Frequently Asked Questions
Chances are you have a few questions. That is completely normal, and most people who reach out to us do. Below are the ones we hear most often, with straight answers. If yours is not covered here, contact us anytime and I will get you a real answer, not a runaround.
Q: Will you be listing my house on the MLS or actually buying it?
A: We are buying it. We are not agents and we do not list houses. At We Buy Houses Orange Park we are professional home buyers, and we buy houses Orange Park that fit what we are looking for. We pay with our own cash instead of a bank loan, so there is no waiting on financing and no deal falling apart at the last minute. Once we own the home, we usually fix it up and either resell it or keep it as a rental.
Q: How are you different from a real estate agent?
A: An agent lists your house and hopes a buyer shows up. They market it, run the showings, and if a buyer eventually comes along, they take a commission for the work, usually 3 to 6 percent of the sale price. On a $200,000 house in Orange Park that is $6,000 to $12,000 out of your pocket, and the whole thing can stretch on for months.
That works fine for people who can wait a few months and do not mind handing over part of the sale price in commissions. Here is the thing though: I spent eleven years as a licensed agent here in Orange Park before I ever started buying houses, so this is not an outsider taking shots at the industry. I know from both sides when a traditional listing makes sense and when a direct cash sale is the better move. We are not agents, we are buyers, and we purchase the house directly from you. Because it is our own cash and we take on the repairs and resale ourselves, we can usually give you a real answer within a day or two, sometimes the same day. That is how we make our living: buying at a fair price, doing the work, and finding the next owner.
Want it broken down further? Here is a quick side-by-side:
| Selling w/ A Orange Park Agent | SOLD To We Buy Houses Orange Park | |
|---|---|---|
| Commissions / Fees: | Up to 6%, paid by you, the seller | None |
| Who Pays Closing Costs? | 2% on average is paid by you, the seller | We pay all costs. |
| Inspection & Financing Contingency*: | Yes, sales can fall through. | None needed |
| Appraisal Needed: | Yes, the sale is often subject to appraisal. | No, we make cash offers. |
| Average Days Until Sold: | +/- 91 Days | We provide immediate cash offers. |
| Number of Showings: | It Depends | 1 (Just Us) |
| Closing Date: | 30-60+/- days after accepting the buyer’s offer | The date of YOUR CHOICE. |
| Who Pays For Repairs? | Negotiated during the inspection period | We pay for all repairs. |
Q: Do you pay fair prices for properties?
A: I will be straight with you. A lot of the homes we buy come in below full retail value, and that is how the model works. We take on the repairs, the holding costs, and the risk, then resell the house, so we need a little room to do that. In our experience, most sellers who call us are not chasing top dollar anyway. They care more about a clean, certain sale with no repairs, no agent fees, and no months of waiting. If that sounds like you, let us talk and see if we can land on a number that works for both of us. There is never any pressure to accept, but it costs nothing to find out what we would pay.
DOWNLOAD our free guide that walks you through the Pros and Cons (plus the cost and timeline) of selling your house to a real estate investor versus the pros, cons, and costs of the other two alternatives – listing with an agent or selling it yourself.
Q: How do you decide what to offer on my house?
A: No mystery here, we are an open book. We look at where the house sits, what repairs it needs, the overall condition, and what comparable homes have actually sold for recently around Orange Park. We put those pieces together and land on a fair cash number. If you ever want to see how we got there, just ask and I will walk you through it.
Q: Are there any fees or commissions to work with you?
A: None. When you sell directly to We Buy Houses Orange Park there are no fees and no commissions, the kind that can quietly eat 6 percent or more off a traditional sale. We make you a fair cash offer, and if it works for you, we handle the rest. In a lot of cases we cover the closing costs too. We only make our money later, after we have put our own cash into repairs and resold the home. You walk away with cash in hand and none of the usual weight hanging over you.
Q: Is there any commitment when I share my information?
A: None at all. You tell us about the property, we look it over, maybe hop on a quick call to fill in the details, and then we hand you a straight cash offer. From there the decision is entirely yours. If it is not the right move, no hard feelings. I would rather you do what is genuinely best for your situation.
Q: How fast can you actually close on my Orange Park house?
A: Faster than a traditional sale, and on your timeline instead of mine. Since there is no lender, no appraisal, and no financing contingency hanging over the deal, the closing does not depend on a bank saying yes. When someone has genuinely been up against a deadline, I have closed in as little as a week. That is the floor, not the everyday pace, so please do not expect seven days to be the norm. Most sellers pick a date that gives them a little room to breathe. If you need to be done by the end of the month, or you would rather push it out while you line up your next place, we set the timeline around you.
Q: Do I need to fix anything or clean the house first?
A: No, and please do not spend a weekend and a paycheck fixing things up before you call me. When I say we buy houses as-is in Orange Park, I mean exactly that. Leave the dated kitchen, the roof that has seen better years, the carpet you have been embarrassed about, and the garage you would rather I not look in. Take whatever you want to keep and walk away from the rest, including the junk you have been meaning to haul off for years. The sorting, cleaning, and repairs all become my job the day we close, not yours.
Q: What kinds of situations do you buy houses in?
A: Just about all of them, and honestly none of them catch me off guard anymore. A lot of people reach out in the middle of something stressful, and a straightforward cash sale is often the cleanest way through it. Here are some of the situations I help with most often:
- Facing foreclosure and needing to sell before the sale date arrives
- Going through a divorce and wanting the house handled quickly and quietly
- Inheriting a house that is too far away or too much to manage and repair
- A tired landlord who is ready to be done, even with tenants still living there
- A house that needs major repairs you cannot or would rather not pay for
- A job transfer or a move out of state with a house to sell before you go
Q: Are you a wholesaler, or do you actually buy the house yourself?
A: I am the actual buyer, and it is genuinely worth understanding the difference before you sign anything with anyone. A lot of the we-buy-houses signs stapled to poles around Orange Park belong to wholesalers, who are not really buying your house at all. They lock you into a contract and then scramble to assign it to some other buyer for a fee, and that gap is exactly where deals fall apart late and sellers end up feeling burned. I am a direct cash buyer. When I tell you I am buying your house, I am the person sitting across the table from you at closing.
Q: What areas do you buy in?
A: Orange Park and all across Clay County, plus the surrounding parts of Northeast Florida. That includes Fleming Island, Middleburg, Oakleaf, Green Cove Springs, and the neighborhoods in between, from Doctors Lake over to Bellair. I grew up here, so I know how much the number can swing from one street to the next, and a house in Oakleaf Plantation will not always land at the same price as a similar one over in Bellair. If you are not sure whether your area is on my list, just ask. It very likely is.
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Learn The Pros and Cons Of Selling Your House To A Local Professional Home Buyer, Your FREE Guide:
Download our FREE Guide here and contact us anytime with questions, or if you would like a no-pressure look at your situation. It digs into how we help Orange Park homeowners sell unwanted properties for cash.
Grab your FREE Guide, then give me a call at 904-732-0833. I would be glad to talk through what your home is worth and what we could offer through our Cash Offer Program.