Questions about selling a house for cash, answered

Less than the house would bring after it's fixed up, because the offer has to cover the repairs, the costs of buying and reselling, the months of work and a margin. The gap is wide on a house that needs a new roof and a furnace and narrow on one that needs paint. Judge any offer against what a listing would actually leave you.

There's no standard percentage, whatever an ad says. The discount is whatever the repairs, the resale costs and the buyer's margin add up to on your particular house. A buyer who quotes a percentage before walking through is guessing, so ask to see the numbers line by line instead.

Yes. Ideal Home Sale's offer is in writing and lists every cost that comes out of the sale, line by line, including which title and escrow fees you pay. You're free to turn it down after the walkthrough. Be wary of any buyer who won't put the costs in writing.

Most Washington sellers pay the real estate excise tax, the buyer's standard title insurance policy, about half the escrow fee, their loan payoff and their share of property taxes. On a listing there is usually a commission too. The state excise tax is graduated, starting at 1.1% of the price, and most cities add a local rate on top.

You pay the real estate excise tax at closing. Washington's capital gains tax exempts real estate, so the state doesn't tax the gain itself. For federal income tax, the IRS lets most owners exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly, if they owned and lived in the home two of the last five years. A CPA can tell you how this applies to your own sale.

None can honestly promise that, because a cash price depends on your house, the repairs it needs and each buyer's costs. The only way to know is to get two or three written offers, compare them with a listing estimate, and read the terms, since a high number with a long inspection period can shrink later.

It is when the repairs would cost more than they'd add to the price, or take time and money you don't have. A house that needs a roof, foundation work or a full clean-out is often better sold as-is. A basically sound house that needs paint and cleaning usually nets more listed after a little work.

Problems a buyer can't see past or can't finance: a failing roof, water under the house, foundation movement, an old heating oil tank, a broken side sewer and work done without permits. Dated kitchens, worn carpet and old paint cost far less than most sellers expect. Around Puget Sound, moss and moisture show up again and again.

Don't start a remodel, cancel the insurance, or stop paying the bills on a house you still own. Don't sign anything with a buyer you haven't checked. Get a clear number for what each way of selling would leave you first, and only then decide what's worth fixing.

Sometimes. Ideal Home Sale focuses on single-family houses that need work, but a condo is worth a call, especially one that needs updating. The association's resale certificate, the dues and any special assessment all shape the price, so have the HOA's contact details handy when you call.

It depends on the land under it, so tell Jason about it. A manufactured home on land you own is looked at much like a house. One in a park, on rented land, is sold differently, so say which it is when you call. Either way, the title paperwork decides a lot, so have it handy.

They're worth a call, particularly a duplex or triplex that needs work or has tenants who make showings hard. The leases, the rents and the condition of each unit set the price. Tenants' rights carry over through a sale, so the leases stay part of the deal.

Jason will look at it, and whether it's a fit depends on where the land is and what can be built on it. Land isn't what Ideal Home Sale focuses on, so if you have a lot or acreage to sell, call and describe it; if it isn't a fit, you'll hear that on the first call.

You don't need to for a cash sale. You can take what you want and leave the rest: furniture, old appliances, whatever is in the garage or the shed. On a listing, a cleared and cleaned house usually shows better. If there's old paint, fuel or chemicals on the property, mention it at the walkthrough.

Usually, yes. Most Washington home sales need the seller disclosure statement, known as Form 17, and selling as-is doesn't remove it. You answer what you know about the roof, water, the systems and the environment, and the buyer gets three business days to back out after receiving it (RCW 64.06.030). Estate and foreclosure sales are among the exceptions.

The best one shows you the numbers behind the offer, closes through a title and escrow company you can check, and doesn't push you to sign. Get at least two written offers and compare them with what a listing would net. A licensed broker can show you both.

Throughout much of Washington, including the Seattle, Everett, Tacoma and Olympia corridor as well as Wenatchee, Yakima, the Tri-Cities, Vancouver and other areas. The Where We Buy Houses page names the cities, and you're welcome to send an address anywhere in the state.

List when the house shows well and you have a few months. Take cash when the repairs, the showings or the timing are the problem. Jason is a broker who also buys, so he can put both numbers next to each other for your house and tell you which one leaves you more.

Yes. You can sell straight to a buyer or put the house on the market yourself, and the sale still closes through title and escrow. You still owe the buyer the seller disclosure statement in most sales, and you'll handle the pricing, the paperwork and the negotiation that an agent would otherwise do.

It's a company, often called an iBuyer, that makes an offer from your online answers and sales data, then sends someone to check the condition before setting the final price. The seller usually pays a service fee at closing, either flat or a percentage. Compare the final number after fees and repairs, not the first one.