When I decided to sell my home in Jacksonville, Florida, I expected a fairly straightforward process.
- It started out really well.
I contacted a realtor, arranged for a listing and worked my schedule around showings and open houses. The realtor had a few suggestions for improvements. I painted the kitchen and the front porch, replaced the front door and updated the faucets. I wasn’t thrilled with the investment into a home I hoped to immediately vacate but was willing to to spend some money to speed up the process. We found a potential buyer quite quickly. There were some back and forth negotiations, but we eventually settled on a sale price. The buyer then began the requirements of financing. The terms of securing a mortgage led to a fifteen page summary of necessary repairs and renovations. The buyer expected me to handle all of this. I was supposed to find service professionals, inconvenience myself to manage the improvements and also cover the cost. My roof was in perfectly good condition and yet I was required to replace it. I was told to replace the water heater, electrical panel and HVAC system. They wanted ductwork sealing, smoke detectors installed, a new refrigerator and a new railing for the porch. The combined cost of everything was astronomical. Just because I was curious, I reached out to a Jacksonville-based cash home buyer. It was easy to get a cash offer. I simply filled out an online form. The offer came on that same day. When I compared the simplicity and expediency of the cash offer with the stress and demands of the conventional sale, it was easy to see which process was superior. The difference in my profit was negligible. I agreed to the cash offer and told the original buyer that I’d changed my mind. I walked away from the house in less than ten days. I didn’t make a single repair.