Home Pros is a veteran-owned cash home buyer working across the Charleston Lowcountry, from the historic single-house streets of the peninsula to the newer subdivisions of West Ashley and the islands. We are a direct buyer, not a lead-generation site that resells your information to a local franchisee; the same acquisitions team that answers your first call is the team at your closing table, and every offer follows the same written formula below rather than a low opening number designed to be negotiated up later.
How It Works
Three steps, from your first message to a wire in your account.
1. Tell Us About the Property
- Address and a few basic details, on the peninsula or the islands
- No walkthrough required to get started
- Takes about two minutes
2. Get a Written Cash Offer
- Delivered within 24 hours, no obligation
- Built from comparable sales and condition, not a guess
- No financing or appraisal contingency to wait on
3. Pick Your Closing Date
- Close in as little as 7 days
- Or choose a date that fits, typically 14 to 30 days
- We cover the closing attorney's fee
How We Calculate Your Cash Offer
One formula, shown to you before you sign anything.
We start with the home's after-repair value (ARV), what it would sell for once fully updated. From that we subtract the estimated cost of repairs, then a margin covering our holding costs, the closing attorney's fee, and resale risk. What remains is your cash offer.
Worked example: older home needing moderate repairs
Charleston's median owner-occupied home value is $600,300, per the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey five-year estimates for Charleston city. For a home near that value needing the roof, HVAC, and plumbing work common in the city's older peninsula and West Ashley housing stock: ARV around $600,000, minus $70,000 in estimated repairs, minus $95,000 in margin, holding costs, and the closing attorney's fee, equals a cash offer near $435,000.
Worked example: mostly move-in ready
For a comparable home that only needs paint, flooring, and cosmetic updates: ARV around $600,000, minus $18,000 in estimated repairs, minus $72,000 in margin and holding and closing costs, equals a cash offer near $510,000. A home in a historic overlay district that needs exterior work reviewed by the city's Board of Architectural Review before it can be resold usually nets a lower offer than either example, since that approval step adds time and carrying cost to our resale timeline.
What Closing Day Looks Like in Charleston
Attorney-supervised either way, just faster and cheaper with a cash buyer.
Once you accept our written offer, we open a file with a South Carolina closing attorney, order a title search, and set a date. A large share of Charleston property changes hands through estates and long-distance rental owners, so out-of-state heirs and landlords are common; South Carolina closing attorneys routinely run mail-away and remote closings, and you do not need to fly back to the peninsula to sign. On closing day, the attorney disburses funds under South Carolina's closing rules, pays off any mortgage, tax liens, code-enforcement liens, or judgments straight out of the proceeds, and wires you the balance, typically the same day the deed records.
Cash Offer vs. Listing With an Agent in Charleston
What each path actually costs and how long it takes.
Selling a House in Charleston: What's Different Here
The neighborhoods we buy in
We buy throughout the city of Charleston, from peninsula neighborhoods like Cannonborough-Elliotborough, Wagener Terrace, Hampton Park Terrace, and North Central to the ranch and mid-century housing stock of West Ashley, the island communities of James Island and Johns Island, and the newer construction on Daniel Island. We also buy across the wider Lowcountry, including Mount Pleasant, Summerville, and Goose Creek.
The Board of Architectural Review and historic-district homes
A large share of Charleston's housing sits inside a city historic district, where the Board of Architectural Review reviews any exterior work visible from a public street or right-of-way before it can be built or repaired; minor repairs and painting are typically cleared by city staff, while additions, roofline changes, and material swaps go to the full board. That review does not apply to selling the house itself, only to changing it, but it does slow down and add cost to a buyer who needs the exterior brought up to code before a lender will finance the purchase. Selling to Home Pros skips that timing risk entirely, since we buy the house as it stands and manage the BAR process ourselves after closing.
Flood zones and elevation certificates
Every property in the City of Charleston sits in some FEMA-mapped flood zone, and a large share of the peninsula and the barrier and marsh-adjacent neighborhoods fall inside a Special Flood Hazard Area, where flood insurance is mandatory under a federally backed mortgage. An elevation certificate documents a structure's height relative to the base flood elevation and can lower a buyer's flood-insurance premium, but a new one from a licensed surveyor typically runs $300 to $600 and takes a week or more, on top of whatever the city may already have on file. That paperwork and cost usually falls on a financed buyer's side of the table; when you sell to us for cash, you are not required to produce or pay for one.
Charleston's short-term rental ordinance
Charleston licenses short-term rentals of less than 30 days only in an owner's primary residence in most residential zones, per the city's Short Term Rental Permit rules; a home the owner does not occupy full-time, as shown by its property tax assessment, is not eligible for a new STR license even if a previous owner ran one. That rule can shrink the buyer pool for an investment property that was purchased with Airbnb income in mind, since a financed buyer relying on STR income to qualify may not be able to get one licensed. We buy those properties as a long-term rental or straight resale, license or no license, so an unlicensed short-term rental does not sit on the market waiting for the right buyer.
Charleston County's deed recording fee
Every deed recorded in Charleston County is subject to South Carolina's Deed Recording Fee under S.C. Code Section 12-24-10: $1.85 for every $500 of the property's value or fraction of $500, split into a $1.30 state portion and a $0.55 county portion. On a $600,000 Charleston sale, that comes to roughly $2,220. In a traditional listing this is customarily a seller-side closing cost; when you sell to Home Pros, it comes out of our side, not yours.
Foreclosure through the Charleston County Master-in-Equity
South Carolina requires a lender to sue and obtain a court order before a home can be sold at foreclosure, and in Charleston County that case is heard by the Master-in-Equity court. From an initial filing to the public sale, the process commonly runs around 150 days, and the notice of sale has to be advertised once a week for three consecutive weeks beforehand under S.C. Code Section 15-39-630. That window gives a homeowner real time to sell before the courthouse steps and keep whatever equity remains, instead of losing it at auction.
Probate and the small-estate threshold, recently raised
If you inherited a Charleston house and the entire probate estate, not just the house, is worth $45,000 or less, South Carolina lets an heir collect it by affidavit 30 days after the death, without opening a full probate case (S.C. Code Section 62-3-1201). That threshold was raised from $25,000 by Act No. 26 of 2025 (H.3472), effective May 8, 2025, so figures you may have seen quoted elsewhere as $25,000 are out of date. Most Charleston homes are worth more than $45,000 on their own, so most heirs will still need the probate court to appoint a personal representative, but we can put an offer in writing while that is pending.
Property taxes and this quarter's deadline
Charleston County real property tax bills go out in the fall and are due by January 15 without penalty; a payment made January 16 or later picks up a 3% penalty, 10% total after February 2, and 15% total after March 16, per the Charleston County Treasurer's Office. If you are carrying a Charleston property you cannot afford to keep insured and taxed through the rest of hurricane season, which officially runs through November 30, that January 15 date is worth planning around no matter who you eventually sell to.
Situations We Buy In
Whatever is going on with the property or your timeline, we can usually make it work.
Inherited a house
Skip repairs, cleanout, and showings on a property you did not plan to keep, and split proceeds among co-heirs without one of you carrying the work. Read our South Carolina inherited-house guide.
Facing foreclosure
We can often close before the Master-in-Equity sale date, which stops the foreclosure and can protect whatever equity you have left. See how selling can stop foreclosure.
Behind on property taxes
We factor unpaid Charleston County taxes and penalties into your offer and pay them out of closing, so you are not writing a check before you can sell.
Tenants in place
We buy occupied rentals as-is, including ones with tenants behind on rent; no eviction required first and no lease to buy out. Learn more about selling with tenants.
An unlicensed short-term rental
If your investment property no longer qualifies for an STR license under the city's owner-occupancy rule, we will still buy it as a long-term rental or resale.
Going through divorce
A fast, neutral cash sale can simplify splitting proceeds when neither party wants to manage a listing during the split. See our divorce-sale guide.
Code violations or storm damage
Deferred maintenance, condemned notices, or hurricane and flood damage from a Lowcountry storm season; we buy it as-is and handle repairs, including any BAR-reviewed exterior work, after closing. Read our code-violations guide.
Vacant or hard to manage
Stop paying insurance, utilities, and upkeep on a house sitting empty, especially if you have already moved away from the Charleston area.
Charleston Seller FAQ
Do I need a lawyer to sell my house in Charleston?
Yes. Every residential closing in South Carolina, cash or financed, has to be supervised by a licensed attorney, so a closing attorney handles your title search, deed, and disbursement no matter who buys the house. When you sell to Home Pros, we pay that attorney's fee. When you list with an agent, that cost is typically yours.
My relative passed away without a will. Can I sell their Charleston house without opening full probate?
Possibly. South Carolina lets an heir collect a decedent's property by affidavit, without a court-appointed personal representative, when the entire probate estate is worth $45,000 or less and at least 30 days have passed since the death; that threshold was raised from $25,000 by Act No. 26 of 2025, effective May 8, 2025 (S.C. Code Section 62-3-1201). Most single-family homes in Charleston are worth more than that on their own, so most heirs still need the probate court to appoint a personal representative before closing, but we can put an offer in writing while that is underway.
How does foreclosure work in Charleston, and can you help before the sale date?
South Carolina is a judicial foreclosure state, and in Charleston County the case is heard by the Master-in-Equity court. From the lender's initial filing to the public sale, the process commonly runs around 150 days, and the notice of sale has to be advertised once a week for three consecutive weeks first (S.C. Code Section 15-39-630). A cash offer that closes before that sale date stops the process and can preserve whatever equity you have left.
If I sell my Charleston house as-is, do I still have to fill out the state disclosure form?
In most cases, yes. Selling as-is does not exempt you from South Carolina's Residential Property Condition Disclosure Act (S.C. Code Title 27, Chapter 50). The law does carve out certain estate and foreclosure transfers. When you sell to Home Pros, we buy knowing the condition upfront, so there is no repair-credit negotiation after an inspection.
Do you buy homes in Charleston's flood zones or with storm and flood damage?
Yes. Every property in the City of Charleston sits in some FEMA flood zone, and much of the peninsula and the barrier areas are in a mapped Special Flood Hazard Area. We buy homes with hurricane, flood, or standing-water damage and factor the repair cost and flood history into our offer, so you do not have to obtain an elevation certificate or file an insurance claim before you sell to us.
Will a house in a Charleston historic district need Board of Architectural Review approval before I can sell it?
Not to sell it to us as-is. The city's Board of Architectural Review reviews exterior work visible from a public street in Charleston's historic districts before it can be built or repaired; it does not review a sale itself. A traditional buyer using financing may still require you to complete BAR-reviewed exterior repairs before an appraisal clears. We buy the house in its current condition and take on that approval process ourselves after closing.
Can I sell a short-term rental property that is not licensed under Charleston's ordinance?
Yes. Charleston's short-term rental ordinance limits licensed rentals of less than 30 days to an owner's primary residence in most residential zones, which leaves some investors holding a rental that cannot be legally re-listed as a short-term rental to the next buyer. We buy those properties as a long-term rental or resale regardless of STR eligibility, so you are not stuck marketing a property with a shrinking pool of qualified buyers.
What if I am already behind on mortgage payments?
Reach out as soon as you can. We can often make an offer and close before your lender files suit, or before the Master-in-Equity sale date if a case is already underway, which can stop the process and protect any equity you have left.
How fast do I actually receive the money after closing?
Once the closing attorney disburses funds, you receive a wire the same day the deed records. There is no multi-week wait for a buyer's mortgage lender to fund the loan, which is the step that usually slows down a financed sale.
What parts of Charleston do you buy in?
We buy throughout the city of Charleston, from the peninsula neighborhoods like Cannonborough-Elliotborough, Wagener Terrace, Hampton Park Terrace, and North Central, to West Ashley, James Island, Johns Island, and Daniel Island, plus the surrounding Lowcountry.
Is there really no cost to me at closing?
Correct. We pay the closing attorney's fee and standard closing costs, and there is no real estate commission because no agent represents either side. The number in your purchase agreement is what you walk away with, minus anything you still owe on the property.
Is Home Pros a legitimate, licensed company?
Yes. Home Pros is the trade name of Balint Holdings, LLC, a veteran-owned, BBB accredited company with a 4.9-star Google rating from 98 reviews. You can verify our BBB profile and Google reviews before you ever sign a contract.
We Also Buy Houses Throughout South Carolina
Wherever your property is located, we're ready to make an offer.
Charleston Lowcountry
- North Charleston
- Mount Pleasant
- Summerville
- Goose Creek
- James Island
- Johns Island
Elsewhere in South Carolina
- Columbia
- Greenville
- Rock Hill
- Spartanburg
- Anderson
- Myrtle Beach
Written by
Trevor Rice
Co-founder and COO of Home Pros, and a licensed Texas real estate agent. Trevor oversees Home Pros' acquisitions across its service states, including South Carolina.
Updated September 5, 2026
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