Can I Sell My House in Birmingham Without Listing It?

Is now a good time to sell my house in Birmingham?

For most Birmingham owners, the calendar that matters is their own. A sale works best when it fits your next move, your finances and the condition of the house.

To read the market in Birmingham, look at how long homes like yours take to go under contract and what they actually sold for in the last few months, not at asking prices.

More in How Do I Know When It’s Time to Sell My House?

Should I sell my Birmingham house as-is or fix it up first?

It comes down to whether the repairs add more than they cost. Small, visible fixes usually do. Remodels usually do not.

Older homes are the norm in Birmingham. In our sample, 15 of 15 homes were built in 1980 or earlier, so an older house there competes mostly with other older houses. Older homes there hold more of their value against new construction than the Michigan median, 20.3 percent against 17.2 percent.

More in Should I Sell My House As-Is or Fix It Up First?

What are the benefits of selling my Birmingham house off-market?

You skip the listing, the showings and the repairs, and you set the date.

• No public listing. No MLS listing, no listing photos and no open house.
• The house as it stands. No repairs, no staging and no deep clean before closing.
• Your date. Close in a few weeks or a few months, whichever suits your next move.
• One counterpart. You deal with one buyer, not a run of showings and counteroffers.

The cost is fewer buyers bidding. On the open market, competition can push a price higher, so it is worth weighing both routes. Should I Sell My House Off-Market? explains how.

How fast can I sell my house in Birmingham?

Off-market, on the date you choose, whether that is a few weeks out or a few months, once the title work and the documents Michigan requires are done.

A listed sale usually takes longer, because the house has to be prepared, shown and negotiated, and the buyer’s inspection, appraisal and loan approval can still undo the deal late in the process.

If you are relocating, read How Do I Sell My House Fast When I’m Moving for Work?

What does it cost to sell a house in Birmingham?

Commission first, then transfer taxes, title and closing fees, and the repairs or credits a buyer asks for after inspection. Address District charges no commission.

Federal tax on the gain may not apply at all. If you owned the house and lived in it as your main home for two of the last five years, the IRS lets you exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly.

Line by line in How Much Does It Cost to Sell a House?

How does selling my Birmingham house off-market work?

In four steps, with no listing and no showings.

1. Send us the address and a few details through the offer form, or get in touch.
2. A person on our team looks at the house and recent sales nearby, and may ask for a walk-through.
3. We send a written offer. You are under no obligation to accept it.
4. If you do, the closing is handled by a title company or closing attorney, on your date.

You will know in writing who the buyer is before you sign anything.

How does Birmingham compare with nearby neighborhoods?

Bloomfield Hills, 3 miles away, shows five older homes among the five we sampled. Bloomfield Hills, 3 miles away, has five older homes among the seven we sampled. Bloomfield Hills, 4 miles away, counts three older homes among the three we sampled. Birmingham ranks 36th nationally for older homes, ahead of all of them.

Every neighborhood in the index has its own page, and the Michigan page lists all 16 in the state.

Do older homes in Birmingham sell for less than new construction?

In our sample, yes. The average price of older homes in 48009 was 20.3 percent of the average price of new construction in the same ZIP code. The Michigan median is 17.2 percent, and the index median is 23.1 percent.

The gap reflects size, lot and condition as much as age, so price an older house against recent sales of other older houses nearby, not against new construction.