What you should know
The monthly cost of an empty house
Property taxes accrue whether anyone lives there or not, and if the homestead exemption is gone, they're higher. Insurance is the trap most owners don't see: standard homeowner's policies typically exclude claims after 30 to 60 days of vacancy, so the house is probably uninsured right now, and a proper vacant-dwelling policy costs several times more. Add utilities to keep pipes from freezing, a lawn service to keep the city off you, and a mortgage if there is one. Owners routinely spend $500 to $1,500 a month on a house that isn't doing anything.
What the City of Dallas does about vacant houses
Dallas code enforcement is complaint-driven and neighbors complain about empty houses. Tall grass, an open window, a fence down, junk in the yard — each generates a notice, then citations, then the city can abate the problem itself and file a lien for the cost. A structure that's deteriorated enough can be referred to the city's Urban Rehabilitation Standards Board, which can order it repaired by a deadline or demolished. Once it's in that pipeline, the city sets the schedule, not you. Selling to someone who'll actually fix it resolves the case.
Break-ins, copper, and people who move in
Vacant houses in Dallas lose AC condensers and copper wiring — it's a known trade. Worse is someone moving in. Under Texas law, removing an occupant from your house is an eviction through JP court, not a call to the police, even when they never had a lease. We've bought houses with squatters in them and handled it after closing; it's priced in, and it stops being your problem the day title transfers.
Selling from out of state
You don't need to come to Dallas. Send us the address; we'll walk the property, make a written offer, and open title. Closing documents are signed with a mobile notary wherever you are, and the title company wires the proceeds. Open code cases, citations, and liens are paid from the sale price at closing.
