How Much Money Can You Realistically Expect to Receive When You Reply to a "We Buy Houses" Sign?

You'll see them all over the streets attached to light posts and you'll also find these ads running on online classified sites. "We Buy Houses - Sell Your House Today!" signs with the phone number attached can be quite deceiving. It's tempting to call to find out how much you could get paid for your home in order to get instant money. It's hard to get a direct answer upfront though and when you finally get a quote you'll be quite surprised.

For informational purposes only. Always consult with a licensed real estate professional before proceeding with any real estate transaction.

How Much Money Can You Expect From the Sale Of Your Home?

Usually you won't get more than 80% of the market value of your home. In addition, your equity position may very well be discounted by 50% or more. These companies make a living off of people that are selling a home in a desperate situation. Even when you factor in the cost of the real estate commission that you'd have to pay your agent, you'd still end up with a lot more money in your pocket by listing your home the traditional way.

Don't get fooled if the ad says that you'll be offered top price. The top price for these companies is extremely low. As well, you'll only get paid quickly if you decide to take the first offer, which will be ridiculously low. It's a complete waste of time and energy that even the truly desperate should avoid completely.

How Homeowners Can Protect Themselves From Exploitative Purchase Offers

Cash offers for homes can be tempting. After all, who wouldn't love to avoid the hassles of a sale? Skipping showings, closing costs and deals that don't go through can seem appealing. However, the downsides of "we buy houses" buyers often outweigh the upsides. If a seller wants to protect themselves from unscrupulous investors, they need to do their due diligence.

First, a seller should do some research to learn what their house is worth. This can be learned by looking at the selling prices of similar homes in the neighborhood, as well as neighborhoods nearby. If a buyer is offering significantly less than that, it's clearly not a good deal.

The best way for a homeowner to protect themselves is to use a qualified, licensed real estate agent. Real estate agents can put sellers in touch with buyers who are well-qualified and who are open to paying what the home is really worth.

How to Get the Best Price For Your Home

Anyone that's in a desperate situation to sell their home should still use a real estate agent. The odds are in your favour that you would sell your home at a much higher price quickly when your agent spreads the word that you need to sell your home fast.

Whether you decide to sell your home to a company that advertises "fast cash" or whether you sell your home the conventional way with an agent, you'll still end up with cash either way you do it. Desperate sellers should contact a real estate agent to find out what their options are and what a realistic time estimate would be to sell the house. This is a much safer option and a much more profitable one to choose.

For informational purposes only. Always consult with a licensed real estate professional before proceeding with any real estate transaction.