The best way out is to sell your property in an all-cash deal. You would undoubtedly like to know more about buyers who make such offers, the benefits of such a deal, and documentation requirements.
No worries, this post will elaborate on all the FAQs surrounding cash offers for houses.
Let’s start with the basics:
What’s the real estate inventory situation in Charlotte?
Builders have not constructed enough homes during the last few years. Therefore, prices of houses have moved up significantly.
Now, you might wonder, why is there an increase in inventory in some areas within Charlotte? Well, the reason is the fear of missing out. So homeowners and investors are listing their properties in the market to get as much as possible.
Slightly tightened credit standards and high mortgage interest rates keep some buyers at a standstill. But, the frequency of all-cash deals shows investors have a keen interest in specific properties. According to the Consumer Housing Trends Report, all-cash offers accounted for 32 percent of home purchases in 2021. For Charlotte, the number for Q4, 2021 was 32.1%, as per a report published by WBTV.
Types of companies that use all-cash offers to buy properties
Several national and local firms buy properties directly from homeowners. Some sector leaders you might recognize are I Buy Houses, We Buy Ugly Houses, Opendoor, We Buy Houses, and Sundae.
Firms like iBuyer like RedfinNow, Zillow, Opendoor, and Offerpad buy houses requiring little or no renovation.
In addition, there are small local firms with less than 50 properties in their portfolio that bid aggressively. Plus, several buy-and-hold investors operate in Charlotte. They buy homes and offer them on a rental basis after completing renovation work.
Do individual home buyers make all-cash offers?
As you can imagine, most families or individual cash buyers may not have millions in their checking accounts. Yet, they often arrange money by selling other assets or liquidating an investment account. So yes, you can also expect a few bids from individual home buyers.
Why let someone offering an all-cash deal walk away with the keys to your home?
“Debt is dumb. Cash is king.”: Dave Ramsey
- The certainty that the deal will close
There is no appraisal contingency or financing contingency involved in an all-cash offer. Put simply, as there is no mortgage involved, you won’t have to worry whether the buyer qualifies for the mortgage or not.
- All-cash offers close faster
A typical mortgage sale might need 30 to 60 days for completion. On the other hand, with cash offers, you can seal the deal in five to 14 days. Sellers need to ensure they have all the necessary documents in place.
- No need to spend hours and hours showing the property to strangers
If you have sold a property before, you will undoubtedly agree that it takes a lot of time to get things in order for showings.
Staging the property and trying to hide something while showing the house results in unnecessary stress.
With all-cash deals, you won’t have to stage an event. Cash buyers do not prefer attending a showing. Even if they do, they just walk through important areas of the house. Yes, they buy the property as it is.
- Spend zero on upgrades and repairs
Homeowners who have recently experienced life changes or are facing a foreclosure usually take advantage of all-cash offers. However, these days, even people who are not in a position to carry out repairs prefer selling their house quickly.
A faulty electrical system, leaky pipes, a cracking foundation, or infestation can result in restoration work worth thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, these costs are simply too much for some homeowners.
Selling such houses via a traditional process is impossible as lenders won’t appreciate lending money to buy such homes. Thankfully, cash buyers don’t have to worry about borrowing money. Therefore, they can purchase the property as-is. Sellers don’t have to spend on upgrades or repairs. There are no inspections involved.
- No haggling over prices and handling piles of paperwork
Negotiations on nit-picky details are often an unpleasant experience. Overall, no one enjoys haggling over prices.
Bargaining remains out of the picture when it comes to cash offers. You receive bids on the spot, choose the best one, and that’s it.
Most importantly, there’s less paperwork. You won’t have to read and sign many forms as no banks or mortgage firms are involved. Instead, cash buyers handle the paperwork for you.
Small and large cash buyers work with escrow companies that manage closing documents, facilitate the transfer of funds, and complete the paperwork for the deal.
What about pricing?
As you can imagine, bids vary from one property to the other. However, studies suggest cash buyers pay at least 12 percent less than those buying with a mortgage.
But you save a considerable amount on realtor fees, repair work, bank fees, etc.
A look at legal and closing documents necessary to get a cash offer
By now, you have probably already created a list of documents to complete the sale. But let’s quickly summarize the same and focus a bit on the significance of these papers.
- Certificate of Title
The document is issued by the state or municipal body certifying the property owner’s identity. Most counties in North Carolina have online land records. You can also get the same via your Register of Deeds Office.
- Mortgage release document
Your county deed office does receive a record for mortgage payoff. Lenders also return the original note to property owners. However, in some cases, there might be a delay in releasing your lien. And this is where the mortgage release document comes in handy.
It is a document from your lender indicating the mortgage has been paid in full. Such a letter is often referred to as a mortgage release or mortgage satisfaction document.
- Mechanics liens
Buyers ensure there are no outstanding liens on the house. Thus, they ask sellers to sign Mechanics liens. In this document, the homeowner certifies that the property does not face any additional liens from laborers or contractors who have previously worked on the house.
- Personal information statement
The document consists of the seller’s name, SSN, date of birth, current and past addresses, and details of their legal issues and financial obligations.
- Final closing document
The document consists of the final terms for the all-cash agreement that the seller signs with the buyer.
Three-step approach appreciated by buyers and sellers in all-cash offers:
Day 1: Receiving/accepting all-cash offers
Days 2,3, and 4: Choosing the closing date and completing legalities like documentation and quick property inspection.
Day 5: Signing the legal documents, getting the check, and closing the deal.
Overall:
An all-cash deal saves your time and efforts. Most importantly, you won’t have to face the stress involved in a traditional sale. Sacrificing a bit on the price factor is surely worth it.