Anyone can put up a website that says we buy houses. Some of the people behind those sites will close on the number they quoted you. Others will tie your house up under contract and then try to renegotiate a week before closing, when you have no good options left.
The checks below take under an hour and will tell you which kind you are dealing with.
Ask Whether They Are Actually Buying
This is the most useful question you can ask, and most sellers never do. A lot of what looks like cash buying is wholesaling: the buyer puts your house under contract, then sells that contract to somebody else for a fee. If they cannot find a buyer, your sale falls apart.
Wholesaling is legal and not always a bad outcome, but you deserve to know. Ask directly: are you buying this with your own funds, or assigning the contract? An honest operator will tell you straight away.
Ask for Proof of Funds
A genuine cash buyer can produce a bank statement or a letter from their bank showing they hold the money. This is a normal request and nobody legitimate is offended by it. Hesitation here tells you most of what you need to know.
Read the Reviews Properly
Not the star rating, the actual text. You are looking for reviews that mention specifics: the closing timeline, whether the final number matched the offer, the name of the person they dealt with. Generic five-star reviews with no detail are easy to buy. A handful of detailed ones, including the occasional less-than-perfect experience handled well, is a much better sign.
Check That the Offer Is Explained
A fair offer can be shown on paper. Comparable sales, minus repairs, minus holding costs, minus margin. If a buyer will not walk you through how they got to their number, they are either disorganised or hoping you will not look too closely.
Three Warning Signs
- Pressure to sign today. A real offer is still there tomorrow. Urgency is a sales tactic, not a market condition.
- A large non-refundable deposit request. Money should flow towards you, not away from you.
- Renegotiating late. If a buyer drops their price close to closing without a genuine new discovery, that is often the plan rather than an accident.
Get More Than One Offer
Two or three offers cost you nothing and take a couple of days. They also tell you whether the first number was reasonable. Compare on net proceeds, closing date, who pays what, and whether there are any contingencies attached, not just the headline figure.
Trust the Small Signals
Do they answer the phone. Do they turn up when they said they would. Do they put things in writing. The way a company behaves in the first week is almost always how it behaves at the closing table.
If you would like an offer with the workings shown and no pressure attached, you can get a free cash offer from Trusted Homebuyers USA. We will also tell you plainly if we think listing your house would serve you better.
Common Questions
What is the difference between a cash buyer and a wholesaler?
A cash buyer purchases with their own funds and takes ownership. A wholesaler puts your house under contract and sells that contract to somebody else. Both are legal; only one is guaranteed to close.
Should I pay any upfront fees?
No. A legitimate buyer never asks a seller for money upfront. Money should move towards you at closing, not away from you before it.
How many offers should I get?
Two or three. It costs you a couple of days and routinely uncovers a difference of several thousand dollars between buyers looking at the same property.
What does proof of funds look like?
A recent bank statement or a letter from the buyer's bank confirming they hold sufficient funds. Asking for it is completely normal.
Is it a bad sign if a buyer tells me to list instead?
The opposite. A buyer who tells you a traditional listing would net you more is being straight with you, which is exactly the behaviour you want if you do end up selling to them.