2019

Process Of Selling A House For Cash

News / By

If you have ever sold a home before, you know selling can be a long and drawn out process. For this reason more and more people are choosing to sell their home to cash buyers. Why? Because the process is streamlined, and in most cases, hassle free. So how does the process work? That’s just what we are about to explain.

The Typical Selling Process

First, if you have never sold a property before, or it has been awhile since you have sold a home, here is a quick video that breaks down what is usually involved:

Showings, negotiations, appraisals and inspections – and in the end the buyer may not even close on the property and you have to start all over again, which can add months to the selling process. When you sell to a cash buyer you can skip the showings, appraisals and inspections, cleaning and repairs.

Find A Reputable Company

This step is probably the most important. There are tons of “investors” in every city. The majority of them are legit companies, while others not so much.

The first step you must take when trying to sell your home quickly, for cash, is to find a reputable buyer. Unfortunately, there are more than a few nefarious individuals and companies out there who are looking to “rip-off” unsuspecting homeowners who need to sell.

If you’re planning to sell to a cash homebuyer, you’ve got to do your homework! Research your options before making a decision. Look for a company with an established reputation, plenty of customer reviews, and a reputation for fairness.

Read The Full Article Here

Probably one of the best ways of checking to be sure you are dealing with a reputable company is to check them out online. If you found their number on a telephone pole, or you received a post card or letter in the mail, go ahead and do a Google search. If you find very little about them, or nothing at all, you will probably want to search for someone else. You want to find a company with great reviews and has been in business for some time, at least a few years.

The Process

It is extremely simple. Way easier than listing with an agent. It can be as easy as starting with a few phone calls:

This atypical selling house for cash process begins with a homeowner deciding to sale. Instead of contacting a real estate agent though, they call their preferred cash buyer. The cash buyer assumes the role of the realtor and assesses the property – sometimes with walk throughs, sometimes using comparable homes – to determine a fair market value cash offer.

After, they present the cash offer to the homeowners, the sellers can choose to close at their earliest convenience. No waiting for a financial approval! Selling my house to cash buyers meant I was in control. I determined the closing date, kept the traditional realtor’s commission, and approved a cash offer I felt to be fair.

Read The Full Article Here

The process can vary from company to company. It may also depend on whether or not you are dealing with an IBuyer or We Buy Houses company.

How Our Process Works

We have made the process about as easy as it can be.

First – just give us a call and give us some basic information about the property.

Second – we will do some preliminary research about the house and the area. At this point, with the information you have given us about the house and our research we will be able to give you a “ball park” offer on the house, a range of how much we can pay for the property.

Third – we visit the house and finalize the offer. If you like it and accept it, we sign a simple 2 page purchase and sell agreement. We hand over the paper work to our closing attorney, they finalize all of the documents and within a week you can have your home sold – for cash.

If you have a house anywhere in the Atlanta area the you need to sell, want to sell fast, and/or sell for cash, just visit our website to complete a brief form or give us a call at 770-756-8680.

If you want to learn more about how we buy houses click here.

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How Much Does It Cost To Sell Your House Yourself?

Powder Springs / By

If you are thinking of selling your home you may be wondering “how much does it cost to sell my house myself”. You may ask a few of your friends or family members and some may know how much it actually cost them and others may not, or the actual cost may vary greatly from one person to the next. In this short write up we will go over what some of your expenses might be.

Commissions

So we are talking about selling your home yourself, but, most homeowners that try to sell “By Owner” eventually end up listing with an agent. So for that reason we think it’s important to add this info.

If you sell your house using an agent, well that’s going to be one of the biggest expenses. A listing agent’s fees can be anywhere between 5 to 7 percent. Dimitria Willams has some more insight on this:

Subject to negotiations, the commission fluctuates between 5% and 6% of the closing price, and carries the stakes of both the seller’s and the buyer’s agents. It is the seller, though, who pays it.

The higher the closing price, the higher the commission, which is often the largest cost in a real estate transaction. In some of the country’s most prohibitive housing markets, excluding the luxury segment, it can reach over $70,000 – as is the case in San Jose. The average for the country is a bit over $13,500.

Read The Full Article Here

If you are able to sell your property yourself without an agent you will undoubtedly save yourself a large chunk of change. Like we mentioned previously, not everyone is able to do the job themselves. Agents can be worth the money, especially when it comes to contracts and negotiations. A good agent can help protect you from legal problems ranging from misinformation and just getting all of the paper work done period.

Home Inspection

This is something that you may be able to skip, depending on the age of your home. If your house is only a few years old, you probably don’t need it. However, if your house is 30 years old you may want to have an inspection done yourself prior to a buyer’s inspection:

A presale home inspection is strictly optional, and it could cost around $400 or more. So why would you pay for one? Some sellers make the investment because they want to find out about any structural or mechanical problems with the house before a potential buyer comes in with his or her home inspector.

Getting a pre-sale inspection allows you to make major repairs ahead of time, removing any possibility of a buyer demanding them later or asking you to lower the price. Discuss with your real estate agent whether a pre-sale home inspection is recommended. Keep in mind that if your inspection reveals material defects with your home, you’ll have a responsibility to disclose them to a buyer, depending on your state’s laws for disclosure requirements.

Read The Full Article Here

Typically in Georgia we see these inspections cost around $600. If your home has some age on it, this may be something that you want to consider just to give you some peace of mind.

Closing Costs

These are costs that are customary for the seller to pay for the buyer. It can range from just a few hundred dollars to thousands, or in most cases 3% of your selling price. Karin Carr explains more:

In the Georgia market it’s very common that buyers ask you to pay their closing costs or at least a portion of it. We have a lot of first time buyers and nobody puts 20% down anymore. I mean, people don’t have $100,000 just sitting in the bank waiting to buy a house as a general rule. They may ask you, hey can you chip in $3,000 towards my closing costs? They will probably also ask you for either a home warranty, a termite bond or both.

Read The Full Article Here

This is also something that you can negotiate. Just remember that if you don’t offer any incentive for the buyer they may purchase another house from someone that will.

Miscellaneous Costs

There are actually quite a few more things that can add up. You may need to spend money on landscaping, staging the home, home repairs or home improvements and the list can go on and on.

A Great Alternative

If you are really wanting to sell your house, you need to contact us. We will buy your house just the way it is – no repairs, updates or staging. We will even pay all of the normal closing costs! In short, whatever number we agree on is what you will get at closing, less any outstanding mortgage balance.

Sell your house fast, easy and for all cash. We buy houses in any condition and in any price range in Powder Springs and all of the surrounding areas. Just call us at (770) 756-8680 or click here to visit our website and complete a short form and we will contact you soon.

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Benefits Of A Cash Offer On Your House

Douglasville / By

Cash sales for houses are becoming more and more popular these days, especially with all of the iBuyer and “We Buy Houses” companies that are in every city. While cash sales have declined somewhat in the last year, they still hover around 20% of all home sales nationwide. So are there really any benefits to accepting an all cash offer for your home? Lets take a look.

The Two Main Benefits Of Selling For Cash

If you have ever sold a home before with a regular buyer that gets a loan, you know the entire process can be a real headache. The first and biggest being that the buyer may not be able to qualify for a loan. We have seen it before, even with a pre-approved loan. The buyer may have already been pre-qualified, then moves onto the next step and is pre-approved, but does something like gets another credit card, or buys a new car. Anything that can potentially effect their credit while they are trying to purchase a home can make the sale fall through, and maybe at the last minute. With a cash buyer there are no loans, banks or mortgage companies to deal with.

The second benefit is that since there are no loans, there are no appraisals. If your property doesn’t appraise for your asking price it can turn into a road block:

One of the biggest stumbling blocks with financing can be the appraisal. Appraisals are not cast in stone.

The most common method is reliance on comparable sales, known as the comparative method, which involves choosing several properties and comparing those values to the property in question, adjusting upward or downward for upgrades, location, amenities and features. If a home does not appraise for the purchase price and the buyer is obtaining a loan that requires a 20 per cent down payment, the lender will not lend more than the appraised value unless the buyer coughs up more cash or the seller discounts the price.

There are other options for dealing with a low appraisal, but they can also spell contract cancellation.

Read The Full Article Here

So no loans or buyer qualifications, or your house not appraising for your asking price and the loan being denied are eliminated by using a cash buyer.

You Sell Your House “As-Is”

This is can be a real benefit to some sellers, especially if they have not maintained their property. Another type of seller that this can benefit is someone that has inherited a property. The property inherited may have belonged to a hoarder, or again, may not have been properly maintained.

PJ Mitchell has this to add about selling as is:

If you’re in a hurry, or don’t have cash-on-hand, the idea of doing all the things – little and big – needed to maximize your home’s value may not be practical. Cash sales are “as is.” You still need to disclose any known defects or issues – but it will be up to the next guy to fix them. If you know your home needs major repairs, and are not in a position to do them, an all-cash offer may be the way to go.

Read The Full Article Here

It is important to take note of what PJ says about disclosing known defects or issues. Selling as is doesn’t mean that you don’t have to disclose that the foundation is cracked and falling down a hill.

More Sales Make It To The Closing Table

As we mentioned before, the buyer may have a problem at the last minute and may not be able to get financing. This can be a real pain for sellers because you then have to start all over again – showing the home and finding another buyer.

A cash sale also removes the all-too-familiar drill of accepting an offer only to lose the buyers at the last minute when they can’t qualify for a loan. Once the cash is passed along, there’s no backing out or last-second cold feet. Such cash sales typically close in 1 to 3 weeks compared to about 4 to 7 weeks on a conventional sale. Also, cash sales are typically “as is,” so there’s usually no major repainting and repairs needed.

Read The Full Article Here

BankRate makes an excellent point that a cash sale can happen very fast. If you are dealing with a reputable company the closing can happen in as little as just 1 week.

Summing It Up

Selling for cash can absolutely be a plus. Recap:

  • Buyers don’t have to qualify for a loan, only to be denied at the last minute and you the seller having to start over again.
  • No appraisals – you the seller don’t have to be concerned about the property not appraising for your asking price.
  • Selling “As Is” – no having to make costly repairs.
  • Close in days instead of possibly running into months.

If you have a house in Douglasville, Lithia Springs or anywhere in the Douglas County area that you want to sell and are looking for a reputable company that buys houses for cash give us a call at (770) 756-8680 or reach out to us via our website to complete a brief form and we will get back to you shortly.

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How Is AI Changing Real Estate?

Chamblee / By

Whether you like it or not, AI (Artificial Intelligence) is changing our entire world. We use AI for everything from interacting with our cell phones to where our cars can drive themselves. So is Artificial Intelligence going to change the shape of the real estate industry? Yes, and in fact, it already has. So what is to come?

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AI Is Disrupting The Real Estate Industry

Almost everyone has heard of Zillow. So how have they changed things up with AI? Zestimates. Zestimates are an algorithm calculated value of your home. The algo uses data from public information, submitted data from users and takes into account things like current market conditions, location and home facts. Is it 100% correct – no, but it can be a good place to start gauging your properties value.

Check out what Adrian Fisher has to say about AI and Real Estate:

In the future, agents will no longer need to accompany clients to show a home, and clients can tour a property at their leisure. Agent-less showings will become more popular as AI-powered robots will be able to show clients around properties anytime and answer questions they may have.

In the future, consumers may prefer to do business with bots instead of real people. According to Salesforce, 69% of consumers prefer chatbots for quick communication with brands.

Zenplace, for example, is a company that offers consumers an AI-driven home tour experience. The startup developed a bot that comes with a tablet attached to a pole on wheels. It streams a live feed of a real estate agent who conducts the tour and steers the robot. This simulated robot increases the number of showings that realtors can hold within a day.

AI will enable buyers to view homes on their own, give feedback, and allow the agent to help clients decide why it may be a suitable property. Robots won’t take over, as a human touch will still be necessary. Instead, this technology will be helpful to agents that cover a lot of territory and have a busy showing schedule.

Read Adrian’s Full Article Here

So it looks like agents may be a thing of the past, or at least headed that way. In fact studies show that most home buyers now start their new home search online before even contacting an agent.

Do You Really Need A Real Estate Agent Now?

Things are really changing, and changing fast. In our opinion, sellers and buyers are tired of paying out so much cash for what most agents do, just list and put a property on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service).

Here is what G. Brian Davis from Bigger Pockets has to say about it:

Consider these questions: Does everyone need a real estate agent? Are the services that agents provide worth $10,000? How long are sellers going to continue spending that kind of money to list and sell a property?

Not much longer.

Services like Owners.com in the United States and Your Online Property Agent in the U.K. have started offering flat-fee services in the $400-1,000 range depending on how much extra attention and services you want. All services include an MLS listing, buyer funds verification and background check, property showings calendar and offer negotiation support. Premium services include local agent support, professionally written descriptions, sales contracts, and similar bells and whistles.

So what do sellers give up by using these services? The biggest difference is they would have to show the property themselves. But who can sell the house better than the people who live there?

Expect to see these online brokerages increasingly put the pressure on real estate agents.

Read Brian’s Full Article Here

So it really appears that the pressure is on agents, especially the ones that under perform. We all know somebody that has had some sort of horror story with a realtor.

Are Agents Going To Become Obsolete?

In our honest opinion, not any time in the near future. Agents do still provide a valuable service (well, at least some of them). There are sellers that don’t have a clue as to how to sell a home or even know where to begin.

Monica Nickelsburg makes this important point:

Real estate companies such as Zillow, Redfin, Opendoor, Compass, and others are investing heavily in the burgeoning “iBuyer” market that lets people quickly buy and sell homes online. Those transactions still require a real estate agent.

Read Monica’s Full Article Here

Summing It Up

So that’s just a little about how AI is changing the real estate industry. There are many more things that are coming and are on the horizon. One thing for sure, not as many people are going to have to rely as heavily on real estate agents as they use to.

If you have a house anywhere in Chamblee or the surrounding areas that you want to sell – give us a call! You don’t need an agent to sell to us. Just give us a call at (770) 756-8680 or check out our website to complete a brief form and we will contact you soon.

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This Will Make You Fall In Love With The Historic City Of Marietta

Marietta / By

Marietta Is A Fantastic Place To Live And Work!

Marietta is a fantastic city! Okay, we might be a little biased because it happens to be the headquarters for our company. But still, it is a beautiful place to live and work along with some amazing people.

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The City of Marietta, Georgia, is a full-service municipality that is located in central Cobb County, about 15 miles northwest of Atlanta, Georgia. Marietta has a distinguished and unique history and modern life style all rolled into one. With the city being only 23 square miles housing about 56,600 residents, it is one of Georgia’s most populous cities.

The most known landmark is The Big Chicken, it is a Kentucky Fried Chicken Restaurant. The Big Chicken was built in 1956 and is at the intersection of two main thoroughfares in Marietta being Cobb Parkway and Roswell Road. It is said that when you are not from the area and need directions to anywhere, everyone will say “From the Big Chicken you will go….”. This location also has a small museum about the history of KFC.

Marietta’s History

According to the City of Marietta’s website, the city was one of the first in the area to have early settlers prior to 1824. The Marietta Square, now known as Glover Park, was typical of an older towns design, including the courthouse being a center point of the square. In 1834 the Georgia General Assembly recognized Marietta as a community. The first bank in the town was opened in 1855. The city has seen its share of devastation also, in the 1850’s the town suffered mass damage by fire on three different instances. And in 1915 the National Guard was called in when the Governor gave an eleventh-hour commutation from death to life in prison to a suspected murderer of 13year old Mary Phagan. Leo Frank ended up being lynched on Roswell Road on August 17,1915.

Here is more from Wikipedia about Marietta:

Built-in 1838, the Oakton House is the oldest continuously occupied residence in Marietta. The original barn, milk house, smokehouse, and well house remain on the property. The spectacular gardens contain the boxwood parterre from the 1870s. Oakton served as Major General Loring’s headquarters during the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain in 1864.

Marietta was initially selected as the hub for the new Western and Atlantic Railroad, and business boomed. By 1838, roadbed and trestles had been built north of the city. However, in 1840, political wrangling stopped construction for a time. In 1842, the railroad’s new management decided to move the hub from Marietta to an area that would become Atlanta. Nonetheless, in 1850, when the railroad began operation, Marietta shared in the resulting prosperity.

Businessman and politician John Glover arrived in 1848. A popular figure, Glover was elected mayor when the city incorporated in 1852. Another early resident was Carey Cox, a physician, who promoted a “water cure”, which developed into a spa that attracted patients to the area. The Cobb County Medical Society recognizes him as the county’s first physician.

Read more about Marietta’s history here

Marietta Today

The National Civic League judged Marietta one of the 10 best communities in the nation as a 2006 All-America City, the oldest and most-respected community recognition award in the country. CNNMoney.com named Marietta one of the top 25 places in the United States to retire in 2011.

You can also learn much more about Marietta by visiting their website at https://www.mariettaga.gov/738/About-Marietta.

The city of Marietta Georgia is a very exciting and unique place to live and work! Marietta has so much going on you will never be bored and you will still have the “Small home town” feel. There is a park in the center of town called Glover Park also known as Marietta Square and it has hosted thousands of weddings and proms photographs. It also has a playground for the kids and concerts on weekends and almost every holiday. There are many restaurants and small shops on the Square. There is everything from beautiful old buildings, entertainment and new places to eat all within walking distance.

  • Brewery Tours & Tasting @ Red Hare Brewing
  • Brown Bag Lunch Concert Series
  • Marietta Street Fest
  • Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theater
  • Marietta Fire Museum
  • Marietta Museum of History
  • Marietta Pilgrimage Christmas Home Tour
  • Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art
  • The William Root House Museum & Garden
  • Old Zion Baptist Church Heritage Museum

Marietta also offers plenty of interesting things to see and do that are all within minutes from the square such as;

  • Ghosts of Marietta
  • Historic Walking & Driving Tour
  • Marietta’s Black Heritage Walking Tour
  • Marietta Food Tours
  • Marietta Gone With the Wind Museum
  • Aviation Wing of Marietta
  • Marietta Confederate Cemetery
  • Marietta National Cemetery
  • Andretti Indoor Karting & Games

Marietta has a very diverse work force, there are many large companies that keep the ever growing area employed;

  • Cobb County School District
  • Tip Top Poultry
  • C. W. Matthews Contracting Co
  • WellStar Kennestone Hospital
  • Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Grounds for Atlanta United
  • Franklin Gateway Sports Complex
  • Six Flags White Water Park

Check out this video that tells even more about this great city!

As you can see, Marietta has a lot to offer!

Moving to or from Marietta?

If you have a house in Marietta and are looking for a “we buy houses” company that will buy your house – we are the people to contact! Just check out our website to complete a brief form or call us anytime at (770) 756-8680. If you are looking for your dream home in Marietta, we can help you with that as well!

You can also click here to learn more about how we buy houses works.

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I Want To Sell My House As Is Fast

Holly Springs / By

Are you saying this very thing to yourself, “I need to sell my house as is fast”? Lets face it, not everybody keeps their house in tip top condition. Life happens, kids have activities or major bills pop up out of no where. This can lead to your home being neglected because of other priorities. Now you need to sell your house fast – as is – and don’t know what to do. Don’t worry, we’ve got your back with some great tips to get your home sold quickly, just the way it is.

Should You Use An Agent Of Sell It Yourself ?

This is a really big decision that you will have to put some serious thought into.

Agent – Selling with an agent will most definitely make things easier on you. However if time is of the essence, this option may not work. Why? It takes time to find a good realtor that has a proven record of selling properties quickly.

Then there is the fact that some top selling agents may not want to list your home if it is in need of major work. They may want painting or carpets replaced, or if you home needs major repairs like a roof, they will just move on to another seller with a property that will be much easier to sell.

FSBO (for sale by owner) -Selling by owner may or may not be an option for you. Probably the biggest problem we have seen with home owners attempting to act as their own agent is that most of the buyers that come through are just a “lookie lou”. Sellers have no way of vetting these buyers to make sure they can indeed purchase the property. Then again, if they do have the means to purchase your property and they see it needs repairs, they may well just walk away.

Zillow also has this to say about selling your home FSBO:

One of the big benefits to selling on your own is that you save on the commission (you’ll save the 3 percent you’d pay your own agent, but you’ll still have to pay 3 percent to the buyer’s agent). But if you want to sell fast on your own, you’ll have to be prepared to negotiate like a pro.

Be ready to negotiate escrow timelines, juggle contract paperwork, and consult an attorney to make sure all forms are filled out correctly. Knowing the ins and outs of the process is especially important if you need to sell your house fast.

Read the entire article here

That last point can be a real hassle for a lot of sellers, the paper work. Just dealing with an attorney can take more time than you have.

Be Honest With Buyers

Some people may tell you not to do this, but in the long run it could save you a lot of headaches, and maybe even save you from a law suit.

Buyers will notice the little things like the paint, the floors and the like. But they may not notice it needs a new roof, has plumbing issues or the foundation is falling. Just because you are selling “as is” doesn’t mean you don’t have to disclose serious problems with the property.

Meggen Taylor also has this to say about dealing with potential buyers:

Every home has its strengths and weaknesses some of which are undeniable. Knowing how to work with your agent to market and sell your property while acknowledging those weaknesses up front with potential buyers and other agents won’t waste anyone’s time (including your own), which will be appreciated by all parties. And beware of using superlatives in your listing like “immaculate”, or the often abused “gourmet chef’s kitchen”, unless your property truly offers buyers those characteristics. Your listing should be carefully written so that it is an honest portrayal of your home—especially since photos can be deceptive either in benefit of or detriment to the seller. There is nothing worse for a buyer then to be excited by the online presentation of a property only to being disappointed upon actually seeing the home.

Read Meggen’s entire article here

We can’t stress enough how important it is to be honest with someone that may be interested in purchasing your home, whether you sell with or without an agent. Not disclosing problems can only lead to possible law suits in the future. If you choose an agent or FSBO, chances are a buyer is going to want their own home inspector to look at the house. Then once they find the problems they may totally back out of the purchase, only adding to the time you are stuck with the property.

Price

If you want to sell your home as is don’t make the mistake of thinking you can get top dollar for it. You will not only have to price the house according to the repairs needed, but also the inconvenience for the buyer. Let me explain, if your neighbors house recently sold for 250k and your home is identical to theirs except it needs about 20k in repairs, you won’t be able to sell for 230k. A buyer is going to want to be compensated for the headaches of making the repairs themselves.

Even if your house only needs minor repairs – but you need to sell fast – R.L. Adams has this to say about getting a home sold quickly as is:

Look, you can’t change the location of your home. You just can’t. But you can change the price. And depending on the temperature of the market, dramatically altering your price can seriously speed up the process. I’m not talking about a small price shift here. I’m talking about a major change in the asking price. If you’re listed at $400,000, dropping it to $350,000 is a dramatic change in price. Dropping it by $5,000 won’t do much for you here.

Read the entire article here

Another Option To Sell Your House Fast As Is

If waiting for a buyer through an agent or by selling by owner just won’t work for you, there is still another option for you, companies that buy houses as is.

We happen to be a “we buy houses any condition” company, and we would like to make you an offer for your house. Visit our site or call us at (770) 756-8680. You don’t have to make any repairs or even clean the dirty dishes in the sink for us to look at your house.

The best part that many of our clients like is that we pay cash and can literally buy your house in just days.

Don’t put it off any longer – call us today, we look forward to hearing from you.

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Best Ways To Sell Your House Fast

Dallas / By

Have a house that you need to sell, and sell fast? Are you wondering what your options are? Wondering how you can get your home sold quickly? Well, that’s what this article is all about.

What are your options?

Most homeowners only know of the traditional method of selling a home through a real estate agent. But if you need to sell quickly, this probably isn’t going to work for you. The time that it takes to find a good agent, reading and signing the mountains of paperwork, then cleaning and putting stuff away, staging, getting the house on the market, then waiting for buyers – so on and so on. In some cases it can take as long as a year to get a home sold with a realtor.

So what else can you do? Check out Christine Bartsch great advice:

  • List your house with a top real estate agent in your area who has a proven track record of selling homes quickly.
  • Compare cash offers from instant buyers for a no-fuss transaction you can close within days.
  • Take matters into your own hands by going the FSBO (For Sale By Owner) route.
  • See if you qualify for a short sale in the event that you’re underwater on your mortgage.
  • Get buyers bidding on your house by selling it at auction.

Read Christine”s full article here

Those are pretty much your 5 options to sell your house. Of course some will be faster than others, and others you may not even want to try to attempt on your own (FSBO). And short sales can be a nightmare, if the bank is even willing to do it.

Is it the right time to sell?

Believe it or not, there are better times of the year than others for selling a property. Traditionally during the holidays is probably the slowest time of year for home sales. So when is it best to sell?

Spring and summer are typically the best times to sell your home, as families want to move before the school year starts, and nice weather makes for easier home viewings and inspections. But increased inventory means spring and summer buyers can afford to be pickier, and the climate in different areas can affect the best time to sell a house, too.

Your needs will factor in, too. If you’re moving for a job that starts next month in another state, the time to sell is obviously as soon as possible. Or, if you’re house hunting, the time to sell might be to-be-determined based on when you’re in the process of buying.

Read the entire article here

So late spring to when school lets out in your area are the best times to attempt to sell your home. But if you really need to sell you might not have the luxury of waiting till spring.

Be available

If you are listing or selling “for sale by owner” you are going to have to make adjustments to your schedule so that buyers can see the home when they want to.

Buyers like to see homes on their schedule, which often means evenings and weekends. Plus they want to be able to tour a home soon after they find it online, especially in a hot market where they’re competing with other buyers. If your home can be shown with little or no notice, more prospective buyers will see it. If you require 24 hours’ notice they may choose to skip your home altogether.

Read the entire article here

The fastest way to sell your house

So lets go back to Christine’s methods of selling a house quickly, in particularly getting cash offers from instant buyers.

There are all kinds of these buyers now days. IBuyers as well as We Buy Houses companies. They all operate differently, but if you have to sell your home fast, this might be your best option.

You will not get top dollar for your house with any of these companies. The convenience comes with a price, plus which ever type of investment company you choose is in business to make money just like any other.

Some of the bigger IBuyer companies may want you to make repairs, while we buy houses companies, or local investors will not. It would be in your best interest to get several offers from multiple buyers.

We happen to be local investors. If you need to sell your home and are looking for a we buy houses company near you in Dallas, visit our site or call us at (770) 756-8680 for a free, no hassle offer on your home.

Learn more about our buying process and selling your house for cash here.

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Noteworthy Facts About Smyrna You May Not Know

Smyrna / By

The city of Smyrna is now one of the most beautiful and active down towns in the Metro Atlanta area. Smyrna is located in Cobb County, only about 10 miles northwest of Atlanta and has great access to I-75 and I-285. Smyrna is known as the “Jonquil City” due to the thousands of jonquils in gardens and along the streets that flourish in early spring. There are multiple forms of public transportation. And Smyrna is very convenient to Hartsfield Jackson Airport. There are two major railways and four airports within 18 miles of the city.

The History Of Smyrna

Pioneers settled in the area in or around 1832, by the 1830’s the “Smyrna Camp Grounds” that were religious encampments and were very popular and known throughout Georgia. Smyrna was named by the Greeks after the biblical city Smyrna .

Two Civil War battles were in the area, the Battle of Smyrna Camp and the Battle of Ruff’s Station both on July 4,1864. Many business’ and homes were burnt by Sherman’s troops. One Structure that has been rebuilt several times and is still in use is the “Covered Bridge“. There was also a Bell Bomber plant that made the B-29 bombers during WWII that was later reopened as Lockheed in 1951.

When the Western and Atlantic Railroad was complete in 1872 the city was incorporated in 1872. Now Smyrna covers about 15sq miles and has about 50,000 residents. Smyrna was the Winner of the prestigious Urban Institute’s Award of Excellence.

Current City Details

Smyrna is known to be diverse in not only style but in community spirit. Some nearby locations draw all lifestyles. Galleria employment center and Cumberland Mall continue to be an inviting area to the community.

The charm and all of the new housing and shopping gives this city a very appealing atmosphere. The city has two areas of attraction –  one is the Village Green and the other is Market Village.

Village Green is the focal point were the citizens can come together. It includes the community center, library, and arboretum and it is adjacent to private housing and many retail and office areas.

Market Village is the live, work and play area of town. It is the heart of the downtown area that you are able to experience the social aspects of town. There are restaurants, shopping and many other things to enjoy with friends and or family.

Smyrna is an older city, however it has been revitalized and the entire area redeveloped. It now has a 20th Century Veterans Memorial with its new style playground. It has the modern lifestyle comforts and maintained the small town feel.

There is no lack of entertainment and vibrancy in Smyrna. The city has family events, summer concerts, hiking or jogging trails, parks, public golf courses, tennis courts, pools and much more.

More attractions in the area:

Smyrna is inside the Piedmont region of Georgia so you will find hills, slopes, narrow valleys and many beautiful flowers and trees.

Employment

There is no shortage of employment in the area, with Glock being a very large company and have many employees. IBM along with United Distributors, S.P.Richards, Ridgeview Institute, UCB Adventure Outdoors, Office Max, Floor and Decor Outlets and many many more companies in the area will ensure opportunities.

Famous People

There are a few names you may recognize from Smyrna;

  • Julia Roberts – Actress
  • Bob Barr – U.S. Representative
  • Gerald Perry – MLB player
  • Ron Gant – MLB player
  • Tay Glover -Wright NFL
  • C. Martin Croker – a voice over actor and animator
  • Kelly Nelon Clark – recording artist and actress
  • Benn Jordan – recording artist and composer
  • Pat Terry – recording artist and composer

There was also a scene in the movie “Joyful Noise” that was filmed in Howard’s restaurant in Smyrna in 2011.

Check out this video that tells more about the great city of Smyrna:

Looking To Sell A House Or Buy Your New Home In Smyrna?

If you have a house in Smyrna or any of the surrounding areas and need to sell we would like the opportunity to make you a free, no obligation offer for your property. We buy houses in any condition for cash. You can call us at (770) 756-8680 or visit our site to fill out a short form and we will contact you shortly. If you are looking to buy a house in Smyrna – we can help you with that as well! We look forward to talking to you soon!

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Can You Sell Your Home Before The Mortgage Is Paid Off?

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Some homeowners often wonder how this works, how can you possibly sell your home while there is still a mortgage on it. It can be fairly simple, just like selling a car that you haven’t paid off yet. However, there are some things you need to take into account before deciding to sell.

First, you need to factor in the 5 year rule. If you bought your house within the last few years you may not be able to sell your home without bringing money to the closing table. New homeowners need to stay in their house for at least 5 years to make sure they don’t lose money when it comes time to sell. We know this isn’t always possible, especially when you have to transfer to another city because of your occupation. If your job is the case be sure and ask your employer if they can possibly help offset the costs of selling your home without any equity in it. Maybe they will, maybe they won’t – it doesn’t hurt to ask.

Steps To Take To Sell Your Mortgaged House

If you have been in the property for a few years and have to move the next thing to do is lose your emotional attachment to the property. We understand this can be difficult, especially if you like your house and are having to move because of work or some other reason. Investopedia has some good advice about this:

Once you decide to sell your home, it can be helpful to start thinking of yourself as a businessperson and a home seller, rather than as the home’s owner. By looking at the transaction from a purely financial perspective, you’ll distance yourself from the emotional aspects of selling the property that you’ve undoubtedly created many memories in.

Also, try to remember how you felt when you were shopping for that home. Most buyers will also be in an emotional state. If you can remember that you are selling not just a piece of property but also an image, the American Dream and a lifestyle, you’ll be more likely to put in the extra effort of staging and perhaps some minor remodeling to get top dollar for your home. These changes in appearance will not only help the sales price but also help you create that emotional distance because the home will look less familiar.

Read The Full Article Here

We can’t stress enough how important it is to distance yourself from the property. If you can, pack up a lot of your personal belongings, especially pictures to make it easier for a buyer to see the home as their own.

Contact Your Mortgage Company

If you plan on listing your home with an agent you should contact your mortgage company first to learn what your pay off amount will be. This will help you when it comes time to calculate what the house will bring on the market. It will also help the agent to know at what price point you need to be if you have been in the home for a short amount of time.

Lauren Perez gives some more important info from her article on Smart Asset:

If you’re thinking about selling your home, it’s best to contact your mortgage lender and ask for your current mortgage payoff amount. The amount you receive is generally valid for 10 to 30 days, before more interest accrues and changes the amount. Why does this matter? Knowing your outstanding loan balance will help you come up with a selling price. What’s more, you’ll need to use the money from your home sale to pay off your mortgage loan.

It’s also important to review your mortgage loan paperwork and look for due-on-sale clauses. Due-on-sale clauses protect lenders by requiring homeowners to pay their mortgage loan in full after selling their home or transferring their deed to someone else.

Read The Full Article Here

The due-on-sale clause is almost always in the loan paperwork now days. The lenders started putting that clause in to help them make more money. Basically it’s there so that if interest rates were to rise sharply they can collect more in interest from a new home owner.

What If You Are “Upside Down” In Your Mortgage?

This isn’t as common as it was a few years ago, but it does happen. As we discussed earlier if you have only been in the house a couple of years you won’t necessarily be upside down, you just won’t have enough equity to cover closing costs. However, some homeowners have multiple mortgages or HELOC’s (Home Equity Line Of Credit) that is maxed out. These sales can be a bit more difficult, especially if you don’t have the cash to cover these loans. So what do you do? A short sale.

SFGate explains perfectly what a short sale is:

In a short sale, the lender agrees to take less than it is owed and still clear the mortgage off of the books. Short sales can be complicated to set up and very time-consuming. While a law passed in July 2011 generally prevents your lender from coming after you for the short sale deficiency, it’s still a good idea to make sure that you won’t be held personally liable after the fact.

Read The Full Article Here

It’s great that the law was passed in 2011. However we have seen that short sales can take a long time, if they happen at all. For what ever reason the lender decides not to complete the short sale. If this is the case, unfortunately you may have to consider a Chapter 7 or 13 bankruptcy.

Summing It Up

Yes you can sell a house while there is still a mortgage on it. If you have been in the house for a long time – great, you shouldn’t have any problems. If you sell the traditional way with an agent you should have enough money for closing and might possibly walk away with some cash. If you have been in the home only a few years, or owe more than it is worth, it might be a little more difficult.

If you have a house and would like to sell it, we would love the opportunity to make you an offer. If you have only been in the house a few years, we probably won’t be able to make a deal. However, if you have been in it some time or the house needs some repairs – we probably can. Just reach out to us at (770) 756-8680 or visit our site to complete a brief form and we will get back to you soon.

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Are Home Buying Companies Legitimate?

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Do you own a home that you need to sell and are looking for a reputable we buy houses company? Well, you found them! We are Mandich Property Group and we are a local company that buys houses for cash and in any condition. You can get a free, no obligation offer by calling us at (770) 756-8680, or by visiting our website here to fill out a short form and we will get back in touch with you very soon. Now that that’s out of the way – on to the article 🙂

Are We Buy Houses Companies For Real?

Since it is a growing industry many people are asking, “how do the we buy houses companies work?”.  It’s pretty simple really, much more so than the real estate agent route with all the complicated paperwork. It is a legitimate business, but like with every other business there are scammers out there to worry about. One investment company that will not scam you is our company – Mandich Property Group, we are here to assist families like yours that may need or want to sale a home or property fast for a variety of reasons.

Selling Your Home To A We Buy Houses Company Isn’t For Every Seller

Selling your house to a cash buyer or investor might not be for everyone, you will need to weigh the pros and cons for your individual situation.Here is a piece of a great article that explains more:

When a seller chooses to work with a “We Buy Houses” company, it’s most often for one of two reasons: because they are in a financial position where they want to get cash fast or because they don’t want to take on the stress and burden of selling a house. That being said, We Buy Houses companies are not for every seller. It’s important to first evaluate what your needs are when it comes to selling a home before making the decision to sell on the market or sell to a company that buys houses.

Not all We Buy Houses companies are the same, many will operate in a very different way than others and, unfortunately, some will try to take advantage of sellers. That being said, make sure to do the necessary research beforehand and trust your gut! If anything ever feels off, make sure to get clarification.

Read the full article here

That last bit of information is very important! With every financial investment, especially large financial investments, you want to check out the company to make sure they are the best fit for you and that they are who they say they are. These days it’s much easier to check on the legitimacy of a company by simply searching for them on the web and looking at their reviews or finding them on social media.

We Buy Houses Companies Pay With Cash

There are benefits in selling to a cash buyer when you pick a reputable company such as Mandich Property Group. In this article by AdvisoryHQ it shows just a couple of the best benefits;

The primary benefit of using one of these services is that many of the companies that buy houses will offer to pay you in cash on the spot. You do not have to go through a realtor, deal with all the paperwork, or show the house, so it’s very convenient. Many of these businesses say, “We buy any house,” so even if your house isn’t in the best condition, it is likely that you will receive an offer.

Like anything else in the world, there are both ethical and unethical investors in this business, so it’s important for you to do your homework before choosing a service.

Read the full article here

It’s also important to add that when selling to a cash buying company you don’t have to worry about buyer mortgage contingencies. You also don’t have to be concerned about the buyer not even being able to get a loan making you wait for weeks, only to have to start the process all over again.

Is Selling To A Company That Buys Houses Right For You?

Selling a house is a big decision and there are many choices out there to get over whelmed with. It is true the investment route might not be the best fit for you. When discussing your situation with us if we think it is not the best way for you, we will tell you so. Because selling your house with a Realtor can take a long time and you may or may not get the asking price, this may be a good fit for your situation. Here is a short snippet from another article that gives a few more of the pros of selling your home to an investor:

Buyer financing: Unlike the traditional home sale, there is no waiting on buyer financing. Buyer financing can be a nightmare when lenders delay or slow down closing, sometimes forcing buyers to rescind their offers altogether. Most investors have cash to pay for your home, so this means no delays or hassle in relation to financing the purchase.

Creative Solutions: Because investors have the capital to buy your home with cash, they also have the ability to provide more unique solutions. For example, if you’re underwater on your mortgage, some investors will take over your mortgage altogether. Ask us about seller carry-back, and other flexible financing solutions.

Read the full article here

Summing It Up

Whether or not selling your home to an investor is totally up to you – and only you can decide in the end if it’s the best solution. You also need to use caution in who you choose to do business with, and do a little research on them. If you can’t find anything on the web about them, you might want to choose to deal with another company. Basically it is good to know who you are going to be working with.

We are a family run and operated investment company and we will do our very best to treat you right. We look forward to talking to you soon so reach out to us today and we will work hard to make the selling of your home as easy and painless as we possibly can. Call us today to get started 🙂

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