Brothers Buy Property
We buy houses in Duluth, MN
A direct offer on your Duluth house, in any condition, closing on the date you choose. No agent, no fees, no showings.
What is different about selling in Duluth?
Duluth is built on a hill. Streets climb away from Lake Superior, lots tilt, and a lot of houses sit on old stone or block foundations. The lake sets the weather. Winters are long and snowy, and spring melt finds every weak spot in a basement wall. Old roofs, old furnaces and old wiring are part of owning a house here.
Those are the same things that scare off many buyers who plan to list the home. We buy the house as it stands, so you do not fix, paint or haul anything first.
How does the legal side work here?
Duluth is the county seat of St. Louis County. Probate cases go through the county's district court, and the Duluth courthouse is where most Duluth families file. Deeds are recorded by the county Recorder, which has an office in Duluth.
Neighborhoods and areas in Duluth
Park Point. A long sandbar between the lake and the harbor. It is a neighborhood of its own, with its own feel and its own buyers.
Morgan Park. Built by U.S. Steel as a company town for mill workers. The houses are known for their concrete block walls, which is not how most homes are built.
Morley Heights. Some of its first houses were built from pieces shipped across Lake Superior from Wisconsin and put back together on the hill.
Congdon. The neighborhood around the Glensheen mansion, on the east side of the city.
Kenwood and Chester Park. Neighborhoods close to the University of Minnesota Duluth and the College of St. Scholastica, where many houses are rented to students.
Lincoln Park and West Duluth. Neighborhoods on the west end of the city.
Central Hillside and East Hillside. Steep streets above downtown, where stairs, retaining walls and sloped yards come with the lot.
Lakeside and Lester Park. East end neighborhoods, close to the lake.
Woodland, Piedmont and Duluth Heights. Higher up the hill, above the lake.
Rentals and students
Duluth has three colleges: the University of Minnesota Duluth, the College of St. Scholastica and Lake Superior College. That means many houses near the campuses are rented out. The city licenses rentals through the Fire Department's life safety division, so a rental here comes with paperwork.
If you own a rental and want out, you do not need to clear it first. We buy with tenants in place. Send us the lease dates and we will plan around them. A lease normally stays in force when the house sells, so your tenant keeps their home.
Situations that come up in Duluth
One situation is a family house on the hill that a parent lived in for decades. The heirs live in other cities, the basement is full, and nobody wants to run stairs and a dumpster for a season. Another is a landlord who is tired of calls about a furnace in January. Another is an owner who can no longer manage a steep driveway, a long set of steps and a snow-covered walk.
A third is the house that took water. A wet basement or a damp wall shows up on an inspection, and an inspection result can pull a listing price down or kill a deal. We price the house knowing about it. You tell us what you know, and we look for ourselves.
If foreclosure papers are in the mail
In Minnesota, a lender usually forecloses without going to court. It posts and publishes a notice of a sheriff's sale. After a sale, Minnesota gives the owner a period to redeem. A sale of the house before the sheriff's sale is one option among several, and it is not the right fit for everyone. Talk to a Minnesota attorney about your own case before you decide.
Minnesota also has rules for people who advise or buy from owners in foreclosure. Read anything you are given, take your time, and have a lawyer look at it.
When listing may be the better move
If the house is in good shape and you are not in a hurry, listing with an agent may bring you more money. We will say so. A direct sale is for people who want certainty, a closing date of their own choosing, and no repairs. It is not for everyone, and we would rather tell you that on the first call.
Related reading: Selling an inherited house in the Twin Ports and Selling a house that needs repairs, exactly as it stands. Also see Selling an inherited house in Duluth: what actually happens first.
Where in Duluth we buy
All of it. If you are just outside and not sure, send the address anyway and we will tell you straight.
Two situations that fit Duluth
Duluth questions we get asked
My Duluth house has a steep driveway and stairs. Does that matter to you?
It matters for price, but it does not stop us. Steep lots, long stairs and sloped yards are normal on the Duluth hillside. We look at the house itself and what the work would be.
I own a rental near UMD or St. Scholastica. Can I sell with students living there?
Yes. We buy with tenants in place. Send us the lease end dates and we will plan around them. The lease generally stays in force after a sale.
What if my Duluth house took water in the basement?
Tell us what you know and what you have seen. A wet basement lowers the price a buyer will pay, but it is a known problem, and we price it in rather than walk away.
Do I need a Duluth attorney to sell?
Not for a normal sale. A title company handles the closing. If an estate, a divorce or a foreclosure is involved, an attorney is a good idea, and we can work with yours.
Is Park Point different from other parts of Duluth?
Park Point is a sandbar with its own housing and its own buyers. We buy there as we do across the city. Tell us the address and any issues you know about with the lot.
What would we pay for your Duluth house?
Tell us the address. It costs nothing and you are never obligated to take the number.