Instead of having to deal with mortgage companies, lenders, and banks, think about how much easier it would be if you just sold your home for cash. How much more could you benefit from your sale if you just got it done fast while avoiding the many hang-ups that happen during a loan process? Some homeowners think that selling a home for only cash just isn’t possible. However, while cash purchases for homes are generally on the decline, they still make up for roughly 1 out of every 3 home purchases.
If you’re a homeowner considering selling your home, this presents many good questions that deserve answers. For starters, why would you ever consider selling your house for cash only? What would be the main advantages for looking for that kind of sale? In truth, there are a number of good reasons to possibly think about selling your home for only cash. Keep reading to learn more.
Your Sale Is Not As Likely To Fall Apart
It’s very frustrating to go through sales negotiations. The back and forth between you and a buyer feels like a high stakes game of ping pong until both sides agree on a mutual price. All of this happens only after you go through the rigmarole of showing your home to potential buyers and answering the endless stream of questions. In short, you put in a lot of work just to get a prospective buyer to the table. Then, that person might fail to qualify for their loan. Right when you think you’re going to sell, the interested buyer learns that their credit just isn’t strong enough to buy your home, and perhaps not any. That puts you on the spot. A cash deal can skip this nightmare scenario completely. Loan qualifications and credit reports or scores don’t matter when there’s only cash on the table. So, selling your home only for cash is a good way to prevent last-minute pitfalls that can scuttle the deal.
Fast Timing
When you close a financing deal, it might take one or two months even in a fast close. Many times, the process might wind up taking even longer. A cash deal is quite the opposite, because you might finish it in just one week. If you sell for cash, you don’t have to wait for credit checks or underwriting to happen. You just get a nice, smooth, quick sale where a transaction provides cold hard cash for your home.
You Can Sell As It Is Easier
When a buyer needs to get financing, their bank needs to be sure the home is worth whatever money they’re going to put up for that loan. In doing so, they would be able to sell the property to get the funds back, should they find it necessary to foreclose on that property. As such, you need to have an appraisal done, and that costs you precious money and time. However, if you sell for cash, then the buyer is the one that assesses the home, paying what they want to pay, irrespective of the information an appraiser gives them. In short, selling for cash means there are not as many hassles, and you have less to put up with as compared to selling to someone that needs financing in order to buy your home.
Professional Advice Is Still Useful
Some homeowners who choose to take the cash route for simplicity boil things down further by skipping having a professional agent at their side. This is generally less risky in cash deals, but unless you genuinely know how to do things, it’s still not a great idea. Without an agent, you might not be able to price your home adequately, and that can put you at risk of falling prey to bottom feeders among the investors and buyers that might jump in and offer you substantially less than you could otherwise make from the sale.
At the very least, get a professional appraisal, even if this burden might technically fall on the buyer. You want to know what your home is worth so you don’t ask too much and no calls or ask too little and get low-balled. Look at the listing services in your area to find the comparative pricing and other price adjustment records on area homes that are similar to yours. You can also look at stats for time homes sit on the market to see where things are leaning. An appraiser is likely to do a minimum of three comps, but the more data you have, the better.
You can find quick-sale agents such as Dayton Cash For Homes among local real estate agents who can help you out with all the paperwork and do most of their work by email or phone in order to expedite things. They might charge you a flat fee, or their percentage commission might be smaller than standard. Their very function is selling fast, but they might also recommend a listing price that is thousands less than what you’d get in the traditional loan market.
Always Protect Yourself
If you do find a cash buyer, verify their proof of funds before you agree to do anything. You should know that some cash buyers like to add contingencies to the inspection and appraisal. Don’t give them big discounts, as this defeats the whole idea of cash sales. Many cash buyers are simply interested in fixer-uppers and flip them or rent them out. As such, you might work out some kind of short-term lease-back deal where you stay in your home, giving them a rental income stream during the time they handle repairs and projects.
Conclusion
The cash sale process of a home won’t mean getting as much money, but you’ll avoid complications that can sink deals. You’ll also likely avoid the expenses of expensive repairs, upgrades, and home improvements. Less paperwork and hoops to jump through is always nice, and if time is of the essence, this process can’t be beaten. Still, consult a professional as just one step to protect yourself. Also, remember that there are not just cash buyers in the form of individuals but also companies and businesses that buy homes for only cash. They can make the transaction quite smooth for you.