If you’re like most home sellers, you’re worried about the time and effort that goes into getting a home ready to sell. We’re talking about cleaning, decluttering, staging, and other creative ways to sell your house. And don’t forget about any repairs and updates.
Once that’s done, you’ll need to find a real estate agent you can trust to work with, or if you’d prefer to sell your house without a realtor, that’s an option too. Maybe you feel overwhelmed about the possibility of the home sale taking too long or experiencing some financial strain over the cost associated with selling a house.
Thankfully, there is a much easier way! By accepting a cash offer on your home, you’ll be able to benefit from several advantages that you otherwise wouldn’t have in a traditional sale, i.e., a faster closing, cost savings, speed, and most importantly, lower stress.
But what makes an all-cash offer better vs. a buyer with a mortgage? Continue reading to find out all the benefits of selling a house for cash in Nebraska.
The Difference Between Selling For Cash and Through Mortgage
To start, let’s look at the difference between selling for cash as opposed to selling to someone buying with a mortgage. Well, first of all, when a person buys a house with cash, that doesn’t mean they will show up to the closing with a briefcase full of hundred-dollar bills. Selling a house to a cash buyer simply means the buyer offers the seller the entire cost of the property without using bank financing such as a mortgage to purchase the home. When the buyer has the ability to pay in cash outright, both you and the buyer get to avoid several costly and lengthy steps in the home sale process.
But you’re probably wondering why is that a big deal? Does it really matter if the money comes from a mortgage company or a seller’s own bank account? Yes, from this perspective, the result is the same: someone bought your home and paid for it.
But the difference between the two is that there isn’t a third party involved (the bank/mortgage company), so you’ll be able to avoid the many contingencies that can threaten the outcome for both the seller and buyer. That fact alone is why so many buyers and sellers prefer cash home sales: they are easier, quicker, fewer people are involved, and the transaction experiences fewer obstacles.
When a buyer is subject to bank funding to purchase a home, they have to go through a financial gauntlet, which is why most contingent offers fail. For a seller, this also equates to significant relief as well.
Another difference between selling for cash vs. mortgage? There isn’t a requirement to get a property appraisal completed prior to closing. Since the home buyer doesn’t need to be approved for a home loan, there isn’t a need for an appraisal to verify the home’s worth in order to reassure a mortgage lender.
Ultimately, all home sales lead to an exchange of money in one form or fashion. However, cash offers remove many of the obstacles that the traditional home sale process places on sellers, buyers, and their shared end goal. This is why selling for cash has grown more common in Nebraska.
Benefits of Selling a House for Cash
Accepting a cash offer for your home has several benefits. Let’s take a look at a few.
- Solve a Difficult Situation
Maybe you need to split the equity in your property in a divorce, or you need to relocate for a job sooner than anticipated. Perhaps a fast home sale will allow you to liquidate cash to pay down debt, avoid bankruptcy or prevent filing for foreclosure.
Whatever the reason, you can quickly get out of a sticky situation by accepting a cash offer for your Nebraska home.
- Save on Repair Costs
In a conventional home sale, the inspection shines a light on necessary repairs. Typically, home sellers must either pay to fix the issues or lower their property’s asking price to compensate for the work.
When you sell your house for cash, you simply sell it as-is. You’ll be able to save time and money on repairs and upgrades. This can be extremely helpful because most don’t even result in a full return on your investment. And the best part of all, you don’t even need to clean or stage your home.
- No Appraisals
We touched on this early regarding appraisals but to clarify with a cash home sale, no appraisal is necessary. Typically most home buyers work with a mortgage company. To reduce their financial liability/risk, say if the buyer forecloses in the future, the lender needs to confirm that the property is worth at least the mortgage loan amount.
To determine this, an appraisal is used to verify the home’s value. If the appraisal comes in low, the lender may choose to forgo financing the home sale, which tends to be why home sales fall through.
In a cash home sale, the appraisal isn’t a part of the process. Since there isn’t a lender involved, no one requires an appraisal, which removes a huge obstacle in the entire process.
- Less Risk
A cash offer usually is stronger than offers using bank financing. So when presented with several options, it makes sense for sellers to choose the buyer that shows the least amount of risk. That is usually a cash home buyer. Nine times out of ten, a home seller will choose a cash offer over a financed offer, even if the cash offer is lower.
The seller knows that the deal will close faster, and that means they will get paid sooner. Once financing is taken out of the equation, there is less risk of the deal falling through.
- Fast Closing
Another benefit between cash and traditional sales is that a cash sale takes less time to close, from start to finish. Again, the conventional lending process is usually to blame.
In most home sales, the mortgage requires underwriting. This is a lengthy process that can take from 30 to 60 days, leaving the opportunity for things to happen during that time. If the potential buyer’s financial situation changes between pre-approval and finalizing the loan, the lender may deny the loan, causing the deal to fall through. Honestly, financial issues tend to be the primary culprit when it comes to contingent offers falling through.
In contrast, a cash home sale isn’t contingent on conventional loan underwriting. That means sellers both reduce their chances of a deal falling apart and save time on the entire sale process.
- Save on Agent Commissions
When an agent is involved in the home sale process you’re looking at paying a commission of up to 6% of your home’s sale price. However, when you sell your Nebraska home for cash, you skip working with an agent and save the money.
Just be sure to check for hidden fees, like service fees, as some cash home buyers may charge those (i.e., iBuyers). Fortunately, this “We buy houses Nebraska” company doesn’t- Element Homebuyers, which means more money stays in your pocket.
- Less Paperwork
Paperwork and documents are yet another not-so-fun home selling activity. The number of forms to look over, read, initial, and sign can feel overwhelming, to say the very least. Not to mention any minor mistakes can end up costing you.
On the other hand, a reputable home buyer typically handles the closing and paperwork process for you.
However, not all offer this helpful service. So if you’re working with a cash home buyer, be sure to check reviews and references to see how they help other buyers like you. And just to be safe, ask.
- Less Stress
Truly the biggest benefit to selling a home to a cash buyer is less stress. Honestly, selling a house the traditional way is overwhelming. You’ll need to declutter, clean, stage, and add some curb appeal at the bare minimum. Besides that, you’ll probably need to address any home repairs and consider making updates. Then you’ll need to find an effective real estate agent, deal with the inspection and appraisal process, all while keeping your home spotless for showings and open houses. While you’re dealing with that, you’ll also have to worry about a buyer backing out or having issues with financing, which could lead to months of uncertainty, wondering when your house will officially sell.
There could be several reasons that you may want (or need) to sell your NE home quickly, and if that’s simple, to avoid drawing out the process, that is understandable too. Either way, a fast home sale will reduce some of the stress of selling a house the traditional way.
Who Buys Houses for Cash?
Now that you’ve learned more about the benefits of selling a house for cash, you’re probably wondering where, exactly, to find a home buyer in Nebraska or cash home buyers in Lincoln? Here are a few types of cash home buyers:
Cash Home Buyers
Cash home buyers are usually real estate investors who buy houses, improve them, then sell them (also referred to as a house flipper), or hold on to them as rental properties. Their home buying process is pretty simple and involves contacting them either by phone or by filling out a brief form on their website requesting a cash offer. They usually ask a few questions about your home, including what type of condition it’s in, and then from there, they schedule a time to view the property or request a video walkthrough. After that, usually within 24-hours, they’ll send you a no-obligation free cash offer for your home: no repairs required, no realtor commission. If you choose to accept the offer, you can close in as little as 7-days or longer, whatever works best for you. An example of a local home buyer is Element Homebuyers.
Home Buyers with Cash Liquidity
Few buyers have cash liquidity to purchase a home. A few examples of these particular types of home buyers would be:
- A homeowner who has recently sold their home and using the sale proceeds to buy a new place.
- Retirees using their savings to buy a house rather than pay mortgage financing, interest, and fees.
- Well-off buyers who can afford to pay cash
- Instant online buyers or iBuyers that pay cash for houses in certain areas and conditions.
The only issues you could run into when working with any of the buyers mentioned above is their willingness to buy your home in as-is condition, and they may use an agent to purchase your house. This would cause you to address repairs and potentially pay realtor fees, which you could otherwise avoid if you sell to a cash home buyer instead.
Tips for Selling a House for Cash in Nebraska
A little advice for selling a house for cash in Nebraska, do your research. Unfortunately, there are home buying scams out there that you need to be cautious about. So make sure when vetting a home buyer you’re interested in working with to read their reviews, find out if they are a BBB accredited business and that they present themselves professionally. Furthermore, your cash offer should be free, they shouldn’t charge any processing or administrative fees, if they do, that’s a red flag, and a homebuyer you shouldn’t work with.
Below are a few other tips for selling a house for cash in Nebraska:
Offering a Sale for Cash Offers
If you’re wondering, you are not limited to only working with cash home buyers, you can list your house with an agent or by owner and only accept cash offers. However, you’ll still run the risk of paying agent commissions, dealing with paperwork, showings, staging, cleaning, making repairs, and more. But the choice is entirely up to you to decide.
Be Aware of Everything You Need to Document
Whoever you end up working with to sell your Nebraska home, just make sure you document everything. Whatever you discuss over the phone, just make sure you get it in writing, and if you’re ever unsure of paperwork you need to sign, always seek legal advice. It’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to selling such a significant asset as a house.
Working with Cash Home Buyers
For a lot of sellers working with a cash home buyer makes sense for several reasons. Not to mention, the nice thing about home buyers is most of them are local residents in the community that have a passion for helping homeowners solve their financial and/or real estate problems. So if you’re looking for a fast solution working with a cash home buyer is a great option.
Final Thoughts
If you’re saying “sell my house fast Bellevue,” Omaha, or Papillion, Nebraska, requesting a cash offer can provide a solution. As you’ve seen, cash sales offer benefits from faster closings to lower costs and less stress. If you’re ready to explore the advantages of a cash home sale, contact Element Homebuyers to learn more today.