We buy houses in West Saint Paul, MN

What is different about selling in West Saint Paul?

West Saint Paul is a first-ring suburb that sits directly south of Saint Paul, and the name trips people up because the city sits south of Saint Paul, not west. An earlier town with the name existed in the 1870s, then folded into South Saint Paul, and the city took back its own name and became a separate place in 1889. Robert Street, paved in 1922, is its long commercial spine, and behind it are residential streets, parks and a few small shopping centers.

First-ring suburbs like this one tend to have older houses. Older houses often mean original kitchens, old sewer lines and a list of small things nobody has gotten around to.

How does the legal side work here?

West Saint Paul is in Dakota County. Probate cases go through the Dakota County District Court. The court has a service center in West Saint Paul, but it lists its probate office at the Judicial Center in Hastings, the county seat. Deeds are recorded by Dakota County Property Taxation and Records in Hastings. The city says it has no Truth in Sale of Housing or point-of-sale program, but it does have a sewer and sump pump inspection when an owner-occupied single-family house is put up for sale.

Neighborhoods and areas in West Saint Paul

Robert Street. The main retail strip, paved in 1922. The street is named for Louis Robert, an early Mississippi River boat captain and settler of Saint Paul.

Marthaler Park. Named for a family that has been in town since the 1850s. The land was once a farm and grove, and a ski hill opened there in 1971.

Thompson County Park. A Dakota County park with a long local history. It has been adding a new playground and stream work.

Dodge Nature Center. Founded by Olivia Irvine Dodge. It has nature preserves and a nature-based preschool.

Albert Park and Harmon Park. Two older neighborhood parks. Albert Park was designated by the city in 1931, and Harmon Park dates to 1925.

Signal Hills. A shopping center that the city's own history pages list among its historic places.

The sewer inspection when a house goes on the market

West Saint Paul has a rule many sellers have never heard of. The city runs an inflow and infiltration program, which is about clean rainwater and groundwater leaking into the sewer. When an owner-occupied single-family house is put up for sale, the city wants it inspected. The inspection looks at the sewer service line with a camera, plus the sump pump and the roof drains.

A house that passes gets a certificate. A house that does not pass has to be brought into compliance within a set period after the sale. The city says it does not have a Truth in Sale of Housing program, so this sewer step is the main sale-related item to know about.

Ask us how it works if you sell directly, and you can also confirm details with the city and your closing company. We buy the house as it is, and a sewer line that needs work is the kind of thing we plan for.

Why a West Saint Paul house can be hard to list

Older homes here often have older sewer lines, original furnaces and windows, small bathrooms and basements that have seen water. Each of those is a line on a buyer's inspection report. A buyer who sees several lines asks for repairs or a lower price, or walks.

If you do not want to spend your own money and time before you sell, you do not have to. We do not ask you to paint, clean or repair. You walk the house with us, you tell us what you know, and we put a fair cash offer in front of you.

Renting out a house in West Saint Paul

The city has a rental licensing program. It includes a background check on owners, training, inspections by the city and approval by the City Council. The city also limits how many single-family homes on one block can be rentals. If you hold a license and want out, or the license process is more than you want, selling may be the right step.

We buy houses with tenants in place. Tell us about the lease and we will plan around it. You will not have to ask anyone to leave before we can talk.

Selling a house through a divorce

A divorce can leave two people owning a house that neither one wants to keep, and neither one can afford alone. Showings and open houses add stress on top of a hard time. A single direct sale gives you one price, one closing date and one set of papers.

You pick the date. If a court order or a settlement sets a deadline, tell us, and we will build around it. Your attorneys can review everything before you sign.

A house that needs more than paint

Some houses are past the point where a coat of paint helps. A flooded basement, an old roof, a failed sewer line, or a long stretch of deferred repairs can make the cost of fixing the house bigger than you want to carry. That can also be true for a house that sat empty after the owner moved to care or passed away.

We look at the house in its real shape. You do not have to guess at the cost of repairs or hire a contractor to price them. We do that part.

When listing may be the better move

Not every sale should be a direct sale. If your house is in good shape, the sewer inspection would pass without trouble, and you are not on a clock, a regular listing could net you more money. The open market rewards a house that is ready for it.

We are a better fit when time, repairs, tenants or a hard closing date are the real problem. Compare our offer with what a listing might leave you after costs and waiting. The choice is yours, and asking us costs nothing.

Related reading: Selling a house during a divorce and Selling a house that needs repairs. Also see What is a TISH inspection and do I need it to sell?