The Hidden Cost of an Empty House in Indiana
Vacant houses are expensive liabilities that cost money every single month — whether you're using them or not. Indiana homeowners with vacant properties are typically paying:
Most standard homeowner insurance policies cancel or restrict coverage after a property has been vacant for 30-60 days. Vacant home insurance costs 50-100% more than standard coverage, and some carriers won't cover vacant properties at all. If you're carrying standard insurance on a vacant home, you may not actually be covered — check your policy immediately.
Risks of Leaving a House Vacant in Indiana
Empty houses deteriorate faster than occupied ones. Without someone monitoring the property daily, problems escalate quickly:
Indiana Property Tax on Vacant Homes
Indiana property taxes don't stop because a house is empty. In fact, vacant properties can face additional tax complications:
- Homestead exemption loss — Indiana's homestead deduction (up to 60% of assessed value, capped at $45,000) only applies to your primary residence. A vacant property you don't live in loses this deduction, potentially doubling your property tax bill
- Supplemental tax assessments — if the property's use changes (occupied to vacant), the county assessor may issue a supplemental assessment
- Tax sale risk — under Indiana Code IC 6-1.1-24, properties with unpaid taxes can be sold at the annual county tax sale. Clark County, Floyd County, and Harrison County all conduct annual tax sales
Typical property tax rates in our service area:
Indiana Disclosure for Vacant Properties
Under IC 32-21-5, you must complete Indiana's Residential Real Estate Sales Disclosure Form even for a vacant property. The challenge: if the house has been vacant for months or years, your actual knowledge of its current condition may be limited.
Indiana's "current actual knowledge" standard works in your favor here — you disclose what you know, not what an inspector might find. If you haven't been inside in two years, you honestly don't know whether the pipes have frozen or the roof has started leaking. Note that on the form.
When you sell to us, we evaluate the property ourselves. We're not surprised by what we find in vacant houses — it's what we expect.
Why Vacant Houses Are Hard to Sell Traditionally
- FHA/VA won't finance — properties with utility shutoffs, safety issues, or significant deterioration don't qualify for government-backed loans
- Appraisal problems — vacant houses often appraise lower than occupied ones due to visible neglect and uncertainty about hidden issues
- Buyer psychology — empty houses feel cold and uninviting. Staging costs $2,000-$5,000+ and doesn't fix underlying problems
- Extended market time — vacant homes sit 30-50% longer than occupied equivalents
- Ongoing costs while waiting — every month on market costs you $475-$1,200+ in carrying costs
How Our Process Works
- Contact us — Tell us about the property: location, how long it's been vacant, known condition issues.
- We evaluate — We visit and assess the property, accounting for vacancy-related deterioration.
- Cash offer — Receive a fair, no-obligation offer within 24-48 hours.
- Close on your schedule — As fast as 7 days, or longer if needed. We use a local Indiana title company.
- Stop the bleeding — No more property taxes, insurance, maintenance, or worry about an empty house.
Common Reasons Indiana Houses Sit Vacant
We work with homeowners in all of these situations:
- Inherited property — heirs who live elsewhere and don't want to maintain a second house (inherited house guide)
- Job relocation — moved for work but couldn't sell the old house (relocation guide)
- Divorce — neither party wants the house but it hasn't sold (divorce guide)
- Tired landlord — tenants moved out and repairs are too expensive to attract new ones
- Financial hardship — can't afford repairs needed to list the property
- Out-of-state owner — managing a property from a distance is impractical
Areas We Serve
We buy vacant houses throughout Southern Indiana:
- New Albany, Jeffersonville, Clarksville
- Charlestown, Scottsburg, Salem
- Corydon, Madison, Seymour
- All of Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Scott, and Washington counties
Frequently Asked Questions
That's fine. We'll evaluate the property ourselves. You only need to disclose what you actually know on the Indiana disclosure form. If you haven't been inside, your knowledge is limited — and that's understandable.
We buy properties with utilities disconnected. Most traditional buyers can't get financing on a home without working utilities, but cash buyers don't have that restriction.
We handle squatter situations. Indiana requires formal eviction proceedings to remove unauthorized occupants, which can take 30-90 days. We factor this into our offer and timeline, and handle the legal process after closing.
Yes. Back taxes are paid from the proceeds at closing. If you owe more in taxes than the property is worth, we can still often find a solution. Read our tax lien guide for details.
No. We buy vacant houses in any condition — whether they've been empty for a month or a decade. No cleaning, no repairs, no lawn maintenance needed before closing.