Sell your Center Point house fast, for cash.

Center Point grew fast in the 1960s, after a steady water supply was found in 1947 opened the area to development. By 1967 it was known as the largest unincorporated community in the country, and it did not become a city until 2002. Most of the houses inside today's city limits were built during that 1960s boom.

That gives Center Point a fairly consistent housing stock: single-family houses on modest lots, many of them now 60 years old or close to it. We buy them in any condition, whether the house has been kept up for decades or has been sitting empty.

The city limits are much smaller than the old Center Point community, so plenty of houses with a Center Point mailing address, including most of ZIP 35235, are in unincorporated Jefferson County or in neighboring Birmingham neighborhoods like Huffman, Spring Lake, Killough Springs, Echo Highlands, and Roebuck. We buy in all of those areas too. Your house does not have to be inside the city limits.

A house built in the 1960s that still has many of its original parts tends to need the same list of repairs. We expect these, price them into the offer, and buy the house as-is.

• Plumbing. Galvanized steel supply lines from that era rust from the inside and cut the water pressure. Cast iron drain lines crack under the slab or crawl space, and old sewer lines to the street can be cracked or full of roots.
• Electrical. Original panels that were never upgraded, two-prong outlets, ungrounded circuits, and wiring that was added onto over the years by different owners.
• Roof, windows, and HVAC. Many houses are due for a roof, and single-pane windows and old heating and cooling systems make the power bill hard to live with.
• Foundations. The ground under an older house shifts with wet and dry seasons, which over time shows up as cracked brick, sloping floors, and doors that stick.
• Termites and water damage. Damaged sills and floor joists, soft subfloors around tubs and toilets, and ceiling stains from old roof leaks.
• Lead paint. Houses built before 1978 may have lead-based paint under the newer coats.

Some Center Point houses also carry damage or half-finished repairs from the January 2012 tornado, or from a fire. We buy those houses too.

The repair bill is large compared to the value. Center Point houses are modestly priced. So when a house needs a roof, a sewer line, and an HVAC system, the repairs can eat a large share of what the house is worth. Spending that money before listing often does not pay off. Selling as-is lets you skip it.

A buyer's loan may not close. Many buyers in this price range use FHA or VA loans. On an FHA loan for a house built before 1978, peeling or chipped paint has to be fixed before closing, and appraisers flag items like roof leaks and exposed wiring. That can mean repair demands or a deal that falls apart late. We pay cash, so there is no lender appraisal.

The house was inherited. When a long-time owner passes away, the house often goes to children who live elsewhere and do not want to manage repairs and a vacant house from a distance.

The city has flagged the house. The Center Point city council holds public hearings and votes to demolish houses it finds unsafe, and the cost of a demolition can be assessed against the property. Repairs that stall can also leave a building permit void. If you have a damaged or vacant house that is on the city's radar, selling sooner gives you more options than waiting.

Alabama is generally a buyer beware state. Sellers of used homes usually do not have to list every defect, though courts recognize exceptions, including known health or safety defects and direct questions from the buyer. We buy as-is and look the house over ourselves. Tell us what you know and we will factor it in. This is general information, not legal advice.

We build the offer from three numbers, and we show you each one.

• What updated houses near you sold for. Recent sales of renovated houses similar to yours in size and location. We stay as close to your street as the data allows, because prices shift between Center Point, the unincorporated areas around it, and the neighboring Birmingham neighborhoods.
• What the repairs will cost. We walk the house and estimate each item: roof, plumbing, sewer line, electrical, HVAC, windows, foundation, kitchen, baths, floors, and paint.
• Our costs. Insurance, taxes, utilities while we own it, and the cost of selling it once it is finished.

The offer is the finished value minus the repairs and costs. It will be lower than what a fully renovated house sells for, because we are paying for the renovation. In return, you skip the repairs, the commissions, the showings, and the months of waiting.

What we promise: a cash offer, usually within about 24 hours of seeing the house. Closing in as little as 7 to 14 days through a local title company or closing attorney, or later if you want, because you pick the date. We pay the normal closing costs. No commissions, no repairs, no cleaning, and no obligation.

Tenants. We can buy a Center Point rental with the tenants still living there. Send us the lease, the rent, and the deposit details, and we will price it as a rental.

Back taxes. In most cases, unpaid property taxes and liens are paid off from the sale proceeds at closing, and you get what is left. Jefferson County sells tax liens, not houses. If your lien has already been sold, you can still redeem, and the lien holder cannot sue to foreclose until at least four years after the auction, but interest and fees keep growing and the lien holder can try garnishment in the meantime. Acting early leaves you more options.

Inherited houses. When an owner passes without a will, the house usually goes to the heirs together, and every heir on title generally needs to sign. Some estates also need probate first. We work with the whole family and the closing attorney so everyone signs and gets paid at one closing. For the estate side, talk to an Alabama probate attorney.