Sell a Vacant House in Youngstown or Warren Without Another Winter of Worry

Yes. A vacant house can be sold in its current condition, with no repairs, clean-out or showings, to a buyer who purchases as-is. Unpaid property taxes, city registration fees and liens are paid from the proceeds at closing, and out-of-state owners can often sign by mail or with a mobile notary.

Yes. Youngstown requires vacant properties to be registered every year under Codified Ordinance 546.13, with a $100 annual fee for a residential structure and penalties of $50 a day, up to $1,000, for failing to register. Warren requires annual registration under Chapter 1338, with a $200 fee for a residential structure that can be waived if the house meets the ordinance's maintenance conditions.

Plumbers and insurers commonly recommend 55 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer. That keeps pipes inside exterior walls and in the basement from freezing during a Northeast Ohio cold snap. The heat only protects the house if someone checks that the furnace is still running, so pair it with a neighbor or a smart thermostat that alerts you.

Shut off the main water valve, open every faucet, flush the toilets, and turn off and drain the water heater. Many plumbers then blow out the lines with compressed air and pour non-toxic RV antifreeze into sink traps, tubs and toilet bowls. Because a missed step can mean burst pipes, having a licensed plumber do it is worth the cost.

Many standard homeowner policies begin excluding certain losses, such as vandalism and glass breakage, after a house has been vacant for about 60 consecutive days, and some use a shorter window. Read your policy's vacancy clause and ask your agent about a vacancy endorsement or a vacant dwelling policy.

In Ohio, someone occupying property without permission can only claim ownership through adverse possession after 21 years of open, continuous, exclusive and hostile possession, proven by clear and convincing evidence, under Ohio Revised Code 2305.04. Until then, they have no ownership right, but the owner generally has to remove them through criminal trespass charges or an eviction case in court, not by changing the locks.

Call the police if someone is breaking in or clearly has no claim to be there, since that can be criminal trespass. If the person claims to live there, police often treat it as a civil matter, and the owner files a forcible entry and detainer case, Ohio's eviction action, in the local municipal or county court. Changing locks, removing belongings or cutting off utilities yourself is not allowed.

It's possible, because you still own the house. Some as-is buyers will purchase with an unauthorized occupant inside and handle the removal after closing, while others need the house empty first. Tell Tina what's going on and she'll let you know after seeing the situation whether she can buy it as it is.

Unpaid taxes add penalties and interest, and the county treasurer can eventually bring a tax foreclosure. In Mahoning and Trumbull Counties, vacant tax-foreclosed properties often go to the county land bank, and the former owner loses the house without being paid for it. Selling before that point lets the back taxes be paid from the proceeds.

Sometimes. Both the Mahoning County Land Bank and the Trumbull County Land Bank say they may accept donated properties under certain circumstances, usually houses with little or no market value. Contact the land bank directly to ask; if the house still has value, selling it will usually leave you better off than donating it.

No. Take anything you want to keep and leave the rest. Tina buys vacant houses across Mahoning and Trumbull Counties as they sit, including houses with frozen-pipe damage, break-in damage, old furnaces or open code violations.