An Albany Home Buyer for Properties That Are Hard to Sell
Expert Land Sellers buys houses for cash in Albany, New York, directly from the owner, without listing the property. We buy in New York and six other Northeast states, and we buy directly, with cash, rather than listing a house and waiting for a buyer to be found. Below you will find what we consider, the situations we work with, how the process runs, the parts of Albany and Albany County we cover, and answers to the questions Albany owners ask.
- Who buys the house
- Expert Land Sellers, a direct cash buyer. We are not an agent and not a listing service: the offer comes from us, and there is no listing agreement to sign. The company was founded by Diego Santiago, who has worked in real estate since 2019.
- What we do
- We buy houses for cash, directly from the owner, as-is. We present a written, no-obligation offer, and if you accept it a title company coordinates title clearance and closing around a date the parties can complete. There is no listing, no staging and no open house.
- Where we buy
- In the city of Albany and across Albany County, New York. Albany County is one of the eight counties the New York State Department of Labor lists in the Capital Region. Inside the city we buy in neighborhoods from Arbor Hill and the South End to Pine Hills, Delaware Avenue and Center Square. Outside the city we buy elsewhere in Albany County, including the Towns of Colonie and Guilderland and the Cities of Cohoes and Watervliet.
- What situations we work with
- Inherited houses and probate, falling behind on payments and foreclosure, problem tenants, a rental you are done owning, and a house that needs more work than you want to put into it. Tell us which one you are in and we will tell you what we can do.
- What property types we consider
- Expert Land Sellers focuses on residential properties with one to four units, such as single-family homes, condos, townhomes, and small multifamily buildings with two to four units, and may also consider larger multifamily buildings, mixed-use properties, and vacant land or lots case by case, looking at each property before deciding whether to make an offer.
- What to expect
- Three steps. You send the address and a short description. We present a cash offer in 24 hours, counted from when we have those two things, in writing and with no obligation. If you accept, a title company handles clearance and closing and you pick the date. We charge no agent commission, and we cover the ordinary closing costs on our purchase. Your written offer will explain the terms of the purchase, including any closing costs Expert Land Sellers has agreed to cover.
Situations That Make a House Hard to Sell
Most people who call us are not selling because they want to move. They are solving something. These are the situations we work with.
Inherited House or Probate
A house comes to you along with an estate to settle, other heirs to agree with, and a property you may live nowhere near. Tell us where the estate stands and we will tell you whether we can make an offer.
Behind on Payments or Facing Foreclosure
Tell us the stage you are at and any date on the calendar, and we will review it and tell you whether we can make an offer. In a sale to us, the mortgage payoff comes out of the sale proceeds at closing.
Problem Tenants
A tenant who stopped paying, a unit you cannot get into, or a rental that has turned into a second job. Occupancy is one of the things we evaluate, so tell us how the property is occupied and who is in it.
A Rental You Are Done Owning
In the city of Albany, rental dwelling units are required to be inspected and certified every twenty-four months. If you would rather not carry that, or the work behind it, tell us about the property.
A House That Needs Work
We buy as-is. No repairs, no cleanout, no staging. Take what you want and leave the rest.
Three Steps From an Albany Address to Closing
Three steps, and you can stop after any of them.
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1
Tell Us About the Property
Send the address and a short description of the situation. That is all we need to start, and it costs you nothing to ask.
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2
Get a Cash Offer in 24 Hours
We evaluate the property on its actual condition, occupancy, title, legal use, and your timeline, and present a written offer that carries no obligation.
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3
Close On a Date You Choose
If you accept, a title company coordinates title clearance and closing around a date the parties can complete. You pick the date, and the schedule is set by the title work rather than by a loan approval.
Two Routes, and They Solve Different Problems
| Listing with an agent | Selling directly to Expert Land Sellers | |
|---|---|---|
| Who is buying | No buyer yet. You sign the listing agreement first, and your agent represents you while a buyer is found. Who that turns out to be is unknown on the day you sign. | We are. The offer comes from us, and Diego is who you talk to. |
| Who pays the commission | Whatever your listing agreement says. That document is where your side of it is set, so read it before you sign, and ask what the total is, who it is shared with, and what is negotiable. | There is no commission. We are the buyer, not an agent, so there is no listing agreement and nothing comes out of the price for one. |
| Repairs required before sale | Your decision, made before the property goes on the market. Ask your agent what they would want done first, what it would cost you, and what your options are if a buyer’s inspection turns something up. | None. We buy the property exactly as it stands, and we handle everything after closing. Take what you want and leave the rest. |
| Showings and open houses | Selling on the open market means giving buyers a way to see the property. Ask your agent how showings will be scheduled, how much notice you will get, and whether they intend to hold open houses. | None. There is no listing, no staging, and no open house to get ready for. |
| Financing contingency and appraisal risk | A buyer who needs a mortgage brings a lender into the sale. Ask your agent what your contract lets that buyer do if the lender’s appraisal comes in under the price, and what happens to your timeline if the financing does not come through. | No lender is underwriting our purchase, so there is no appraisal to pass and no financing contingency to wait on. |
| Who chooses the closing date | There is no date to choose until there is a buyer, and it is agreed with the person who buys the property. Ask your agent what your options are if you need to be out by a particular date. | You pick the date. From there the schedule is set by the title work rather than by a loan approval, and we will tell you on the first call whether the date you need is reachable. |
| Closing costs charged to the seller | Transfer taxes and recording fees can arise in a sale, and those are set where the property is. What you would end up paying in a listed sale is not ours to state. Ask your agent, or your own closing attorney, to put your expected costs in writing before you list. | We cover the ordinary closing costs on our purchase. Your written offer will explain the terms of the purchase, including any closing costs Expert Land Sellers has agreed to cover. What is owed against the property is separate: that is paid from the sale proceeds at closing. |
Neither column shows what you take home. Whichever route you take, the price is a price for the house and not the amount you walk away with. What comes out of the sale proceeds in a sale to us is set out in the FAQ answer below, under “What fees or commissions do I pay?”
The Person Behind Expert Land Sellers
He is a Brooklyn native who has worked in real estate since 2019. He is not from Albany and does not claim to be. What he brings to an Albany house is a direct offer, his own read on what the property needs, and a straight answer about whether he can buy it.
Where We Buy In and Around Albany
We buy in the city of Albany and throughout Albany County, New York. The city is one of thirteen cities and towns in the county, and we buy in the rest of them too.
Albany Neighborhoods
- Arbor Hill
- Center Square
- Delaware Avenue
- Downtown
- Helderberg
- Mansion
- Melrose
- North Albany
- Park South
- Pine Hills
- South End
- Washington Park
- West Hill
These are neighborhoods the City of Albany names on its own Albany Neighborhoods page. If your street is not on it, the house is still in the city and still worth asking about.
Albany County
- Colonie
- Guilderland
- New Scotland
- Coeymans
- Berne
- Knox
- Westerlo
- Rensselaerville
- Green Island
- Cohoes
- Watervliet
Albany County is one of the eight counties the New York State Department of Labor lists in the Capital Region. Cohoes and Watervliet are cities; the other places named here are towns.
We also buy elsewhere in New York.
Answers for Albany Property Owners
Do you buy houses anywhere in the city of Albany?
Yes. We buy in neighborhoods across the city, from Arbor Hill and the South End to Pine Hills, Delaware Avenue and Center Square, and we buy elsewhere in Albany County too, including the Towns of Colonie and Guilderland and the Cities of Cohoes and Watervliet.
Will you buy my Albany house as-is?
Yes. We buy Albany homes in any condition: dated, damaged, partially renovated, or full of belongings. We handle everything after closing, so take what you want and leave the rest.
Does the City of Albany require anything of a vacant house or a rental?
The City of Albany runs registry and inspection programs through its Buildings and Regulatory Compliance office. The city’s own page states that vacant buildings are required to be registered annually, and that a vacant building registration form must include an inspection date and time for an interior inspection. The same page states that rental dwelling units are required to be inspected and certified every twenty-four months. What applies to a specific address is the city’s call and not ours, and that office is where to ask. Tell us where your property stands and we will tell you whether we can make an offer.
Is New York a judicial foreclosure state?
Yes. Under New York law, a lender forecloses a mortgage through a court action under RPAPL Article 13, and a foreclosure sale happens under the court’s judgment. Before starting legal action against the borrower on a home loan, as RPAPL §1304 defines that term, the lender or loan servicer must give the borrower notice at least 90 days in advance. That 90-day period does not apply if the borrower has filed for bankruptcy, or no longer lives in the home as their principal dwelling. In a foreclosure on a home loan where the homeowner being sued lives in the property, CPLR §3408 requires the court to hold a mandatory settlement conference, except in certain reverse mortgage cases after the last surviving borrower has died. If you are facing foreclosure, tell us the stage and any deadline, and we will review whether we can make an offer. This is general information, not legal advice.
What fees or commissions do I pay?
Expert Land Sellers charges no agent commission, because we are the buyer, not an agent. Our offer is a price for the house, not the amount you walk away with: in a sale to us, anything owed against the property, such as your mortgage balance, unpaid property taxes, recorded liens, and judgments, is paid from the sale proceeds at closing.
What kinds of properties do you buy?
Expert Land Sellers focuses on residential properties with one to four units: single-family homes, condos, townhomes, and small multifamily buildings with two to four units. We may also consider larger multifamily buildings, mixed-use properties, and vacant land or lots, case by case. Whatever the property, we evaluate it on its actual condition, occupancy, title, legal use, and your timeline, and then tell you whether we can make an offer. Sending us a property does not commit you to anything, and it does not mean we will make an offer on it.
How do you decide what to offer?
We evaluate each property on its actual condition, occupancy, title, legal use, and your timeline, and then tell you whether we can make an offer. The offer is written and carries no obligation. If the number does not work for you, that is a perfectly good outcome and there is nothing to unwind.
Do you also buy houses elsewhere in New York?
Yes. We buy houses across New York, including Troy and Schenectady, which sit in two other Capital Region counties, Rensselaer County and Schenectady County.
This page is for general educational purposes and is not legal advice. New York foreclosure and property law can change. Consult a licensed New York attorney about your situation.
Ready to See a Number on Your Albany House?
Send the address and a short description of the situation. We present a cash offer in 24 hours, in writing, with no obligation. If a direct sale is not the right answer for you, that is a perfectly good outcome.
Nearby Markets and Other Ways We Can Help
Another New York market, a different situation, or more about who you would be selling to.