As a homeowner, you may consider selling your home from time to time. Even if you have no concrete plans of moving somewhere new, you may have moments where you think about what it would be like to try living in a new city or where you imagine a new house that fits more of your family’s needs.
But, when you think about selling your home, either now or at some point in the future, you might imagine the more well-known process of listing your house and waiting to find a buyer. You might think about working with a real estate agent to sell the home and ensuring you get an offer on the home you like. But, while this is a prevalent way to sell properties, it’s not the only way. It’s also become somewhat common for people to sell their homes quickly through cash offers.
What If Someone Offers To Buy My Home?
If you’re a homeowner, you’ve probably heard of cash offers for houses. Perhaps you’ve even had someone offer to buy your home for you. There may be signs or fliers around your town that advertise these services, or you may have had someone come up to your door offering to give you cash for your home.
It makes sense to feel a little confused or even untrusting in these situations. After all, are these offers too good to be true? Can you really sell your home quickly for cash? What if these cash offers are just scams?
So, if you’ve ever wondered if these offers are legitimate, this guide answers some of those questions. The Light Street Residential team will go into detail on inquiries such as, “Is it safe and legal to accept a cash offer for your home? What are some of the pros and cons?”
Different Kinds Of Cash Offers For Homes
There are two main categories of cash butter for houses. The first category is investors or companies that buy homes to build their real estate portfolio, to flip the home, or for other investment purposes. The second kind of cash offer is when a home buyer says they will pay in cash when a property is listed for sale. The second kind of cash offer is usually a way for potential home buyers to stand out in a competitive market.
However, in this guide, we will focus on the first kind of cash offers from investors and companies.
Are Cash Offers For Homes Legitimate?
The great news is that cash offers are a completely legitimate and legal way to sell a home. But, as with many things, there are people who will take advantage. For the most part, companies and investors who offer cash for your home are not trying to scam you.
However, it’s possible to have a bad actor try to undercut you with the sale price or scam you. But this is also true when trying to sell your home through the more traditional route.
So, when selling your home, make sure to do your due diligence and look into companies and investors. If you are seeking out a cash offer yourself, you are usually in good shape. But be a bit leery of people who advertise in off-putting ways, such as poorly made signs on the side of the road.
What Are The Pros Of Selling Your Home For Cash?
There are many reasons to sell your home for cash, and this method has some advantages. Some reasons to consider a cash offer from an investor for your home include:
- The deal is much more likely to happen: If someone has cash for your home, they’ll be able to show you immediately that they have the money to make this happen.
- The process is much faster: One of the main reasons to sell your home this way is efficiency. If you need to move quickly for any reason, a cash offer only takes about two weeks. On the other hand, dealing with a mortgage approval process can take two months or longer.
- There is unlikely to be a contingency process: When someone is willing to pay for your home in cash, they usually won’t ask for home inspections or other costly and timely contingencies.
For these reasons and more, a cash offer is often the quickest way to ensure your home is sold and that the buyer won’t back out of the sale.
Potential Downsides To Taking A Cash Offer For Your House
As with most things, there are some potential cons to consider here. Overall, there isn’t a right or wrong answer about how to sell your home; it’s more about your specific circumstances and what works for you.
But, when thinking about taking a cash offer for your house, consider the following:
- That you may want extra time to find another home: If you have a longer timeline, it may make more sense to sell over a couple of months.
- That you could make a bit less money: While cash offers are usually very fair and comparable to the market, you may not always get the highest offer. However, this depends on where you live and the real estate market. And, if you need to sell quickly, cash offers often make the most financial sense.
And, to ensure a smooth cash offer process, ensure you are going with an experienced investor or company that knows how to move forward with the legal paperwork.
Can I Get A Cash Offer On My Home?
Now that you know more about the legitimacy of cash offers for houses, you may wonder if selling is right for you. If you’re curious about how much you could get for your property, reach out to Light Street Residential today.
We offer an easy three-step process, so you can sell your house in just a couple of weeks. You can even get started today by getting an online offer. Or, contact us to learn more.