Which seller lists sell in Illinois? 82 counties, counted
By Josh MillerUpdated 4 min readAcross the Illinois counties we could measure, the list that sold best was expired and cancelled listings: about 19 of every 100 sold off-market within 12 months, against about 1.1 for a house picked at random. Free and clear owners, the most-mailed list, sold at about 1.4 per 100.
Across 82 Illinois counties with records we could trust, about 1.2 of every 100 single-family homes sold off-market in an arm's-length sale over 12 months, about 34,928 homes, and about 33 of every 100 sales went without an MLS listing. Which of those sellers could you have found on a list first? We counted every list in every Illinois county with enough records to measure.
The count, list by list
| List | Of every 100, sold | Any house, at random | Counties | Owners on it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listing expired or cancelled | 19.5 | 1.1 | 10 | 12,658 |
| Foreclosure filed | 10.8 | 1.2 | 8 | 4,589 |
| Lien filed against the property | 6.8 | 1.3 | 7 | 4,545 |
| Sitting vacant | 4.1 | 1.3 | 13 | 38,984 |
| Behind on taxes, 2 to 4 years | 3.0 | 1.8 | 6 | 15,063 |
| High equity, living elsewhere | 2.6 | 1.4 | 32 | 162,864 |
| Owns it free and clear | 1.4 | 1.3 | 73 | 965,450 |
| Owner 65+, living elsewhere | 1.2 | 1.3 | 9 | 30,945 |
Source: GoForClose count of off-market, arm's-length deeds in county records. A county is counted for a list only where the list was big enough to measure; lists measurable in fewer than 3 Illinois counties are left out. Counties whose records don't mark MLS sales are left out entirely.
What stands out
Illinois has the best expired-listing numbers we've seen. About 19 of every 100 owners whose listing expired or was cancelled sold off-market within a year, across 10 counties. In Lake and Kane counties, about 22 to 23. In Cook County, about 19.
Foreclosures sell slowly here. About 11 of every 100 owners with a foreclosure filed sold off-market within a year, and only about 1 in the first 3 months, the slowest start of any state we measured. Mail them for the long haul.
Know the license rule. Since late 2019, Illinois has required a real estate license to wholesale more than one residential contract in 12 months. Check with an Illinois attorney before you assign contracts there.
The biggest counties
| County | Listing expired or cancelled | Foreclosure filed | Lien filed against the property | Sitting vacant | Owns it free and clear | Any house |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook County | 19.4 | 10.4 | 6.6 | 3.6 | 1.3 | 1.1 |
| DuPage County | 21.5 | 7.8 | 5.4 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.7 |
| Lake County | 22.6 | 7.9 | 4.7 | 3.1 | 1.2 | 1.0 |
| Kane County | 22.3 | 9.8 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 1.0 | |
| McHenry County | 17.6 | 5.1 | 1.0 | 0.9 |
Source: GoForClose count of off-market, arm's-length deeds in county records.
How Illinois forecloses
Illinois forecloses through the courts: the lender files suit and records a lis pendens, and the house is sold at a judicial sale after a judgment. It's one of the slower states. That sets how long a pre-foreclosure owner has, and how long you should keep writing. What the filing is called, state by state. This is general information, not legal advice.
Check your county
The state number hides real differences between counties. Read Cook County. Or see when each list sells in any Illinois county.
Questions investors ask
What is the best motivated seller list in Illinois?
Across the Illinois counties we could measure, expired and cancelled listings: about 19 of every 100 sold off-market within 12 months, across 10 counties. A house picked at random sold at about 1.1 per 100.
How many homes sell off-market in Illinois?
About 34,928 single-family homes sold off-market in an arm's-length sale over 12 months across 82 Illinois counties we could measure, about 1.2 of every 100 homes and 33 of every 100 sales.
Should I mail free and clear owners in Illinois?
Not first. Free and clear owners sold off-market at about 1.4 per 100 within a year across 73 Illinois counties, about the rate of a random house. Lists that start with a filing sold far better.
Does Illinois foreclose through the courts?
Illinois forecloses through the courts: the lender files suit and records a lis pendens, and the house is sold at a judicial sale after a judgment. It's one of the slower states.