Cash Home Buyers in Santa Cruz

Sell Your Santa Cruz House for Cash, From the Westside to the San Lorenzo Valley

We buy Santa Cruz houses in any condition, from the Westside and Seabright to downtown, the Eastside, Live Oak and Felton. No repairs, no cleaning and no agent commission. Get a written cash offer and close in 7 days or less.

Get a written cash offer on your Santa Cruz home within 24 hours

Buying Santa Cruz and Bay Area homes for cash since 2014

Google ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 Rating

Bay Area Sellers Share How It Went

Watch real Bay Area homeowners share how we helped them sell quickly, avoid repairs, and move forward stress-free.

Homes We've Bought Near Santa Cruz

Including 2 right in Santa Cruz, out of 300+ Bay Area homes we've bought since 2014. Zoom out to see them all.

Can you sell an older Santa Cruz home as-is?

Yes. Santa Cruz has many older homes, from beach cottages to Victorians, and some have a back cottage or in-law unit added over the years. Selling one inside city limits also means a sewer lateral inspection before closing, and homes in the hills around Felton and Boulder Creek can carry fire and insurance questions after the 2020 CZU fire. We are a family-owned cash buyer that buys Santa Cruz houses as they are. You pay no agent commission, no title or closing costs and no repair bills, and we can close in 7 days or less.

How do you sell a Santa Cruz house to us?

Three Steps to Sell Your Santa Cruz House

See how our offers are made, read what sellers said, then tell us about your Santa Cruz property.

Google ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 Star Rating

“Great people to work with. Always looking to present a win win solution!”

Jose M.

Why sell your Santa Cruz home directly to us?

No Strings Attached

If your Santa Cruz home has sat on the market, or you are still deciding whether to list, you know the usual route asks a lot up front. Repairs, a sewer lateral inspection, staging, open houses and a buyer’s loan approval can take weeks or months with no promise at the end. We are Rapid Home Solutions, a family-owned cash buyer that has bought Bay Area homes since 2014, and we buy your Santa Cruz house directly, as it is today.

There are no repairs, no cleanouts, no agent commission and no title or closing costs for you. The cash is ours, so there is no lender, appraisal or chain of buyers to wait on. You get a written cash offer and a closing in 7 days or less, or on a later date that fits your plans.

What You Get

Traditional Real Estate

A written offer within 24 hours

✓

No commission on your Santa Cruz sale

✓

You pick the closing date

✓

No repairs before you sell

✓

Sell as-is, no showings

✓

No title or closing costs for you

✓

Close in 7 days or less

✓

We Buy Santa Cruz Houses for Cash in Any Condition or Situation

Any Reason

Any Condition

Any Challenge

Call Us About Your Santa Cruz House

Why do Santa Cruz homeowners choose a cash sale?

One buyer, a written number and a date you control, without a lender in the middle.

Enter Your Santa Cruz Address to

GET YOUR FREE CASH OFFER

How does selling to us compare with listing in Santa Cruz?

Agent listing, investor offer or a direct sale to us, compared side by side.

Traditional Sales Process

Rapid Home Solutions

Property Investor

What should you know before selling a house in Santa Cruz?

Santa Cruz has rules you will not find in most Bay Area cities: a time-of-sale sewer lateral inspection, a city transfer tax with a new tier for high-value sales, and fire map zones on the edges of town. Many homes are older, often inherited, or have added units, so a traditional sale can take months. Here is what affects a Santa Cruz sale, with the official source.

Which Santa Cruz neighborhoods do we buy in?

We buy all over Santa Cruz (95060, 95062 and 95065) and the nearby towns, including:

Westside and Upper Westside: older homes and rentals near UC Santa Cruz and the coast.
Seabright and the Eastside: beach cottages and postwar homes, often owned for decades.
Downtown and Beach Flats: some of the oldest cottages in the city, often with deferred maintenance.
Prospect Heights and DeLaveaga: hillside homes on the north and east edges of town.
Live Oak: just outside city limits in unincorporated Santa Cruz County, with a different sewer district and no city transfer tax.
Felton, Ben Lomond and Boulder Creek: San Lorenzo Valley homes in the area of the 2020 CZU fire.

Which Santa Cruz rules affect a home sale?

Sewer lateral inspection at sale. Inside city limits, the seller must have the sewer lateral inspected by a city-certified inspector, make any needed repairs and get a certificate before the sale closes, per the City of Santa Cruz. The buyer and seller can sign a transfer of responsibility form, and then the buyer has 90 days after the sale to finish repairs. A lateral replaced after 2010 and no more than 20 years old, or one that passed inspection in the last five years, is exempt, per Municipal Code 16.08.066 and 16.08.068.
Transfer tax. Santa Cruz County charges $0.55 per $500, per the Santa Cruz County Recorder, and the city adds $0.275 per $500, per Municipal Code 3.32. Since July 1, 2026, Measure C adds a graduated tax on sales above $1.8 million: 0.5% up to $2.5 million, 1% up to $3.5 million, 1.5% up to $4.5 million and 2% above that, capped at $200,000, per the City of Santa Cruz.
Fire map. The State Fire Marshal's 2025 maps show about 3,100 acres Moderate and 148 acres High inside Santa Cruz city limits, per the state acreage table. In a High zone, Civil Code 1102.19 requires defensible space paperwork at sale.
CZU fire area. The 2020 CZU Lightning Complex burned 86,509 acres in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties and destroyed 1,490 structures, per CAL FIRE. Homes in the San Lorenzo Valley can still face insurance and rebuild questions. We buy them as-is.

Can you sell a Santa Cruz rental with tenants in it?

Yes. Santa Cruz has no rent control, so most rentals fall under the state's AB 1482, which requires a just cause to end a tenancy after 12 months, per the California Attorney General. The city adds a few rules: it extends AB 1482 protections to Section 8 voucher tenants, and a landlord must pay relocation help if a tenant has to move because of a large rent increase, per the City of Santa Cruz. A sale alone is not a just cause. We buy with the tenant in place and take over the lease. Read more about selling a rental property.

What situations do Santa Cruz sellers call us about?

Fire-damaged or hard-to-insure homes. We buy San Lorenzo Valley homes that were damaged in the CZU fire, or that have lost insurance, as-is with no repairs.

Probate. Santa Cruz County probate is handled by the Probate Division at the courthouse in Santa Cruz, per the Santa Cruz County Superior Court. Once the executor has authority to sell, we can close in 7 days or less. See our probate guide.

Inherited homes and Prop 19. An inherited home is reassessed unless a child makes it their main home within a year, and even then only up to a set amount ($1,044,586 above the old taxable value for transfers through February 15, 2027) is protected, per the Board of Equalization.

Foreclosure. After a Notice of Trustee's Sale is recorded, the sale is at least 20 days out under Civil Code 2924f. Send us the notice and we will tell you plainly whether we can close in time. See options when facing foreclosure.

Our Google Reviews

    
 
 
         
   Susan K Sotcan 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We had major water and mold damage to our house. I was sick as this home was built by my Grandparents in 1910 and has been lived in by 4 generations of my family. I cried, I worried, I couldn’t sleep as I had no idea what to do as our home owners insurance would not cover the damage. Out of the blue, the answer to my prayers, Keegan G. He was so patient, knowledgeable, professional. He got our house sold quickly which eased my mind. I not only consider him a professional businessman, but a good friend.
  
 
        
   rich ikey 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Working with Keegan was a pleasure. He was honest and transparent through the entire process. I would definitely recommend Rapid Home Solutions and will use them again if the need arises
  
 
        
   Randy Cockrill 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I don't post reviews but in this case I felt it is well deserved!
My wife and I's overall experience with Rapid Home Solutions was fantastic! They were very courteous and understanding of our expectations. From our first contact with them through closing went exactly as promised.
We were able to close the sale of our property to them in under three weeks!
We worked primarily with Keegan who was professional and an absolute pleasure to do business with! His communication skills and level of customer service is a rare find!
We highly recommend them!
  
 
        
   johan bach 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We just closed on 2 houses with Megan. She is a delight to work with, on the ball, great communicator, responsive, and we are looking forward to doing a lot more business with her.
  
 
        
   michael c 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Highly recommend Rapid Home Solutions!! I’m out of state and they worked with me on selling an inherited home. They gave me a fair price and was able to walk me through the whole process smoothly. Was able to complete everything from out of state. Highly recommend!!!
  
 
        
   Jason Stott 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We had a very positive easy experience working with this company. They offered us a very fair price on our home. Keagin was great to work with.
  
 
        
   Susan Suarez 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. My experience with Rapid Home Solutions has been great.  From start to closing, my house was sold with great ease.  Keegan was up front on everything.
  
 
        
   Chris Cole 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Excellent!! That is the word I would use to describe Rapid Home Solutions and Keegan. Keegan is a great worker that gets the process of selling your house done very very quickly. In our case everything was done, sold, closed, & had the money in our account in 4 weeks. I highly recommend calling Keegan if you are selling a property no matter what condition it is in. He will make it work! I truly mean what i said, Keegan is a very professional, courtesy, hard working person and rapid home solutions is also the same!! I will always recommend this company and Keegan to anybody that is selling. Once again Keegan and Rapid Home Solutions, thank you so much for everything. It is a pleasure to have met you and glad we also became friends during the process.
Chris & Linda
  
 
        
   Amaryllis Thomas 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Professional,  on time,  complete work made this experience with warm competent people a company I would confidently recommend.
  
 
        
   deborah nelson 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We were very pleased with how professional and courteous Keegan and Val were. The entire process was quick and easy. It was 3 weeks from point of first contact to when monies were deposited to our account. We think it’s well worth your time if you are thinking of selling.

Frequently Asked Questions About Selling Your Santa Cruz House for Cash

The questions Santa Cruz homeowners ask us most, answered with local sources.

1. Do I need a sewer lateral inspection to sell my Santa Cruz house?

Inside city limits, usually yes. The city requires an inspection, any needed repairs and a certificate before the sale closes, unless the lateral is exempt. The buyer can take over the repairs with a signed transfer form, and we buy as-is, so you do not have to fix the line first.

2. What is the Measure C transfer tax in Santa Cruz?

Since July 1, 2026, Measure C adds a graduated city tax on sales above $1.8 million, from 0.5% up to 2%, capped at $200,000. Sales under $1.8 million pay only the regular county and city transfer taxes. Who pays is set in the purchase agreement, and you pay no title or closing costs when you sell to us.

3. Can I sell a Felton or Boulder Creek home damaged in the CZU fire?

Yes. We buy homes that were damaged in the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex, or that have lost their insurance, as they are. We pay cash, so there is no lender asking for insurance before closing.

4. Can I sell my Santa Cruz house with tenants still living in it?

Yes. Santa Cruz has no rent control, but under the state's AB 1482 a sale alone is not a just cause to end most tenancies. We buy with the tenant in place and take over the lease.

5. How fast can you close on a Santa Cruz house?

In 7 days or less for a vacant home with clear title. Tenant-occupied or probate sales can take a little longer, and you choose the closing date.

6. Where is probate handled for a Santa Cruz County home?

Santa Cruz County probate cases go through the Probate Division at the courthouse in Santa Cruz. How long it takes depends on the estate and whether the executor has authority to sell. Once that authority is in place, we can close in 7 days or less.

7. Will you buy a Santa Cruz home with an unpermitted back cottage or ADU?

Yes. We buy with unpermitted units, open permits and code cases in place. You do not need to legalize the unit or make repairs before selling to us.

Cash Homebuyers Across All of Northern California

View All Bay Area Cities →