We buy houses for cash across Washington County, from Woodbury, Cottage Grove, and Oakdale to Stillwater, Forest Lake, and the small towns along the St. Croix. We buy as-is, so no repairs, no agent commissions, no fees, and you pick the closing date.
If you need to sell without the hassle of a traditional listing, we can look at your Washington County house and give you a fair cash offer, cover the closing costs a seller normally pays, and close on your timeline. For the full detail on how our offers are figured and how to vet any cash buyer, see our Minnesota hub page. Call 715-716-7272 or fill out the form.
A Quick Look at Washington County
Washington County runs along the St. Croix River on the eastern edge of the metro, and it is one of Minnesota’s oldest counties. Its county seat, Stillwater, is a historic lumber town on the river that is often called the birthplace of Minnesota, and today the county’s center of gravity has shifted west to Woodbury, one of the fastest-growing cities in the state. In between you get a real range: newer suburban neighborhoods in Woodbury, Cottage Grove, and Forest Lake, older homes in Stillwater and Oakdale, and small river villages down along the water. Whatever part of the county your house is in, and whatever condition it is in, we buy there.
Behind on Property Taxes in Washington County?
This is the question we hear most, and in Washington County the process runs through the Department of Property Records and Taxpayer Services in Stillwater. Here is the plain version.
Your taxes become delinquent the first business day of January after the year they were due, and from there Minnesota gives you time. For most homeowners the redemption period is about three years, during which you can pay the delinquent taxes, penalties, interest, and costs and keep your home. If that period runs out, the property forfeits to the state. You can stop the process by paying what is owed, or by entering a confession of judgment, a plan that lets you pay it off over time instead of all at once. Our Minnesota tax-forfeiture guide explains the confession of judgment and the full timeline.
Washington County spells out one recent change clearly, and it is worth knowing. Because of a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision and Minnesota’s 2024 law, if a home forfeits and is then sold for more than what was owed, the county mails a claim form to the former owner and other interested parties, and there is a six-month window after the sale to file that claim for the surplus. One catch the county points out: this applies to the initial public auction after forfeiture, not to later inventory sales. The county even lets interested parties keep their mailing address on file so a surplus notice reaches them. Our state guide walks through how the claim works, and you should confirm your specifics with Washington County directly.
The best first move is simple: call Washington County Property Records and Taxpayer Services and ask for your exact payoff and your exact deadline. Once you know those two numbers, your choices are clear, and if selling makes more sense than fighting through it, a cash sale pays the back taxes off at closing and puts your remaining equity in your pocket.
Facing Foreclosure in Washington County?
If it is your mortgage you are behind on, that is a separate process from tax forfeiture, and in Minnesota much of your time comes after the sheriff’s sale, during a redemption period when you still own the home and can still sell it. Our Minnesota foreclosure guide walks the whole timeline. If selling ahead of that deadline is the right move, we can often close well inside a redemption period.
Inherited a House in Washington County?
A probate case here is handled through the district court in Washington County, but the rules are the same statewide. In most cases an inherited house has to go through probate before it can be sold, unless it was held in joint tenancy or a trust, and Minnesota’s small estate affidavit cannot transfer a house. Our Minnesota probate guide explains when and how you can sell. We buy inherited houses as-is, can wait for the process, and coordinate with your attorney and the estate. We never publish anyone’s name.