Victorian
West Oakland and the Lower Bottoms. Expect old wiring, brick foundations and units added over the years.
Sell your Oakland house for cash, as it is.
Oakland has more old houses than almost anywhere in the Bay Area: Victorians in West Oakland, Craftsman bungalows up through Temescal and the Dimond, and blocks of 1940s houses in East Oakland. A lot of them belong to families who bought decades ago, and a lot of them need more work than anyone wants to pay for. Selling one as-is is common here.
The houses we see most in Oakland
Each kind comes with its own repairs. A cash buyer prices them into the offer, so you don't fix anything first.
Craftsman bungalow
Temescal, the Dimond, Glenview and Maxwell Park. Original sewer lines and settling porches come up a lot.
Postwar ranch
Brookfield Village, Elmhurst and the flats of East Oakland. Many have converted garages and original panels.
What's different about selling in Oakland
The local rules that show up in a Oakland sale, in plain English.
Transfer tax
Alameda County charges $1.10 per $1,000 of the sale price. Oakland adds its own tax on top, and the rate depends on the price: 1% up to $300,000, 1.5% from $300,001 to $2 million, 1.75% up to $5 million and 2.5% above that. The rate applies to the whole price, so an $800,000 sale owes $12,000 to the city plus $880 to the county.
If the house is rented
Oakland's rent and eviction rules are among the strictest in California. Many single-family homes are exempt from the rent limits, but the city's just-cause rules reach further, so if the house is rented, the buyer will check the tenancy against the Rent Adjustment Program before closing.
Before escrow closes
Oakland is inside EBMUD's regional sewer lateral program, so a sale needs a compliance certificate for the pipe that runs from the house to the street before escrow can close. If the lateral needs work, EBMUD offers a time extension certificate with a deposit, which lets the buyer finish the repair after closing. A cash buyer will usually take that on.
We buy all over Oakland
Including these neighborhoods, and the blocks in between.
- West Oakland
- Fruitvale
- Elmhurst
- Brookfield Village
- Maxwell Park
- Dimond
- Laurel
- Temescal
- Glenview
- Sobrante Park
- Millsmont
- Eastmont
How a cash sale works in Oakland
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.
Oakland questions
Do I need a sewer lateral certificate to sell in Oakland?
Yes. EBMUD requires one before escrow closes. If the lateral fails, a time extension certificate lets the repair happen after the sale, and a cash buyer can take that over.
How much is the transfer tax on an Oakland sale?
For most houses it's 1.5% to the city plus $1.10 per $1,000 to the county. On a $700,000 sale that's $10,500 plus $770.
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 Oakland
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