Frequently Asked Questions

Maybe you have a few questions. That’s okay; most people do. So here’s a quick collection of some of the questions people ask us… along with our answers. If you still have a different question, don’t hesitate to contact us or give us a call and we’ll be happy to answer it for you.

Q:  Will you be listing my house on the MLS or actually buying it?
A:  We don’t list houses. We are professional home buyers: We buy houses in San Diego that meet our purchasing criteria.

Q:  Do you pay fair prices for properties?
A:  Yes. Many of the houses we purchase are below market value because of the easy and fast solution we can provide and given the home’s present condition or the sellers situation. However, in our experience, many sellers aren’t necessarily expecting a large “windfall” on the property but rather appreciate that we can offer cash, we close very quickly (no waiting for traditional financing), and no time or effort or expense is required on your part of fix up the property or pay agent fees. If that’s what you’re looking for and you see the value in getting your house sold fast at a liquidation value… let’s see if we can come to a win-win price. (Besides, our no-obligation pricing commitment means that you do not have to move forward with the offer we give… but it’s good to know what we’re offering!)

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Q:  How do you determine the price to offer on my house?
A:  Great question.  Our process is very straightforward. We look at the location of the property, what repairs are needed, the current condition of the property, and values of comparable houses sold in the area recently. We take many pieces of information into consideration… and come up with a fair price that works for us and works for you too.

Q:  Are there any fees or commissions to work with you?
A: This is what makes us stand out from the traditional method of selling your house: There are NO fees or commissions when you sell your house to us. We’ll make you an offer, and if it’s a fit then we’ll buy your house (and we’ll often pay for the closing costs too!). No hassle. No fees. The responsibility of the house’s condition is then ours and you walk away without the burden of the property and its payments… and often with cash in your hand.

Q:  How are you different from a real estate agent?
A: Real estate agents list properties and hope that someone will buy them. The agent shows the properties to prospective buyers if there are any, and then take a percentage of the sale price if they find a buyer. Often times, both agent’s commission is 5-6% of the sale price of your house (so if it’s a $500,000 house, you’ll pay between $25,000 – $30,000 in commissions to Agents). Agents provide a great service for those that can wait a long time to sell and who don’t mind giving up some of that sale price to pay for the commissions. But that’s where we’re different: we’re home buyers. Our company actually buys houses. We don’t list houses. Since we’re actually the one buying the house from you, and we pay with all cash… we can make a decision to buy your house within a couple days (sometimes the same day).

Q:  Is there any obligation when I submit my info?
A: There is absolutely zero obligation for you. Once you tell us a bit about your property, we’ll take a look at things, maybe set up a call with you to find out a bit more, and make you an all-cash offer that’s fair for you and fair for us. From there, it’s 100% your decision on whether or not you’d like to sell your house to us… and we won’t hassle you.  It’s 100% your decision and we’ll let you decide what’s right for you.

Q: Are there closing costs when you sell a home for sale by owner?
A: Yes. Of course. When you decide to sell your home by yourself, you are responsible for transaction costs associate with title, escrow, and transfer taxes. The only way to NOT pay these costs is to find a buyer who will pay those costs for you. A regular, retail buyer often will not offer this type of arrangement. While a FSBO saves you having to pay a listing agent commission, you will still be responsible for several thousands of dollars in fees IF your buyer has a realtor representing them, and is your typical buyer. When using Trusted House Buyers, you aren’t responsible for any fees or real estate commissions.

Q: Do you need a realtor to sell a house?
A: You do not need a realtor to sell a house. There are scenarios where they might be a good fit, like selling a high-end home that needs maximum exposure. And there are many scenarios where the cost savings is quite beneficial. 6% of San Diego, California home prices adds up really quickly. At least consider a way that money can be put into your pocket.

Q: Do realtors avoid for sale by owner?
A: It depends. Typically sellers pay real estate agent commissions. Since you are not represented by one, are you still paying the Buyer’s Agent if they secure a buyer for your property. If not, they won’t work for free. Additionally, two agents working together on a transaction are in theory, two real estate professionals. Knowing that they will be the only real estate professional in a transaction, having to work with both a buyer AND seller, and potentially hand hold two sides, while only getting paid for one side can often be discouraging.

Q: Can you list your house on MLS without a realtor?
A: The short answer is no. But there are discount brokerages out there that will list it for you for a discounted fee. Just don’t expect any real expertise when it comes to servicing your transaction.

Q: What is the fastest way to sell a house for cash?
A: The fastest way is to consider a local, verified, and professional cash buyer who does this day in and day out. A good one can avoid the standard contingencies, inspection periods, and the loan process to make it a fast way to sell a house for cash. For a professional who knows what they are doing, you can expect a smooth transaction that will close on time. If you hear of or feel any red flags or get a sense that there is some evasiveness, proceed cautiously. Closing fast is a real, legitimate option if you choose the right partner.

Q: How can I sell my house quickly?
A: If you are looking to sell your house quickly, you might consider selling to local house buyer. Once they visit your home, they should be able to give you an offer quickly, that they can move on fast and close within a week or two.

Q: How do I sell my home without a realtor?
A: There are really just two main ways to do this. One is to attempt a For Sale By Owner type sale, otherwise known as a FSBO. While it may seem like a cost effective way to sell your home, that is a common misconception when it comes to your net profit. Not to mention the headaches and time associated with the task. Many sellers who come to us with a FSBO explain that it simply is too much for them to handle time wise and the stress from being overwhelmed and dedicating too much time to it was enough for them to consider a second option. This second option would be to sell directly to a cash home buyer that circumvents the realtor. There is no need to pay the realtor commissions and it will likely save you time and headaches.

Q: Do you need a real estate agent to sell your home?
A: The short answer is no, you do not need a realtor to sell your home. Now if you have a luxury home that was recently upgraded or a new construction, then you might be best served reaching out to your favorite real estate agent to sell your home. There are very good, professional agents who will market you high end home to the types of high class individuals who will be a potential buyer. If your home is not a luxury high end palace, there are options for you to consider where you wouldn’t need a real estate agent to sell your home.

Q: How do you do a ‘for sale by owner’?
A: There are a few important things to consider when you’d like to do a for sale by owner. Preparing your house for sale properly, marketing your home to the greatest number of buyers, and the costs associated with those and the holding costs. It often seems much easier then it really is, especially if your home has any deferred maintenance that would deter a buyer during the typical inspection process. If you’re looking to save on commissions typically paid to a real estate agent, you can consider selling to a cash home buying company that would incur all the normal transaction fees and eliminate the cost of real estate agent fees that would save you tens of thousands of dollars.

Q: Will Zillow buy my house?
A: Zillow does buy homes in certain markets. Yours may or may not be one of them. They are doing some purchases in markets, but it comes at a costs. Additionally, they are buying homes that need little to no work on them. If your house has deferred maintenance, it’s unlikely to be a good option for you.

Q: What is a cash offer on house?
A: Cash offers are real estate contracts that show only cash will be used to purchase the property. This eliminates any loan contingency and appraisal contingency so the transaction can move much more quickly. Not everyone can give you a cash offer. It often eliminates so many headaches that typically occur.

Q: Can you sell your house for cash?
A: Yes. Absolutely, you can sell your house for cash. What is stopping you? NOTHING! Find a cash buyer who won’t have to get a loan and secure a fair cash offer that satisfies your needs while finding a buyer who will be willing to pay that based on its current condition.

Q: What is a cash sale on a house?
A: A cash sale on a house is one in which the full purchase price is paid to the escrow company by the buyer in cash. There is no traditional lender in this scenario. This will eliminate the loan contingency, which can often disrupt a traditional real estate transaction. If a bank or lender doesn’t approve the loan during the escrow process, the buyer can back out of the transaction, with no penalty, often weeks after a contract has been signed.

Q: Why is a cash offer better for a seller?
A: As we mentioned above it provides surety of closing. A bank won’t say no, and it also eliminate the risk of an appraised value coming in below what your contracted. This also gives the buyer an out, with protection by a standard appraisal contingency. If the house doesn’t appraise the buyer can cancel the contract. So why is a cash offer better for a seller? Well it eliminates those two important issues, and often allows for a buyer to close much fast without the time and headaches associated with a typically real estate transaction.

Q: What are the closing costs for a cash buyer?
A: Zero. With a good one anyway. We do not charge any closing costs to you when we purchase your house. We cover all the closing costs associated with buying your house in San Diego County.

Q: Is a cash offer on a house better?
A: Yes, a cash offer on a house is MUCH better. See above response. The transaction will be much more smooth!

Q: How can I sell my house quickly?
A: It varies. If your home is listed and going on the market with a real estate agent, it could take weeks or months. Additionally, the house could fall in and out of escrow a few times. They holding costs in that scenario is unexpected. Not to mention the emotional roller coaster you go on. When we purchase a house, we can close on the date of your choosing so there is no uncertainty about moving or when you get your money. We can also close in as little as a few days. Remember, we don’t conduct crazy inspections by several people walking through your house and you don’t have to worry about the dreaded and lengthy loan process. Since our offers a cash, we can move quickly to buy your house!

Q: How quickly can a cash house sale go through?
A: Very fast. We’ve closed as fast as five days before. There are some things that need to be in order to make that happen, but 7-10 days isn’t unusual for us if the house is vacant. The title company just needs a few days to get their paperwork in order but we have the relationships to often rush these as fast as possible.

Q: How do I sell my house privately?
A: There are a number of reasons sellers want the sell their house privately. Health reasons, curious neighbors, tenant issues, family issues, etc. etc. In order to eliminate dozens of people walking through your home, we only come 1 prior to closing. Everything you share with us is private. We do not share you information, and when on-site, we follow the rules you provide. We try to keep things as easy as possible for you, so if it needs to be private or discreet, we have a lot of experience in these sensitive scenarios.

Q: What documents do you need to sell your house?
A: Very few. We provide an easy to understand sales agreement that is only 2 pages. Escrow and title take it from there. There will be a deed to sign, some tax information to fill out, a statement to review that outlines all numbers and the amount you will receive. Escrow will hold your hand through the entire process. We are always available to help too, but for our cash offer transactions, it’s actually quite simple to sell your house with very few documents and paperwork.

Q: What are the documents required to sell a property?
A: See the answer above. Escrow will walk you through the necessary seller documents. There isn’t anything you need to prepare prior. Once you agree to sell a property, and escrow is opened, it’s a very regulated process that will need to follow certain steps. We try to keep the documents required to a minimum on our end to make it easy for you, but there are a few that are required to transfer the property legally.

Q: How do I sell my house without an agent?
You can list your house on sites like Craigslist, take out an ad in your paper, or put up signs in your neighborhood. You will have to market your home to the greatest number of prospective buyers. Then you will have to organize potential buyers walking through your home frequently and secure one with binding paperwork at an agreeable price and terms. Then you have to navigate the escrow process, which may or may not be stressful depending on your transaction partner. The other, easier way, is to consider a cash offer from a cash buyer like us. This way you can sell a house without an agent, but not incur the costs or headaches.

Q: How long does a cash house sale take?
A: This is a different version of essentially the same question above. If you work with Trusted House Buyers, we can close in less then a week. Imagine that! Cash in you bank account in about a week. Would that eliminate some of your stress?

Q: What documents are needed to sell home by owner?
A: It’s usually fewer then if you would use a real estate agent. By law they are required to use certain documents. If you are selling on your own, you will need to get your sales and escrow documents in order or work with an experienced buyer like us so they can provide them to you at no additional charge, and for a smooth transactions done properly.

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