Cash versus Retail: How Long to Sell a House?
When you are getting ready to sell your home, there is a lot at stake. Ultimately you want to end up with the most money for your home but sell it in the shortest amount of time. In the end how long to sell a house may be the deciding factor in the buyers you choose.
If you end up with more than one offer, you will have some decisions to make. Is it better to give a cash discount and sell faster? Should you hold out for more money but less stability waiting for traditional mortgage steps?
Talking with a professional realtor can help you sort out the best options for your particular case but here are some basics to consider.
Selling to a retail buyer
This method can easily take 60 to 90 days. There are all sorts of pitfalls that come with this type of home buying, most of them dealing with the financial health of the potential buyers. When people are first looking for a home to buy, they seek out pre-approval from lenders. This is an estimated amount that they could assume to get as a loan when they find the right home. None of this is set in stone though and it hinges on a lot of “ifs.” In fact, how long to sell a house may be significantly extended if your potential buyers hit any financial snags. There is absolutely nothing wrong with going with a traditional retail home buyer, especially if you have no cash offers. Just know that it may take longer to sell your home, and that the deal is more likely to fall through than a cash route.
Selling to a cash buyer
This method is often much faster for the seller. Most often you would be buying from an investor or a residential development company. Cash buyers are preferable for several reasons, but perhaps the largest perk is that mortgage assessment is unnecessary. This means no mortgage origination fees. No Appraisal fees. None of the other fees that lenders tag on to assess the buyers which are not only expensive, but can add on to how long to sell a house it takes you. A cash buyer can close much more quickly, even as fast as 21 days or less, if both parties desire it. Some people selling homes may offer a cash discount because of all these perks, but it isn’t necessary. If all things are weighed equally between a cash and retailer buyer, selling to a cash buyer is going to be the preferable route.
There is no hard or fast rule when it comes to the question of “how long to sell a house?” It’s important to understand the perks to both retail and cash buyers, though. You want to get the most money out of your home, but not risk having it on the market for too long.
Don’t forget we are cash buyers who are always looking to buy more homes in the Denver Metro Area. If you are interested in selling your house, we can give you an offer within 48 hours! Head over to our “Sell Your House” page to get started.