Five steps, no home projects
How an as-is sale works, start to finish
You should know exactly what happens before you send anything. Here is the sequence, what we need from you at each point, and the things you will not be asked to do.
- No repairs, no cleaning, no staging
- No showings, no appraisal haggling
- Written offer before you commit
- Local title company closes it
The five steps
Every sale is a little different, but nearly all of them follow this order. If yours needs something special, we will explain why before it comes up. Not sure which category your house falls into? The situations page sorts the common ones.
Send the basics
Your name, a number to call, the address, plus a short description of the house. If something is broken, say what. If you are behind on anything, say that too.
We ask follow-up questions
Usually a short call or text exchange about the roof, the cooling, the water, any open notices, and whether anyone lives there or belongings remain.
One visit to see the house
We walk through at a time that suits you, or we work from your photos when a visit is not practical. The house does not need to be tidy.
Written offer
The price, how closing costs are divided, a proposed closing date, and whether the deal is cash or a loan payment takeover.
Closing with a local title company
You review the settlement figures, sign, and hand over the keys on the date you chose within what the title work allows.
What we do not ask you to do
The point of an as-is sale is that the house is already as ready as it will ever be. Please do not start repairs because of anything we said, and please do not spend money cleaning or staging. If a contractor is halfway through a job, tell us where it stands rather than rushing to finish it.
You also do not have to schedule open houses, sit through buyer walk-throughs, wait for a lender's appraiser or argue over a repair credit after an inspection. Those steps belong to a financed retail sale. Ours is a direct purchase, so they are simply not part of it.
No repair requests
The offer covers the house as is. We do not send you a punch list afterward.
No staging or photos
Nothing needs to look good for a camera because there is no listing.
No open houses
One visit, arranged with you, instead of weeks of strangers.
No appraisal wait
A cash purchase does not hinge on a lender's valuation of the house.
What we do ask of you
Honesty about the facts that move the price. What has broken, what is leaking, what is about to fail, and what you have already tried to fix. Whether a violation notice, a lien, an unpaid association balance or a legal dispute is attached to the property. Who owns the house, and whether everyone on the title is willing to sell.
Hard news does not scare us off. It changes the number, sometimes by a lot, and an honest number now beats a larger one that shrinks at the last minute. Arizona sellers generally have a duty to disclose known problems, and an attorney can tell you how that applies to your house. Our FAQ page covers more of the common questions, and the San Tan Valley overview explains local quirks that can move a number.
Known problems
Tell us everything you know. It prevents a surprise at the table.
Who has to sign
Everyone on title has to agree. Settle that question early.
Anything owed
Liens, unpaid dues and back taxes can usually be paid out of the proceeds at closing.
Start with the address
Every step above begins with those few lines.
Timing and the closing date
We will not promise a number of days, because the pace depends on the title work, the loan if there is one, and how quickly paperwork comes back. What we can say is that we are not waiting on a buyer's lender, so the schedule is shaped mostly by you. If you need to close quickly, say so on the first message. If you want weeks to pack and move, say that instead.
Some sellers want a rent-free stretch after closing to finish a school year or line up a move. Raise it early and we can see whether it fits. It is a request, not a guarantee, and it goes into the written offer or it does not exist.
Fast if you need it
Tell us your deadline and we will say whether it is realistic.
Slow if you prefer
A later closing date is fine when it helps you.
Everything in writing
Dates and terms live in the offer, not in a phone call.
After you say yes
A local title company opens the file, checks who owns the house and what is owed against it, and prepares the closing documents. You will see a settlement statement showing where every dollar goes before you sign. If the route is a takeover of your loan payments instead of a cash buyout, expect extra documents and take them to your own attorney. We talk through both routes on the cash offer page, and the situations page shows how particular problems change the picture. Questions at any point can go through the contact page, and the about page says who you are dealing with.
Quick answers
Do you need to see inside the house?
Usually yes, once. If a visit is not workable, we may start from photos and adjust the offer after we see it.
Can I still say no after the offer?
Yes. An offer is a number on paper until you sign the purchase agreement.
What if the house is not empty?
Leftover belongings can stay. Tell us what is inside, and whether anyone is living there.