All-cash home purchases accounted for over a third of all residential transactions in 2023.
This statistic says a lot about the current state of the real estate market. We’ve clearly got a lot more established homeowners and investors purchasing new or second homes. Younger, first-time home buyers generally can’t build up the capital to make an all-cash offer.
A lot of home sellers are choosing to sell to cash buyers because it simplifies the process. You save a lot of time and money by not involving realtors and lenders, but is it the right move if you’re not getting the same kind of offer? How much less should you sell a house for when paying cash?
Today, we’ll look at the cash buyer process in more detail and give you a few house selling tips for dealing with a cash buyer negotiation. Keep reading and get the most for your home.
How Cash Buyers Work
Accepting offers from cash buyers is the main alternative to the traditional real estate transaction process. A standard real estate transaction involves hiring a realtor to list, market, and showcase the property to interested buyers. These buyers get a mortgage from the bank, which pays you when the home changes hands.
Because you’ve hired a realtor, you must pay them around 5% of the total value of the sale. If you sold your home for $400,000, you give your realtor $20,000, which is usually split with the buyer’s agent.
Dealing with a cash buyer couldn’t be more different. If you need to make a quick sale on your home – due to foreclosure, probate, divorce, relocation, or any other reason – you simply reach out to a cash buyer.
Start by filling out the online form to give the buyer more information about your property. You’ll then schedule an in-person or virtual walkthrough of the house so they can have a clear picture of any issues it may have. Once that’s done, they’ll figure out an offer price strategy and send you your offer.
How Much Less Should You Sell a House for When Paying Cash?
The cash buyer process is much faster and simpler than the traditional home selling process which takes months to complete. There is a tradeoff, however. You aren’t going to get the same kind of offer from a cash buyer that you’ll get when realtors are negotiating on your behalf.
So, you need to understand how cash buyers work and decide if discounts on cash deals are worth it. You’ll also need to figure out how much less you should be willing to sell your house for.
Depending on the state of your home, you may get an offer that is up to 70-90% of market value from a cash buyer. That may sound like a significant drop in the sale price, but you must consider the money that goes into closing costs and repairs in addition to the realtor fees.
You can find a list of closing cost amounts here. They include transfer taxes, escrow fees, and title fees. You’ll also need to negotiate inspection and maintenance costs with your buyer, which could see you putting more money into the home before it changes hands.
The best thing to do is obtain the offer from the cash buyer and compare it to the extra fees of taking the traditional route. You may find that the easiest way is also the cheapest way. That said, you need to consider your particular financial situation and whether or not it’s in your best interest to accept a lower offer.
Cash Home Purchase Benefits
In addition to what we’ve already mentioned, there are several other benefits to a cash buyer negotiation. Even if the offer is slightly lower than you’d like to sell for, a cash offer will benefit you in the following ways:
Less Risky
Whenever you go through the normal home selling process, you can’t be sure that you’re through with the transaction until it’s over. There’s always a chance a buyer could change their mind or the sale could fall through at the last minute for any number of reasons.
A cash buyer has the capital to give you cash in hand. As long as you’re speaking to a reliable company, there’s no reason to worry that a deal could fall through.
Quicker
A cash buyer can complete a real estate transaction in a matter of days. Once you accept the offer, it’s really up to you how fast the process goes. If you need time in the house, you can negotiate this with the buyer.
You have a lot less control in normal transactions. Your buyer will often dictate their move-in date. The process as a whole could take up to 3 months from start to finish.
Solve Problems
Selling to a great cash buyer is the best option for those going through difficult times with their real estate. Whether you’ve got money issues or you’ve recently inherited a home from a deceased relative, cash buyers give you a quick fix to a complex problem.
No Paperwork
Most real estate transactions involve stacks of paperwork that must be completed before the sale goes through. Your realtor may take care of most of it on your behalf, but it takes time, which is one of the reasons the process is so elongated.
There’s almost no paperwork involved in a cash sale. Because the buyer has the capital, they don’t need to worry about contracts with lenders or real estate companies. You simply sign over the deed to the home and take your money.
Find the Best Cash Buyer
It’s difficult to answer the question, “How much less should you sell a house for when paying cash?” because it’s so circumstantial. If you’re dealing with anything from probate to relocation, it’s a no-brainer. That said, when you start to look at the costs associated with a traditional real estate transaction, cash sales start to make even more sense.
One thing’s for sure, you need to find a trustworthy cash buyer to sell your home to. DBC Home Buyers is the most trusted cash home buyer in Maryland. We’ve helped hundreds of homeowners in every possible situation, so contact us today to fill out our online form and find out how much your cash offer will be.