Tell us about the house.
Start with the address, current condition, who lives there, and the closing date you want. Share known repair or title issues; you do not need to finish a renovation before contacting us.
As-is cash home buyers
Need to sell your house fast in Washington, DC?
HouseResolve buys houses directly in Washington, DC. Receive a cash offer within 24 hours and sell as-is, without repairs or a cleanout. A Washington, D.C., offer should reflect the District's permit, inspection, enforcement, occupancy, and vacant-building records. Tell us the condition, occupancy, and closing date you have in mind.
Sell directly to HouseResolve
Get your Washington cash offer in three steps.
No repairs, no showings, and no obligation to accept.
Review your offer within 24 hours.
We review the property and explain our cash offer. Compare the written price, any inspection terms, what stays with the house, and what you will receive at closing.
Choose the closing that fits.
If you accept, we work with you on the closing and possession dates. Existing ownership, payoff, and local transfer requirements still need to be addressed before the sale completes.
Your Washington sale decision
Review Washington Building, Occupancy, and District Land Records
DOB says Scout can show permits, licenses, inspections, and enforcement information. A certificate of occupancy addresses whether a use conforms to zoning and construction rules, so do not substitute a tax description or an old advertisement for that record.
Selling as-is to HouseResolve
HouseResolve can review the property in its current condition before you commit to optional repairs. Find the certificate or other DOB record supporting your property's present use and unit count. Keep the status of unresolved work visible and specify responsibility in the written sale terms.
Preparing for a listing
Price a repair-and-list plan from the confirmed property file rather than a general renovation wish list. Confirm whether DOB classifies the building as vacant or blighted and whether an exemption is recorded. Include the work actually needed, any applicable approval time, and carrying costs when comparing the net with our offer.
Useful details to gather
Collect your deed, releases, liens, trust documents, square and lot, and Recorder of Deeds results. Use the Department of Buildings' online resources for the first pass. Add current condition photos, ownership details, and your preferred timing to the same property file.
An as-is cash sale can reduce preparation and financing uncertainty. A listing may produce a higher price if you have time to prepare and market the home. Compare your expected proceeds after payoffs, agreed costs, and continued ownership expenses, along with the work and timing each route requires.
Read the local property details and official sourcesCommon questions about selling in Washington
Practical answers before you sign an agreement.
Verify address-specific requirements with the office responsible for the property.
Does Washington have a separate county recorder?
No. Washington is coextensive with the District of Columbia. The Office of Tax and Revenue's Recorder of Deeds maintains the District's official land records.
Where can you see DC permit and enforcement history?
The Department of Buildings lists Scout for permits, licenses, inspections, and enforcement information. eRecords provides permit documents, plans, and applications.
Does an empty house automatically have vacant-building status?
Do not rely on appearance alone. DOB publishes registration and exemption rules and maintains classifications. Confirm the live record and any inspection or notice for your property.
City property guide for Washington property owners
Review Washington Building, Occupancy, and District Land Records
A Washington, D.C., offer should reflect the District's permit, inspection, enforcement, occupancy, and vacant-building records. There is no county recorder to search afterward. The District's Recorder of Deeds maintains the land records used for title review. Start with your square and lot, street address, owner names, notices, and details about prior work or current vacancy. After reviewing the current condition, HouseResolve can outline an as-is purchase in writing. Measure that proposal against required record work, repairs, listing preparation, and the costs of holding the property longer.
Use the Department of Buildings' online resources for the first pass. DOB says Scout can show permits, licenses, inspections, and enforcement information. Its eRecords service provides access to permit documents, plans, and applications. Match those entries to additions, basement use, unit count, and major systems at your property. A certificate of occupancy addresses whether a use conforms to zoning and construction rules, so do not substitute a tax description or an old advertisement for that record. Save the permit number, inspection outcome, certificate, and any open enforcement detail.
If the building is vacant, review DOB's vacant and blighted property information separately. The District says vacant or blighted properties must be registered unless a stated exemption applies, and DOB conducts inspections connected with classification and maintenance. Confirm the current classification, registration or exemption record, inspection history, and any notice before you estimate costs. If your house is occupied or temporarily empty for a qualifying reason, do not assume the map alone determines its legal status. Ask DOB what the live record shows.
For title documents, use the Office of Tax and Revenue's Recorder of Deeds rather than looking for a county office. OTR identifies that office as the keeper of official land records and provides online public access. Give your closing professional the square and lot, deed, releases, lien information, trust or estate documents, DOB records, and vacancy notices. Compare sale choices using net proceeds, inspection rights, responsibility for District matters, title conditions, closing costs, timing, and possession. Those terms reveal more than the headline price alone.
Compare selling optionsJurisdiction check
Keep municipal and county records in their proper lanes.
Postal names and service boundaries can point to different public offices.
Confirm the address is inside Washington's local jurisdiction before relying on municipal records.
Permit and enforcement history, legal occupancy, vacant-building status, and District land records
Washington is coextensive with the District of Columbia and has no separate county government. District agencies handle building regulation, tax administration, and recorded land documents.
A practical checklist for selling in Washington
Gather the records that can change your timing or net proceeds.
Review your address for permits, licenses, inspections, enforcement cases, and linked building details.
Find the certificate or other DOB record supporting your property's present use and unit count.
Confirm whether DOB classifies the building as vacant or blighted and whether an exemption is recorded.
Collect your deed, releases, liens, trust documents, square and lot, and Recorder of Deeds results.
Before you choose a sale path
Four questions worth answering early.
You can still request an offer while you gather missing records or repair estimates.
- 1
Which DOB permits or inspections remain unresolved at your address?
- 2
Does your occupancy record support the current use and number of units?
- 3
Is the property registered, exempt, or currently classified as vacant or blighted?
- 4
What do District land records show under the owner names and square and lot?
Sources and local records
Verify what applies to the address.
These official resources support the local guidance above. Contact the responsible office when a permit, notice, tax, title, utility, or boundary record affects your sale.
Reviewed by HouseResolve editorial team on .
- DC Department of Buildings: Online ResourcesDOB lists Scout for permits, licenses, inspections, and enforcement information, eRecords for permit files, and certificates of occupancy for approved use.Accessed 2026-08-09
- DC Department of Buildings: Vacant BuildingsDOB describes vacant and blighted property registration, possible exemptions, inspections, maintenance responsibilities, and its public status map and dashboard.Accessed 2026-08-09
- DC Office of Tax and Revenue: Recorder of DeedsThe Office of Tax and Revenue identifies the Recorder of Deeds as the office that keeps official District land records and offers online public-record access.Accessed 2026-08-09
See whether an as-is cash offer fits your situation