You’re driving around Fort Myers and you see these billboards or homemade signs at intersections of companies advertising they buy houses.
“We Buy Houses Fast!” We Buy Ugly Houses in Fort Myers!” You’ve seen these, right?
How to Determine if A Cash Home Buyer in Fort Myers is Credible
What are some ways you can determine if a local home buyer is legit?
They may all look the same but there are some differences and we’ll show you some things you need to look for.
House buying companies provide a valuable service in your community. They help stop foreclosures and help solve a variety of real estate problems for people. However, a minority of house buyers give a bad name to the rest of us because of their shady business practices.
These people are so focused on profits that they will do or say anything to get a home seller to accept their offer. Including outright lie. This is unfortunate.
Believe me, they are out there.
You want to work with an honest, reputable house buyer who will provide you with a fair, cash offer and close when you want to close.
Before we go over the shady practices, let’s go over the positive things that good, solid house buyers are doing.
What are Honest Home Buyers in Fort Myers Doing?
- Helping people access much-needed money right away. There is a reason why someone needs to sell their house fast. It could they are behind on payments, a divorce, a death, but, whatever the reason we can make that happen fast.
- Helping people get rid of a problem house that they are not in a financial position to fix-up, list with a broker and wait months to sell.
- Creating jobs. Sunland Home Buyers LLC (and other reputable house buyers) create jobs and stimulate the local economy. We hire Fort Myers, FL builders, contractors, plumbers, painters, electricians, title companies, agents and more. Every time we buy and sell a home there are almost 80 people involved in the process on some level.
- Improving Fort Myers, FL Communities and Increasing Home Values.
- When we take a dilapidated, distressed property and make it beautiful and functional, it increases the value of homes in the neighborhood. This strengthens the Fort Myers housing market.
- Increasing the tax base. When a homebuyer buys one of our properties they pay a higher tax rate on the improved (more valuable) house and these taxes better or schools, go to first responders, builds parks and more.
Companies that are buying homes and “flipping” them are not shady con-artists that many people think they are. The good, honest ones are providing a valuable service in their communities and helping people solve their real estate problems.
These are the good things about reputable home buyers. But in order to recognize a scammer or a shady company, you should understand how to vet them.
Learn How to Know You’re Working With A Reputable Home Buyer
When you are talking with a local home buyer who wants to purchase your home, the following are some good questions to ask to determine if they are reputable and honest.
Open-ended questions to ask:
- How can you help me?
- What is it you actually do for people?
- Can you go over your services?
- What is it that makes you proud about your company?
- What is your real estate investment philosophy?
- How can I be assured that you will close on my house when you say you will?
Next, look for “red flags” that may indicate it’s a shady company:
- “Kitchen table closings” – A home buyer might try to get you to sign over the deed to their house at your kitchen table and without using a professional place like an attorney’s office or a title company. Reputable home buyers will almost always use an attorney or title company to handle the closing.
- Trying to pressure you to act fast. Never let a home buyer give you an ultimatum to sell your house today or in an amount of time that you are uncomfortable with. If they genuinely want to help you, your timing should not matter to them. Most offers given by honest companies will be valid for days if not weeks. There may be a deadline because the market here in Fort Myers changes fast, but don’t ever give in to high-pressure deadlines or ultimatums.
Most shady companies are looking for a fast buck.
If you are taking the time to ask a lot of quality questions, typically, the scammers will simply hang-up and move on to the next one.
True investors who run honest and ethical Fort Myers home buying services, however, are building long-term businesses based on relationships and community development.
Never be afraid to ask questions and this will help you determine a reputable home buyer as opposed to a scammer.
