If you’ve been driving around in Fort Worth, chances are you’ve seen some billboards advertising companies that buy houses.
Often times they say things like “We Buy Fort Worth Houses!” or “Cash For Your House”.
Are These “We Buy Houses in Fort Worth Companies” Credible?
How do you know if the local house buying companies out there are honest and credible?
Well… sometimes they all look the same at the start… but below we’ll walk you through some things to look for in a local house buying company to verify their credibility.
Buying and selling houses is a valid and respectable profession that can help communities and house sellers in many ways. But just like any other line of work – a small number of house buyers in any market are not reputable and you need to know how to protect yourself from one of those.
Yes, there are shady investors out there. But there are many investors with good character and who have a high level of integrity in the business as well.
In this article we’ll help you avoid these “shady house buyers” so you can work with honest, ethical, and reputable local companies who can buy your house for a fair all cash offer and close on your schedule.
But let’s not focus on the negative – at least not yet.
First, let’s cover exactly what the best house-flippers are doing.
What Reputable Fort Worth House Buyers Are Doing
- Helping folks improve their lives by accessing the money they need right away. People often need the cash in their house to cover unexpected medical expenses, or to relocate to be close to a relative. We can make that happen in just a few days, and we deliver peace of mind.
- Helping sellers get rid of a burdensome property without the hassle of having to list it with a broker and wait months and month for a sale.
- Creating local jobs. We hire plumbers, contractors, electricians, brokers, title reps, loan officers, administrators and many other folks along the way. The average real estate transaction involves 86 people from start to finish. Our investments help create real jobs for people around Fort Worth TX.
- Buying US products. We spend tons of money on materials that are made right here in the USA – that creates jobs in our timber mills, factories, supply shops, distribution centers and more. The US economy depends on steady improvement, and that requires investment from folks like us.
- Increasing the value of Fort Worth neighborhoods. When we improve a house, we’re helping to increase the value of the entire community. We often repair abandoned and neglected houses, turning them into beautiful homes for families. That activity strengthens Fort Worth.
- Increasing the tax base. When a new buyer takes over one of our properties, they’ll pay a higher tax rate based on the new and improved value. Those taxes go to pay for our schools, fire, police, libraries, streets and other valuable pieces of infrastructure. Again, improving our neighborhoods.
Pretty cool stuff, right?
Lots of people think of house-flipping as a get-rich-quick scheme. That’s fueled by “reality” shows that amp up the drama because the reality of what we do on a daily basis is actually pretty ordinary.
So let’s get back to how you can find out if someone is a credible investor, and not just pulling a house buying scam.
How To Ensure You’re Working With A Reputable Local House Buyer
When you talk with a local house buyer to potentially buy your house… ask them some of the questions below to ensure they’re reputable, knowledgeable, and honest.
Ask open-ended questions like:
- How do you help your clients?
- What do you do for people?
- Can you tell me more about your services?
- What aspect of your business makes you the proudest?
- How would you describe your investment philosophy?
- How can I know that you’ll close on my house when you say you will?
Also do your homework in these ways and ask specific questions like:
- Do you have the ability to show me that you actually have the funds readily available via a letter from a reputable bank?
- How much would my home sell for if I sold it at full market value? How does that compare to the fair market offer? Then check this info with another reputable local real estate agent. Really understand how much cash you may be leaving on the table by going with a cash offer.
- Do you have any service charge fees? Are there any other hidden fees?
- Don’t automatically work off of offers that come in through your email. This could give an illegitimate person access to your personal information. You definitely want to have an in person or at the bare minimum a video call so you can get a sense of their authenticity.
- Check the company’s reviews and ratings on trusted websites like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and or Consumer Affairs.
- Fix and Flip companies often follow a 70% rule. They typically offer 70 percent of a home’s after repair value, minus the cost of repairs. You can check this out to see if the offer you receive is in the ballpark.
Next, look for tell tale signs of tactics that those few shady operators tend to use.
- “Kitchen table closings” – If a property buyer tries to get you to sign the deed (ownership) of your house over to them at your house, rather than a professional place like a closing attorney or title company… be leery. Most reputable house buying services will perform the actual closing of the sale at a neutral 3rd party place… like a title company. This ensures everything is done right and on the up and up.
- Pressuring you into a fast closing – If a house buyer tries to pressure you into selling your house and says that you have to make the decision today, be leery. Most reputable house buying services will make you and offer and that offer will be on the table for at least 2-7 days (minimum) for you to make a decision. The reason reputable house buying services like ours at Texas Best Home Buyers do place deadlines on our offers is because the market changes and values can change week to week depending on other sales in the area. Also… we buy multiple houses a month and when we make you an offer we’re assuring you that the cash to purchase your house is ready and we’ll reserve that cash for several days so if you do want to sell your house, we can close on your schedule. If you feel the offer isn’t a fit for you, then we’ll assign those funds to help another seller with their home sale.
Most scammers are looking for a quick score, and not an in-depth interview.
Chances are good that they’ll find excuses to get off the phone and move on to someone who doesn’t ask too many questions.
True investors who run honest and ethical Fort Worth house buying services, however, are building long-term businesses based on relationships and community development.
So when you’re looking at one of the “we buy houses in Fort Worth companies“… never be afraid to ask questions!
Texas Best Homebuyers
Local to the Fort Worth area Texas Best Homebuyers has been helping people with their real estate needs for more than 25 years. If you would like to discuss any questions regarding your real estate property with us don’t hesitate to contact us anytime! We will reply quickly, usually within 24 hours. 1-817-808-4911
Perhaps you are ready to list your property on the Multiple Listing Service. (MLS) We would be happy to list your home or to help you find your next home to purchase! We are very experienced with this method of buying or selling a home. If you are selling a home we will help you to get the best sales price for your home. Contact us today! 1-817-808-4911
For most people, owning a home is the largest purchase of their lives. Because it is such an important financial decision getting the right kind of support for your particular situation and preferences is essential. In addition to working with traditional buyers and sellers, we also work with people to find solutions for selling distressed homes, and help owners who need to sell their house fast, to do so quickly. Call us anytime if you have questions or if you would like a free, no hassle, no obligation situation evaluation. Perhaps you would like to avoid the hassles of a traditional sale. At Texas Best Homebuyers we will give you a fair cash offer to buy your home “as is” and do everything we can to make the sale as quick and easy on you as possible. If this sounds like what you’re looking for give us a call right away. 1-817-808-4911
We look forward to talking with you!