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For Sale By Owner Pros and Cons

September 7, 2017 • Jason

Before listing a home on the real estate market, homeowners need to make one very important decision: who is going to actually sell the property. Deciding how to sell, either for sale by owner, with a realtor, or with a cash buyer, is a big issue. Selling a home can be a lengthy and complicated process for owners, so many choose to employ the services and expertise of a local real estate agent for assistance.

Other homeowners feel confident in their ability to sell and decide to list a for sale by owner. While selling a house as the owner has enormous benefits, including selling for cash offer, it also comes with unappealing pitfalls for those inexperienced with the process. To avoid these disadvantages, homeowners must become familiar with the for sale by owner process and recognize both the pros and cons.

Listing A For Sale By Owner

listing for sale by owner property sale

When selling a house as the owner, it’s vital to start with pricing the property. Accurately pricing a house is easier said than done, especially when the seller acknowledges their owner’s bias. It’s crucial to correctly price a property from the start of the selling process because it attracts certain buyers and determines how quickly the home will sell. While a good marketing campaign can boost open house attendees, sellers will lose out on many potential buyers if they overprice their property.

To accurately determine the asking price and avoid overpricing – the most common for sale by owner mistake – homeowners must calculate the home’s accurate value. Accurate value is the best price a buyer is willing to realistically pay and is found by browsing comparable properties in the same condition within the same area. Homeowners should also consider the current real estate climate and the cost of financing, if available.

Before finalizing an asking price, homeowners must remember that an asking price is not the selling price. Other home selling prices, tax assessments, and previous values for the home are often not reflective of the true market value of a property. Instead, acquire a professional home appraisal when justifying an asking price.

Successfully listing a for sale by owner also means being able to efficiently advertise your home. This happens by making your home the most attractive by repairing cosmetic issues and keeping the property maintained. To grab the attention of potential buyers, sellers must be willing to develop a clear marketing plan that goes beyond putting ads in the newspaper and a “For Sale” sign in the yard.

As an unrepresented seller, homeowners must be able to compete with homes sold by professional realtors. Using high-grade marketing materials, such as prepared flyers and brochures, as well as advertising online with Multiple Listing Service and home selling sites is necessary to attract serious buyers. Use up-to-date photos of the property and plan open houses on key days of traffic, like the weekends. It’s important to use every advertising tool available to when listing a for sale by owner.

The Pros of Selling a House as the Owner

put on the market to for sale by owner

Once able to fully appreciate the components of selling a house as the owner, homeowners can compare both the pros and cons of listing as an unrepresented seller. The most obvious advantage is that the homeowner is in control. You get to determine the asking price, set the appointment times, decide how to negotiate with a buyer, and when to host an open house. When using a realtor, homeowners must rely on the agent to properly and safely show their property; they entrust the realtor to lock up after showing strangers a property, which doesn’t always happen.

Another positive unique to an owner selling house is that they typically know their home better than any agent. Sellers are able to list a home’s recent updates, accentuate all of its best qualities, and highlight its unique selling point. Real estate agents are often unable to spout of the home’s amenities; while they’re juggling other properties to sell, for sale by owners have a singular focus and dedicate more time and resources on their own home.

One of the most attractive pros of selling your own home is not having to pay a  5-7% commission to your real estate agent. Instead, sellers are able to keep that money to buy additional or higher quality advertising, or pay for any necessary repairs.

The Cons of Selling Without a Realtor

using a realtor for sale by owner property sale

While selling without a realtor offers many benefits, inexperienced sellers may face potential consequences when selling a for sale by owner. The most common disadvantage is not receiving your accurate home value. Unfortunately, some buyers seek out an unrepresented seller in order to con them and purchase a property for less than it’s worth. Homeowners familiar with the process will not be fooled by these illegitimate buyers, no matter how persuasive they are. For help identifying these specific type of scammers, sellers should contact a local cash home buyer; they provide real estate expertise with no strings attached.

Another common disadvantage an owner selling their house might face is having less visibility. Even with the array of free online home selling sites and local magazines dedicated to advertising homes, some sellers have trouble attracting buyers via a strong marketing campaign. Though realtors have more experience and methods available to market a home, sellers have to ultimately pay for the additional advertising through realtor fees. If a homeowner is selling a house for cash, they don’t need to worry about extra advertising fees and writing up detailed property descriptions; cash home buyers typically find you!

The biggest drawback of listing without the aid of a realtor is weeding out unqualified and uninterested buyers. Without prior experience, differentiating between a legitimate buyer and a scammer is a difficult endeavor and can cause serious long term issues. If selling a house for cash, homeowners can forget worrying about attracting the right, serious buyer; cash home buyers are serious about sales and often buy and close on properties within a week. For novice home sellers, they also prepare all the legal forms and disclosures while explaining guidelines and requirements.

Homeowners shouldn’t be discouraged by the negatives if they’re genuinely interested in listing their property without a realtor. With a bit of knowledge and a friendly local cash home buyer, sellers will be able to successfully and easily sell their own homes.

Want to Sell Your Home for Cash?

get the benefits of selling a house for cash

Don’t waste your time watching your house sit on the market. You don’t have that time, and we understand that. At Roddy Offers Buys Houses, we specialize in quick home sales for cash. That’s the benefit of selling a house for cash and working with us!

No matter what condition your house is in, we’re here to help you out. We’ll get your house closed, and write you a check on the spot! Call us today to get a no obligations quote for your house, or just to get your questions answered. We’re always happy and ready to talk! Contact us at 469-406-6961.

How to Sell a House That Needs Repairs Without Fixing It

August 31, 2017 • Jason

Many home sellers ask themselves whether they should sell a house that needs repairs. Some feel that they will be able to sell for a higher price. That way they will get their money back from the repairs. Others just cannot fathom being able to sell an ugly house.

This is a question that can be answered in different ways and takes some thought before coming to a decision.

Can You Afford the Repairs?

affording to sell a house that needs repairs

Chances are if you want to sell an ugly house you are in a position where you can’t afford house repairs. This may create a frustrating situation for you. Some houses need minor repairs such as a few wall repairs and some painting. Then there are others that own a home that is in need of serious repairs. The roof may need to be done and perhaps the electrical components need updating. These, as well as other major repairs, can be really costly.

If you are wanting to sell a house that needs repairs, it could possibly mean that you are in need of some quick cash. Trying to sell your house as-is may not be an easy task if you are going to go through the traditional methods. This would be putting it on the market and listing it through an agent.

It May Not Be a Good Idea to Do the Repairs

If you are going to sell a house that needs repairs, then be prepared to make an investment. This may be one that you will not get back with the sale. A lot of buyers do so with the intention of doing their own renovations. If you have just completed some interior repairs these may not be of any advantage to a potential buyer.

Selling Your House As-Is

It may be a lot easier to sell a house that needs repairs than you may think. There are buyers out there who make a cash offer for ugly house transactions.

Disclosure

You are going to want to disclose the defects of the home as best you know them. It may be that you inherited the home and are not aware of all its faults. You may be compelled by law to disclose what you do know. Every home has its flaws. You want to point out the ones that are major and may not be readily seen by someone viewing the home.

Your Responsibilities

If you are going to sell a house that needs repairs, then you won’t have any obligations to do any of the repairs that are required. The potential buyer may have a home inspection done. Usually, if they are prepared to buy as is they won’t go that route. They are aware that a home inspector would find the repair issues that they are already aware of. There are some home buyers who really are looking for those who want to sell a house as is. This is because they are prepared to do a substantial amount of work not only for the repairs but for major remodeling. They feel they can get a buy like this at a better price. Then, with what they can save on the purchase they will use to re-do the home to their exact liking.

The Right Cash Offer For Ugly House Sale

get cash and sell a house that needs repairs

While you may have decided to put the house on the market as is, you may have some issues with some buyers. There may be those that want to do the major repairs and renovations, but still need to finance the purchase. There can be some issues with this as a lot of lenders are not keen on loaning money for this type of purchase. The lender may ask for a home appraisal. You may be thinking of asking more than the house is appraised at. In this case, some buyers will not qualify for the purchase if they are borrowing.

Another option that will most likely be available to you is a buyer who can walk in and pay cash for the home. This way there are no concerns for the buyer having to arrange financing. If you are intent on going ahead to sell a house that needs repairs then this type of buyer is your best.

The Advantages To Decide To Sell A House As Is

By not selling in the traditional manner you are not going to have all the headaches of the repairs. Then also to consider with this of a cash offer for an ugly house contract is the time. It takes a lot of time to get all the repairs done. If you can’t afford house repairs and were planning on doing it yourself, this will be even more time consuming.

The “sell a house as-is” opportunity really is your best option. That is if you don’t want to go through the hassles of listing your home. Even if the housing market is hot you may not be able to sell quickly because of the need for repairs.

If you are in need of quick cash and want a deal that is going to close quickly a cash sale is ideal. The decision to sell a house that needs repairs is really your best option. This is especially true if you are in need of quick cash. Plus, you want the deal to close quickly. If you accept a cash offer for ugly house sale then you are most likely going to save additional money. This means you won’t have to pay the regular listing fees.

Rather than put your house on the market with the intention to sell a house as is, do some research. You may find that there are potential buyers in your area that buy these types of houses regularly. These are professional investors that will make a fair deal with you based on the condition of your home. They are well aware of the prices of homes in your neighborhoods. They will take this into consideration when giving you a cash offer for your home.

If you really want to get rid of your home quickly selling for cash as is will be the quickest action you can take. It will probably be a decision that you won’t regret. This type of house selling comes with a lot less hassles.

Need to Sell a House That Needs Repairs?

need to sell a house that needs repairs

Selling a house that needs repairs is a stressful situation to find yourself in if you don’t have the cash to afford it. Repairs can add up and keep your house from getting on the market. You don’t have that time, and we understand that. At Roddy Offers Buys Houses, we specialize in quick home sales for cash.

No matter what condition your house is in, we’re here to help you out. We’ll get your house closed, and write you a check on the spot! Call us today to get a no obligations quote for your house, or just to get your questions answered. We’re always happy and ready to talk! Contact us at 469-406-6961.

 

Listing with a Real Estate Agent vs Selling Your House for Cash

August 24, 2017 • Jason

Selling your house can be a difficult process because there are so many options. Should you go with listing with a real estate agent, selling to a cash buyer, or selling it on your own?

One of the many advantages of owning real estate is having plenty of options. There are options for buying as well as selling it. As a homeowner that is interested in selling your home, you need to know what your specific options are.

listing with a real estate agent

Selling Your House Yourself

For sale by owner is often the type of sign you see today on homes for sale. This is certainly something homeowners can do. Many don’t understand how difficult this can be. Putting up with the hurdles that come with not listing with a real estate agent can save money.

The Pros of How To Sell Your House By Owner

The Time Factor

If you are not in a hurry to sell your home then listing it for sale by owner can be a distinct advantage. You can set your asking price and hold firm to this. The schedule for showing the home will be dictated by you. This can be done during the times that are most convenient for you.

Change of Mind

If you decide that you don’t want to sell your home you can simply stop your efforts to do so. You have the option of when you want to sell and you can change your mind as often as you like.

Potential Savings

The biggest reason that most people prefer not to use the option of listing with a real estate agent is because they can save money on the realtor fees. This is usually a 6% fee, which can be a big saving on the home sale.

The Cons of Selling Your Home Yourself

cons of selling yourself and listing with a real estate agent

 

Time Commitment

Not using a listing with a real estate agent means being prepared to devote plenty of time to the home sale.

You need to be available to take calls from interested buyers who will want to set up an appointment for a showing. You will then have to be available to show the home. Closing without a realtor means knowing the legalities that are involved.

You will need to be involved in some form of advertising. This takes time in writing up the ad copy. Then there will be some research involved as to where to advertise.

Learning Curve That Comes With How To Sell Your House By Owner

When you go the route of listing with a real estate agent you are relying on their expertise. There is a lot that goes into selling a home. You are going to have to learn at least the basics of this to be successful. These professionals know how to sell a home by emphasizing its strong points. With you having a personal attachment to the home you may focus on this. Potential buyers may not find what you consider to be strong points applicable to them.

Safety Factors

It is important to consider the safety factors when allowing strangers into your home. Most often those who want to look at the home come in pairs or groups. This may make you feel uncomfortable as you don’t really know what their true intentions may be. Closing without a realtor can leave you open to making some serious mistakes.

Selling Your House for Cash

Another option besides listing with a real estate agent is to simply sell your home for cash. This is a good solution for a quick sale with a flexible asking price.

The Pros of Selling Your House for Cash

stop listing with a real estate agent and sell for cash

Convenient

You don’t have to go through the inconvenience of having to show your home to potential buyers. Most often when a home is up for sale it means multiple showings before it sells. There may also be a need for several open houses which can be a nuisance.

Quick Cash

Some individuals are in poor financial shape. If you need quick cash then selling your house for cash may help with this

Fast

Selling your house for cash is the fastest method for home selling. It takes very little time for the sales contract to be drafted.  Usually, a very quick closing date can be arranged.

The Cons of Selling Your House For cash

Less Money

A cash sale usually doesn’t give you much room to negotiate the selling price. The buyer has a set amount they are willing to spend. You need to decide whether the cash price is something you feel is fair and that you are willing to accept.

Limited Time

Normally with a cash sale, the closing is much quicker. You need to decide whether it will allow you enough time to make the move and find new lodgings.

Listing with a Real Estate Agent

There are a lot of good reasons why most home sellers want to follow through with a listing with a real estate agent.

The Pros of Listing with a Real Estate Agent

sell for cash don't go for listing with a real estate agent

Their Expertise

Real estate agents are professionals. They have all the knowledge necessary to sell real estate. They have the expertise to analyze the market in the areas in which they work.

Their Contacts

Agents have many different resources to draw from when it comes to potential buyers. They usually have access to large databases. These connect to other realty agencies that list potential clients.

Advertising Resources

A real estate agent has the expertise to be able to advertise the home in the right venues. They know how to write the copy and how to promote the sale.

Time

Realtors dedicate their time to showing the home and have the knowledge of how to close the sale. They have the negotiating skills when it comes to the financial aspects of the sale.

Legalities

There is a lot of paperwork and legalities to tend to for a home sale. Real estate agents are trained in this area. They can avoid some of the costly mistakes that can be made during a home sale.

The Cons of Listing With a Real Estate Agent

The Fees

The 6% realtor fee is the biggest disadvantage. You will have to pay this once the sale is closed.

A Commitment

You are making a commitment with your chosen realtor. They will be the only one allowed to sell your home during the duration of the contract.

Being Realistic

You have the ultimate say in what your house should be listed for. Your realtor will encourage you to be realistic in the listing price. This will be based on his analysis of sales in your area.

sell your house without listing with a real estate agent

Sell Your House Now!

Realistically, listing with a real estate agent takes anywhere from 4 – 10 months depending on your market. In Portland and Vancouver, it could take a minimum of 6 months. You don’t have that time, and we understand that. At Roddy Offers Buys Houses, we specialize in quick home sales for cash.

We’ll get your house closed, and write you a check on the spot! Call us today to get a no obligations quote for your house, or just to get your questions answered. We’re always happy and ready to talk! Contact us at 469-406-6961.

5 Tips to Sell Your House Fast!

August 17, 2017 • Jason

From making repairs to utilizing the services of a cash home buyer, follow these general cash-saving tips to sell your house fast in any residential real estate market. Time is not on a homeowner’s side when it comes to selling a property. Depending on the time of year, real estate climate, and market trends, the average listing can sit on the market for months without a bite. For distressed homeowners, motivated sellers, and professionals needing to relocate immediately, knowing what to do to sell your house fast is money-saving knowledge.

1. Scope Out the Competition

get the best tips to sell your house fast
If you want to know how to get your house ready to sell fast, there’s no better method than scoping out similar homes in the same neighborhood and area. These properties will give homeowners a baseline for the competition already on market, and help determine the home’s accurate value. It’ll also outline what features are deemed most desirable by potential buyers.

If you look at the comparable homes closely enough, you’ll also gather more tips to sell your house fast. Take note of the homes that haven’t sold within your desired timeframe; if the properties possess certain commonalities – like poor curb appeal or outdated finishes – resolve to offer your potential buyer something better before listing.

2. Make Cosmetic Repairs

do the right repairs are good tips to sell your house fast

Homes age naturally. From home system degradation to peeling paint and broken tile roof, properties typically fall apart faster than their owners. When homeowners are ready to move on, these seemingly superficial issues can cause prospective buyers to skip an open house altogether. To increase curb appeal and better a first impression for potential buyers, homeowners should keep up with exterior maintenance: water the grass to ensure a lush, green lawn and apply a fresh coat of paint to the house and shutters.

For additional tips to sell your house fast, ask a professional landscaper to assess your property and how to make it more appealing. Planting colorful perennials, applying fresh mulch to natural areas, and adding a lavish fountain can set your home apart when listing. Remember to shop around before hiring any professionals to work on your home; you don’t want to waste more time, energy, and money fixing unexpected issues that may pop up due to shoddy contractor work.

3. Price Accordingly

One of the biggest tips to sell your house fast comes when initially pricing the property. It’s no secret that overpricing a home is detrimental to a property’s sale when comparing it to homes offering the same features. To ensure you’re reasonably pricing your property before listing, you must first determine its projected market value.

The simplest way to do this involves comparing it to homes within the same neighborhood, offering the same number of bedrooms and full bathrooms, and with similar updates. If this estimate seems too low or high for your specific home, it’s wise to obtain a home appraisal. Professional appraisers will not only compare your home to others in the area, they’ll also make detailed notes after a walkthrough and factor any property updates – and flaws – when calculating a home’s worth.

4. Consider Selling Your Home Without a Realtor

making sure the price are good tips to sell your house fast

Homeowners needing to sell immediately should seriously look into listing as a for sale by owner. Instead of hiring a real estate agent, unrepresented sellers decide to sell on their own terms. This is especially great for homeowners desiring a speedy sale. Homeowners listing as a for sale by owner have the control over when their property gets viewed, their asking price, and how to go about advertising. With those experienced in real estate or have a basic understanding of the selling process, selling your home without a realtor is a simple, time-saving solution.

Selling without a real estate agent allows homeowners to move at their own pace. If you currently have time constraints, selling your own home will provide you the means to advertise quickly and show your property any day of the week. As an unrepresented seller, superb advertising is essential to standing out within an industry that’s rife with competition. Attract buyers with unique flyers or hire a professional graphic artist to design a home brochure highlighting your property’s best features. Providing professional advertising materials while offering out-of-the-box marketing techniques is key to selling a home by yourself.

5. Sell to Cash Buyers

The best method to selling your house fast is to locate a cash home buyer. These buyers specialize in purchasing properties quickly – sometimes within a week of first contact – and can offer a stress-free selling process. Cash buyers make a living offering solid selling advice to local homeowners; they know how to successfully sell and the best options to sell fast. They also submit fair cash offers, allowing for a speedy sale and skipping the time-wasting house financing process.

While most house buying companies are legitimate buyers with loads of references and unparalleled professionalism, some are scammers only interested in submitting low-ball offers. Their intention isn’t to provide sound advice and fair market cash offers, but to manipulate desperate sellers into selling well below market value. To avoid these cash buyers altogether, homeowners should research their home’s accurate value before listing. When in doubt, ask to see references.

General Tips to Sell Your House Fast

get the best tips to sell your house fast

Selling your house fast doesn’t have to be an impossible endeavor. Instead of allowing your home to suffer months on market without a legitimate lead, take the home selling process into your own hands. Stop relying on real estate agents with multiple listings to focus on your home and take a proactive step to ensuring the successful sale of your property.

If you’ve already checked out the competition, completed all minor repairs within budget, and determined a fair asking price for your home, you’re well on your way to attracting a potential buyer for your home. For more general tips to sell your house fast, consider selling as a for sale by owner and locating a reputable cash house buyer. While the former gives you the control to sell at your own speed, the latter offers the quickest selling solution readily available.

Sell Your House Now!

Realistically, listing with a real estate agent takes anywhere from 4 – 10 months depending on your market. In Portland and Vancouver, it could take a minimum of 6 months. You don’t have that time, and we understand that. At Roddy Offers Buys Houses, we specialize in quick home sales for cash.

We’ll get your house closed, and write you a check on the spot! Call us today to get a no obligations quote for your house, or just to get your questions answered. We’re always happy and ready to talk! Contact us at 469-406-6961.

Sell A House Fast in Portland and Vancouver: 5 Tips For Success

December 26, 2016 • Jason

5 tips to sell a house fast

Considering selling your house and want to do it as quickly as possible? Of course! Most people want that. We buy and sell houses all the time and have some proven tips on how to sell a house fast in Portland and Vancouver… or any other town or city.

We use these tips every time we sell a house we’ve fixed up. Most were learned when the real estate market tanked back around 2008.

With foreclosures up 81% back then, there were a lot of houses on the market clamoring for the attention of the reduced amount of buyers looking to buy a home.

We were forced to find ways to compete and get houses sold. In this article we are passing those hard-earned lessons on to you so that you can better be able to sell your house fast in Portland and Vancouver or anywhere.

sell a house fast

Selling a House Fast Requires the Right Price

We quickly noticed that the single biggest factor in getting a house to sell fast in any market is the price.

Yes, how much you are asking for your home plays a huge role in being able to get offers right out of the gate.

Consider this from the point of view of buyers looking to buy a house in your neighborhood or area. They are likely going through dozens or even hundreds of listings that are most likely sorted by price.

Everybody wants a bargain. They are judging your house and its price against what your neighbors are asking for a similar house.

Pricing a house is not the easiest thing to do in the world so we wanted to provide some quick tips to help you determine a great price:

  • Check comps

    Find out what other similar houses are selling for and how fast they are selling. Take the closest matches that sold quickly and average the selling prices.

  • How does your home compare?

    If you are working with an agent, you can have them show you pictures of the houses that sold. If you aren’t working with an agent, many times you can see pictures of houses that sold on Zillow.com or Realtor.com. Compare the fixtures and finishes to what you have in your house and adjust your price up or down based on what you find. Always be considering this from the buyers’ perspective. What would you think when you saw the houses that sold and then came and saw your house? It’s very important to be objective here.

  • Have friends give their opinions

    Sometimes we as homeowners are seeing things through a different lens. We need to get unbiased opinions from friends or family that are completely objective.

For more great tips on pricing your house for sale, check out this article on Zillow.

cash offer from a house buying company

Get an Offer from a Cash Home Buyer

Not everybody is aware there are people who buy houses cash that will make you an offer to buy your house quickly.

You might wonder,”why do they buy a lot of houses?” They buy for investment purposes and usually have the cash to close faster. This allows you to sell your house without even putting it on the market.

What’s the catch with these house buying companies? They usually don’t pay full market value. That might be an issue if you need to sell for top dollar.

Of course, this option doesn’t make sense for all home sellers. It makes the most sense for people that don’t have the time or energy to deal with getting their house fixed up and put on the market. This is also a good solution for sellers that don’t like the idea of having dozens of complete strangers going through their house, looking at all of their stuff.

We buy homes in Portland and Vancouver and would love to talk with you about what we can pay for your house.

market your house for sale everywhere

Market Your House Everywhere

The quickest way to sell a house you put up for sale is to get as many eyes on it as possible. You need to make sure everybody knows the home is for sale.

Get an ad in the local newspaper

If you want to sell a house fast in Portland and Vancouver, you might consider putting an ad in the local newspaper or their website.

Use a Listing Agent

Real estate agents can list your house on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) which will help you get maximum exposure.

If you decide to sell your house without an agent, you can get a ‘For Sale By Owner’ sign from HomeDepot or Lowe’s and stick it in your front yard. I highly recommend you get the directional signs as well. This will allow you to point people driving around your area to your house that is for sale.

Use Social Media

Take lots of pictures and do a video walk through. You can post these on Facebook and Youtube.

One social media platform is perfect for pictures: Instagram. Give it a try.

Tell everybody you know

Tell everybody you know that your house is for sale. Ask everybody you talk to if they know of anyone looking to buy a house in the area. You never know who might be looking for a house just like yours. This will certainly help you sell a house fast.

gives concessions to sell a house fast

Give Concessions to Sell Quickly

There are lots of ways to entice buyers to give your house a little extra attention.

Here are some of our favorite ways to sell a house fast by giving concessions:

Agent bonus

Reward agents for finding you a buyer. We’ve given bonuses of $1,000 or more for buyers’ agents that sold their buyers on our houses. You can do the same.

There are agents that look for listings of houses for sale where these bonuses are available and start showing their clients these houses first. Get yourself on the top of potential buyers’ must-see lists with this tip.

When buyers see your house first, they may just fall in love with it and make you an offer. Offering an agent bonus has allowed us to sell a lot of houses faster over the years.

Try it!

Closing cost assistance

Not all buyers need assistance with their closing costs…but most do!

If you offer to help pay closing costs for your buyers, they will much more likely to buy your house over others on the market.

In order to sell a house fast, you should consider offering this assistance. Be sure to write into the description of your listing your willingness to pay some closing cost assistance. It really goes a long way in persuading buyers to give your house more consideration.

Home warranty

This tip for selling a house fast is not mentioned often. Providing a home warranty gives buyers a peace of mind.

They might be nervous that they are overextending themselves when buying your house. They will likely feel better knowing that if something goes wrong, they have a warranty that will cover it.

American Home Shield offers a great home warranty that is pretty comprehensive. It’s great because it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg either. We’ve offered their warranty dozens, if not hundreds of times.

Offering a home warranty gives your home a competitive advantage that will allow you to sell your house quicker.

If you want to shop around and find the perfect home warranty, check out these reviews.

stand out when selling your house

Be Different

This piece of advice is one that I hope my competitors that sell houses don’t catch wind of. We make it a point to find economical ways of setting our houses apart so that they sell much faster.

The secret is spending some time to see what houses are for sale that your home will be competing with. Then, make note of the similarities between the houses.

  • Do they all have beige walls with white trim?
  • Do they all have formica counters?
  • Do they all have oak cabinets?
  • Do they all have brown exterior paint?

What you want to do now is find some things to do that will make your house stand out because it doesn’t just match all the others that are for sale.

You sell a house fast by making it unforgettable.

Great websites to get cheap design tips are Houzz.com and Pinterest.

Final Thoughts About How to Sell A House Fast in Portland and Vancouver

Whether you situation dictates you sell a house fast in Portland and Vancouver or somewhere else, you can follow these 5 tips we’ve outlined to pretty much guarantee a quick sale.

If you feel you’ve benefited from this article, please share it!

We’d love to hear any tips you might have for selling a house fast. If you have some tips, please don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments below.

We Buy Houses Scams In Portland and Vancouver and How To Avoid Them

December 19, 2016 • Jason

Have those advertisements for people saying, ‘we buy houses’ caught your eye and made you question whether they are we buy houses scams? This is a very real concern for people considering this kind of service.

we buy houses scams signs

Trying to sell your house fast in Portland and Vancouver? Are you concerned that you might get taken advantage of or have the wool pulled over your eyes?

Join the club.

The traditional way to sell a house is using a real estate agent and having them list your house.

Maybe you would rather skip the hassles and sell to a Portland and Vancouver cash home buyer instead. Every year, thousands of people sell their homes directly to investors rather than listing with an agent. In fact, nationwide, 5.5% of home sales were to investors according to a report by RealtyTrac.

If you’ve never sold a home before or never sold one without the services of agent, it can be quit scary. It can seem downright overwhelming.

I’m going to share some tips for you to make sure that who you are working with is a legitimate house buyer and not someone looking to scam you. By the end of this article, you’ll be armed with what you need to know to choose the right company to buy your house.

The Sniff Test For We Buy Houses Scams

There are a lot of legitimate house buyers in Portland and Vancouver, but there are also some people that are running we buy houses scams. It can be difficult to know which one you might be dealing with.

The stakes are high. People have lost lots of time, money and even their houses to scams run by investors that don’t have any sort of moral compass.

It can be difficult to determine if who you are dealing with has your best interests at heart. Most of the time there are “tells” that will clue you in to their true intentions. These signs can mean you are caught in some of the we buy houses scams being used today.

  1. Application Fees – If a house buyer wants you to pay them any kind of fees to evaluate your house, run away as fast you can. This person is likely a scammer. Honest home buying companies don’t make money charging application fees. They make their money from buying houses, fixing them up and either renting or selling the house.

  2. Kitchen Table Closings – If a buyer wants you to sign over the deed to your house anywhere other than a title company or attorney’s office, you’re likely going to be making a costly mistake. Any sale you have should happen at a title company so that you can make sure the paperwork is handled properly and all liens are taken care of.

    Please do not mistake this for signing a contract to sell your house. That can and probably will happen at your house. Just don’t sign any Warranty Deeds, Quitclaim Deeds without the services of a real estate attorney or title company.

  3. Too Much Information is Given – Phony bank statements and pre-approval letters for loans are given without being requested from untrustworthy real estate investors. These investors present these documents to make them appear legit but these documents can easily be faked.

    This occurs a lot when the supposed “investor” lives in a different city than Portland and Vancouver and communicates almost entirely by email. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather work with somebody local that I can meet face to face. Just because they are not local doesn’t immediately make them a scammer, but I sure would rather know who I’m dealing with.

Scammers Don’t Always Look and Act Like Used Car-Salesmen

used car-salesman

It’s not always easy to pick out who the scammer is in a crowd.

Sometimes it’s the overly nice gentleman.

Sometimes it’s the straight and to-the-point woman.

Don’t let your guard down just because someone smooth talks you. You need to get the facts about who they are and what they can do for you.

We will discuss exactly what to ask for to determine whether you are dealing with the right kind of house buyer or not later in this article.

It may seem impossible to determine whether someone is genuine or running we buy houses scams…but it’s not.

One way is to trust your gut. If something doesn’t seem right…it probably isn’t.

Another way is to determine whether their actions match their words. Actions always speak louder than words and I’ve found them to be very telling about people.

If a Portland and Vancouver home buyer says he or she is going to meet you at your house at 2:00 on Wednesday and they show up at 2:20…they might not be trust worthy. They certainly don’t value your time or respect it.

If they walk through your house and tear it apart with harsh words about the house or your situation, you are probably dealing with someone that could care less about your feelings or what you get out of the deal.

Harsh words about your house are solely intended to force you to lower your opinion of the value of the house. This type of investor may as well be wearing a plaid suit and lots of gold chains. They are worse than a used car salesman…

A respectable and reputable real estate investor will always treat you with respect. They will show up on time and show empathy. When viewing houses, trustworthy house buyers will look for the positive aspects of the house as they know full well they will be making repairs and breathing new life into the home.

Other Not-so-obvious Semi-Scams to Watch Out For

There are many other situations that I call ‘semi-scams’ to watch out for. These may not be illegal or full-blown we buy houses scams but are intended to take advantage of you and your situation.

It’s best to avoid these at all costs.

  • Sub2 or Subject To Scams – Some investors use a strategy called ‘Subject To’ or Sub2 when using shorthand. This is where they buy your house from you “subject to” the existing mortgage. They will want you to deed them the house without paying off your mortgage.

    The biggest problem with this is that the mortgage is in your name and, if it goes unpaid, directly impacts your credit!

    It’s pretty easy to see why this type of deal is important to avoid. You would basically be trusting an almost complete stranger with your credit. No thanks!

  • Out of Area Wholesalers – Wholesalers are investors that do not typically buy your house themselves. It’s seems the majority of these wholesalers are not even in Portland and Vancouver, OR. They are out of area investors that target Portland and Vancouver because of the affordable housing. Many times these investors will pretend they are going to buy the house when in fact they have no intention of doing so.

    How it works is they put your house under contract for them to buy and then they go about finding a buyer that has the money to buy the house. When they find the buyer, they assign the contract they made with you to the capable buyer for a fee.

    This makes them the middle man that is taking a hefty fee that could have been profit to you.

    I recommend you find a house buying company that has the means to actually buy the house so that you maximize the amount of money you make from the sale.

  • Short Sales Scams – Short sales are where a bank or mortgage company agrees to release their lien on your house in exchange for less than the principle balance of your loan. Typically, you have to pay off any principle balance and interest due for them to release the lien. When they agree to accept less, you are performing what is called a short sale.

    A short sale in and of itself is not a problem, it’s when this is attempted when it doesn’t make sense that causes a lot of problems for Portland and Vancouver homeowners.

    If you are behind on payments but have a lot of equity and a home that doesn’t need any major repairs, you might have an investor convince you to attempt a short sale.

    Short sales can drag on for months and the bank may wait until just before a foreclosure auction to deny it. Then what are you going to do? You won’t have time to sell it. It’s almost certain to be lost to foreclosure.

    Some careless investors don’t give you all the facts when they attempt a short sale on your house. You also need to be aware that even if the bank agrees to take less for the lien to be released, they could put a deficiency judgement on you for the amount the loan was shorted. You will probably also have to report the amount shorted as income which could cause your income tax owed to be a real problem for you.

How to Avoid These Potential Scams

Do your homework to avoid we buy houses scams.

With some quick research you can easily determine whether somebody has a history of doing what they say. You can also find out if they’ve been in business for a while which shows they are stable and worthy of your business.

Crooks rarely stay in business long and almost always have negative reviews.

reputations are everything

  • Check testimonials – Be sure to look for online reviews and testimonials for the house buying company you are considering. Any reputable business will have statements from previous customers that can attest to how they do business. You can read dozens of reviews from customers of Roddy Offers Buys Houses here on our website. Take a look at them for an example of the types of things you will find for any honest business owner.

  • Check the Better Business Bureau – The Better Business Bureau (known as the BBB) allows consumers to leave reviews and rate local businesses. You should only work with house buying companies that have a strong rating with the Better Business Bureau.

    If a company is not rated with the BBB you can not have as much faith in their ability to do what they say.

  • Check how long the company has been in business – Great businesses have been around for a while. According to the Small Business Administration, nearly one third of all businesses fail within the first 2 years. If you find a business that’s been around for longer than 5 years, you can probably bet they are still around for a reason. They probably are doing something right.

  • Make sure to close at a title company – There is so much legal talk in contracts and deed documents that you simply must have a title company or real estate attorney handle the closing.

    This is to ensure that everything is done properly.

    The last thing you want is for something to be done incorrectly that you have to deal with years down the road.

    You could even run into a situation where you are sued because something wasn’t handled properly.

    Title companies provide title insurance that will protect you from most of these problems. It’s definitely worth it.

  • Don’t sign documents you don’t understand – This one seems to be common sense but is definitely not common practice. If you don’t understand something, don’t sign it.

    This is also where a good real estate attorney or title company can be worth their weight in gold. They should be able to break it down for you in layman’s terms so that you know what you are getting into.

    Great house buying companies will also take the time to clearly explain everything you are agreeing to in a way that makes sense to you. If you find you are working with someone not willing to do that, don’t work with them. Find someone else that buys houses.

Conclusion

When selling a house fast to a local house buying company, you should be aware of the signs of a potential we buy houses scam.

Armed with the knowledge from this article you are much better prepared to find a great house buyer for your house that will treat you with respect and do what they say they are going to do.

If you would like to get a fair cash offer for your Portland and Vancouver house, do not hesitate to give us a call at 469-406-6961. We would be glad to answer any questions you have and help you in any way we can.

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