iBuyer Program - FAQ
How do I qualify for the iBuyer program?
iBuyers are usually corporate cash home purchasers, sometimes individual investors, who buy properties that fit into their "buy box." Each iBuyer has its own criteria that describe the properties that they want for their portfolio. To determine if your home qualifies for an iBuyer's buy box we send one of our team members over to your property for a quick visit, they record all of the features and benefits of your home with a camera and spreadsheet and then we submit your home's data to our iBuyer partners. If your home fits in an iBuyer's buy box they will submit a cash offer to purchase the property. If more than one iBuyer is interested in your home you will receive more than one offer. Fill out our quick form to find out how much you can get!
What if my home does not qualify?
Don't worry, there are other methods that our team can effectively use to get your home sold including more traditional approaches. Our experienced team of professionals knows how to get your home sold and has time-proven methods combined with today's most cutting edge technology to get your home sold quickly even in unusual market conditions. Reach out and we will fully explore your options!
What if I owe more money on my house than it is worth?
If your home is worth less than the balance of the loans used to finance it you may be able to negotiate a short sale with your lender. This is when the lender agrees to take less than the loan balance as the payoff in a sale transaction. While it may seem like this is something a lender would never do, there are plenty of times when it is of greater value to a lender to accept less than what is owed on the property. For a lender, it may be more cost-effective for them to get a non-performing asset off of their books rather than foreclose and take the home back to try to recover their investment.
If this sounds complicated to you, compared to a traditional sales transaction, you are not wrong. These transactions tend to be more complex and take longer. That's why you will want the guidance of our team members certified by the National Association of Realtors, specifically trained to work with Short Sales and Foreclosures. We are well-versed in negotiating these challenging scenarios. It is also important that you work with specially qualified professionals to avoid pitfalls such as ensuring that the lender cannot come after you for the balance owed after-the-fact. Don't let this scare you, we are here to get you through the process. Fill out the quick form to the right, and we will be in touch!
What should I do if I have received notice that the bank is going to foreclose on me?
Don't Panic. There are clear steps that can and should be taken by a seller facing foreclosure to minimize the damage to both their credit and finances. Our experienced team members hold a certification from the National Association of Realtors which allows them to deal directly with lien holders.
Lenders do not want to own homes. They want to own loans.
Foreclosures are particularly tedious in Oregon for banks because of a mandatory right of redemption period on all property foreclosed on in the state. If your home has a bonafide offer on it from an iBuyer, a lender knows that you have the means to sell the home immediately, and the old adage "time is money" applies directly here. The immediacy holds value for the bank. Time is of the essence, so reach out via the form on the right and we will get in touch with you right away!
Do I need to get an appraisal?
No. The sales process often involves an appraisal but that is not something that the seller pays for.
When do I get my money?
The short answer is that you receive your money at closing. Most of these iBuyers will close normally and you will get the cash after the deal is closed as per usual. Some iBuyers will allow you to close quickly and then rent the home back as you shop for another home.
The long answer is that it depends on the iBuyer. Several iBuyers will give you a portion of your money before closing. This can come in handy for all kinds of reasons such as if you are purchasing another home or moving across the country, but details depend on the specific iBuyer(s) and their offer. Fill out the form on the right to get your no-obligation offers!
How do iBuyers decide how much to offer me for my home?
One of our team members will pop by your home when it is light out and quickly make an assessment of all of its features and benefits. This process includes collecting all of the relevant stats that lead to valuation, such as location, size, and upgrades.
It is our goal during this visit to find all of the things that make your home fantastic. We want to know all of the improvements you have made to the property, take pictures of all of your appliances and document systems such as heating/cooling equipment. In short, it is our job to make your home look as good as it possibly can so that we can get our iBuyer partners excited about the home so they will give you the best possible offer.
The offer will be based on the information we provide to the iBuyer along with their own due diligence, which oftentimes is automated, such as verifying average prices for the area. It's up to you to determine if you like the offer or not! Fill out the form on this page to arrange for someone to come and get the data for your house assembled!
Is there more than one iBuyer?
Yes! In fact, there are dozens of them working across the US. Various iBuyers work in different markets. It is always our goal to get you at least three offers from our iBuyer partners. Reach out to find out how many iBuyers will be competing to buy your house!
What do I need to do to get started in the iBuyer program?
If you'd like to know how much an iBuyer would be willing to offer you for your property please submit the quick form found on the top-right of this page or elsewhere on this site.
Our team will receive the form submission and reach out to you to schedule a time during daylight hours to come an assess your property with a camera and spreadsheet. Once we have the best possible representation of your home, we will submit the data to at least 3 iBuyers for competitive bids.
Do I need a Real Estate Agent?
In terms of legal and licensing considerations, no, there is nothing that prevents sellers from selling their own homes privately.
That said, the reason to involve a real estate agent is to leverage their expertise and connections. Streamlining the necessary documents, organizing the many parties involved in a transaction, and knowing how to navigate complexities and pitfalls of every type of real estate transaction, all while representing your interests, are all of the reasons that you want to hire a real estate agent. Participation in our iBuyers program also ensures that you will not need to involve a buyer's agent and pay their associated fees.
In terms of selling your house to a cash buyer, if you choose to pursue this option without a realtor, make sure that you do your due diligence on your buyer before you sign anything! We only work with the highest caliber buyers and carefully vet every one of them to ensure you don't get pulled into a nightmare transaction, or a scam.
How long does all of this really take?
Largely, this depends on your schedule and priorities. We can have cash offers within days of collecting the data on your home, and closing can happen as quickly as a week after an offer is accepted by you in writing. We look forward to hearing about your unique situation, and we can provide more details. Contact us!
What is an iBuyer?
iBuyers is a general term that stands for "instant buyer." These are usually corporations that are investing in real estate similar to the way an individual invests in the stock market. They deal in cash and buy and sell homes that match their portfolio preferences. We have connections all over the place, and look forward to bringing at least three of the best offers to your door, no-obligation, and hassle-free - contact us to find out more!
My house is in pretty rough shape can I still sell it?
The condition of your house is only a small factor. For traditional bank-involved transactions, repairs can be a show-stopper because oftentimes the bank has underwriting rules that prevent them from lending money to a borrower for a house that needs work. For iBuyers, this is not an issue because they don't deal with banks and can perform the necessary repairs after purchasing it. We will be able to provide more details on what specific conditions have a factor after seeing your home or talking with you directly, so get in touch with our team via the form on this page!
What does "buy home for cash" mean?
Most traditional real estate transactions involve a buyer who is borrowing money from a bank to make the purchase. This means that the bank has a huge role in the transaction. They have rules of their own, most of which are related to the creditworthiness of the buyer, but also have to do with the condition of the house, and the relative value of the home to the size of the loan. As a seller, you have no control over these factors, which makes the transaction more tenuous and takes longer to actually get money in your account.
Cash buyers do not have to deal with banks and their rules, and they make their own decisions about value and risk, and so are able to move more quickly with less negotiation. Give us a call to discuss your needs in more detail!
Do I need an attorney to participate in the iBuyers program?
In most cases, the role an attorney would play in a real estate transaction is dealing with legal documents, filing those documents with the county, etc. These functions do not actually require a law degree and are taken care of by our expert team of licensed realtors, who are paid to represent your interests and guide you through the whole process.
That said, it is your prerogative whether or not to hire an attorney. The fee structure of our licensed real estate agents does not change if you do decide to hire an attorney, so make sure you are not paying two people for the same job!
Can you help me buy a new home?
Certainly. We offer a full catalog of real estate services in addition to our specialized iBuyers program for sellers. Reach out for any needs you may have!
Can I negotiate with an iBuyer?
If you do not like the best offer on the table, you have no obligation to accept it. However, most cash offers represent the iBuyers best and final offer, and attempting to negotiate a higher price will not typically yield a better offer.
If the speed of the transaction or difficulty working with traditional buyers and banks is not your primary concern, then we can explore other ways to sell your home to maximize the sticker price. What many people fail to consider, however, is that the additional time and resources to maximize the price oftentimes consumes the extra money from the listing price - for example, when you sell on the open market, you'll likely be paying for the buyer's agent fees as well, which means if you sell your home for 3% more than a cash offer, you'll just be paying that 3% to the buyer's agent anyway and no more money goes into your pocket, having put in a lot more work and time into the sales transaction. Call us to explore different options and the pros and cons of each!
Do I need to make repairs on my house?
Not if you don't want to. Doing repairs on your home may yield better offers, but it is not guaranteed that the offers will be more than the cost of the repairs themselves. It may make sense to leave the repairs to someone else, and get out with cash fast. Call us to arrange for no-obligation offers, and you can choose if making repairs upfront will be worth your time and energy!
Ready to find out more?
Drop us a line today for your free cash offers!