We Buy Houses for Cash in Washington

In Washington, what a seller owes at closing depends on a sliding scale. The state real estate excise tax climbs in tiers as the price rises, a local tax is added on top, and the dollar breakpoints between the tiers are scheduled to move on January 1, 2027. The paperwork runs on a short clock as well, with a seller disclosure statement due within five business days of an accepted offer and a buyer who can rescind within three. For homeowners behind on a mortgage, the Deeds of Trust Act builds in a long runway before any sale, along with a state mediation program. Swifty Home Buyers makes cash offers on Washington houses as they are, whether that is a rambler in Spokane, a condo near Seattle or a rural place on a well and septic system, with no agent commissions, no repair list and a closing date you pick. Here is how the Washington pieces fit together.

We buy houses in all 50 states. This guide covers the rules that matter in Washington.

Washington's state real estate excise tax, or REET, is graduated under RCW 82.45.060, which means each slice of the price is taxed at its own rate. For sales through December 31, 2026, the Department of Revenue lists 1.1 percent on the price up to $525,000, 1.28 percent from $525,000.01 to $1,525,000, 2.75 percent from $1,525,000.01 to $3,025,000 and 3 percent above $3,025,000. The Department's table for January 1, 2027 forward keeps the same four rates but moves the breakpoints to $551,000, $1,551,000 and $3,051,000. A local REET is added on top, and the Department says the local tax must be calculated and added to the graduated state rate. Under RCW 82.45.080 the tax is the obligation of the seller, and the Department notes that if the seller does not pay, the buyer is responsible. The Department says the tax is due on the date of sale regardless of when the sale is recorded, with a 5 percent penalty after one month, and further penalties and interest after that. For example, Pierce County lists a 0.50 percent local rate for Tacoma, so on a $400,000 sale there the state tax is $4,400 and the local tax is $2,000, for $6,400 (our arithmetic on the published rates). On a $600,000 sale the state tax is $6,735 under the 2026 tiers and about $6,688 under the 2027 tiers. Ask your escrow officer for the exact local rate and total. Set against a listing, where an agent's commission is negotiable and usually the largest deduction, a Swifty purchase carries no commission and comes with a written list of closing costs before you sign.

Most Washington mortgages are deeds of trust, which are foreclosed outside of court under the Deeds of Trust Act, Chapter 61.24 RCW. The process is slow by design. The beneficiary or trustee must send written notice of default at least 30 days before a notice of sale is recorded, transmitted or served (RCW 61.24.030). The notice of sale must come at least 90 days before the sale, or at least 120 days before if a letter under RCW 61.24.031 is required, and the sale cannot take place less than 190 days from the date of default (RCW 61.24.040). You can reinstate the loan at any time up to and including 11 days before the sale by paying the amounts in default, and the sale is discontinued if the default is cured and the trustee's fees and costs are paid by that date. The Foreclosure Fairness Act adds mediation. Under RCW 61.24.163, mediation is for borrowers who have been referred by a housing counselor or attorney, at any time after a notice of default has been issued and no later than 90 days before the sale date listed in the notice of trustee's sale. The mediator's fee may not exceed $400 for a session of one to three hours and is split between lender and borrower, and if the referral comes after the notice of sale is recorded, the sale may not occur until the trustee receives the mediator's certification that mediation has been completed. A HUD-approved housing counselor or a Washington attorney can explain your options and make the referral. After a trustee's sale no one has a right to redeem the property (RCW 61.24.050), and a deficiency judgment generally cannot be obtained after a trustee's sale except on certain commercial loans (RCW 61.24.100). A sale that closes ahead of the auction date pays off the loan from the proceeds, and the equity is yours rather than the result of an auction bid.

• Sell as-is
• Inherited house
• Foreclosure
• Tenants or rental property

Pierce County and Tacoma

Pierce County publishes its own excise tax rate sheet for 2023 through 2026. It shows the state's graduated rates and notes that most Pierce County jurisdictions, including Tacoma and unincorporated Pierce County, add 0.50 percent in local REET, while Eatonville and Wilkeson add 0.25 percent. In practice that changes the bill for the same house. A $400,000 sale in Tacoma carries $6,400 in REET, while the same sale in Eatonville carries $5,400 because its local piece is $1,000 instead of $2,000. Other counties set their own local rates, so ask your escrow officer what applies where your house sits.