While we may not like to admit it, these days there are quite a few companies that buy houses in Killeen… Or Temple… Or, well, you get the picture. Truth is, there are a number of solid companies out there and I truly do encourage you to check a few of them out and decide who you want to work with. In fact, whenever I start working with a new client I highly recommend that they talk to a few of our competitors just to get a better feel for their options and the best price! Below are a couple of pointers to help you screen and make the best choice possible, the same advice I would give someone I am meeting for the first time.
If you are looking to sell your house fast there is a good chance you will start with a search, typing We Buy Houses Killeen, or something along those lines. There is a good chance you will wind up looking at a few of the “big guy” sites that do tons of online advertising, television commercials, etc. There’s not necessarily anything wrong with any of that of course but it does have an effect on how much they can offer or even how accurate the offers are, which I will go in to more below
Start with local buyers
When picking a home buyer in Killeen I HIGHLY recommend using a local, Texas based company that at least has a real person close by. My personal opinion and experience is that if someone isn’t looking at your home in person there is just no way they can make you an accurate offer and that means a “lowball” price or a buyer that isn’t really committed and can back out, wasting your time and creating a frustrating situation. A good, local home buyer will meet with you (if you want to of course) and get as much information as possible to make sure it is a win-win situation.
They can look at the home and see if there is anything that might affect the price (good or bad!) and then take a little time to get you a legitimate offer. Typically this can be done in less than a day and sometimes just a few hours depending on how fast or slow you want to move.
*** Pro Tip: Always ask if the person you are talking to is a true cash buyer or a “wholesaler”, which is basically industry jargon for someone who puts houses under contract and then tries to sell the contract, not buy the house. I won’t go in to all the details but trust me, this is not an ideal situation and is very common. We buy houses directly at Liberty and let you know exactly what is happening from the first conversation.
Avoid chains & franchises
You may not realize it but the ugly house people, is actually just a franchise network of independent companies with a shared marketing budget.. That means that your local branch might not be nearly as good as what you might have heard about. It also means that they have a ton of advertising and franchise fees to cover and guess who ultimately pays for them? You guessed it!
Most of the offers that are made through companies that are not local will have a large amount of room built in for repairs that your house may or may not need. And many of these companies are not even really planning to buy your house, they just resell the contract for more money. As I said, even if you don’t go with us, I highly recommend using a smaller, local company. They will be more open to your needs and have less overhead and be able to make you a fast, fair offer.
Transparency is key
When you are looking for a company that buys houses you want someone who you can trust. Seems obvious, right?! If they won’t explain to you how they came up with their offer or explain the process of selling your house then how do you know you got the best offer possible? In general, if anything feels off about the experience move on to the next company. You deserve a company that is going to take care of everybody, not just themselves.
Pro Tip: Don’t be afraid to ask for recent references. If a company says “We buy houses fast in Killeen”, they should be able to back it up with some happy customers right? Feel free to ask me for our references. In fact, here they are!
Here at Liberty we know that not everyone will love every offer we make but we are ALWAYS honest about the process and try to give homeowners the most information possible so that they can make an informed decision… whether it is with us or somebody else!
