Sell Your House Fast Without a Realtor

Selling your home with a realtor isn’t the only option if you need a fast sale. Not every property requires a realtor and there are numerous benefits to eliminating the middle man.

Obviously, the biggest benefit is saving money. You will save dollars on both agent commissions and out of pocket expenses. And let’s not forget closing costs associated with settlement – sometimes as much as 10%.

Fact: You Will Likely Need to Upgrade Your House to Get More $$$ at Closing
To be able to sell your property fast for top dollar, you will definitely need to make some repairs and upgrades to the home. Translation: you need to spend money on contractors, supplies at Home Depot or Lowe’s, plus let’s not forget the time it will take to complete the renovation. Let’s face it, it your neighbor’s house sold for a nice sum of money because of granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, new hardwood floors and upgrading HVAC then you will need to invest in the same upgrades. No realtors and no contractors in the equation equals instant savings on big home selling expenses.

Fact: A Direct Sale Will Save You Big Time
You can expect to pay in the neighborhood of 6% of your final sale price in real estate agent commissions. Plus you will likely be locked into a legally binding contract with the agent for at least 30 days and likely more. For example, if you sell your house for $200,000, you are looking at paying $12,000 to the agent. Wouldn’t you rather keep that money in your pocket for future use?

So, how do you start the process of selling your house directly to a cash buyer?

Set your price based on similar SOLD properties in your area

Generally, a comparable property is one that has sold in the past six months to a year, is within a mile and is similar in style, square footage, number of bedrooms and number of bathrooms. Be as accurate as you can when putting a value on your home. As I mentioned in a previous post, you cannot trust Zillow, Trulia, Redfin or realtor.com. Their data isn’t perfect. Knowing the price of a house that actually sold that meets the criterial I mentioned before is your best gauge. Realtors have that information handy and you DO NOT have to sign a listing agreement if you ask a realtor for a few comps in your neighborhood. Try to price the house fairly and adjust as needed. Remember, you aren’t fooling anyone since buyers have access to the same information you are using.

Be Your Own Marketing Pro

If you want to sell your own house, make sure you take great pictures and get the word out. The internet is a gold mine for motivated sellers right now. Using Craigslist, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and all other social media channels make home selling easier than ever. Present your house as if you were the one looking to purchase it.

Prepare Your House for Viewing

If there are glaring repairs that need to be made, make them. It is also critical to do a deep cleaning, remove any clutter and stage your house to the best of your ability. Prepare checklists for prospective buyers that highlight the selling points and mention any upgrades. Creating a flyer that can be printed as easily as distributed electronically is important as well. Maps of schools, places of interest, parks, restaurants and other local amenities help as well.

You Have a Buyer…What’s Next?

If you aren’t using a real estate agent, it is highly recommended to hire an attorney, in your state, who can draw up the necessary sales contract. Only accept WRITTEN offers. And only use a contract fully vetted by a licensed attorney.

It’s not hard to sell your own home without a realtor, but if you want some guidance, don’t want to do it all yourself or just want an evaluation to see what your Maryland house is worth, please visit www.webuymdhomes.com or give us a call at (240) 424-0423.

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Why You Should Sell Your House to a Local Home Buyer

WE BUY HOUSES FOR CASH! Yes, that’s right, we all buy houses. You see the signs all over Baltimore, Annapolis, Essex and Rosedale. “We Buy Houses Fast” or “Sell Your House in 30 Days”. Some are legitimate for sure, but some are not. And I can assure you of one thing: you will NEVER see one of those signs with my name or number on it. It’s low class, doesn’t convey trustworthiness and it’s just not my style. Furthermore, I am willing to bet many of those guys – even with local phone numbers – aren’t local at all.

Well, I am local. And I am not in the business of low-balling or wasting anyone’s time.

I jumped into real estate investing in 2016 for several reasons. First and foremost, it’s profitable. Let’s be honest, investors are in the business of making money. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s what makes this country great. We have the ability to manufacture our own success and there is nothing stopping us other than our perceived limitations. I am no different from any business person in that respect.

But I also made a commitment to invest in Maryland because it’s my home. I am born and raised in Baltimore (Mt. Washington area), and have lived in Montgomery County since 2001. Both of my parents – an attorney and a caterer – still run their business in Maryland as well. My father has practiced law in Maryland for more than 50 years! Most importantly, my daughter has grown up in Maryland.

I once even did a five year stint at The Rouse Company in Columbia, best known for building Columbia, Maryland plus Harborplace, Faneuil Hall, South Street Seaport and several other notable properties. Columbia has been the prototype for master planned communities across the United States, since the 1960s. My parents even bought their first house in Mt. Washington with money they made investing in the company’s stock. I was there when the company was sold in 2004 and it was sad to see a Maryland institution, since 1956, getting sold off to a Chicago based company. We still have a reunion every year, on the anniversary of the Rouse Company sale, at a restaurant in Ellicott City.

I know Baltimore and I know Maryland. I want to do business with Maryland homeowners. There’s a lot of out of state, and even foreign, investors looking to buy your house for pennies on the dollar. Why? Because they think they can come to Frederick or Glen Burnie or Pikesville or Dundalk and take advantage of your situation. I don’t operate like that and I also know you are far too savvy to fall for fast talking investors.

That said, my process for making offers is in the How it Works section of my web site, in plain English and with no hidden tricks. I defy you to find another investor in the Baltimore-Washington area who is walking you step by step through the cash offer process right from the start. I don’t make offers with emotion (yours or mine), I make cash offers based strictly on real numbers.

I have said this many times: I don’t just buy houses, I solve problems – inherited homes, relocation, tax liens, divorce, tired landlords, expensive repairs, retirement – there’s a laundry list of reasons that someone may need to sell their home in Maryland quickly and without a realtor.

I have a track record of helping homeowners (for example, take a look at this clip from WBBF-TV from 2014) and I will continue to offer the same assistance and value that I have for more than a decade.

If you still have questions about me or my business, please take a moment to peruse the Brad Buys Houses website or find me on Facebook. You will see that I am not an anonymous “We Buy Houses” guy, with a sign on the corner of North Avenue and St. Paul Street. I’m a real investor, I’m local and I want to solve problems for Maryland homeowners.

Save Money by Selling Your Home FSBO

Are you ready to sell your house, but don’t want to pay commissions, fees and all of the other costs associated with using a real estate agent? Instead of listing your home perhaps you should consider For Sale By Owner or FSBO. Don’t get me wrong, I work with real estate agents all of the time, but sometimes you need to sell you house fast for various reasons – expensive repairs, inherited property, relocation, divorce, tax liens, code violations – reasons that make selling with a real estate agent challenging.

Below I’ve listed several advantages for going the FSBO route because sometimes selling your Maryland house directly is simply the best option that puts the most cash in your pocket.

No Repairs & No Renovations Needed
To list your home with a realtor and get top dollar for your house, you often need to spend major dollars on repairs – kitchen renovations, new flooring, HVAC upgrades, new roof, new windows, even new electrical and plumbing. This adds up to big homeowner cost just to get your house to the level often required by a realtor. Plus, you will spend additional money on inspections and appraisals – thousands of dollars. And let’s face it, in 2021 a kitchen that hasn’t been upgraded since 1979 isn’t going to attract many traditional home buyers. Neither is shag carpeting in the living room.

No Cleaning Required
Cluttered homes and hoarder homes require extensive cleaning to sell for the best possible price. Why not sell direct to a cash buyer, pack what you need and forget the expensive de-cluttering. A real estate agent will want all surfaces and furniture free from debris to show your property whereas a cash buyer won’t care.  And let’s not forget about the costs associated with cleaning and/or packing stuff you don’t want to keep anyway.

No Closing Costs or Realtor Fees
It is easy to save money when you sell your house directly to a cash buyer in Maryland. Taking this approach will eliminate most of the fees associated with traditional closings. Most cash buyers will cover your closing costs at settlement, plus eliminating the real estate agent from the equation will also mean no realtor fees, sometimes as high of 6% of purchase price. Plus, there will be no appraisal or inspection fees that you need to be responsible for paying. If you want to see the process for selling direct to a legitimate cash home buyer, just check CLICK HERE

Save on Marketing
The bottom line is that you can’t sell your home without marketing it to potential buyers. But selling the traditional way will require time, money, and effort. You will need perfect pictures, you need to keep it clean at all times as strangers walk through and you will likely need to hire a real estate agent. Selling FSBO eliminates the need for expensive and time consuming marketing.  

Monthly Costs Eliminated
There are myriad monthly costs associated with owning a home and they get compounded if you are already moved out and handling things from a distance. These costs can run into the thousands of dollars. What are these expenses? Well, taxes, mortgage, insurance, utilities, and maintenance are the big ones. Plus it’s possible you are in a tax line situation or already behind on mortgage payments. If you are in any of these situations, an aging house is sucking your finances, dry. The easy solution is to cut those expenses ASAP and sell directly to a cash buyer, who will offer you fair as-is value for your home.

If you are having trouble selling your house in Maryland for any reason and are looking to save on big on any of the expenses listed above, I highly recommend selling FSBO to a legitimate cash home buyer. In fact, give me a call at (240) 424-0423 or visit www.webuymdhomes.com if you want me to give you an accurate, fair no obligation offer on your house. If I can’t make a reasonable offer, I will find a solution for you.

Zillow Isn’t the Gospel

So…you are ready to sell your home now, huh? If you are like millions of homeowners, you are going to Zillow immediately to see what your house is worth.

Even though Zillow claims its “Zestimate” is usually within 10 percent of the selling price of the home, don’t believe everything you see on the internet.

Don’t get me wrong, Zillow is an excellent resource. I use it all the time. But it isn’t the gospel. Why? Because even though Zillow gets a substantial amount of public data, it also allows for user submitted data. And let’s face it, if you are adding information about your home, you are always looking for the best angle. If a homeowner decides to update or change the square footage, number of bedrooms or features, it will change the value. Likewise, public data isn’t always perfect either.

In short, Zillow gives you a range based on its best data.

What’s the best way to get the most accurate value for your home? Well, that’s easy. Obviously, an appraisal is the best way. But that will cost you money, usually around $500 for a thorough appraisal. The other way is to know the “comps”, or comparable prices, of similar homes sold within a certain time period. I generally look at similar homes sold in the past 6-12 months within a mile of the subject property.

The key word here is “similar”. Not every property in the neighborhood is a good comp. At least not for buyers or real estate agents.

You need to take into consideration several factors to determine if a house is actually comparable to your property, such as:

• Square footage (actual living space – plus it needs to be within 300-400 square feet)
• Number of bedrooms
• Number of bathrooms
• Year built (a house built in 1910 is not a comp for one built in 2010)
• Style of house (rancher, colonial, split level, etc.)

PLUS…

You need to know the condition of the property being compared.

• Is it newly renovated?
• Does it need major repairs?
• Is there a lead paint issue?
• Is the foundation sound?
• Is there mold or termites?

All comps are not created equal. It’s that simple.

So, what’s the best advice if you are using Zillow to determine what your house in worth? Use Zillow, Trulia, Redfin or Realtor.com as a baseline, but ultimately seek out a professional opinion. If you have a Maryland house to sell for any reason, I have a simple form that you can fill out right HERE to get a no obligation offer. And if you want to see my methodology for how I assess home values and make offer, please click HERE