Solutions
House Selling Solutions
We buy houses in many different ways and specialise in offering selling solutions to homeowners with problem houses or difficult situations. We know everybody’s circumstances are different and require a different solution, but we have solved so many problems that we know the different tools that can be used.
We are always happy to discuss your situation and give you advice. We obviously make our living buying houses but we only want to buy houses where we are the best option for each other. It is very common that we suggest an alternative that doesn’t involve us buying your house. We do this because we have a business principal that we will only ever do a deal if everybody at the closing table is smiling.
If your house is up to date and are not in a hurry to sell, then selling to a realtor is probably your best option. They will make sure the most number of eyeballs see your house and when they find a home owner who falls in love with it and wants to move in you will get your top dollar. Just keep in mind that the price you get is not what will go in your pocket and in general about 10% of that price will go to realtor fees and closing costs. That being said, if you are flexible with time this will probably be your best option. We are not realtors so if you want to pursue this strategy you can locate a licenced realtor through the USA Real Estate Commission
Many people decide to list their house for sale by owner to avoid real estate commissions and fees. This can be a good option to save money but you do need to be prepared to roll up your sleeves and do some work. We put together some information on selling For Sale By Owner
When a homeowner buys a house they expect everything to be working and up to modern standards. After they come to terms on a house they will get an inspection done and if there are issues found they will expect them to be fixed or the cost to fix them to be deducted from the sales price. If they are using bank financing to purchase the house the expectations are even higher as the bank wants to see the inspection report and will have their own opinions and standards. It doesn’t end there as there are certain warranties expected when someone buys a house and if issues arise after you sold the house it does expose you to the buyer coming back to get you to fix something after they bought it.
When your house is older and needs repairs, then it may make sense to sell the house in As Is condition. This means you are selling the house without any warranties and will not make repairs. While most home owners won’t buy As Is this is something an investor will do. They will take responsibility for fixing the property and will often let you leave any junk you don’t want behind. We buy As Is all the time and have put together some frequently asked questions on selling a house As Is
Selling with a mortgage or a lien isn’t a big deal, as long as the money you will get for the property is more than the mortgages and liens. The important words in that sentence is “the money YOU GET”. Remember that if you sell through a realtor you are going to pay about 10% of the sales cost as commissions and closing costs. This means that often people can get a price for their house higher then the mortgage/lien but when they go to the closing they actually have to write a check to the attorney to pay off the loans. Nobody wants to pay someone to buy their house and you don’t have to. There are other ways you can deal with these liens and mortgages and avoid having to come out of pocket to sell your house. We buy houses with liens all the time even when they are worth more than the property. We put together some more information for you on selling a house with liens
If you are facing foreclosure it puts a lot of time pressure on selling your house. You obviously need to sell the house before it goes to sheriff sale so you can salvage the equity you have in your property. This normally rules out a traditional sale through a realtor as you can’t afford to wait. In this case selling to an investor who can make a quick decision and pay cash is generally the best option to sell your house. Foreclosures are always a stressful time and you will normally have lots of questions. We stop foreclosures all the time and have put together some frequently asked questions about selling a house before foreclosure
Inheriting a house can be a blessing and a curse. Sometimes it comes with liabilities, repair and maintenance obligations, taxes and managing tenants. You don’t always want to be a landlord and many people just prefer to turn the house into cash so they can move on with their lives. The house can also come with emotional baggage. We understand that it can be very hard to clean a house of a loved one up to prepare for sale. We often buy inherited houses and allow the heirs to take what they want and leave everything else behind for us to deal with. We also find that often someone has passed away years ago but the succession work to transfer the title hasn’t been done. When this is the case we can buy the property and get our title attorney to do the succession as part of the sales process. This way you don’t need to come out of pocket for the legal work. If you have an inherited house you are looking to sell we have put together an FAQ on selling an inherited property.
Selling a house with tenants can be difficult. The tenants aren’t always willing to have the house staged well for photos and inspections and this can often turn home owners off. You can always evict the tenants and stage the house, but if they still have a lease or you can’t afford to pay the note/bills this isn’t always possible. When this is the case it is generally best to sell to an investor. They understand what it is like to have tenants and buy houses all the time so don’t really care about how the house is staged. Depending on the rent you are getting it might actually be a bonus for them that you have a tenant. We buy houses with tenants all the time and have put together a some of the frequently asked questions when selling a house with a tenant.
You might want to sell your house to a cash buyer. This has some advantages as you avoid losing a sale because the financing falls through. It is also a much faster process as your buyer will not have to jump through all the hoops to get their loan approved and they won’t have to order building inspectors and property appraisers to inspect the property. Lots of banks won’t loan money on a house that needs lots of repairs so a cash buyer is a great way to sell a fixer up property. Find out more about selling your house to a cash buyer.
There are many reasons why you may need to sell your house fast. If you are in this situation then selling through a realtor is probably not your best option and you would be better off selling to an investor who is a cash buyer. The fact that they pay cash is important as there is none of the red tape that comes with getting financing approved and you can have your house sold as soon as the title attorney can organize the paperwork. We buy houses fast for cash all the time. Give us a call or fill out our online form if you want to sell your house fast.
If you have a mortgage that is as much or more than what the house is worth it can be really hard to sell. Once you take out realtor fees and closing costs you will probably have to write a big check to sell your house. This is obviously not an ideal situation but you do have options. We buy houses with no equity by taking over the mortgage payments. Since we aren’t tying up all our cash we will pay a higher price when we take over an existing mortgage. For more information have a look at our take over payments page.
Selling a Lot or vacant land is different from selling a house. Obviously there is a much smaller pool of buyers and you are going to be selling to an investor or an owner builder. While homeowners are after move-in-ready houses with granite counter tops, land buyers are more interested in location, zoning, access to build etc. Find out more about selling a lot or vacant land.
While most home buyers get scared off by a foundation problem, an investor who flips houses for a living isn’t. It’s true that foundation issues are very common in New Orleans so this could be a problem you encounter. If you are able to, you are best to get a foundation company to fix the foundation before you sell your house. If you don’t have the time, money or inclination to do this you can sell your house to an cash investor who doesn’t mind buying a house with foundation issues.
If your house got damaged by a hurricane and you don’t want to rebuild it you can sell it to a cash investor like Home Buyer Louisiana. If you have insurance you can even sell your hurricane damaged property in as is condition and keep the insurance check for yourself. When you put the insurance check and the as is sale check together you should be able to move onto a new house and save the hassle of rebuilding.
If you are thinking of selling a house in Louisiana then feel free to give us a call to discuss your situation. We are happy to offer you some advice and help you understand your options. We don’t mind if you don’t end up selling your house to us, we are happy to help and only buy your house if it is the best option for you. You can also have a look at out Frequently Asked Questions.
How to sell a house in As Is condition
Is your house old or needs repairs but you don’t want to fix them before you sell? Then selling your house in As Is condition may be the best option for you. Selling in As Is condition is by far the easiest way to sell your home, furthermore you are protected by not being held responsible for any deficiencies in the home after you sell it. We get a lot of questions about how to sell a house As Is and what is involved in the process. We therefore put together these frequently asked questions about selling your house As Is.
Selling your house as is means that you are selling the home in its current condition, will not make repairs before the sale and will not offer any credits to fund these repairs. When you sell your house As Is you are not making any warranties on the condition of the property and the buyer has no legal recourse to come back and sue you if there are more issues than they first expected. Basically when you sell your home As Is, all your problems become the buyers problems.
You will generally need to find a cash buyer. If somebody is getting bank financing for the house then it is likely that the buyer is going to struggle to get through all the inspection reports and requirements the banks have when they lend money on a property. A homeowner is generally not going to be the buyer of an As Is property unless the buyer is a contractor or handyman. Conversely an investor is more likely to buy a house in As Is condition than they are one that is in good condition. An investor isn’t put off by repairs and often likes houses with some issues as what it costs them to repair is probably less than what it would cost you. This creates an opportunity for the investor to buy your house, put some time and money into it and then sell it for a profit to a homeowner.
Yes you can sell a home with hurricane damage in As Is condition. Depending on the extent of the hurricane damage a bank may not be willing to finance the property to a buyer but you can still sell the house to a cash buyer like Home Buyer Louisiana. Unfortunately hurricane damage is a part of life in Louisiana so we are used to these types of houses. It is common for people to have insurance payouts but they don’t want to rehab the house. In those cases we buy the hurricane damaged property for cash and they combine that with their insurance money to start again. Or maybe you don’t have insurance and just want to get as much from your damaged property as possible so you can start over? In that case we are happy to make you the best cash offer on your hurricane damaged home. We will then restore the house for a new homeowner or a tenant.
When your house is older and needs repairs, then it may make sense to sell the house in As Is condition. This means you are selling the house without any warranties and will not make repairs. While most home owners won’t buy As Is this is something an investor will do. They will take responsibility for fixing the property and will often let you leave any junk you don’t want behind. We buy As Is all the time and have put together some frequently asked questions on selling a house As Is
You can sell a house in pretty much any condition. It might be fire damaged, have active termites, foundation issues, be full of junk, have water damage, been vacant since Katrina, leaking roof, no roof, you name the problem and I bet you we have bought something like that in As Is condition. Worst case scenario if the house needs to be torn down there is still be value the land. It is for this reason you can sell literally any house in as is condition.
You can leave your furniture and unwanted belongings behind when you sell your house As Is. We know it can be hard to get a house totally clean, particularly when you have lived there for awhile. The benefit of selling As Is, is that you can take what you want and leave the rest of your stuff behind. No need to clean up the house, you can even leave your rubbish behind. We try to donate what we can to charity and the rest will just go in a dumpster as part of our renovation process.
Yes you can sell a house that has building code violations. Even if the city has put code enforcement liens on your property you are still able to sell it As Is. The buyer will have to address the code violations when they purchase it to avoid further fines from code enforcement. We buy houses with code violations regularly and our title attorneys know how to get these liens removed as part of the sales process. So reach out to us if you have code violations and want to sell your house.
Selling a house with foundation issues can be hard if you are selling to a homeowner. Most house buyers get scared off by a foundation problem. Unfortunately foundation issues are very common in New Orleans. If you are able to, you are best to get a foundation company to fix the foundation before you sell your house. If you don’t have the time, money or inclination to do this you can sell your house in As Is condition to an investor like us. We deal with foundation issues all the time so aren’t scared off by this and it gives us the opportunity to use our expertise to add value to the property. While a bank probably won’t approve a loan on a house with a foundation issue, we buy our houses with cash so we don’t need to worry about bank approvals so we can close quickly and easily.
Yes you can sell a house with flood damage. We are no strangers to floods in Louisiana and unfortunately it is part of life. If your house is damaged in a flood you can still sell it to a cash home buyer in As Is condition. We know how to restore flood damaged properties and so you can sell your flood damaged property to us and move on to another property. Lots of people will get their flood insurance payout but not want to rebuild so combine the payout with the sale to us so they can start over with a new home.
Mold can be a big turn off for house buyers, particularly black mold. This makes it very hard to sell a house with Mold to a homeowner, particularly if they are using bank financing and need to meet all the inspection requirements. You can still sell a house with Mold if you sell it in As Is condition to a cash buyer. This will most likely be an investor who will remediate the mold, make any necessary repairs to flip the property to a new home owner or get it ready for a tenant. We are no strangers to mold so you can sell your house with mold to us.
It is hard to sell a house in As Is condition without any inspection. It is possible but the buyer would assume the absolute worst for everything to be comfortable which would most likely mean that you would be leaving cash on the table. If you sell to an experienced cash buyer they would still want to inspect the property but the inspection is likely to be a 10 minute walk through. It won’t be like bank inspections and they are not going to come back expecting you to make repairs. They are just going to confirm what work is needed so they can ensure that their number makes sense.
That is really a personal question and there is no right or wrong answer. If you do fix the house up to a point where it is modern and ready for a homeowner to move in (and get bank finance approved) you will definitely get more money for the house. If you have the time and money for this as well as a desire to put in the work then you should go for it. If you don’t have the time and money or you just won’t enjoy dealing with the rehab and problems that arise then you are probably best to just sell it As Is for cash. For some people just turning the house into cash without having to lift a finger is more valuable than the extra money they would get by renovating the house.
If you want to sell your house but don’t want to make all the repairs then selling your house As Is would be a good option for you. Home Buyer Louisiana buys houses as is for cash and would be happy to give you an obligation free cash offer on your home. As shown in these frequently asked questions there are lots of different reasons for you to sell your house in as is condition. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us to discuss your specific situation and see whether selling your house in As Is condition is your best option.
How to sell an inherited property
We understand that inheriting a house can be a blessing and a curse. There are new responsibilities and benefits that you get with our inherited house and for some people they just want to sell the inherited house and move on. We get a lot of questions about how to sell an inherited home so put together the answers to the most frequently asked questions about selling an inherited property.
Lots of people who inherit property end up selling to Home Buyer Louisiana because we are understanding of the situation and make it as easy as possible to sell your inherited house for cash. We buy houses all the time so we can make a quick decision about whether we will buy your inherited house and we can close fast.
Before the act of sale can happen the estate must go through succession but the heirs can agree to sell it before this happens. If the heirs agree to sell the house before the estate goes through succession and the title attorney can help facilitate succession as part of the closing process. This way you don’t need to pay for the succession out of your pocket but instead can use the proceeds from the sale of the inherited property to pay for the succession. Essentially the title attorney will do the succession work so the title transfers to the heirs and then execute the sales agreement. The heirs will be paid the proceeds minus the cost of the succession.
If you haven’t gone through the succession process to transfer the house into your name that is alright. We can organize the Title Attorney to do the succession as part of the sales process. This means you don’t have to be out of pocket for the legal expense and can use the proceeds of the sale of the inherited property.
Yes. This is fairly common when we buy inherited houses. We understand that cleaning everything out of the house can be emotional and draining. We are fine to buy the inherited house with whatever you don’t want left behind. We will donate what we can to charity and dispose of the rest.
We buy houses As-Is so won’t ask you to make repairs and the purchase agreement states that you are making no warranties on the condition of the property. You also don’t need to clean up or stage the property. As investors we look at houses all day and whether it is clean and presentable doesn’t matter to us. We are just concerned with the area and what repairs we will need to make.
There is no estate tax in Louisiana and you do not pay capital gains tax on an inherited property. You should consult your CPA to discuss your specific situation because an inherited house has other financial and legal responsibilities such as existing mortgages and liens, yearly property taxes along with general upkeep and code compliance that you should be aware of.
This is really a matter of personal preference. Rental properties can be a great source of long term cash flow. This may be more attractive to some people than a one off lump sum payment. Other people just don’t want the headache of being a landlord and fixing toilets etc and would just prefer to cash out of the property. There is no right or wrong answer, it just depends on what works for you. If you inherit a house that has tenants and don’t want to be a landlord it is possible to sell a house with tenants.
If you have inherited a house with your siblings and want to sell your share then this is possible. You have the right to sell your interest in the property. Obviously the pool of buyers for a share of a property is less than when you sell the whole property, so where possible it is best to work with your siblings to sell your inherited property. You will all get the highest amount if you sell the whole property. Alternatively your siblings might want to buy out your interests. You can also file for a partition action in court which asks for a legal order to sell the house. In this instance the whole house would be sold and the proceeds split up among the heirs. Obviously there are legal costs of this action which will come out of the proceeds of the sale.
If you think selling your inherited house is the right move then contact Home Buyer Louisiana for an obligation free cash offer.
How to sell a house before foreclosure
Facing foreclosure is always a difficult time and from our experience people that are facing foreclosure often have a lot of questions about how to sell their house before the sheriff sale. We put together answers to some of the frequently asked questions about selling a house before foreclosure. When you are facing foreclosure time is of the essence so if you have other questions or want to discuss your specific situation, don’t hesitate to give us a call.
Yes you can sell your house in foreclosure. As long as the Sheriff Sale has not occurred you can sell your house before the foreclosure and pay your mortgage off with the proceeds. By selling your house before it is foreclosed on you will be able to save your credit rating and ensure you get any equity you have in the house. There are a lot of fees associated with a foreclosure sale so once it goes to auction it is rare to be able to get back any equity you have in the house. It is for this reason that you want to act as quickly as possible when you are notified of a foreclosure. While you can stop a foreclosure at the last minute the sooner you seek help the more options you have and the more likely you are to be able to save your house or at least get the maximum equity out of it.
Yes you can stop a foreclosure right before a sheriff sale, but don’t wait too long to act. Selling your house can take time so you need to add quickly to avoid getting foreclosed on. Selling your property to an investor like Home Buyer Louisiana helps because we buy houses all the time so we can sum up very quickly what we could afford to pay and can make a quick decision to buy it. Since we are cash home buyers we can also close fast and get your mortgage caught up and paid off before foreclosure.
If you have negative equity it does make it much harder to sell your house and avoid foreclosure. You won’t find any cash buyers who are going to be happy to buy your house fast for more than it’s worth. There are options that sophisticated investors can use to still buy your house and stop your house being foreclosed. The investor could work with your bank to negotiate a short sale, which is where the bank agrees to sell the house for less than the mortgage. We will buy houses for more than they worth if we leave the existing financing in place. In a case like this we would buy the house for above market value (This could be what you owe on your mortgage or possibly even more) but instead of using the sale proceeds to pay off the mortgage we would just bring the mortgage up to date and start making the payments on the note. We can pay more on these deals because we don’t have to use our own cash and can buy more houses with our money.
This is always an option if you have no equity in the house, but it will impact your credit rating significantly which will stay with you for years. You will find it much harder to get credit and if get it you will have to pay a much higher interest rate than other people. You should always try and avoid foreclosure and there are lots of options to achieve this. If you are facing foreclosure don’t ignore it. If you reach out to us we will help provide some options for you that could save your credit rating and ensure you keep the equity you have in your house, not the bank.
Selling your house to cash home buyer
Have you ever wondered why a cash offer is different from a regular offer on your house? The money is the same at the end of the day right? While the money is the same, the process is different and selling your house to a cash buyer will often result in a smoother transaction. See below for some frequently asked questions about selling your house to a cash buyer.
Selling your house to a cash buyer simply means that the buyer is not using bank financing to purchase your house. The advantages of a cash buyer is that the buyer isn’t required to get bank inspections and appraisals. These inspections add a lot of time between signing a purchase agreement and actually closing (So actually getting paid). This means you get paid a lot quicker when you sell to a cash buyer. Banks will often not approve the financing if the inspection finds defects or the appraisal comes back less than the purchase price. This can be really frustrating as a seller as it can be 30 to 40 days of thinking your house is sold only to find out that the financing fell through. Selling your house to a cash buyer gives you a lot more certainty that the sale will actually get through closing.
No, but that would be cool (And dangerous). Even though it is a cash sale a Title Attorney will still process the transaction and act as a neutral party. The cash buyer will give the Title Company or closing attorney a cashiers check or wire transfer and the Title company or closing attorney will pay you via a wire transfer or check. The Title Companies job is to make sure that you got paid what was agreed, that the title is cleared to transfer to the buyer and that everything is recorded. The cash will change hands as will the title but unfortunately the process will be duffle bag free.
You will end up getting US Dollars whether your buyer uses a loan or pays cash. The benefits of a cash sale is that the process is much quicker as there are no bank appraisals or inspections. A cash sale can be closed as soon as the title clears which can be as quick as 7 days. There is also a lot more certainty that the sale will actually go through. When financing is involved the sale is contingent on the financing being approved. The bank can not approve the loan for many reasons. The most common reasons are if the house needs repairs or has defects or if the appraisal comes in under the sales price. Selling to a cash buyer just means the sales process is faster with less hoops to jump through.
There are still closing costs with a cash sale. A Title company or closing attorney will still need to be used and paid for the closing. If you use a realtor the commissions will still need to be paid. If you are selling directly to a company that buys houses for cash like Hanne Investments they will generally pay the closing costs.
A cash offer is generally considered better than an offer that requires financing because it has less chance of falling through and can get to closing much faster. If your house needs a lot or repairs a cash offer is normally the only one you can really accept if the banks won’t approve a loan on the property.
The beauty of a cash sale is that there are no contingencies like bank inspections and appraisals so you can sell your house quickly. As soon as the title company or closing attorney can clear the tile you can close on the transaction. This can be as fast a few days if the title is clear. Speed is definitely a strong benefit of selling your house to a cash buyer.
You need to find a cash buyer. Cash Buyers are less common than people who buy with financing and are generally professional investors, companies that buy houses or wealthy households. We are cash home buyers and are prepared to buy your house for Cash in Greater New Orleans & Louisiana. It you are wanting to sell your house to a cash buyer give us a call or fill in our online form.
How to Sell Land & Lots Fast
We buy vacant land & lots any location. If you have a lot you want to sell fast then reach out to us for a cash offer. When we buy your vacant land there are no realtors fees or commissions. We are local New Orleans investors who make quick buying decisions. We pay cash so there is no waiting around for financing approval so can close quickly.
Yes you can sell land you inherited. It is ok if the title hasn’t been transferred yet, we can get the title attorney to do succession for you and you can pay them from the proceeds of the sale of the land. This way you don’t need to come out of pocket before you sell the land.
It is common for lots to get code violations for overgrown grass and other things. We can still buy your lot if it has code violations, we will just need to pay off the violation at the closing. If the lot still has active violations in will then be our responsibility to bring up to code. We will also become responsible for the upkeep of the lot so you no longer need to worry
Just fill in the online form or give us a call. We will find out more about your land and situation and be able to give you a cash offer within 24 hours.
How to sell your house without a realtor
We buy vacant land & lots in everywhere. If you have a lot you want to sell fast then reach out to us for a cash offer. When we buy your vacant land there are no realtors fees or commissions. We are local New Orleans investors who make quick buying decisions. We pay cash so there is no waiting around for financing approval so can close quickly.
This can be a good option to avoid real estate agent commissions and fees. Particularly if you are in a hot neighborhood where the houses are in high demand it doesn’t make sense to pay a realtor if you are prepared to do a little work.
But, if you are going to Sell For Sale By Owner (FSBO), you do need to put in the work and do it right. Here are some tips to get the highest price from the FSBO process.
- Clean the home thoroughly: You want the home owner to fall in love with your property so make sure it shines. Shampoo carpets, wash your windows, keep your bathrooms and kitchen clean.
- Invest time (and maybe money) into marketing: You need to let people know about your property so make sure you invest in some professional photography (your iphone won’t cut it) and list it on sites like Zillow, Craigslist and facebook marketplace. Put a FSBO sign up at the front of your house.
- Declutter the house: Make your house look more spacious by removing as much as you can from the house. Put personal items in storage and even reduce the furniture so the house presents open and spacious.
- Make yourself available: Make sure you are ready to answer the phone when it rings so you don’t lose any potential buyers. Be flexible with showings as every bodies schedules are different.
- Taking safety precautions: Ensure your valuables and prescription medications and somewhere safe. Keep a list of names and contact details of everyone that inspects the house and ask for IDs. Just be aware that these FSBO sites are very public and potential thieves have easy access to photos of your houses interior.
If you want to sell your house and can dedicate a little time to the For Sale by Owner process then FSBO is a good way to save some money so you get more in your pocket from the sale of your house. Another option to consider when selling your house is to sell direct to an investor.
This is another option to sell your house without having to pay realtor commissions. It is a very similar process to doing a For Sale By Owner but instead of posting pictures of your house all over the internet, you can get a local investor who buys rentals and flips houses to come to your house and give you a cash offer. There are some advantages of this approach.
- No need to stage the property: Investors buy houses all the time and they don’t buy on emotion. You don’t need to present the house to them and need them to fall in love with it like a homeowner. They are just interested in the fundamentals of the house, like the condition of the roof, foundation, electrical and plumbing.
- No need to make repairs: Investors have the imagination to see the potential of a property so don’t need you to make all the repairs before they buy it. For them, a repair is just a cost they need to incur and the cost to them is probably a lot less than it is for you to fix.
- Safer: you won’t need to post photos of your house online or hold open houses and inspections and let of strangers into your property.
- Get your house sold faster: Investors buy lots of houses and have a criteria they use. They will generally be able to figure out within 1 walkthrough of the property whether they will buy the house or not. Most of them will pay cash which means that they don’t need to through all the red tape of getting finance approved so if they end up being your buyer you can generally have get paid within 3 to 4 weeks.
- Much less work: Selling to an investor is the most hassle free way to sell your house. You won’t need to answer a lot of calls, hold open houses, clean up your house or wait for someone to fall in love with your house.
Hanne Investments is a Georgia based company who buy houses direct from home owners regularly. They can give you an obligation-free cash offer on your house within 24 hours. If you are thinking of selling your house for sale by owner then before you start cleaning your house and posting it online see if they can give you the price you need and save all the hassle