Sell Your House Fast in Cottonwood, CA: Cash Offers on Homes, Acreage and Ranches
- Written cash offer within 24 hours
- Homes on acreage, wells and septic are fine
- No fees or commissions, and we pay both the buyer's and the seller's closing costs
- Deal direct with Derek, the owner
Get Your Free Cash Offer
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Do you buy houses in Cottonwood, CA?
Cottonwood is the unincorporated community at the south end of Shasta County, on I-5 about halfway between Redding and Red Bluff. It sits along Cottonwood Creek, and the creek is the county line: the town center is in Shasta County, and the homes south of the creek are in Tehama County. I buy on both sides. Our office is in Redding, where we buy houses across Shasta County, and on the Tehama side this area connects to our Red Bluff and Tehama County page.
Simple 3-Step Process
How Selling Your Cottonwood House for Cash Works
Three steps, no listing and no lender. Rural property just means a few more questions up front.
Tell Us About the Property
Use the form or call (530) 999-7694. Tell me the address, the condition, and, if you're out of town, what's on the land: the well, the septic, any barns or shops, and how the road in is shared.
About 60 secondsWalk-Through and a Written Offer
I drive down I-5 from Redding, walk the house and the property with you, and send a written, no-obligation cash offer within 24 hours. No price guesses before I've seen it, and no pressure.
Within 24 hoursClose at a Local Title Company
We can close in as little as 7 days. The closing date, and whether you can stay after closing, are case by case. No fees or commissions, and we pay both the buyer's and the seller's closing costs. Rural parcels can take a little longer at title while easements, access and well or septic records get sorted out.
Case by caseA buyer, not a middleman
I buy the property myself and don't assign your contract to someone else. A neutral title company holds the funds and handles the payoff, and you see the full settlement statement before you sign. Read more on how we buy houses.
What We Buy
What We Buy in Cottonwood
Cottonwood mixes a small town center with a lot of rural property. Here's what I buy, in any condition.
🌾 Rural homes on acreage and small ranches
A house on a few acres, a small ranch with pasture and fencing, or a place with a barn, shop or outbuildings. Private wells, septic systems, gravel drives and shared access roads are all normal, and none of them are deal-breakers.
Some parcels get irrigation water from the Anderson-Cottonwood Irrigation District (ACID); others rely only on a private well. Don't have the well or septic paperwork? We'll help you find the records.
🏘️ Mobile and manufactured homes on their own land
I buy mobile and manufactured homes that sit on their own land around Cottonwood. We don't buy homes in mobile home parks.
If the home was put on a permanent foundation and converted to real property, it sells with a deed like any house. If it's still registered with California's Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), the title transfers through HCD, sometimes after a county tax clearance. Escrow handles that paperwork.
🏡 Single-family homes in and near town
Older houses near Front Street and the town center, fixer-uppers, and homes that need a roof, a new kitchen or a full clean-out. Leave behind anything you don't want.
🔑 Duplexes and small rentals
A duplex, a rental house, or a property with a second unit, with tenants in place. We'll go over the leases with you. More on our page for landlords selling a rental.
What we don't buy: We don't buy vacant land, even large parcels, or mobile homes in parks. If you're selling bare land, a local land agent is usually the better route.
Cottonwood's Two Counties
Shasta Side or Tehama Side? Why It Matters When You Sell
Cottonwood Creek has been the line between Shasta and Tehama counties since Tehama County was formed in 1856. The Cottonwood community is in Shasta County, but homes on the south bank of the creek are in Tehama County, even when people call the area Cottonwood. Even the local schools are split: some are on the Shasta side and some are on the Tehama side.
What changes with the county: which county recorder holds your deed, which county issued your building, well and septic permits, which court handles probate if the owner has passed away, and which county sends your property tax bill. Your property tax bill or deed will tell you which county you're in.
What doesn't change: I buy on either side, the offer works the same way, and the title company sorts out the county paperwork. Tehama-side sellers can also see our Tehama County page and Red Bluff page; Shasta-side sellers can see our Shasta County page.
Compare Your Options
Your Options for Selling in Cottonwood
Cottonwood is a small market with relatively few sales in any given month, so a monthly "median price" can swing a lot. Be wary of any single number you see quoted. A local agent can pull recent sales of similar properties near yours.
An agent listing is usually the best route for a well-kept home that a buyer's lender will finance without trouble. Selling on your own saves the listing commission but puts the showings, disclosures and negotiation on you. A cash sale fits best when the property needs work, when a lender might balk at the well, septic, roof or a manufactured home's title, when there are tenants, or when you want to skip a buyer's loan.
| Sell to NorCal Home Offer | List with an agent | Sell it yourself (FSBO) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to close | As little as 7 days; the date is case by case | Depends on the market and the buyer's loan | Depends on finding a buyer and their loan |
| Well, septic and repairs | We buy as-is | Lenders and buyers may ask for inspections or fixes | Buyers may ask for inspections or fixes |
| Showings | One walk-through | Showings and open houses | You schedule and host them |
| Fees and commissions | None | Listing commission, typically paid by the seller | No listing commission; you may still pay a buyer's agent |
| Closing costs | We pay both buyer's and seller's | Seller pays their share | Seller pays their share |
| Certainty | Cash, no lender or appraisal | A loan or appraisal can fall through | A loan or appraisal can fall through |
| Price | Below full retail, reflects condition and speed | Often highest for move-in-ready homes | Depends on pricing and how the property shows |
Any Situation
Situations We Help Cottonwood Homeowners With
Most sales come with something else going on. Each card links to a full guide.
Inherited a Property?
Probate is filed in the county where the owner lived: Shasta County in Redding, or Tehama County in Red Bluff. Our guide covers both.
Behind on Payments
A Notice of Default doesn't mean it's over. A sale before the trustee sale pays off the loan, and you keep the equity left over.
Sell Before the Auction Date
Already have a sale date on the calendar? Here's how a cash sale can close before it.
Foreclosure Timeline
Every step and deadline in a California foreclosure, and where notices are recorded in Shasta and Tehama.
Needs Major Repairs
Failing roof, old septic, foundation trouble. We buy it without the repairs.
Fire Damage or Can't Insure
Fire or smoke damage, or a rural policy that wasn't renewed. We still buy.
Tired Landlord
Sell a rental or duplex without moving the tenants out first.
Divorce
One clean sale. The closing date is case by case.
Relocating
Moving away? Close on your schedule, even if you've already left.
Empty House
A house nobody's living in, still costing taxes and insurance. We buy vacant homes as-is.
Service Area
Where We Buy Around Cottonwood
Cottonwood began as a stagecoach stop in 1849 and is still a small community, with 6,268 residents counted in the 2020 Census (Shasta County side). It sits about 15 miles from both Redding and Red Bluff.
Cottonwood town area (96022)
Homes in and around the town center near Front Street. Water in much of this area comes from the Cottonwood Water District; permits come from Shasta County because Cottonwood isn't a city.
Rural parcels east and west of I-5
Homes on acreage, small ranches and manufactured homes on their own land spread out on both sides of the freeway. Expect a well, a septic system, and sometimes a shared road.
The Tehama County side of the creek
We buy south of the creek too; see we buy houses in Tehama County.
Anderson (north)
About 4 miles up I-5. See we buy houses in Anderson, which also covers Happy Valley.
Redding and Shasta Lake
North of Anderson. See we buy houses in Redding and we buy houses in Shasta Lake.
Local Resources
Cottonwood Selling Resources
Which office you need depends on which side of Cottonwood Creek the property is on. Call ahead to confirm hours.
- Cottonwood Water District3282 Chestnut Street, Cottonwood, CA 96022 · (530) 347-3472. If your home is on district water, close out the account when you sell.
- Anderson-Cottonwood Irrigation District2810 Silver Street, Anderson, CA 96007 · (530) 365-7329. Agricultural irrigation water. Service is set up by application with the landowner, so a new owner applies after the sale.
- Shasta side: Shasta County Building Division1855 Placer Street, Suite 102, Redding, CA 96001 · (530) 225-5761. Building permits for unincorporated Shasta County, including Cottonwood.
- Shasta side: Shasta County Environmental Health1855 Placer Street, Redding, CA 96001 · (530) 225-5787. Well and septic permits and past permit records.
- Shasta side: Shasta County Assessor-Recorder1450 Court Street, Suite 208, Redding, CA 96001 · Recorder (530) 225-5671. Deeds and notices, including any Notice of Default.
- Shasta side: Shasta County Superior Court, Probate1515 Court Street, Redding, CA 96001 · (530) 245-6789.
- Tehama side: Tehama County Clerk & Recorder633 Washington Street, Room 11, Red Bluff, CA 96080 · (530) 527-3350. Deeds and notices, with an online Official Records search.
- Tehama side: Tehama County Building & Safety444 Oak Street, Room H, Red Bluff, CA 96080 · (530) 527-7002. Building permits on the Tehama side.
- Tehama side: Tehama County Environmental Health633 Washington Street, Room 36, Red Bluff, CA 96080 · (530) 527-8020. Wells and septic systems on the Tehama side.
- Tehama side: Tehama County Superior Court (probate)1740 Walnut Street, Red Bluff, CA 96080 · (530) 527-3484.
- California HCD Registration & TitlingTitles for manufactured homes that aren't on a permanent foundation. HCD Registration and Titling.
Not sure what's been permitted on a rural property over the years? The county can pull the permit history, and your title company can help. Houses with unpermitted additions are reviewed case by case.
Addresses and phone numbers checked September 29–30, 2026 against cottonwoodwaterdistrict.org, andersoncottonwoodirrigationdistrict.org, shastacounty.gov, shasta.courts.ca.gov, tehama.gov, tehama.courts.ca.gov and hcd.ca.gov. Cottonwood history and population from the U.S. Census Bureau and Cottonwood's Wikipedia entry.
★ Why Local Wins
A Buyer Who Knows Both Sides of the Creek
Many "we buy houses in Cottonwood" pages come from national companies with an 800 number or a big-city address, and some just pass your information along to someone else.
I'm Derek, the owner. I work out of Redding, so Cottonwood is a short drive down I-5. I'll walk the land with you, look at the well and the outbuildings myself, and put my offer in writing.
— Derek Torculas, Owner · NorCal Home Offer
BBB Rating: A+
Look us up first: our BBB profile and Facebook page are public.
A local office: 940 Merchant St, Redding, CA 96002
A local phone number, (530) 999-7694, answered by us. Before you sign with anyone, read how to vet a cash buyer.
Derek Torculas
Founder, NorCal Home Offer · Redding, CA
I focus on Shasta and Tehama counties, and Cottonwood is where the two meet. When you reach out, you deal with me directly from the first call to closing. Read more about us →
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Common Questions
Cottonwood Home Selling FAQ
Do you buy houses in Cottonwood, CA?
Yes. NorCal Home Offer buys houses in Cottonwood on both the Shasta County and Tehama County sides of Cottonwood Creek, in any condition. We buy rural homes on acreage and small ranches, mobile and manufactured homes on their own land, single-family homes and duplexes. You get a written cash offer within 24 hours and can close in as little as 7 days, with no repairs or fees.
Do you buy land or acreage in Cottonwood?
We buy homes on land, including rural houses on acreage with wells, septic systems, barns or irrigation. We don't buy vacant land, meaning lots or acreage with no home on them. If you're selling bare land around Cottonwood, a local land agent is usually the better route. If there's a house on the property, even an older one that needs work, we'll make an offer.
Is Cottonwood in Shasta County or Tehama County?
The community of Cottonwood is in Shasta County, but Cottonwood Creek is the county line, and some homes with a Cottonwood address sit on the Tehama County side. The county decides where your deed is recorded, who issued your permits, which court handles probate and who sends your property tax bill. We buy on both sides, and the title company handles the county paperwork.
Do you buy mobile or manufactured homes in Cottonwood?
Yes, when the home sits on its own land. NorCal Home Offer buys mobile and manufactured homes on their own lots or acreage around Cottonwood, as-is. We don't buy homes in mobile home parks. A home on a permanent foundation usually sells like any other house. If it's still titled through California's HCD, the title company handles that paperwork as part of the sale.
Where do I find permits and records for a Cottonwood property?
Cottonwood is unincorporated, so on the Shasta side building permits are with the Shasta County Building Division and well or septic permits are with Shasta County Environmental Health, both at 1855 Placer Street in Redding, and deeds are with the Shasta County Assessor-Recorder at 1450 Court Street. On the Tehama side, deeds are with the Tehama County Clerk & Recorder in Red Bluff. Your title company can pull these for you.
Keep Reading
Guides for Cottonwood Sellers
Ready to Sell Your Cottonwood Property?
House, ranch or manufactured home on its own land, on either side of the creek. Get a written cash offer within 24 hours. We pay both the buyer's and the seller's closing costs.
Get My Cash Offer → (530) 999-7694