Market
We buy teardown lots on the North Shore.
Dated houses on good lots, bought directly from the owner and placed with builders who want the land. No listing, no showings, no commission on the sale.
Where
We work the near-north suburbs of Chicago, in the corridor running from Des Plaines up through the North Shore:
- Des Plaines and Park Ridge
- Glenview and Northbrook
- Wilmette and Winnetka
If your property sits just outside those lines but fits everything below, send it anyway. We would rather look and say no than miss the right lot.
What
The lot matters more than the house. In practice we are looking for:
- An older home on a lot that supports a substantially larger build
- Interior streets rather than arterials, and a flat, regular parcel
- Any condition at all — deferred maintenance, dated finishes, storm damage, a house that has been empty a while
- Clear or clearable title, including estates and properties with a tenant in place
We do not need you to repair, clean out, stage or photograph anything. What is in the house when you accept is what we take.
Why now
Buildable land in these villages is the constraint. The lots were platted decades ago, very little new ground is being created, and the builders working this corridor are competing for a finite number of parcels that will support the homes buyers want today. That competition is what funds an off-market offer.
How we price
We are deliberately not publishing price bands for this market yet. Every village here prices differently, and a number that is right for a Winnetka lot is wrong for a Des Plaines one. Rather than post a range that flatters us and misleads you, here is exactly how the figure gets built:
- We start from what a builder can realistically sell a finished home for on your specific street
- We subtract construction, carry, permitting and the builder's required margin
- What remains is what the land supports — and our offer comes out of that, not out of a formula applied to your house
You will always get the reasoning, not just the number. If our offer does not work for you, you still keep the analysis of what your lot is worth to a builder. That is yours either way.
For owners
Nothing to fix or clean out
No repairs, no staging, no open houses, no strangers walking through on a Sunday. Take what you want and leave the rest.
No commission on the sale
We are the buyer, not an agent. There is no listing side and no buyer's agent to pay out of your proceeds.
Your timeline
Some owners want to close in three weeks. Some need to stay through the school year. Tell us which, and we build the contract around it rather than the other way round.
For builders and developers
We source off-market in these villages and bring lots to a short list of builders before they ever reach the MLS. If you are building on the North Shore, tell us your buy box — villages, minimum lot width and depth, the price band you build into, and how fast you can close — and you will hear from us when something fits. Nothing is shared publicly and we do not circulate your criteria.
Questions
Do I need to be in one of the six villages?
No. Those are where we work most often. Send anything in the near-north suburbs and we will tell you honestly whether it fits.
Will my home be listed publicly?
No. Nothing goes on the MLS, and we do not put your address in front of anyone but the builder we place it with.
What if it is an estate, or there is a tenant?
Both are normal here. We have handled probate timelines and occupied properties before — tell us early so the contract accounts for it.
Still have a question? Call (623) 352-8277 and ask.