Homeowners Talk About Selling to Us
Watch real Bay Area homeowners share how we helped them sell quickly, avoid repairs, and move forward stress-free.
Cash Home Buyers Lafayette
Sell Your Lafayette Home for Cash and Move When You Are Ready.
Selling in Lafayette? We pay cash for houses in Happy Valley, Burton Valley, Springhill, Reliez Valley and the Trail neighborhood near downtown, in whatever shape they are in. Nothing to fix, no commission, and a close in 7 days or a later date if you need it.
Have a Lafayette house to sell? We send a cash offer within 24 hours.
Lamorinda and East Bay homes bought since 2014
Homes We've Bought Near Lafayette
Including 2 right in Lafayette, out of 300+ Bay Area homes we've bought since 2014. Zoom out to see them all.
Selling a House in Lafayette: Neighborhoods, Local Rules & Situations We Handle
Lafayette is the eastern third of Lamorinda: oak-covered hills, big lots and a small downtown near BART. Many homes are custom or mid-century houses on slopes and narrow roads, often owned by the same family for decades. The two things that come up most when they sell are wildfire maps and insurance, and old permit history. Rapid Home Solutions, a family-owned cash buyer in the Bay Area since 2014, buys Lafayette homes as-is, with no fees and no repairs.
Lafayette neighborhoods we buy in
We make cash offers across Lafayette (94549), including:
- Happy Valley and Upper Happy Valley: large custom homes and older view houses north of Highway 24.
- Burton Valley: 1940s and 1950s ranch homes and bungalows south of downtown, many ready for updates.
- Springhill and Acalanes area: hillside homes on big lots, some with grading or drainage questions.
- Reliez Valley: semi-rural lots on the Martinez side of town.
- The Trail and downtown: smaller older homes near BART and the downtown shops.
Lafayette rules that affect a sale
- The 2025 fire map. Per the City of Lafayette fire hazard map page, the current map took effect July 10, 2025 and covers 7,018 acres: 41 acres Very High, 5,309 acres High and 1,668 acres Moderate. The old 2013 map had 4,440 acres in its single Very High zone. Any mapped zone must be disclosed to a buyer.
- All of Lafayette is in the wildland-urban interface, according to the Lafayette General Plan wildfire page. WUI building rules apply to new construction in High and Very High zones.
- Building permits come from the county. Lafayette does its own planning, but the Contra Costa County permit page says the county issues building permits and inspections for Lafayette. Old permit records for a Lafayette house are usually with Contra Costa County.
- City or county? The county Housing Element lists Reliez Valley and Acalanes Ridge among its unincorporated communities, so some homes with Lafayette addresses sit outside city limits. Check your parcel on the county's CCMAP tool.
- Transfer tax and sewer. Only the county tax of $1.10 per $1,000 applies, per the Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder. Sewers are run by Central San, which has no point-of-sale lateral rule.
Insurance in the Lafayette hills
With most of Lafayette's mapped area now in the High zone, the question buyers ask first is whether they can insure the house. A buyer with a loan has to show a policy before closing, and some end up on the California FAIR Plan or walk away. We pay cash, so there is no lender asking for a policy. We buy the house whether you have a standard policy, a FAIR Plan policy or a non-renewal notice.
Oak trees, permits and courts in Lafayette
- Protected oaks. Per the City of Lafayette tree permit page, removing a native oak 12 inches or more in diameter on developed property needs a city permit, and removing a dead protected tree needs a permit plus an arborist report. A buyer who plans to clear a lot or add on often has to plan around the oaks. We buy the property with the trees as they stand.
- Probate and court filings. According to the Contra Costa Superior Court's filing guide, probate cases are filed and heard at the Wakefield Taylor Courthouse in Martinez, and Lafayette tenant cases go there as well.
- Recording. The deed is recorded through the Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder. The title company takes care of it.
When Lafayette owners call us
A parent's estate. Contra Costa probate goes through the Superior Court in Martinez, and the executor signs after the court grants authority. See our probate guide. Prop 19 adds pressure: heirs who do not move in are reassessed.
Downsizing off the hill. Steep driveways and big lots get harder with age. See selling a parent's house for assisted living.
Old or missing permits. Additions, decks and in-law units done decades ago often lack county permit records. We buy with that history as it is.
Insurance trouble. See how we buy hard-to-insure houses.
Nearby cities we buy in. Over the hill we also buy in Walnut Creek, Orinda, Moraga, Pleasant Hill and Martinez, and across Contra Costa County.
Frequently Asked Questions About Selling Your Lafayette House
The questions Lafayette homeowners ask us most, answered.
1. How fast can you close on my Lafayette house?
Most of our Lafayette purchases can close in 7 days or less after title is clear, since we have no lender and no insurance contingency. If you need time to find your next place, set a later date.
2. I'm behind on my Lafayette mortgage. What are my options?
It depends on the dates on your notices. California requires three months after a Notice of Default before a sale can be noticed, and the Notice of Sale must come at least 20 days before the auction. If there is enough room, selling for cash pays off the loan and protects your remaining equity.
3. Does Lafayette have its own transfer tax?
No extra charge to you. The Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder says only Richmond and El Cerrito add a city tax, so a Lafayette sale pays the county rate of $1.10 per $1,000. When you sell to us, we cover the typical closing costs.
4. Do I need to fix anything or empty the house first?
No. Leave the furniture, the full garage and the overgrown slope. We handle cleanup and repairs after we own it.
5. My Lafayette home is on the fire map and my policy was not renewed. Will you still buy it?
Yes. Most of Lafayette's mapped area is in the High zone on the 2025 map, and non-renewals are common in the hills. Because we pay cash, insurance is not a condition of our purchase.
6. Where are permit records for a Lafayette house?
Usually with the county. Lafayette handles planning, but Contra Costa County issues building permits and inspections for the city, and also holds the records for unincorporated areas like Reliez Valley and Acalanes Ridge. We buy with open, expired or missing permits as they are.
7. How do you set your cash offer?
We start from recent Lafayette sales of similar homes, then subtract the repairs and updates the house needs and our costs to hold and resell it. We show you the math, and the offer is yours to take or leave.
Google ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 Rating
Sell My House for Cash in Lafayette, CA
Many Lafayette homes are mid-century ranch and split-level houses on wooded, sloped lots east of the Caldecott Tunnel, and many have not been updated in decades. A tired roof, old systems or a steep oak-shaded lot can scare off buyers who need a loan. We buy as-is for cash. We also buy just over the hill in Walnut Creek.
How selling a Lafayette home to us works, step by step
How to Get Started
A quick call is the first step. We will ask about the lot, the house and any trees, slopes or permits you already know about.
Visit Our How It Works Page
How we go from a first visit to a Lafayette house to a closed sale at the title company.
Check Out Our Reviews
Unedited reviews from Bay Area homeowners we have bought from.
Request Your Fair Cash Offer
Tell us the Lafayette address and what is going on. We call you back within 24 hours.
Google ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 Star Rating
“Great people to work with. Always looking to present a win win solution!”
Jose M.
We Want to Buy Your Lafayette Home
No Strings Attached
If your Lafayette home has been sitting unsold longer than you expected, you already know the traditional route can test your patience. Listing with an agent means prepping and staging the property, paying for repairs to make it show well, then waiting through open houses and buyer financing before you ever see a check. In a market like Lafayette, even a well-located home can stall when buyers get picky or a deal collapses at the last minute. Selling directly to us for cash skips that entire gauntlet: you deal with us, not a parade of strangers walking through your living room.
When you sell to Rapid Home Solutions, you take the home exactly as it stands today: no repairs, no cleanouts, no agent commissions, and no closing costs out of your pocket. Because we buy with cash, there’s no appraisal to come in low and no lender financing that can fall apart and send you back to square one. We make you a fair, straightforward cash offer, and if it works for you, we can close in 7 days, or on a later date you choose, so the timeline bends around your plans instead of the other way around. For Lafayette owners who simply want this done, that’s the difference.
What You Get
Traditional Real Estate
A cash offer in 24 hours
No commission owed
Choose your own closing day
No repair work required
Sold exactly as it is
No seller closing costs
Close in 7 days or less
Lafayette Homes Bought for Cash in Any Condition
Any Challenge
Get in Touch About Your Lafayette House
Why Homeowners Choose Us
Selling directly gives Lafayette owners a firm price without months on the market.
We Pay All Cash
No mortgage on our side means no appraisal gap and no lender backing out.
Easy & Clear Terms
Plain terms in a short agreement. Hillside, tree or lien questions get answered before you commit.
We Do the Paperwork
A licensed title company holds escrow and records the deed in Contra Costa County.
Zero Fees
There is no commission and you do not pay closing costs when we buy your Lafayette home.
Sell "As-Is"
Older roofs, drainage on a slope or rooms added years ago: we buy without asking for fixes.
Close in 7 Days or Less
Once title is set, closing can happen in as little as 7 days, or on a later date you choose.
Enter Your Lafayette Address to
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Selling in Lafayette: Listing vs. Investor vs. Rapid Home Solutions
A side-by-side look at listing, investors and selling to us in Lafayette.
Traditional Sales Process
- 6% of purchase price plus other fees
- Price haggling and unpredictable offer
- Clean up and repair hassle
- Showings and open houses
- Long sales timeline, often 2-3+ months
Rapid Home Solutions
- ZERO FEES to sell your home
- Highest off-market price
- Sell AS-IS. No cleanup or repairs, or showings
- Close in 7 days or less, or move at your pace, up to 60 days
- No closing costs
Property Investor
- Hidden fees at close
- Lower prices, zero transparency
- High-pressure sales tactics, often not trustworthy
- Small-scale local operators not a trusted brand
Our Google Reviews
★★★★★
“Great experience!! Super fast funding and wonderful people to work with. Highly recommend!!”
★★★★★
“I worked with Dawson for my mother's condo that was in bad shape. Dawson was incredibly fair on price and very compassionate about her situation and made the process very easy to complete. Everything went smoothly and she received her funds quicker than we expected.”
★★★★★
“Fast and smooth transaction with Steve and his crew. I highly recommend to anyone looking for a reliable and trustworthy team, rapidhomesolutions gets the job done!”