April 2018

How To Sell Your House To A Cash Buyer

Cash For Houses / By

Looking to sell your house to a cash buyer and don’t know where to find one? Are there really any cash buyers for your home out there? Well, yes, there are investors and companies that are all cash buyers that want to buy your house. In this short write up we will tell you how to sell your house to a cash buyer and a few other tips.

In a previous article “Who Will Buy My House For Cash?” we talked about whom usually buys your house for cash are real estate investors, either individuals or larger companies. On some occasions you will be able to find a cash buyer that isn’t an investor and may be able to sell your home for more money, but these buyers are few and far between.

How To Find A Cash Buying Company For Your Home

Really it’s not that hard finding someone to buy your house for cash, provided you live near a large Metropolitan area. In all large cities across the country there are companies that pay cash for homes, as well as outside the large cities into the suburbs where people tend to raise their families. Here are few ideas for finding a cash buyer in your area:

Investors find motivated sellers by using direct marketing, which involves letters, bandit signs, websites or billboards. If you see signs that say “we by houses, any condition, we pay cash” that is an investor looking to buy homes cheap or a wholesaler looking to buy homes cheap. There are other ways to find investors as well:

  • Look for bandit signs on the sides of roads or at intersections that say we buy houses.
  • Search the internet for cash buyers in your area.
  • Look up real estate investor clubs in your area.
  • Look on Craigslist or Facebook for we buy houses advertisements.
  • Ask your friends or family if they know any real estate investors.

Read The Full Article “How to Sell a House Off Market Without a Real Estate Agent for Cash” Here

We would have to say that probably the best two ways of finding a cash buyer is to first ask friends and family if they know of an investor. If they don’t then the next best option is to use the internet. By making use of the interweb you can gain a large list of buyers as well as being able to check their reviews and learn more about the company to make sure they are legit. More on making sure they are legit a little later on.

Now let’s just touch on some of the pros of selling to a cash buyer –

Pros of Selling To A Cash Buyer

Selling to a cash buyer definitely has it’s advantages, as outlined here:

When a cash buyer purchases a home, they are accepting the condition that the home is in. This can mean that you don’t need to worry about repairing any problems with the home. It can also mean that you save more time by not having to put the home in showroom condition in order to sell it. You won’t need to repaint, decorate, or worry about other things to ensure a buyer will give you top dollar. You will be getting less than the market cost for the home, but the repairs, decorating, and painting will be up to the buyer instead of you, so you won’t have to worry about paying for them.

Read The Full Article “ADVANTAGES OF SELLING A HOME TO A CASH BUYER” Here

Being able to sell your property in “as-is” condition is a huge plus for a lot of sellers. Most cash buying companies not only don’t care about repairs that need to be made, but also if your house is a mess or not 🙂 . Not having to clean for showings is great for a lot of Mom’s and Dad’s with a full schedule taking care of the children.

Also, when selling to a cash buyer you don’t have to worry about “buyer mortgage contingency” where if the buyer can’t get approved for a loan they can back out of the deal.

Lastly, another pro of selling to a cash buying home company is that you can avoid a lot of the usual costs and fees when selling the usual route (learn more about how much it can cost to sell your home here “How Much Does It Cost To Sell Your House“).

Cons Of Selling To A Cash Buyer

The biggest draw back of selling to a cash buyer that is a real estate investment company is that you will get less money for your property versus selling the traditional route to a buyer that gets a mortgage. It’s a give and take though, you aren’t having to make repairs or even clean up the property. It’s also important to note that they are a company and they are trying to make money.

With that being said there are some investors out there that will try to take advantage of you or worse, try and scam you out of money. Here is a great tip from the Balance:

But be wary. Some may ask for “application fees” and other upfront payments, meaning they’re probably just trying to scam you. Legit real estate businesses take their cuts at the end.

Additionally, if you’re already near foreclosure, some of these companies may try to stall you until you’re really desperate in hopes you’ll take even less. Get online and check out a company’s Better Business Bureau rating, and surf around for customer reviews and rip-off reports before you contact them.

Read The Full Article “Sell to a ‘buy your house for cash’ biz?” Here

Those are just 2 of the things that you need to watch out for when selling to a cash buyer. Unfortunately nowdays as with almost any other industry, there are people out there that are wanting to take advantage of other people. Their first piece of advice is really good, no company that wants to buy your house should ever ask for any kind of fee.

Here is a video that kind of sums everything up that we have just spoke about:

Summing It Up

If you were wondering how to sell your home to a cash buyer, the good news is that it’s not that hard to do at all. It’s easiest to search the web for reputable companies that pay cash. All you have to do is sit back and wait for the offers to come in.

You do however do need to make sure that whom ever you decide to sell your property to, they are a bona fide company that really can purchase your property for all cash. If someone wants a fee, move on to the next investor.

If you have a property in Acworth or anywhere in the Metro Atlanta area and are looking for a cash buyer for your house, contact us! We would love the opportunity to make you an all cash offer for your house, no matter it’s size or condition. You can fill out a form on our website, or just call us at 770-756-8680 any time.

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The Process Behind We Buy Houses Explained

We Buy Houses / By

Are you contemplating selling your house to one of those “we buy houses” companies? For some home owners it is a good option. If you have never worked with one before, or had a friend that has used one, you may be wondering just how do those companies work. Keep reading to learn some insights as to how these companies work.

How Do We Buy Houses Companies Work?

Usually when someone is considering selling a property to one of these companies they can’t sell the traditional way with a realtor. Maybe the home is in disrepair, ugly, or some other circumstance. Now maybe an agent has told you that you need to make these repairs before they will list it, or you don’t have the money to make repairs.  Selling your property without an agent can be a very time consuming process, and a real headache. Selling to one of these companies can help ease some of this pain and speed the process of selling your property on your own (check out our article “Selling your house without an agent ” to learn more about selling without using a realtor).

So what is the process involved in selling to one of these companies?

1. Fill out the Property Details on a Form

You may visit their office and fill out the form which asks for your personal data, property location, and details, and other information needed to buy your house. For more convenience, you may also just want to visit their website, fill in, and submit the form online.

2. Buyer Arranges Schedule for Home Checking

Once the company receives your form, they will review the information and contact you to schedule a meeting and check your house for sale personally. This will help them give a cost estimate of the value of your home.

Read The Full Article “How Does We Buy Houses for Cash Work For You?” Here

In today’s times in rare that someone visits an office. It’s a lot easier to go online and fill out an online form or simply pickup the phone and call, eliminating the need of you having to drive all over town.

After the company has looked at your property and done their due diligence they will then usually make you an offer on your home. It’s important to note that no matter what company you are using you can either accept or reject that offer.

How Do They Arrive At Their Price?

There are a few things that are taken into consideration when they make you an offer on your property. Here is a great explanation of how most legitimate companies arrive at their offer price:

Basically, we take 80% of the full market value of your home, also known as the after repair value, and then we subtract the estimated repair costs to determine a rough estimate of how much cash we can safely pay for the home while mitigating our risk and ensuring that the deal is profitable. Of course we are a company, primarily a fix and flip company, who is looking to earn a profit on the deal, which is why our home buying service revolves around being able to successfully find win-win scenarios with our clients where both parties involved are going to reap a massive benefit from the transaction.

Read The Full Article “How Does We Buy Houses For Cash Work?” Here

A good we buy houses company will be concerned with the selling of your house being a win-win situation for both themselves and you. The media and some realtors like to paint the picture that all we buy houses companies are bad and trying to rip you off. They are a company, and they are interested in making a profit. As we have noted before, using this type of company isn’t for everybody. They primarily help home owners that need to sell and there is some kind of problem with the house. If your house is in tip top condition and you have a couple of months to wait on a buyer, then this type of company is not for you. You’d get much more money going through an agent.

It’s Not Just Ugly Homes That They Buy

Some people mistakenly think that these companies only buy houses that are ugly on the outside, when in fact they can help in a lot of other situations as well:

They also offer to buy homes when the mortgage financing isn’t ideal, perhaps because of a high interest rate and the inability to refinance, or an adjustable-rate mortgage that becomes too expensive. Someone facing the prospect of foreclosure could also potentially own an ugly home.

Oh, and let’s not forget homes that are simply ugly because of some bad memory, such as a divorce or something much worse.

They also seem to target homes with problematic renters, or homes that were inherited that the family doesn’t want to deal with.

Then there are the typical unsightly houses, such as those in disrepair, those with water damage, termites, roof damage, or simply those that have been neglected or aged terribly.

Read The Full Article “We Buy Ugly Houses Review: Should You Sell Them Your Ugly House?” Here

Those are just a few of the reasons, and there are a lot more why you might want to consider using one of these companies.

Lastly, here is a video that explains a little more as well:

Summing It Up

Selling to one of these companies isn’t for everyone. However if your property has serious issues, or you have some other sort of problem, these companies can be a life saver.

It’s important to remember that they are a  company, they do this to put food on the table of their employees, just like any other company. And a good we buy houses company will look out for your best interest.

If you have a house in any part of Metro Atlanta, and it’s in disrepair or you are facing a situation that you need to sell quickly and you are looking for a we buy houses company, we would like the opportunity to make you an offer on your property. You can visit our website, or call us any time at 770-756-8680.

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What Are The We Buy Houses Signs?

We Buy Houses / By

Everyone has seen them. In Metro Atlanta they are usually plastered on every street corner, every intersection and at the entrance and exits of shopping centers. We are talking about the “we buy houses” or “we buy houses cash” or “we buy houses as is” signs. So who is behind these signs and why do they put them up? Keep reading to find out.

We Buy Houses Fast Signs

In most parts of the country, including Metro Atlanta, these signs are illegal. That’s why you tend to see them mostly on the weekends, when code enforcement isn’t working. Occasionally you will see them during the week, but the individuals or companies that use them face heavy fines if caught.

So just who are these people that put these signs out? Usually it’s someone that has just attended some guru’s weekend seminar that tells them to put these signs out to get their first deal. It is an inexpensive way to start getting leads from people that need to sell their house.

Realty Acquisitions has this to say about it:

Once someone walks out the door of one of these weekend training sessions they are armed with step-by-step techniques on how to begin to make their millions. One of these techniques involves the posting of ‘bandit’ signs around town. (yes – the get rich gurus actually call these bandit signs!) These are the signs you see offering to buy your house. I it’s hard for me to believe anyone would call a phone number on one of the signs thinking it is a legitimate way to sell their house. A house is someone’s home — and one of the biggest investments anyone will ever make in life. I know it seems crazy that someone would try to sell their biggest investment to someone with a handwritten yard sign but it happens!

Read The Full Article “What’s the story with ‘We buy houses’ yard signs?” Here

There are a lot of people that attend these seminars. That’s why you see so many of those signs out with different phone numbers. In fact if you listen to talk radio, or late night infomercials and pay attention to the dates these guru’s are coming into town, you can almost bet that in the coming weeks there will be an influx of those signs.

Here is an interesting type of survey about those signs and the numbers on them:

On Tuesday, I dialed 59 numbers on so-called bandit signs collected by West Philadelphia resident Michael Froehlich, who offered a buck for each one ripped down and brought to his door. As for the numbers, he gave me those free.

Most of the numbers went directly to voicemail or Google Voice mailboxes. The messages requested a name, number, and address of the property I was interested in selling. Of the 16 humans I got on the phone, only four would give me their full names, and this was before I even told them I was a reporter.

Read The Full Article “I called 59 ‘We Buy Houses’ signs searching for humans. I got secrets” Here

We think the reason no one ever answered the phone was because more than likely these are people fresh out of the seminars and have full time jobs, or don’t know what to say when they answer the phone. To give you an example we have attended many REIA’s (Real Estate Investor Associations) and have run into many people that want to invest in real estate, however 90% of them will never buy a house, either because they over analyze or just don’t have the courage to put their neck on the line.

We can understand why the people called didn’t want to give their full name, they were worried that the caller was possibly code enforcement wanting to fine them, which may also be the reason they didn’t answer the phone and sent the calls directly to voicemail to get a sellers info.

Real Estate Investors Serve An Important Purpose

Because of these bandit signs, even good real estate investors get a bad rap. Realtors love to bash them and say that you always need to speak with an agent first. We actually think realtors are getting a little worried about the internet and all of the places online that you can sell and buy a house yourself these days, without using an agent.

But investors are extremely important to a healthy economy. Investors tend to buy homes that are in need of serious repairs, or properties that people just can’t afford.

In fact, if it hadn’t been for real estate investors it would have taken much longer for our economy to recover from the crash of ’07. Many of those foreclosed homes would still be vacant attracting vagrants, drugs and crime, not to mention falling down and continuing to lower home values.

Here is a good video that explains a little more about “we buy houses signs” and how important investors are to the economy and how not to get scammed:

He reiterates the fact that usually investors are buying properties that are in need of substantial repairs, allowing homeowners to sell their house as is (learn more about how to sell you property as is from our previous article “Should I sell my house as is?“). There are a lot of people out there that are still living pay check to pay check and don’t have the funds necessary to make repairs just to get a property ready to sell.

Summing It Up

So now you know what’s up with all of those “we buy houses” signs. Honestly, we don’t use them, we like using the web to find people that need to sell their house and can’t sell the conventional way with a realtor. It’s nice not having to worry about when the phone rings if the person on the other end is code enforcement or not 🙂 .

Still, real estate investors serve an important job in our economy. If you have a property that you need to sell in Cumming or anywhere in Metro Atlanta, WE BUY HOUSES in any condition, fast and for cash (there’s our bandit sign 🙂 ). You can learn more by visiting our website, or calling us at 770-756-8680.

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What Sells A House Fast?

Sell My House Fast / By

Your friends and family may have told you all kinds of things trying to help you sell your house. In all reality, they are all probably right. There are a lot of factors that come into play when trying to sell your house, whether you need to sell it fast or not. In this short write up we’ll give you a few more tips to make sure you sell your home as quickly as possible.

Tips To Make Your Home Sell Faster

There are a lot of things that you can do to make your property stand out from others when trying to sell a home quickly. Most everyone knows that really nice kitchens and bathrooms can and will help draw in more buyers. We could probably list out 100 things that you could do to help get a buyer faster. For sake of time, we will just give you a few right now, that are sometimes overlooked.

The first thing we want to touch on is storage in the home and how your property looks when potential buyers arrive, which AARP has some good advice on:

3. Storage space sells

Roomy closets and other storage space ranks among today’s most desired features, especially with younger people who typically buy boomers’ homes. “Problem is,” notes Debra Carney-Schoepe, a Realtor in the Philadelphia suburbs, “many boomers live in older homes with limited storage space. So remove excess seasonal clothing from closets and ‘color-code’ what’s left on the sides to make small spaces look larger and more organized — with empty hangers in the middle.”

Shelving units or organizers in walk-in closets are a fast-growing must-have — and worth their $200 price tag. Also, pare down kitchen cabinets and remove drain cleaners and other products that may indicate potential problems.

4. Know the eight-second rule

In that time, many buyers decide whether they’ll buy the home, says Corcoran. For better curb appeal, ensure that the lawn and entryway look neat and crisp. And plant yellow flowers. Studies show that yellow excites and stimulates buying, says Carney-Schoepe.

Read The Full Article “How to Sell Your Home Faster” Here

There are a few great tips in there that are even new to us. We like the idea of having empty hangers in the middle to sort of give an illusion of having more space than needed. We likewise didn’t know about yellow flowers stimulating buying. You can bet that every property we sell from now on will have yellow flowers 🙂 . We were also surprised that they think that a buyer makes up their mind in only 8 seconds! In the past we thought we had at least a minute.

Next is moving on to staging, which applies whether you are still living in the property or not. An unoccupied home with furniture in it will always sell faster than an empty property:

2. Have your house staged

Want to go the extra mile beyond cleaning? Consider having your house staged, a way of decorating it so it’s more attractive to buyers.

“It’s best to present the home in its best light,” explains Nile Lundgren, an agent with Trent & Company in New York City. He once had a listing—unstaged—on the market for five months without ever getting an offer.

“We took it off the market, staged it, reshot photos, and put it back on the market,” he says. “Within two weeks, we got into a bidding war and signed a contract shortly thereafter.”

Staging typically takes anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on the availability of rental furniture, the movers, and the installers. If you’re facing a major time crunch, Lundren suggests focusing on staging the beds, sofas, tables, chairs, and art—items that make a house feel like a home where people can live and get comfortable.

Read The Full Article “How to Sell Your House Fast: 5 Must-Know Tips to Move Your Property” Here

It’s also important to note that you need to properly stage your home, even if you are living it. It is remarkable in that article that after being listed for months and not getting an offer, then staging got an offer in only 2 weeks. That alone should make you a believer in staging your property. For a little more on staging tips see our article “Insider Tips for a Rapid House Sale“.

Here is another great tip from Readers Digest:

First of all, think about what kind of person is likely to move into your house. If it’s a four-bedroom in the suburbs, it will probably appeal to families; a one-bedroom in the city might go to a young professional. “If you’re in the neighborhood, you know who the people are that are moving in,” says Sridharan. Now figure out what that kind of buyer might be looking for. For instance, that family might want to know how local schools rate on Great Schools, while a young, single person might want the Walk Score walkability rating, says Sridharan.

Read The Full Article “15 Tricks to Help Sell Your Home Faster—and for More Money” Here

That’s good advice, especially if you are trying to sell your home yourself, or “FSBO”. Wherever you list your property on the web, or in fliers, you can add in the description about how nice the local schools are, or for a single person maybe the closest bars 😉

Lastly, for everyone that prefers to watch videos over reading, here is a YouTube video that has some great tips:

Summing It Up

These are just a few tips that can help you get a buyer for your property quickly. It’s never easy selling a property and moving, but if you follow these tips it will be a little easier.

If you have a property in the Metro Atlanta area and you need to sell your house fast and don’t want to deal with all of the hassles listed above, contact us, Mandich Property Group. We buy houses fast and in any condition. You can learn more on our site, or call us at 770-756-8680 for a free, no obligation offer on your house.

What Sells A House Fast? Read More »

How Much Does It Cost To Sell Your House

News & Info / By

Many times when someone is attempting to sell their first house mistakenly assume that they will receive the full amount of their selling price less what is owed on the mortgage. If you are selling the traditional method through an agent, the cost of selling your property may surprise you.

Costs Of Selling Your Home Through An Agent

A lot of times when first time home sellers go to the closing table, they are surprised at how much it costs them to sell their property. When you sell your house the regular way through an agent, the costs can add up quickly, and then depending on your market and condition of your home, there maybe some additional costs as well.

First, what the largest amount of money spent on closing is what goes to the agents. Kate Ashford has this to say about it on Forbes:

The biggest chunk of sales costs is made up of agent commissions and transfer or sales taxes ($13,357). “Your biggest ticket items are going to be that estimated closing costs column,” Olsen says. In terms of agent’s fees, typical costs include 3% of the sale price to the seller’s agent and another 3% to the buyer’s agent. As your home increases in value, so do your agent’s fees.

Read The Full Article “Selling Your Home May Be Pricier Than You Expect” Here

6 percent is a lot of money. On a 200k home that’s $12,000 alone gone to just realtor commissions. In our opinion, it is well earned though. You have to stop and think what your listing agent does for you (at least the good ones). There is all of the marketing that they do, showings of the property when you aren’t there, set up and handle open houses and negotiations with buyers agents. If they don’t sell your house, those are their expenses that are not recouped.

It doesn’t stop there,  there is also closing costs that the seller is expected to pay as well:

Some of these costs may include HOA (or homeowners association) fees, property taxes, attorney fees, transfer taxes and title insurance. You also may be asked to pay an escrow fee, a brokerage fee and a courier fee. Altogether, closing costs can range from 2 percent to 4 percent of the selling price.

Read the Full Article “How much does it cost to sell a house?” Here

Here in Georgia we typically see these additional closing costs at an average of 3%. Depending on where you live and the condition of your market will cause that number to vary.

So now we are at 9% of your selling price, but hold on, we are not done yet. There are still more things that you may have to pay for, some of them maybe even before closing:

Home repairs: Your buyer will probably order a home inspection before closing. If the report reveals problems, you may be asked to pay for repairs.

Moving costs: Whether you buy boxes, pack and move them yourself or hire a company, you’ll want to budget money for the actual move.

Read The Full Article “How Much Does It Cost to Sell a House?” Here

The home repairs that need to be made that are noted from a home inspection are often times something the seller never saw coming.  If you are considering selling your home with an agent it may be in your best interest to have your own home inspection preformed so you don’t have any last minute surprises.

Unfortunately, we still aren’t done with what it could cost you when selling your home. Watch this video that explains other possible additional costs, again depending on the area in which you live:

As you can see, it can add up to be quite costly when selling your home.

There Is An Alternative When Selling Your Home

There are really 2 alternatives to selling your home with an agent. The first is to sell your home yourself. However it is likely that if you properly market your property yourself the buyer will have an agent, and you will have to negotiate their commission. In this case you will also probably still have to pay some of the additional closing costs. The amount that you are required to pay will depend on your negotiation skills, or the amount of money you are willing to pay vs. not making a sale.

Your 2nd option is to sell to an investor, or a “house buying company”. This option isn’t for everyone though. If your house is newer and doesn’t need any repairs and you have all the time in the world to wait on a buyer, then your better off either using an agent or selling yourself. If your house is in need of repairs, or you need to sell quickly, this might be a viable option for you.

The reason an investor or a company that buys houses is an option is because they usually pay closing costs. That means no realtor commissions (as long as you haven’t hired one already) and no closing fees.

Our company, Mandich Property Group is a house buying company in the Metro Atlanta area. In most instances we pay all of the closing costs. That means at closing you will get the full amount that we agree upon, less your mortgage. It’s a great alternative for people that are in a hurry to sell, or for whatever reason can’t or don’t want to use an agent. You can learn more by visiting our site, or call us at 770-756-8680.

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