How selling your house for cash actually works
Three steps. None of them ask you to spend money, clean anything, or commit to anything before you have our answer in writing.
The three steps
Tell us about the house, and your number
The address, a rough idea of its condition, and what you need to get for it. No photos, appraisal, or repair estimates needed, and nothing has to be cleaned up first.
About 2 minutes
We check whether your number works
We look up recent sales of similar homes nearby and see the house ourselves. Then we check the math against your number. It takes one walkthrough, at a time that suits you, and we pay for any inspection.
Usually within 24 to 48 hours
You get a straight answer, not a pitch
Either yes, we can do your number, or no, we cannot, and here is exactly where the gap is. You get it in writing, with no pressure and no deadline games. If it works, a title company handles closing and you pick the date.
Close in about 1 to 3 weeks, or later if you prefer
How we check your number
Once you tell us what you need, checking whether we can do it is plain math, not a secret formula. We are happy to walk you through it for your house. It comes down to four things. Your number either fits inside them or it does not.
What the house is worth once it is fixed
We look at what similar houses nearby have actually sold for recently, in the shape yours would be in after repairs. Sold prices, not asking prices, and recent ones. Everything else comes off this number.
What it costs to get it there
Roof, systems, kitchen, bath, flooring, whatever it needs. We size this up ourselves and pay for our own inspection. You never need contractor bids for work you are not doing.
What it costs us to hold and resell it
Money is not free. While the work happens, we pay taxes, insurance, utilities, and financing costs. Then come the costs of selling it afterward, including the agent commission we pay on that end.
A margin
We are a business, and we take a profit on the resale. We will not pretend otherwise. But our margin is one line in the math, not whatever we think we can get away with. It does not change based on how desperate you sound on the phone.
Which is why we will not always be your best option
Say your house is in good shape, your market is moving, and you have no deadline. Then listing it will usually put more money in your pocket, even after commissions. We would rather tell you that than buy from someone who later feels taken advantage of.
Selling to us compared with listing
Including the row that does not favor us.
| Selling to us | Listing with an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Commissions and fees | None. We are the buyer. | Typically 5 to 6 percent of the sale price |
| Repairs before selling | None. We buy as-is. | Usually required, plus whatever the inspection turns up |
| Cleaning and showings | None. One walkthrough. | Ongoing, on a stranger's schedule |
| Who pays closing costs | We cover the standard costs | Commonly split, varies by state |
| Time to close | About 1 to 3 weeks, or a date you pick | Roughly 30 to 60 days after a buyer's offer is accepted |
| Risk of the sale falling through | Low. No lender involved. | Real. A failed loan or a low appraisal can end it. |
| Likely sale price | Below full retail | Full market value if the house shows well |
The last row is the trade-off, and we will not hide it. Selling to a cash buyer gets you speed, certainty, and no repairs at all. If your house is in good shape and you can wait, listing it will usually get you more money.
What we will never do
- Charge you a fee. Not to look at the house, not to close, and not if you walk away.
- Give you a number that expires tonight. Real math does not vanish at midnight. That tactic exists to stop you from thinking.
- Cut the price at the last minute over something we could already see. If we agreed to it, we close on it.
- Sell your information to a list of other investors. Your details stay with us.
- Keep calling after you have told us to stop.
Common questions
- Do you make an offer on my house?
- No, and that is on purpose. Almost everyone who calls us already knows what they need from the house. It might be clearing the mortgage, splitting an estate in probate, or paying for the next move. So we ask for your number instead of opening with ours. Then we do the math out loud. We start with what similar houses nearby have actually sold for. We take off what it will cost us to bring yours up to that condition, the costs of holding and reselling it, and our margin. If your number fits, we say yes. If it does not, we show you exactly where the gap is. We never try to talk you down.
- Is there any cost or obligation to talk to you?
- No, on both counts. There is no fee to tell us your number, no fee if we agree, and no fee if you walk away. We are the buyer, so there is no commission. We also pay the standard closing costs.
- Will you pay full market value?
- Usually not, and anyone who promises that is not being straight with you. We buy below full retail because we take on the repairs, the holding costs, and the risk of reselling. In exchange, you get speed, certainty, no repairs, no showings, and no commissions. For some houses and situations, that is clearly the better deal. For others, it is not.
- How fast can you close?
- When the title is clean, about one to three weeks. What slows things down is usually the title search and the loan payoff paperwork, not the money. Need more time, for a move or for probate to finish? We can set the closing date further out.
- Do I need to clean or repair anything?
- No. Not the roof, not the plumbing, not the carpet. You can leave furniture and belongings behind if you want. We buy houses in truly any condition.
- Do you actually buy the house, or do you sell the contract to someone else?
- We buy with our own funds. You are dealing with the buyer directly, which is why we can commit to a closing date and hold to it.
Talk to us before you decide anything
You do not need a number ready, or photos, or a plan. Want to know your real options, even the ones that do not involve us? Call and ask.
Sabrina usually picks up. (615) 576-8827