Sell Your House Fast in Wisconsin. Get a Cash Offer From Local Investors.

How a Wisconsin home sale closes

Wisconsin closings include an electronic Real Estate Transfer Return filed with the Department of Revenue (Wis. Stat. 77.22(2)).

• Transfer returns filed on or after July 1, 2009 must be filed electronically, unless the Department grants a hardship waiver.
• The grantor and grantee both sign the return.
• A transfer receipt and fee or exemption number is needed for nearly all deeds recorded with the register of deeds.
• Ask your buyer which title company or closing agent will handle the closing and the return.

Real estate transfer fee

Wisconsin's real estate transfer fee is 30 cents per $100 of value, or $3 per $1,000, imposed on the grantor (Wis. Stat. 77.22(1)).

• Value is rounded up to the next $100 before the fee is figured, per the Wisconsin Register of Deeds Association.
• Some transfers are exempt from the fee under Wis. Stat. 77.25.
• Your closing agent can confirm the fee for your sale.

Real Estate Condition Report

Wisconsin sellers generally give the buyer a Real Estate Condition Report under Wis. Stat. chapter 709.

• The report applies to sales, exchanges and land contracts unless the transfer is exempt from the transfer fee under Wis. Stat. 77.25.
• Personal representatives, trustees, conservators and court-supervised fiduciaries who never lived in the home are exempt (Wis. Stat. 709.01(2)).
• The report is due within 10 days after the contract is accepted. If it is late, the buyer may rescind within 2 business days after that period (Wis. Stat. 709.02).
• A buyer may waive the right to receive the report, or the right to rescind, in writing (Wis. Stat. 709.08).
• For homes built before 1978, federal law also requires a lead-based paint disclosure and the EPA pamphlet.

Foreclosure process and redemption

All Wisconsin mortgage and land contract foreclosures go through the circuit court, and a redemption period follows the judgment.

• The process starts with a summons and complaint. Owners usually have 20 days after personal service to file an answer.
• For owner-occupied homes with mortgages signed on or after April 27, 2016, redemption is usually 3 or 6 months. The shorter period applies when the lender waives a deficiency.
• For mortgages signed before April 27, 2016, the usual periods are 6 months or 12 months.
• During the redemption period the owner still owns the home and may sell it, per Wisconsin Law Help.
• A sheriff's sale is advertised for three weeks, and the court must confirm the sale before the deed is recorded.

Probate and inherited homes

Wisconsin's transfer by affidavit can be used when the decedent's Wisconsin property subject to administration is $50,000 or less in gross value (Wis. Stat. 867.03).

• If the affidavit covers real property, heirs get a copy and notice at least 30 days before it is recorded.
• The affidavit is then recorded in each county where the property is located.
• Informal administration lets a personal representative settle the estate without continuous court supervision, overseen by a Probate Registrar, per the Wisconsin courts.
• The courts' guide says an informal estate should usually close within 12 months of opening.
• A probate attorney can confirm which path fits your situation.

Selling a rental with tenants

A Wisconsin month-to-month tenancy generally needs at least 28 days' written notice to end (Wis. Stat. 704.19).

• Fixed-term leases follow their own terms, so review the lease before you request offers.
• You can request a cash offer on an occupied or vacant rental.
• A Wisconsin landlord-tenant attorney can explain how an existing lease carries over in a sale.

Property tax and capital gains basics

Wisconsin assessors value property based on market value as of January 1, per the Department of Revenue Guide for Property Owners.

• Each taxation district's assessor sets assessed values for taxable property, except manufacturing property.
• Federal law lets many sellers exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 for married couples filing jointly (IRS Publication 523).
• To qualify, you generally must have owned and lived in the home for at least 24 months of the five years before the sale.
• A tax professional can tell you how these rules apply to your sale.

Tell us about the house

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Talk with a local investor

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Review your offer

A quick walkthrough confirms the details, then you review a written offer on your own time.

Close on your date

You choose the closing date. The title or escrow company handles the paperwork and the funds.