may need HDLC review.

Your options for an inherited Garden District house

Keep it as a family home, and plan for upkeep and insurance.
Rent it, which means a landlord role, repairs and a local manager.
Fix it and list it, which takes time, cash for repairs and agreement among the heirs.
Sell it as-is for cash, with no repairs, no showings and no commissions.

Listing often makes sense for a house in good condition when the heirs agree and have time. If the house needs major work, the heirs are spread out, or the succession is still open, a cash sale can be simpler, with a closing date set once title is clear. You can leave behind furniture and belongings you do not want. We can walk the house with one heir and put an offer in writing while your attorney finishes the succession.

If the family also owns an older house nearby, our guide to selling an old Irish Channel shotgun as-is covers that neighborhood, our Uptown New Orleans cash home buyer page covers the rest of Uptown, and our guide to selling an inherited house in New Orleans goes deeper on successions.

Inherited Garden District house: frequently asked questions

Can I sell an inherited Garden District house before the succession is finished?

You can start. The closing happens once a judgment of possession, or court authority for a succession representative, lets the heirs sign. We can walk the house, agree on terms in writing and hold them while your attorney finishes the succession.

Do all the heirs have to agree to sell the house?

Generally, every heir who becomes an owner must sign, unless a court-authorized succession representative is selling. Ask your succession attorney how it works for your family.

Do I need HDLC approval to sell a Garden District house?

No. A sale on its own is not something the HDLC reviews. In the Garden District local historic district, the HDLC reviews proposed new construction and demolitions and can cite owners who fail to maintain a building, so keep the house secured and dry while you decide.

I live out of state. Do I have to come to New Orleans to sell?

Often, no. One heir or a local relative can let us in, documents can often be signed before a notary where you live, and your attorney and the title company coordinate the closing.

Can we leave the furniture and belongings in the house?

Yes. Take what matters to your family and leave the rest. You do not need to empty or clean the house before selling to us.

Will you buy an inherited Garden District house that needs major repairs?

Yes, as it stands, including foundation, termite, wiring, plumbing and roof problems. Call 504-920-4747 to talk it through.

Talk to a local buyer about an inherited Garden District house

Call 504-920-4747 or use the form above for a written as-is cash offer on an inherited Garden District house.

General information, not legal advice.