Craftsman bungalow
North Berkeley, Elmwood and Thousand Oaks. Brown shingle and Craftsman houses from the 1900s to the 1920s.
Sell your Berkeley house for cash, as it is.
Berkeley's housing is old and expensive, and the city has its own rules for almost everything that happens at a sale: a transfer tax, a sewer lateral certificate, and a rent board. None of that stops an as-is sale. It just means the paperwork has a few more lines, and a buyer who works here already knows them.
The houses we see most in Berkeley
Each kind comes with its own repairs. A cash buyer prices them into the offer, so you don't fix anything first.
Victorian
South and West Berkeley cottages. Often on old foundations with knob-and-tube wiring still in the walls.
Spanish-style bungalow
Scattered through the hills and Thousand Oaks. Stucco, tile roofs and 1920s plumbing.
What's different about selling in Berkeley
The local rules that show up in a Berkeley sale, in plain English.
Transfer tax
Alameda County charges $1.10 per $1,000 of the sale price. Berkeley's own tax is 1.5% of the price up to a threshold the city resets every year (about $1.7 million recently) and 2.5% above it. Measure W, approved in 2024, adds higher tiers for expensive sales starting January 1, 2027. The city refunds up to a third of the base 1.5% tax for voluntary seismic upgrades.
If the house is rented
Berkeley's Rent Stabilization Board covers most rentals in the city. Single-family homes are often exempt from the rent ceilings, but registration and eviction rules can still apply, so a buyer of a rented house will check its status with the board.
Before escrow closes
Berkeley runs its own sewer lateral program, separate from EBMUD's. The city requires a certificate before escrow closes, which usually means a contractor tests the lateral and the city witnesses the test. If it fails, the lateral gets repaired or replaced.
We buy all over Berkeley
Including these neighborhoods, and the blocks in between.
- South Berkeley
- West Berkeley
- North Berkeley
- Elmwood
- Thousand Oaks
- Le Conte
- Berkeley Hills
- Westbrae
How a cash sale works in Berkeley
Nothing is signed until the last step, and you can stop at any of them. More on the math on the main page.
- Step 1
Call
The address, what's wrong with the house and when you need to be out.
- Step 2
Walkthrough
A local buyer sees it as it is. No cleaning or repairs.
- Step 3
Written offer
A number on paper with the math shown. No obligation.
- Step 4
Close
A title company handles escrow on the date you pick.
Berkeley questions
What's the transfer tax on a Berkeley house?
The city charges 1.5% on most sales and 2.5% above its annual threshold, plus Alameda County's $1.10 per $1,000. On a $1.2 million sale that's $18,000 to the city and $1,320 to the county.
Can I sell a Berkeley house that fails the sewer lateral test?
Yes. The lateral has to be brought into compliance, and in a cash sale the repair cost is part of the negotiation. Many buyers handle it themselves.
Am I obligated to accept the offer?
No. The call and the walkthrough are free, and you can turn the offer down.
Official sources
Other cities nearby
Tell us about the house in Berkeley
The address and what's going on with it. That's the whole first step, and it takes about ten minutes on the phone.
(800) 000-0000