Can We Buy Houses Companies be Trusted?
You may have seen their ads pop up on your Facebook feed or a website. “We Buy Houses Fast!” they shout. “Sell Your Home Quick!” You’ve considered clicking on them, because, to be honest, you are interested in putting your house on the market, but you have some doubts about these companies’ legitimacy. So what’s the real deal? Are they a scam? Or can they be trusted?
You see those “We Buy Houses” signs along your drive to work. You still have interest but you are still apprehensive. Continue reading below if you’d like us to take you through some of the factors you may want to consider when deciding whether to go with a home-buying firm.
Know What You Want
As with most questions in life, the answer to whether you should sell your home to a home-buying company is a resounding, “It depends.” You’ll want to consider a number of things when deciding whether or not to deal with a specific company but, generally speaking, it’s no different than selling your home the “traditional way.” You just need to know what you value and desire out of the home-selling experience.
What to Look For
What you really want is what everyone wants: a fair and reasonable price for your home. Not only is that a common-sense expectation to set, but it is also the only way to approach selling your home that makes any sense. You deserve a market price, with reasonable adjustments for relevant factors, in exchange for your home. But how do you ensure that you’re getting it?
First, ensure that the people you’re dealing with (whether they are brokers, real estate investors, or traditional buyers) are not exhibiting any unusual behaviors. Ask yourself some simple questions. “Is this person pressuring me to make a decision more quickly than I’m comfortable with?” “Have they placed unreasonable time limits on their offers?” “Do they act evasively or strangely when I ask questions?” Affirmative answers to any of the foregoing are warning signals you ignore at your peril.
Second, ensure that the offer you’ve received bears some resemblance to other offers you’ve received or to offers for similar homes in similar states of repair in your area. If you’ve received five offers between $200,000 and $250,000, and the next guy offers you $768,000, your baloney-meter should go off.
These simple rules apply no differently to home-buying firms than they do to anyone else. Now, you should keep in mind that an offer from a “We Buy Homes” company may be lower than other offers because they typically provide faster deals with fewer repair and maintenance requirements and allow you to sell your home without an expensive broker. However, the offers you get from them should still be in the same ballpark as other offers. If it’s not, take a closer look at the deal.
Similarly, if you don’t like the vibe you’re getting from an investment company’s representative, there’s nothing wrong with moving along to the next one. You decide to whom you sell your home, and there’s nothing wrong with saying no to someone who uses unfair or high-pressure tactics.
Just Another Choice
Ultimately, home-buying companies are simply another choice in your arsenal of options. There is no commitment when you contact a home-buying company to express your interest in an offer. An offer is just that: an offer. You may reject it or accept it as you please. So there is really no risk when it comes to reaching out to a person like Daniel at Fast Home Sales. If you don’t like the cut of his gib, you’re no worse off than before you called. If you do like what he has to say, great!
Why Choose a Home-Buying Company
Home-buying companies offer a specific part of the market a valuable service. They provide low complexity, fast, fair, and flexible deals to homeowners who don’t want to go through the expense and hassle of a traditional real-estate deal. There are all sorts of reasons to dislike typical real estate transactions. Some buyers are looking for a laundry list of repairs, maintenance, and renovations before they’ll pay the price they propose. Some buyers demand a specific closing date that may be far in the future or as early as tomorrow. Brokers charge high fees, offer very little transparency, and, depending on your specific broker, may not provide quality service anyway.
Just as in any business though, there are some less-than-ethical home-buying firms that engage in high-pressure sales tactics and deceptive practices to make a living. These companies should be avoided like the plague. Fortunately, they are easy to spot if you keep your eyes open and stand your ground. If you’re unsure about your ability to protect yourself in these situations, there’s nothing wrong with enlisting the help of a trusted friend, advisor, or even lawyer, to help you through the process.
At the end of the day, what you’re likely looking for more than anything is speed. You want to sell your home relatively quickly and don’t want the process drawn out for ages. You don’t want to become one of those people whose home has been sitting on the market for months, or even years, while they search fruitlessly for a buyer willing to take it off their hands. If that’s the case, a real estate investment company can be a great option to add to your repertoire of choices.
Even Zillow recognizes the potential usefulness of relying on a company like Fast Home Sales to sell your home. And, among all of the options to sell your home quickly that they list, using a home-buying company comes with the least hassle and difficulty.
Give Fast Home Sales A Try
So if you’re looking to simplify the process of selling your home, give us a call at (833) 814-7355 or come visit us at Fast Home Sales. We would love to provide you with some additional options that would make your home-selling experience as pleasant and profitable as possible.
