Selling to A Home Buying Company in San Antonio: What to Look For
Are you considering selling your house to a home-buying company in San Antonio? It can be a great option when you need to sell quickly, but it’s important to do your research first and know what to look for.
There are a lot of home buying companies in San Antonio but not all home buying companies are created equal, and some may not be reputable or offer fair prices. Some might not even be the actual buyers. So, how do you know which company is right for you? Here are a few things to consider.
Characteristics of the Best Homebuyers in San Antonio
Experience With Your Specific Situation
A good, reputable home buying company will have experience with your specific situation.
For example, if you are going through a divorce or have inherited a property, you’ll want to look for a company that has worked with people in those situations before. This shows that they know how to handle the paperwork and will likely be more understanding of your unique situation.
Great Customer Service From the Home Buyer
When you’re selling your house, you should feel like you’re the only customer. The home buyer should be attentive and responsive to all of your questions and concerns. If they’re not, that’s a red flag. You should also look for a home buyer who is available when it’s convenient for you. You will want the home buyer to be willing to work around your schedule and not the other way around.
Home Buyers Who Are Responsive With Communication
If you are talking with multiple home buying companies local to San Antonio, notice how they treat you, and their responsiveness, and make sure they follow through with their commitments. The best home buyers will be responsive with communication throughout the process of getting you an offer.
A Home Buyer With A Strong Financial Position
You’ll want to work with a home buyer who has the financial ability to actually purchase your home. Ask them about their funding and how they plan to close on the deal. If they don’t have the cash on hand to buy your property outright, they should at least have access to private funding or be able to get pre-approved for a “same as cash” loan.
Asking for proof of funds is not out of bounds. If the company plans to buy your house fast with cash, proving they actually have the money should be no problem at all.
Fast Offer and Low Pressure
A great home buyer will make you a fair, all-cash offer within 24 hours and there should be no pressure to take the offer. If you’re being pressured to take an offer or told that the price will go down if you don’t accept right away, that’s a red flag.
You should never feel like you’re being taken advantage of or that you have to make a decision on the spot. A reputable home buying company in San Antonio will be confident in their offer and their home buying process and won’t need to resort to high-pressure sales tactics to win business.
Can Buy Fast or on Your Timeline
The best home buyers will be able to work on your timeline. If you need to close fast, they should be able to do that. But if you need more time, they should be flexible and accommodating.
Keep in mind that a home buyer who can close quickly is usually a good sign that they’re a cash buyer. Most companies that buy houses in San Antonio that are legitimate cash buyers will even be willing to offer a leaseback if you need more time to move.
Questions to Ask A San Antonio Home Buyer
How Long Have You Been Buying Houses in San Antonio
Finding out how long the home-buying company has been buying houses for cash in San Antonio is a good way to gauge their experience. The longer they’ve been in business, the more likely it is that they’re a reputable company.
How Much Experience Do You Have Buying Houses
Even if the company has been buying houses in San Antonio for a long time, they may not have experience with your specific situation. Like our previous example, if you are going through a divorce or have inherited a property, you’ll want to look for a company that has worked with people in those situations before.
Can You Give References
If the home-buying company is legitimate, they should have no problem giving you references from past clients. Another reference to ask for is the title company they use. If you call the title company, they should know exactly who the company is and be willing to vouch for them. If they’re reluctant to do so or only have a few references, that’s a red flag.
What Is Your Home Buying Process
The best home buyers will have a set process that they follow every time. They should be able to walk you through each step so that you know what to expect. They should be able to answer any questions you have about the steps to sell your house and you should feel completely comfortable knowing that you are working with an expert.
What Do You Look For in A Property
The home-buying company should be upfront about what types of properties they are interested in and what they are looking for. There is no perfect property, but if the company is only interested in properties that need major repairs or are vacant, that’s something to be aware of. Most companies want to know if the major components of the house need work. These companies are in the business of making repairs so transparency in this area won’t hurt your offer.
How to Know Which Home Buyer Reviews You Can Trust
Video Reviews On Their Website
The best home buyers will have video reviews from past clients on their website that you can watch. This is a great way to get an idea of what it’s like to work with the company and see if they’re a good fit for you. Pay close attention to the people’s situation and see if it is similar to yours. You’ll also want to make sure the reviews seem genuine and not paid actors.
Google Reviews That Match the Video Reviews
In addition to video reviews, the company should also have Google reviews. There will likely be different reviews from the video reviews but there should also be some that are from the same people and those reviews should match up. If you see a bunch of positive video reviews but negative Google reviews, that’s a red flag.
Better Business Bureau Reviews Without Complaints
The company should also be accredited by the Better Business Bureau and they should have good reviews there as well. You’ll want to make sure that there are no complaints filed against the company. If there are complaints, see how they were handled and if the company seems to take them seriously.
Too Many Reviews Posted All in the Same Timeframe
If you see that all of the reviews were posted within a few weeks or months of each other, that’s another red flag. This could mean that the company is paying for fake reviews
How to Recognize A Legitimate Home Buying Company vs A Wholesaler
There are several small ways you can make sure that you are selling to an actual cash home buying company and not just a middle man or wholesaler. There are several reasons you want to sell to the buyer as opposed to a wholesaler. Primarily, you will typically get more money from the sale by cutting out the middleman.
Check the Buyer on the Contract
When you are given a contract, the name of the buyer should be listed on the sales agreement. The contract should also have the buyers’ contact information so that you can reach them directly if needed. If this is left blank or has “and or assigns” listed, this is a red flag that you might not be dealing with the actual buyer.
Pay Close Attention to the Option Period
The option period is the time frame in which the buyer can back out of the contract for any reason. A legitimate home buying company will have a reasonable option period, typically no more than 10-14 days. If the option period is 30 days or more, this is a red flag that you are dealing with a wholesaler or middleman.
Make Note of the Earnest Money Deposit
When you make an offer on a house, the buyer will put down an earnest money deposit. This is a good faith deposit that shows that the buyer is serious about the purchase. A legitimate home buying company will typically have a higher earnest money deposit than a wholesaler or middleman. This is because they are the actual cash buyer and aren’t afraid of losing the deposit because they know they are actually going to buy the property.
Ask Directly If They Are the Actual Cash Buyer
If you are unsure if you are dealing with a wholesaler or the actual cash buyer, you can always ask them directly. A legitimate home-buying company will have no problem telling you that they are the actual cash buyer and will be able to provide proof if needed. A wholesaler or middleman might try to avoid mentioning their role but they might not want to outright lie if confronted with a direct question.
What Makes A Home Buyer Credible
Improve the Lives of the People They Serve
A credible home buying company will be focused on improving the lives of the people they serve. This might mean that they are willing to work with you to get you the best price for your house or it might mean that they are willing to help you find a new place to live if needed. A company that is only interested in making a quick buck off of your house isn’t exactly taking the actions of a credible local company.
Create Local Jobs
A credible home buyer company will also be focused on creating local jobs. This is good for the economy and it’s good for the people who live in San Antonio. A company that outsources all of its work to other states or countries isn’t exactly helping the local community.
Increasing Neighborhood Values
A credible home buyer company will also be interested in increasing neighborhood values. This means that they will be buying houses and fixing them up so that they are worth more money. They might also be willing to work with the city to improve local infrastructure or increase public safety. All of these things can help to increase property values which benefit everyone in the community.
Make A Difficult Process Easy
The home-buying process can be very difficult and stressful. A credible home buyer company will make the process as easy as possible for you. They will work with you to give you the best price for your house and they will help you through the entire process from start to finish. This can take a lot of the stress out of the process by handling most if not all of the paperwork and interfacing with the title company.
What Makes A Home Buyer Credible
If you are looking for a credible home buyer company in San Antonio, Texas, look no further than Capstone Homebuyers. We are a local company that is interested in improving the lives of the people we serve. We create local jobs and we are focused on increasing neighborhood values. We also make the home buying process as easy as possible. Our reviews are legitimate and we do everything we can to go above and beyond for our customers. We love the people of San Antonio and this is the only city where we buy houses. Contact us to see how we can help.
