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For your ease, we have provided a transcript of the Distressed Home Q&A Recording.

Hey, this is Evan with Simple Sale Central Florida back again for our monthly Q&A for the month of July. I just wanted to take a second to introduce the company. We buy distressed residential properties throughout Central Florida, including Tampa Bay to Orlando and the Space Coast, anywhere as far north as Ocala, even up to Gainesville and south, as far south as Poinciana or even further south.

We focus on distressed properties that have some form of issue, typically a title issue, a probate, liens, judgments, code violations, and things of that nature. And we work to bring transparency and accountability to distressed home sales. We take a difficult situation and really work hard to try to make it a stress-free situation for the client. Let’s go ahead and get started.

1. I just found out my home needs to go through probate. When can I sell it?

In the probate process, there’s various steps that you have to go through. Ultimately, when the judge tells you you can sell the property, you can, but you have to file for probate and go through those steps. This can take anywhere from 30-90 days, depending. When the judge says “Okay, everything’s clear. You can sell this property,” it will essentially be a paper that says that the heirs are the owners of this property, and they have the right to sell it.

You should have an attorney guiding you through the process. Don’t try to do it on your own. I guess it’s possible, but it’s extremely difficult for someone that’s not in that business.

Read More: What to Expect When Selling a House in Probate

2. Can I sell a house if it’s not up to code?

You’d typically only be able to sell a property that isn’t up to code to a cash buyer. That’s someone that’s going to come in and pay in full, typically an investor. If the property isn’t up to code, you’re not going to be able to get a mortgage through a bank. Your standard retail-type homebuyer wouldn’t be a buyer in that situation until it was brought up to code. You could also try to bring it up to code yourself. That’s always an option; you just have to get a contractor to figure out what the issues are and bring it up to code. If you don’t want to do that, then you’d ultimately sell it to an investor that will buy it without a mortgage.

You can absolutely sell a house that’s not up to code. We buy properties all the time that have various types of code issues: bad electrical, roof, plumbing. Anything like that we’ve bought, and other investors will buy as well.

Read More: Can You Sell a House with Code Violations?

3. What are distressed homes?

We define distressed homes as a property that has some form of an issue. It can be a title issue: probate, code violation, liens, judgments. It can be a foreclosure. That’s commonly how people describe distressed, is that it’s in foreclosure. We don’t necessarily handle a ton of foreclosures, but that’s commonly a way to describe a foreclosure property. A distressed property can also be a property that needs excessive repairs.

A distressed property doesn’t have to always appear distressed. It could be a property that has a bunch of liens on it. Maybe it’s a beautiful house, but it has tons of liens on it. In that scenario, we would define that as a distressed property.

Read More: What is a Distressed Property?

4. What kinds of companies buy distressed properties?

There are a lot of companies out there that will buy a distressed property if it needs excessive repairs. If the property just needs a full rehab, then there’s a lot of companies that will buy it. There’s a very big market out there. If it’s distressed because there’s some tough liens or judgments, or things like that, then there aren’t that many. It depends on what type of lien there is, but there aren’t nearly as many buyers.

Liens can present a lot of risk for the buyer. For example, you have $100,000 in liens on a property worth $100,000, let’s say you buy it for $50,000. You’re already under water on the property if you can’t negotiate those liens down. That’s the risk buyers end up taking. We commonly take that type of risk if we think it’s something we can pull off over time. We’ll do it, and a lot of other companies won’t.

Read More: 5 Things to Know About Companies That Buy Distressed Properties

5. Is it possible to sell a home with a lien on it?

It is possible to sell a house with a lien. It really just depends. If the lien is small and not complicated, it would probably be solved or paid off at closing. For things that are complicated and expensive, it’s going to be hard to sell the house. Simple Sale Central Florida will buy it, but a lot of companies won’t. You’re very limited on buyers because of risks that can come with buying these properties, but it is possible.

If it’s a simple lien then it probably shouldn’t be a big deal for most buyers. What you can find is that they may not actually understand how to solve some of the issues. This can make it complicated to close because the buyer doesn’t know that their title company doesn’t understand liens very well. And so you can get strung along for a long period of time while you’re waiting for the buyer and the title company to try to figure out the lien situation.

I would say you’d want to work with someone that’s experienced, focused, and really specializes in these things.

Read More: Can You Sell a House With a Lien on it?

6. Can I sell my house before it’s foreclosed?

Yes, of course. You can really sell it up to the day before closing actually. I don’t think we’ve ever bought one just before closing, but it is possible. In those scenarios, though, you have to sell it for cash to someone that knows what they’re doing and understands the timelines associated. Someone that’s organized and knows the foreclosure date, and stays focused on getting it done before that day or, yeah, you’re going to end up getting foreclosed on.

You can definitely do it, just make sure that you’re working with someone that’s credible and able to get it done. If you work with someone that’s unfocused and doesn’t understand the situation, you could get into trouble.

Read More: Can You Sell Your Home Before Foreclosure?

7. Is it possible to sell my home in probate in Florida?

Yes, it is. What people sometimes don’t understand is you can go on a contract to sell the property before the probate is over.

We’ve had properties under contract months before the probate was finished. As soon as the judge gave the new heirs permission to own and sell the property, we’d close on it. You don’t have to wait until the judge says that you own the property. You can actually sell it before then in the sense that you can have a buyer waiting and as soon as you get the probate approved, then you can sell and move on.

8. I have an IRS tax lien on my home. Can you help me?

Yes, of course. We actually just finished helping out a couple with their IRS tax lien situation. I think everyone was reasonably happy with the results, as much as you can be in that situation. They were able to walk away and were forgiven some of their tax liens and they were able to move on. They were in a situation where they were hindered by it, and through some hard work by a trusted attorney and the sellers, we were able to get through it, have a successful closing, and allow them to move on unburdened by those tax liens.

We definitely can help you do that. We are experienced in handling homes with all kinds of liens and shouldn’t have any issues helping you. I would love to hear about what’s going on.

9. What are the benefits of working with a cash home buyer?

Cash home buyers can buy properties that have code issues, title issues, or any property quickly. A cash buyer isn’t going to be able to pay as much as a retail buyer because retail buyers are mortgaging property, but the cash buyer is going to be able to provide you with the ability to sell property that wouldn’t be able to be sold to a retail buyer. They’re also more convenient and fast. They’ll be able to purchase it quickly.

Read More: Why Work With a Cash Home Buyer?

10. I have a home in Winter Park that I need to sell fast. Can you help?

Yes, of course, we buy properties in Winter Park, Orlando, Maitland, Altamonte Springs, anywhere around that area. We’re very interested in purchasing properties, and we can do it very quickly, within a week or two, if needed. Whatever your situation may be, we can try to expedite any process, any lien, probate, whatever.

We can handle legal issues, probates, code violations, liens, title issues, and things of that nature. We’re as experienced and specialized as anyone else in the space, and we’re very confident that we can handle your situation as well.

Wrapping Up

Okay, so any other questions? I don’t see anything in the comments, so I’m going to go ahead and close this out. As always, I really appreciate it. I really appreciate people that watch this and hopefully some of these questions help you get answers to your situation.

We buy distressed properties from Tampa Bay and Bradenton, to Orlando to the Space Coast, Brevard County. We buy distressed properties in all those locations. We’re very experienced in buying them in those locations and we can definitely help you out with your situation. Just give us a call at (407) 338-4183 or you can go through our website, SimpleSaleCentralFlorida.com and fill out your information and we will be able to assist you. So, feel free to reach out any time. All right guys. Thank you.

Homes are a major investment for families, but they can also be a source of financial stress. The costs associated with owning the home can balloon well beyond what you originally budgeted. This is especially true once repairs or homeowner’s association (HOA) fees become a factor.

If your financial situation changes for the worse due to various reasons, it’s easy to fall behind on payments. This is the point your creditor may place a lien on your home.

Can you sell a house with a lien on it? In many cases, you can. However, you will need to find a buyer who is willing to take on dealing with the lien.

Lien Basics

A lien occurs when a creditor or institution you owe money to decides to establish a partial claim to something you own. This can occur with your car, home, or other large property. In cases with large debts, you may be subjected to a general lien that covers all your assets and income.

A lien strictly limits what you can do with the property, and the debts associated with it may also severely affect your credit score. In other words, you may be stuck with little ability to sell the property until existing debts are paid.

Foreclosure is a separate issue from a lien since a lien cannot technically force you out of your home. However, debts that pile up and begin to affect your ability to make mortgage payments could lead to eventual foreclosure.

Keep in mind that a lien comes with legal documentation that must be filed with the appropriate county or local authorities. It usually occurs after other attempts to collect the debt have been exhausted. Both establishing a lien and clearing it takes some time in the courts. 

Although most creditors who place liens are traditional lenders, municipal governments, and HOAs, anyone you legally owe money to can place a lien on your home as well. Failure to pay property taxes, federal income taxes, or HOA fees are a common source of liens since foreclosure is not an option in these cases.

Can You Sell a House With a Lien on it?

If you’re asking, “can I sell my house with a tax lien?” the good news is that you can, but it complicates the sales process. The primary purpose of a lien is to prevent a sale so that the seller can’t take the profit and disappear, leaving their debts unpaid. The creditor who has the lien will lay claim to at least a portion of the home’s sale price.

You also have the option to pay off the debt associated with the lien using a bond or other loan. However, securing this can be difficult if your credit score has already suffered due to the existing debt. Plus, taking out another bond or loan perpetuates the cycle of debt you’re in.

To make matters worse, sorting out the legalities of who is owed can take time if there are multiple creditors. If you believe the lien is legally invalid, challenging it in court may take months or even years. Since liens don’t usually expire for ten years, most homeowners can’t afford to wait for a lien to disappear.

Who Should You Sell To?

Traditional buyers are unlikely to want a home with a lien. If they are first-time homebuyers, their realtor will likely inform them of the time and hassle associated with clearing liens from a property.

Even if a buyer really wants your home, they may not have the luxury of time to wait around. Clearing a lien for a traditional sale may take months, and if the buyer needs to move in sooner than that, the home might not be an option for them.

A company specializing in buying distressed homes for cash is often your best option when selling a home with a lien. Distressed home buyers can cut through the red tape fast and have the financial assets to pay off the lien. In many cases, they will often negotiate with the creditor to lessen the amount of the lien and make it less risky.

A cash home buyer like Meli can close on your home quickly, even if there is a lien. We are used to buying homes as-is and can make you an offer after just a walkthrough. You can avoid the hassle of waiting for mortgage approvals from a lender and maximize your profit from the sale since you won’t need to pay commission to a real estate agent. This makes cash buyers the best option for homeowners who need to get paid and unload the home quickly. 

Partnering With Meli

You need to partner with a reputable home buyer with the knowledge necessary to take your home off your hands, even if it has liens on it. Not all homebuyers can handle these situations with the sensitivity they deserve. 

Meli knows that every home situation is different, and we put the time and energy into giving you the best deal on a tight turnaround. We have a streamlined process that cuts out middlemen and takes care of the difficult behind-the-scenes work for you. Our process usually starts with a no-obligation phone consultation and schedule a walkthrough to get the information we need to make you an offer, usually on the same day.

We typically close sales within 30 days, and in many cases, can even close in 1-2 weeks. We know that the finances of moving can be messy, so we work hard to provide a seamless experience.

We’re happy to chat and see if your home is a good fit for us. Call us today at (407) 305-5008 to give us some basic information and schedule a walkthrough.

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Sometimes circumstances require a homeowner to sell their house as quickly as possible without investing in repairs or upgrades. Whether you’re dealing with a divorce, facing foreclosure, or if you’re looking to pay back creditors by selling a home in probate, it’s often more practical to sell the house in its current condition as a distressed property.

What is a Distressed Property?

A distressed property is a property that is at risk of foreclosure or already is. Most of the time, a property becomes distressed when the owner cannot continue to make payments on the mortgage. This could be due to financial issues or unforeseeable life circumstances.

Property is also considered distressed when a buyer owes more on their mortgage than the home is worth. This is known as an underwater mortgage. That puts the homeowner in the undesirable position of paying down a home that has little to no equity.

If you find yourself in foreclosure or struggling with an underwater mortgage, consider selling your home as-is to a cash home buyer. Selling helps to relieve your financial stress and take the pressure off your situation.

How to Sell a House As-Is

If you are wondering how to sell a house in as-is condition, there are a few things to consider. One option is to list the property yourself. Selling the property independently requires time, research, and further interactions with inspectors and banks. It may also mean you pay for minor repairs or accept a low offer. Another option is to work with a cash home buyer specializing in buying homes in as-is conditions. 

Listing the Property Yourself

If you list the property yourself, there are several details to consider during the process. These include: 

• Listing the home in “as-is” condition and preparing yourself to receive low offers
• Performing a pre-inspection and disclosing everything found during the inspection
• Spending money on high-priority issues like repairing a furnace, addressing mold or water damage, or replacing the roof
• Spending money on cosmetic fixes like paint, carpet, caulking, light or sink fixtures, or replacing burnt-out bulbs

In addition to spending the extra money to repair elements that may cause a safety concern for potential buyers, if you list the property yourself, you need to think about how to attract buyers with your listing in order to sell your home. This is tricky as you want to highlight the positive aspects of the property without misleading buyers. 

To create a marketable listing, bring attention to the best features of your property, such as its location, floor plan, and lot size. Make sure to price your home appropriately by researching the recent selling price of similar homes in the area. Finally, use exciting, relevant keywords in your listing that represent your home accurately and attract buyers. 

Using a Real Estate Agent

Another option when selling a distressed home is to work with a real estate agent. Real estate agents are experts in preparing a home for buyers and can offer you helpful advice on how to get the highest offer, which can be challenging for a home that is visibly in need of repairs or an update. They’ll be able to help you stage the home to maximize its appeal and highlight the best features the property has to offer. However, real estate agents charge a commission for their services, which cuts into your profit on the sale of your distressed home. 

Working With a Cash Home Buyer

If you choose to work with a cash home buyer, the process of selling your distressed home is much more straightforward. In a few easy steps, you can sell your home quickly with minimal effort on your part. 

First, reach out to a reputable cash buyer. They will speak to you about how the process works and ask you about your property. If you decide to move forward, the cash buyer will give you an estimate and schedule a walkthrough of your home. During the walkthrough, the buyer assesses the home’s value and makes you a fair offer within a few hours of the visit. 

You get to review the offer under no obligation, and if you decide to move forward with the sale, the cash home buyer takes care of all the closing paperwork for you. The cash buyer works on their end to ensure that the sale goes smoothly and at a pace that you are happy with.

Why Consider a Cash Home Buyer?

If you’re selling a house in poor condition, it’s worth considering a cash home buyer like Meli Homes. While there are several scenarios where it might be possible to sell your home on the open market without carrying out repairs, like a hot real estate market, most of the time, a traditional buyer or their lender will require a professional home inspection as a condition of sale. Any non-visible issues that these inspections turn up will likely need fixing at your expense before the closing date. 

When your home is distressed and is visibly in need of repairs or an update, it can be challenging to find a regular buyer who’s willing to pay your asking price without any of these renovations. However, a cash home buyer can take an unwanted property off your hands quickly without you investing thousands of dollars in inspections or repairs. 

By selling to a company like Meli that purchases homes in “as-is” condition in Lakeland, Daytona, Cocoa Beach, and other central Florida cities, you alleviate the stress and hassle of showing your home and negotiating with buyers.

At Meli Homes, 85% of our deals close within 30 days from the time you receive our quote. If you’re looking to unload a property quickly without putting any money into it first, a cash home buyer company may be a great option for your circumstances. Meli even works with you to resolve tax liens, and you don’t need to worry about real estate commission or other hidden fees. 

Work With Meli Homes

If you’re a Florida homeowner looking to sell your home in as-is condition, Meli is the solution. To learn more about the process, or to get started, give us a call at (407) 338-4183 or fill out our online form. You can expect to hear back from a representative within 24 hours. 

This article is meant for informational purposes only. This is not intended to be construed as financial, tax, legal, real estate, insurance, or investment advice. Meli encourages you to reach out to an advisor regarding your own situation. Please consult with your advisor when making legal or financial decisions.

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On the day they buy their home, no homeowner envisions themselves in a position where they’re facing foreclosure. But, an unexpected job loss or economic downturn can result in this unfortunate scenario. A home may undergo foreclosure if the mortgage lender exercises their right to sell a property that the buyer has neglected their payments on.

If you’re dealing with the process of foreclosure on your home, there’s still a chance to sell it. You have up until the lender makes a sale at auction or the bank takes possession of the house.

Foreclosure can be devastating for homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments due to financial troubles. However, there is a way to turn things around despite this seemingly stressful situation. The entire foreclosure process may take six months to a year to complete after you receive your default notice. So if you’re wondering, “can I sell my home if it is in foreclosure,” the answer is a resounding yes. 

What is a Short Sale?

If your Florida home is in foreclosure or pre-foreclosure, you still have a shot at a short sale up to the point that your lender sells the house at auction. When your home is in this position, it becomes a distressed property, so you must sell quickly. A short sale is a quick process in which a homeowner sells the property for less than the mortgage amount, effectively avoiding foreclosure. 

The Benefits of Selling During Foreclosure

The answer to “can I sell my home if it is in foreclosure” is yes, if you use a short sale. While this isn’t the ideal scenario, it’s a better outcome for a homeowner than foreclosure. A short sale is still likely to damage your credit score, but not as severely as a foreclosure will. It allows the lender to recover part of the mortgage loan rather than completely absorbing the cost making it beneficial to them as well. 

The most significant benefit of a short sale is that it prevents foreclosure. While this is good for both the lender and the homeowner, it also benefits the housing market. Foreclosure negatively impacts the market by decreasing the value of homes. 

This legal process affects not only the value of the property in foreclosure but also those close to that property. In part, this is due to a lack of maintenance on homes that foreclose, which can affect the aesthetic of a neighborhood. Short sale further benefits the housing market by making it easier for first-time homebuyers to break into the market with reduced housing prices. 

A big part of a short sale’s appeal is that it helps the homeowner take back control. While the rapid pace of the process can still be stressful and unconventional, a short sale more closely resembles the traditional home sale process than a foreclosure, which involves legal action. The homeowner has an active role in the sale process, managing negotiations with the buyer, the real estate agent, and the bank. In contrast, the homeowner must deal with the bank’s attorneys on their terms during a foreclosure. 

Opting for a short sale rather than riding out your foreclosure leaves you in a much better position. You can avoid legal proceedings and reduce your debt, making it easier to repair your credit score down the line. Short sale offers homeowners in a tough spot a chance at rebuilding. 

How to Sell Your House Before Foreclosure

After you determine the appropriate value of your home, it’s time to list it. You have three options for selling your house before foreclosure: 

• List it Yourself

If the housing market in your area is hot and your home is in excellent condition, you can consider listing the property yourself. However, this requires a lot of effort on your part to organize open houses on short notice and advertise the listing. It also means handling legal paperwork yourself. 

• Use a real estate agent

For homes that are not open house ready, or if you’re feeling overwhelmed by your situation, it’s worth getting a real estate agent on board to help you list and sell the property. The downside to this option is that real estate agents work on commission, so once you sell, they’ll take a cut of the sale price. Since you’re already taking a financial hit with a short sale, this can be less than ideal. 

• Use a cash buyer

When you’re trying to sell a home quickly before foreclosure, a cash buyer is a great option. Like Meli Homes, cash home buyers are prepared to pay cash for your home upfront without taking any commission. This is a quick and easy process that can help maximize the return on your financial investment. 

A Cash Home Buyer is the Quickest Way to Sell

When you’re trying to sell your home before foreclosure, speed is a critical factor; it’s a race to sell. Opting for a cash home buyer can help ensure you sell quickly and with no hassle. The process of using a cash buyer can take 30 days or less, which is ideal for this tight timeline. 

As with any viewing for a potential buyer, you should prepare your home for a cash buyer walkthrough in advance. Where possible, stage the rooms to maximize their appeal and remove personal clutter around the house. Presenting a tidy, move-in-ready property is a great way to get top dollar. 

When you’re ready to show the house in St Cloud, Winter Park, or Tampa and the surrounding areas, contact Meli Homes to set up a walkthrough. 

Following a walkthrough of your home, Meli sends you an offer to review. If you decide to accept, Meli handles all the closing and legal fees and provides your payment in cash. You can then pay your lender and move on to the next chapter of your life. 

Sell Today With Meli Homes

Meli is a cash home buyer that offers a stress-free solution to homeowners who need to sell a distressed property before foreclosure. If you’re dealing with a foreclosure, consider contacting Meli Homes to buy your home quickly for cash.

Call us today at (407) 338-4183 or fill out our online form to request a callback. We will get back to you within 24 hours to schedule a walkthrough of your property, make a cash offer and help you get your life back on track.  

This article is meant for informational purposes only and is not intended to be construed as financial, tax, legal, real estate, insurance, or investment advice. Meli encourages you to reach out to an advisor regarding your own situation. Please consult with your advisor when making legal or financial decisions.

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For your ease, we have provided a transcript of the Distressed Home Q&A Recording.

Hey, this is Evan with Simple Sale Central Florida. We’re back for another monthly Q&A. At Simple Sale Central Florida we work to bring transparency and accountability to distressed home sales. We work in Tampa Bay to Orlando, to the Space Coast. We work on problems like liens, probates, code violations, and title issues. We’ll buy your house or help you list it after fixing those issues. So, let’s go right into the questions.

1. My home is more trouble than it’s worth. How can I get rid of it?

I guess that must mean that there’s excessive repairs that need to be done on the property. In that situation it really depends on your timeline. Are you looking to sell the property in the next 15 to 30 days? Are you looking to sell in the next 30 to 60 days, or more?

If you do have some time, I’d suggest that you consult with someone to see what issues exist. If it’s just repairs, you could still list the property. It’s just going to take some time to sell. If it’s legal issues, then you’ll have to look into them and see how long it’ll take. For example, if it’s in probate, it may take 60 to 90 days. If it’s a lien, it could take no time or several months. It just depends.

Really your options are selling to a cash buyer or talking to a real estate agent or brokerage to possibly list it. At Simple Sale we buy properties, but in the right situation, we recommend listing the property with our brokerage.

Read More: How to Get Rid of a Distressed Property

2. I inherited a home with my brother and I want to sell, but he doesn’t. What can we do?

It really just depends on how severely he doesn’t want to sell the property. If he adamantly doesn’t want to sell but you have to, you can do what’s called a Partition Sale. Here, you’ll sell the property via the government and force the sale.

If it’s just going to require a little bit of mediation, then you can work with him on it. Hire an attorney to work with him on it. You can also sell out your interest in the property. That’s possible. We’ve done that before; buying out someone’s one half interest or whatever the situation is. That’s an option as well. You do have various options. You can buy out the interest, you can do a Partition Sale, or you can just mediate it.

3. What is a lien on a home?

A lien on a home typically means that there is a legal document that’s attached to a property’s title. It states that some entity is owed, typically money, for services rendered, code violations or taxes. Most of the time it’s monetary: you owe money for some reason. It doesn’t always have to do with your house. You could have IRS liens because of an issue with your income taxes. There’s various types of liens, but they’re always an attachment to a property.

Most buyers and investors will not buy a property with a lien unless that’s cleared up. At Simple Sale Central Florida, we do buy them depending on the situation, but you really limit the number of buyers willing to buy it. We typically recommend fixing that situation before you try to sell. Sometimes it’s not possible, but if at all possible you definitely need to try to sell it. A lot of times the proceeds from the sale will pay for the lien. There’s not really anything you have to do necessarily. When you sell a home with a lien, you’ll just pay for it out of the proceeds of the sale.

4. I just got a foreclosure notice on my home. What are my options?

If you just got a foreclosure notice, typically you have time. Sometimes three, six, nine, 12 months, before anything’s really going to happen, What I would do is find out if you have equity in the house. If you have equity, great. Do you want to stay in the house? Let’s say you do want to stay and you have equity, you’re really going to have to pay the loan up to date.

If you’re going to foreclosure, you’re probably not going to be able to refinance. No one will extend a loan to you if you’re late on your loan payments. Your other option is to, of course, sell the property, get some of that equity, and move on. But if you want to stay on the property it’s really about getting your payments up to date.

If you want to sell and you have equity, then it’s just a matter of going out and finding the best and the highest offer for it. If you’re in foreclosure and the property needs a lot of work, you’re not going to be able to go to a retail buyer. It limits your buyer pool, but you can still go out and try to find the highest offer possible to get the most equity possible. If you’re in foreclosure, it’s going to be tough for a retail buyer to buy it. It may be possible, but not always. A lot of times it needs to be a cash deal for it to get done.

If you don’t have equity in the property you can do what’s called a Short Sale. Let’s say you owe $200,000, and someone comes in and offers $180,000. You can submit that to the mortgage company and say, “Hey, we have an offer for $180,000. Will you take that?” If they say yes, then you sell the property and move on. That’s what’s called a Short Sale. You’re short of the money due on the note upon the sale. Those are some of the options you have.

When you get to that point in foreclosure you should consider your options and what’s best for you. Are you looking to stay? If you are, then you need to figure out your finances so you can stay in the property. You can talk with the mortgage company and ask for some kind of loan modification, but if you’re already in foreclosure, it’s a little late for that. There are always options out of your situation.

Read More: Can You Sell Your Home Before Foreclosure?

5. My mom passed and her home’s in probate. Can you help me?

We’ve handled many probate properties over the years. I’ve seen a lot of people try to teach themselves how to do the probate themselves, and it ends up being a bigger deal than it is. If you go to an experienced attorney, they should be able to take care of it for you. It’s worth it to hire an experienced attorney to do the probate proceedings for you. I wouldn’t try to do it yourself. It’s very difficult and costly. It will end up being very costly if you try to go about it all on your own. I’ve seen people try and they end up wasting a lot of money.

We can absolutely help, we have helped a lot of clients in probate cases. The complexity depends on the situation. It could be pretty simple, or it could be a little more complicated depending on how many heirs there are. It also depends on if there’s any equity in the property or any other situations with the house. So, it really is a case-by-case basis.

Read More: What to Expect When Selling a House in Probate

6. I just want to get out of my house and move on with my life. Can you help?

Yes, of course. So, in that situation it sounds like you want to sell the property relatively quickly. What we would do in that situation is make you a guaranteed cash offer for it. When you accept we’ll move forward with the process, typically taking 15 to 30 days total. It’s pretty straightforward.

If it’s time-sensitive, you’re really sacrificing money because you’re not going out and getting as many offers as possible. You want to move forward with someone that you know is going to close. Unfortunately in this industry, there’s a lot of people that say they’ll close then don’t for whatever reason. You really need to work with someone that you know is going to close on the property on time.

7. I can’t sell my house because it’s not up to code. What can I do?

One option is to hire a general contractor that would bring the property up to code. That’s always an alternative. How costly that could be depends on the seriousness of the situation. But then, your other option is to just sell the property as-is with the code violations. There’s plenty of people that will buy a property that’s not up to code, as-is.

It shouldn’t be too big of a deal depending on the severity of the situation. If you added an addition and it’s not up to code, that’s a pretty big deal. If it’s something more simple, it may not be a big deal or cost too much. So it depends on your situation. If you’re needing to sell your property, then you may have to sell it to a cash buyer. A cash buyer will buy a property that has code issues.

8. Do you buy homes with liens?

Yes, we do. A lot of the properties we buy have had or do have liens on them. Typically, we try to settle those liens before closing, but that’s not always the case. We’re very experienced in handling liens from tax liens, code violation liens, judgments, anything of that nature. We’re very experienced in working with them, and we can definitely help you through that situation.

And, just because you have liens doesn’t mean that you can’t list it on the market. It depends on what type of lien you have. If you have a lien that won’t be negotiated until closing, it’s usually very tough to list it on the market and get a good price. But if it’s something that can be paid off at or before closing, then it’s not a huge deal.

9. My home has a title issue that’s keeping me from working with a realtor. Please help!

Sometimes title issues can keep you from working with a realtor, or maybe they don’t want to deal with it or they’re not experienced with it. At Simple Sale Central Florida we are very experienced in those things. A lot of the listings that we do as agents have liens, code violations, probates, or title issues. We work through them during the sales process when we’re out trying to find the highest offer possible. We’re working through all those liens and issues that may come up.

We’ve listed several properties in probate, and as they’re being sold, we’re making sure that the probate and whatever other title issues are being taken care of before, or at closing. There’s no issue.

10. How does selling my house to you work?

So, typically, you can go to our website, SimpleSaleCentralFlorida.com, input your address and your information, and then answer a couple questions about your property and your situation. Then, within a few minutes we should reach out to you. It’s usually five minutes or so. So, be expecting a call. Someone will call and talk with you about your situation, and see if we’re a good fit.

The other alternative is to call our phone number: (407) 338-4183. Our customer services will ask you a few questions about your property, then a client specialist will reach out.

Wrapping Up

Any other questions? I don’t think I’ve seen anything. Thank you for taking the time to watch this video. You can always call us at (407) 338-4183 or visit our site, SimpleSaleCentralFlorida.com.

At Simple Sale Central Florida we work to bring transparency and accountability to distressed home sales. We buy properties, help list distressed properties, and we do whatever is best for each situation, in particular. We have tons of great reviews with our clients; we’re very client-centric and we work hard to have good experiences for people in stressful situations. I do appreciate it, and thank you.

Homeownership is an exciting life milestone. Often, people are shopping for their dream home, the place where they will live out their days. When a homeowner passes away, the house might pass to another individual through various means, depending on the estate planning and instructions left by the deceased person. But if there are no legal documents like a quitclaim deed or living trust to abide by, a home automatically enters the probate process. 

What is Probate?

Probate is a court-supervised process of authenticating the last will and testament of a deceased individual. After determining the value of a person’s assets, they can be distributed to the appropriate beneficiaries. 

For estates, it refers to the legal process through which a property transfers ownership after a homeowner’s death. If the decedent never made specific arrangements (such as a living trust) to avoid the probate process, then it must be enacted for the beneficiaries to receive the property. The presence of a legal will has no bearing on whether an estate enters probate. If the person left a last will and testament behind, the probate process includes reviewing the document. 

But what is probate when selling a house? If the deceased leaves no will or doesn’t designate a beneficiary, the estate administrator or executor must sell the home. Where no executor or administrator is specified in the will (or lack thereof), the court will appoint one. 

Florida Probate Law

The probate process of administering an estate varies by state. Under Florida law, there are two types of probate administration: formal and summary. Note that a property is only a probate asset only if the deed is titled in the decedent’s name. When joint tenants with survivorship rights or the deed are shared with a spouse, the property is not a probate asset because the ownership passes automatically. 

A probate estate process in Florida must be open for a minimum of three months for a creditor claim period. It’s reasonable to expect the estate probate process to take anywhere from five to six months. The length of the process depends on whether the estate goes through a formal or summary administration probate. While formal probate administration takes longer and generally costs more, it can be used for any estate and requires a personal representative to be appointed. 

Summary administration probates are often quicker, which may be valuable if the executor must sell the home to pay creditors. However, an estate is only eligible for summary administration when the decedent’s probate assets are valued at less than $75,000 or if the person has been deceased for more than two years. 

Selling a House in Probate

When a house enters probate because there is no will or designated beneficiary, the court will appoint an executor or estate administrator to handle selling the property. Selling a house in probate is not the same as a regular home sale, and it’s a good idea to involve an attorney who specializes in estate law to guide you through the process if you’re unfamiliar. 

Since an executor or estate administrator doesn’t own the home, they require court approval to sign over the deed at the time of sale. The probate process can slow down a deal because of the legal checkpoints you need to pass along the way, which can sometimes deter typical homebuyers. When a buyer becomes interested, you must inform them that you need court confirmation to complete the sale. Then you have to petition the probate court for an Order Authorizing the Sale of Real Property. 

If there are beneficiaries of the estate, you must obtain their consent before proceeding. The court will then look over all the relevant documentation and grant approval for the property sale to the interested buyer. 

As an executor, you might consider seeking a cash buyer since a home in probate is considered a distressed property. A cash home buyer can offer a quicker, hassle-free transaction without additional fees.

The Benefits of Selling to a Cash Home Buyer

When you’re trying to sell quickly or sell a distressed property, a homebuyer like Meli can be a fantastic option. They offer several advantages such as:

• Lower financial risk 
• No involvement of a financing institution 
• Sales usually occur as-is with no requests for upgrades or home repairs 

Selling to a cash buyer also means there are no additional fees like the commission you’d pay a real estate agent that’s helping you bring in traditional buyers. When you’re selling a house in probate, it’s common that most of the money will go toward paying off the decedent’s mortgage lender or other creditors. So while you might accept a slightly lower offer from a cash buyer, especially with a distressed home, you’re saving money on commission costs, bank fees, home inspections, and repair costs.

Contact Meli Homes

If you have to sell a property in probate, get in touch with Meli. We can work with you to close quickly, typically within 30 days, and pay the full price in cash to cut out the complexities of a lending institution. 

If you’re located in Orlando, Tampa, or surrounding Florida areas, give us a call at (407) 338-4183 to get started. We will get back to you within 24 hours to request some information about the property, including:

• The home’s address 
• Photos of the home’s exterior 
• Additional information relevant to our offer (title claims, inheritance claims, etc.)

Then we can schedule a date and time to view the property. After a walkthrough of the house, you’ll receive an offer to review with no obligation. If you decide to move forward with the sale and sign the contract, we pay in cash. 

On average, Meli Homes saves Floridians $3,000 in legal fees and 22 days in the selling process. If you need a quick sale on a home in probate, contact us today. 

This article is meant for informational purposes only and is not intended to be construed as financial, tax, legal, real estate, insurance, or investment advice. Meli encourages you to reach out to an advisor regarding your own situation. Please consult with your advisor when making legal or financial decisions.

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A cash home buyer is a person or a company, like Meli Homes, that has the financial capability to purchase your home without a mortgage in cash. However, when referring to a cash home buyer, the cash is figurative and simply means that the buyer has the money outright and does not require a loan. It doesn’t mean they’re going to hand you a wad of cash, as this can create complications. 

If you’re selling a distressed home, a home in probate, or a home in pre-foreclosure, cash buyers are often a fantastic and fast solution. 

The Benefits of a Cash Home Buyer

What are the benefits of a cash home buyer? There are several scenarios where selling your home quickly is the ideal option. This is especially true with a distressed property in need of repair, if you’re facing foreclosure or if you’re an executor selling a home in probate to pay back creditors. A cash home buyer:

• Allows you to avoid extra fees

With a cash buyer, you can avoid paying out extra fees to retain more of the amount they offer you. When you work with a real estate agent, a percentage of the final sale price will go to the agent as their commission. 

• Offers a low-risk sale option

Because there’s no mortgage lender involved in a cash home sale, the risk to the seller is extremely low. Most of the time, when home deals fall through, it’s because of a problem with the loan funds. 

• Means no appraisal process from a mortgage lender

Using a cash home buyer usually means a much quicker closing time because it avoids many steps in the traditional home-buying process. With a cash buyer, there’s no need to wait for a lender to appraise the value of your property or request an inspection at your expense before closing. 

• Puts less stress on the homeowner because the home usually sells “as-is”

When you’re selling a distressed property, this often means that the house needs repairs. With a cash home buyer, you can avoid the time and funds it takes to carry out these repairs because the buyer purchases the home in its current condition. 

• Allows you to avoid marketing the property or staging it for multiple showings

The process of working with a cash home buyer is much simpler than preparing your home for traditional buyers. Your cash buyer schedules a single walkthrough of the home before making an offer. This means you don’t need to worry about listing your property on multiple sites or organizing open houses. 

• Is often quicker because there’s no waiting on third-party funds or approval 

Without the involvement of a third-party lender, nothing is holding up the sale and preventing you from closing as soon as you accept the cash offer from your buyer. This is one of the critical reasons that working with a cash home buyer accelerates the timeline for your sale. 

• Means no negotiations

If you hate the back and forth of receiving offers and returning a counter-offer, then the ease of a cash home buyer is extremely appealing. After a walkthrough, a cash buyer like Meli sends you a firm offer to review with no obligation. You can take your time reviewing the amount and then simply decide whether you want to accept it and close. 

On top of all these benefits, a reputable cash buyer handles all the legal processing and closing paperwork for you once you’ve accepted their cash offer. This lowers your legal fees and takes some of the stress out of the closing process because the volume of paperwork that needs signing can be overwhelming. Avoiding this stress is appealing to sellers, especially if you’re already dealing with a divorce or foreclosure that is forcing you to sell the home. 

Where to Find a Reputable Cash Home Buyer

Florida cash home buyers might be individuals or a company like Meli Homes. The list of potential buyers includes:

• Real estate investors looking to flip or rent a property 
• Retirees looking to buy a home outright and not pay a mortgage 
• Homeowners who have recently sold a house and need to invest the profits 
• Companies like Meli that buy your home for cash as-is

Working with a professional cash home buyer is one of the simplest and quickest ways to sell your home. The benefit of going with an established company for your cash buyer is that you can vet their reputation and have confidence that the deal is low-risk before you invest more of your valuable time in the process. 

How Meli Works

As an experienced Florida cash home buyer, Meli Homes is well equipped to help you sell your home in 30 days or less, from the time you receive our quote to closing. The process is straightforward and stress-free for you, the seller, which is ideal in many short-sale situations. 

You’ll start by calling, texting, or filling out our online form. We’ll get back to you within 24 hours to discuss details about your home and request photos of the property. The next step is to schedule a date and time for a property walkthrough with one of our representatives. 

Following the viewing, you’ll receive our firm offer, usually on the same day. The offer comes with no obligation, and you can take your time reviewing it. If you decide to accept, we’ll pay in full with no hidden costs, and we take care of the closing paperwork for you. 

Get In Touch With Meli Homes

If you are a homeowner facing foreclosure, dealing with a divorce, or an executor with a house in probate, Meli Homes is the buyer. When a quick sale is what you’re after, skip the open houses and get in touch with a reputable cash buyer serving Orlando, Tampa, and the surrounding areas.

85% of our 24-hour deals close within 30 days, and we save Floridians an average of $3,000 in legal fees. Call us today at (407) 338-4183 or fill out our online form to learn more or get started on selling your home.  

This article is meant for informational purposes only and is not intended to be construed as financial, tax, legal, real estate, insurance, or investment advice. Meli encourages you to reach out to an advisor regarding your own situation. Please consult with your advisor when making legal or financial decisions.

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If you’re considering selling your house as-is, it’s likely you’ve sold a home before and are aware that buyers will haggle, negotiating a lower selling price based on the home inspection results. While you don’t want to label your home for sale as-is to avoid negotiations, it’s a viable strategy if you approach it the right way and adjust your expectations. So, if you are asking yourself, “how do I sell my home as-is?” our tips can help you get a fair price for your property.  

Use an Experienced Real Estate Agent

If it’s a seller’s market or you don’t need a quick sale, working with a real estate agent experienced in as-is sales may be a good option. Based on the work that needs to be done on your home, they can advise if selling your home in as-is condition is the right option for you. 

To open up the pool of buyers, they may recommend that you avoid listing your home as-is on the open market so you can get as many potential buyers through the door as possible and then begin negotiations.

Seasoned real estate agents suggest that listing a home as-is can deter most homebuyers because they believe there is something major wrong with your property, rather than only cosmetic issues.    

However, if you need to sell your home quickly because of a move, pre-foreclosure, or tax liens, waiting on the open market could take too long, and working directly with a cash buyer might be a better choice.

Declutter Your Home

When listing your home, you have to stage it to make it look as presentable and sellable as possible. You may not have the funds, time, or emotional energy to redo a bathroom or upgrade your kitchen cabinets. However, decluttering can attract a larger pool of buyers. 

If you decide to put your home on the market, contact a real estate agent before tackling any home improvement projects. They can tell you which projects will give you some return on your investment, especially if you are thinking about selling your home as-is. 

Before deciding whether to put your home on the open market or look for a cash buyer, consider your goals. If you are trying to off-load an inherited house or need the funds to pay off a tax lien, you may want a quick sale where a cash buyer can help. However, if you have some money to put toward simple repairs that can boost your sale price significantly, then home improvements may be worth the upgrade.

To show your home in its best light, remove old furniture and perform a deep cleaning, including the carpets. Don’t forget about trimming the shrubs and mowing the lawn to improve the curb appeal of your home. Whether you list your home or sell to a cash buyer, decluttering and cleaning it can boost your selling price.     

Reduce Your Asking Price to Reflect the As-Is Conditions

Doing comparisons of similar homes in your neighborhood will give you an idea of what your home will sell for in perfect condition. However, if you’re unwilling or unable to make repairs, you may need to adjust your asking price. 

This can be tricky because you don’t want to lower your asking price, then negotiate down from that price. If you strategically list your home at a price that enables a buyer to have enough equity to cover the repairs, the buyer has no grounds to demand an even lower price.  

Disclose Material Defects

Most states, including Florida, have mandatory disclosures, so you need to fully disclose any material defects. This includes problems such as a broken HVAC, leaking roof, or cracked foundation, even when selling your property as-is. Failure to disclose a defect could result in legal consequences.

If you are selling an as-is home in Florida, you must disclose any conditions about the property that significantly impact its desirability or value. 

Use a Cash Buyer

If you simply don’t have the money for improvements or need to sell your house as quickly as possible, then you may want to consider using a cash buyer. If you are selling an as-is home in Central Florida or the surrounding areas, contact Meli Homes. We’ll help find the best solution for you and your home.

Unlike selling on the open market, selling your property in an as-is condition removes the hassle of staging, showing your home, and negotiations with a potential buyer. 

Using a cash buyer is convenient because all that is required is a walk-through. There are no hidden fees and no closing costs, and your home is sold within 30 days or less. 

Choose Meli Homes to Sell Your As-Is House

If you need to sell a difficult home and want to avoid the hassle, Meli is an excellent solution. We specialize in several types of properties, including those:

• Involved in a legal dispute or divorce proceedings
• Need extensive repairs
• Stuck in probate
• In pre-foreclosure
• With a tax lien

Unlike other buyers, we have experience handling properties involved in all these types of legal and financial issues. We use that experience to help you through the selling and buying process.

The Meli process is quick and easy. In just four steps, you can sell your as-is or distressed property.

1. Call Us

The first step is to get in contact with the Meli team. If you send us a message through our contact form with your information, we’ll be in touch in 24 hours. We may have a few questions about your property and situation to help us better prepare an estimate.

2. Arrange a Walk-Through

When we speak with you, we’ll organize a walk-through of your house at a convenient time for you. The sooner we can see your home, the quicker you’ll receive your offer. During the walk-through, our experienced team members can appraise your home’s value.

3. Get Your Offer

On the same day as your walk-through, you’ll receive a fair offer from your contact at Meli. There’s no legal requirement to accept this offer. However, once you do accept it, we can immediately begin the buying process. If there are outstanding legal problems like a tax lien or pre-foreclosure, we’ll fix them before the sale goes through.

4. Receive Payment

Once we’ve completed the sale, you’ll receive your payment in full. Meli takes on the closing fees and any other costs, meaning you get the entirety of the offer we make. The entire process takes less than a month. 

If you need to sell your home in Florida, call Meli today at (407) 338-4183 to learn more about our process. Whether you have to move for a new job across the country or can no longer afford your mortgage payments, we can help. 

This article is meant for informational purposes only and is not intended to be construed as financial, tax, legal, real estate, insurance, or investment advice. Meli encourages you to reach out to an advisor regarding your own situation. Please consult with your advisor when making legal or financial decisions.

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Selling a property “as-is” means listing a property on the market in the exact condition that it is currently in. The current owners don’t plan on doing any more repairs or replacements before selling the property. When selling as-is, the owner gives no guarantees that all aspects of the property are in good condition or in full working order. Although this can mean the owner doesn’t necessarily get the maximum price for their property, the process is often faster. 

There are several reasons a seller might be selling their property as-is. In many cases, they may not have enough money to carry out the necessary repairs the property needs. Perhaps the property has been foreclosed, or the previous owner died without leaving a last will and testament. Sometimes, the cash value of selling a property as-is is the most influential factor. 

No matter your reason for selling a property as-is, there are several simple tips for selling a distressed home to ensure you get the best price. 

1. Use an Agent Experienced in Distressed Properties

Depending on the condition of your property, you may consider using a real estate agent. Homes that need minimal repairs or homeowners that don’t need a quick turnaround can benefit from an experienced realtor.

The main advantage of using an agent to help with a sale is that you can leverage their contacts and negotiating skills. An excellent real estate agent has a strong network within the industry, allowing them to extend the potential buyer market. They may also have active sales channels that they can use to market and promote the property. Generally speaking, the more interest or demand for a property, the better chance you have of securing a reasonable price. 

One of the most critical aspects of securing a sale is negotiation. This is where the best property agents set themselves apart from the rest. Having a strong negotiator on your side helps ensure you get the maximum price for your property. 

2. Disclose Issues

If you are putting a house up for sale as-is, it is vital that you disclose all problems with the property. In many cases, there are ongoing issues with these types of properties. This is the main reason for people selling properties in this way. 

There is no need to seek loopholes for selling property. It is usually more beneficial to let buyers know what issues exist. As well as maintaining a good relationship with buyers, disclosing problems with a property is a legal requirement in Florida. 

In general, sellers are legally obliged to disclose any known problems with the property, such as health and safety issues, structural defects, mechanical problems, environmental damage, pest infestation, and renovations. Sellers must also disclose any legal obstacles, including probates, tax liens, or bankruptcy proceedings, that may disrupt the sale. 

In Florida, sellers need to disclose the presence of radon gas, erosion potential if the home is on the coast, information about an existing HOA, and property tax details. However, your county may have additional reporting requirements. Check with the local authorities for the exact disclosures you need to make before selling your home. 

Failure to disclose property issues can result in heavy fines or legal action, which may result in you having to pay for repairs to the property. It may also cause buyers to drop out of negotiations, even after the property has gone into escrow. 

3. Make Easy Upgrades to Your Home

Some distressed home repairs may be too time-consuming or expensive to make worthwhile. However, there are several things that you can do to increase the home’s curb appeal, even if you are selling the property as-is. 

• Caulk gaps or cracks around windows, doors, and backsplashes in the kitchen and bathrooms.
• Spackle dents and small holes in drywall and give the interior and exterior a fresh coat of paint.
• Replace broken light bulbs and fixtures.
• Declutter the space, removing broken appliances and furniture.
• Have the carpets and drapes professionally cleaned.
• Perform some basic landscaping, including mowing the lawn, trimming hedges and overgrown trees, and removing weeds. 

Performing these basic budget-friendly tasks ensures that you show the best side of your home and can significantly increase your asking price. 

4. Contact a Cash Buyer

In some cases, you may need to sell your property as quickly as possible, leaving no time for renovations or upgrades. If you are short on time or don’t have the budget for repairs, a cash buyer offers a unique opportunity to secure a fair price for your home and close the sale within a few weeks. 

Selling your home as-is to a cash buyer allows you to bypass financial institutions and avoid realtor commissions. It also means you won’t need to make any repairs, organize inspections, or negotiate with buyers.

Cash buyers streamline the selling process, open up the buyer pool, and ensure that you get a good offer for the property in as little as 30 days. 

Meli Homes specializes in selling distressed homes or those tied up in legal proceedings that may not fetch a fair price if listed on the open market. We service Tampa, Melbourne, Kissimmee, and other areas throughout central Florida, providing homeowners peace of mind and a fast turn-around when selling their property as-is. 

Contact Meli Homes For a Fast Turn-Around on Your Home

To sell your home with Meli Homes, simply fill out our online form, and we will respond to your request within 24 hours with questions about the property so that we can give you an estimate. Then, we’ll organize a walk-through and make you an offer. 

Even if you have a tax lien or are embroiled in legal battles over the property, we can work with our team to resolve these issues to help the sale progress. Then, you’ll receive the full offer amount; no fees, no commissions, just the price promised. 

If you have a property that you need to sell in as-is condition, contact Meli Homes today to get the process started and take the stress out of selling your distressed home. 

This article is meant for informational purposes only and is not intended to be construed as financial, tax, legal, real estate, insurance, or investment advice. Meli encourages you to reach out to an advisor regarding your own situation. Please consult with your advisor when making legal or financial decisions.

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For your ease, we have provided a transcript of the Distressed Home Q&A Recording.

Hey, this is Evan with Simple Sale Central Florida. We’re back again this month for our May Q&A where we go over questions that are commonly asked by our clients. Simple Sale buys distressed properties throughout Central Florida. That includes Tampa Bay, St. Pete, Pinellas all the way to the Bradenton area. Then going east, Orlando, even up north, up to Ocala, down to Kissimmee. We also buy on the Space Coast, so Brevard County and areas around Brevard.

The mission of the company is to bring transparency and accountability to distressed home sales. What that means is we work very hard to help our clients out of their situation. We try to help them get the best solution even if it isn’t us. It may be going another direction, but we strive to help out our clients. So, with that introduction, why don’t we go on into the questions?

1. What does “distressed” mean?

A distressed property can mean a lot of different things. A lot of people just think that it’s a foreclosure, but we don’t term it that way. It could mean excessive repairs, liens, code violations, or other forms of legal issues. It could be excessive repairs or a foreclosure.

Whenever there’s a situation where the seller is struggling to maintain the property or take care of a legal issue, we come in and help them. It really just means any type of situation where it’s uncommonly difficult to resolve. We work to try to resolve these problems for our clients.

Read More: What is a Distressed Property?

2. I started making repairs on my house, but didn’t finish them. Can I still sell my house if it needs repairs?

Of course. We buy properties like that all the time. Maybe the person started a rehab and needed to move; started a rehab and it became more costly than anticipated. That’s not an issue at all. We would gladly take a look at the property and see if it’s something we can work on.

It definitely can still be sold. It will take a certain type of buyer. There are buyers out there that will buy a property that needs repairs, but not everyone will. Your standard iBuyers and things of that nature, they won’t if the repairs are excessive. But you can definitely sell the property. You just have to find the right buyers that want to take care of it.

Read More: How to Sell a House that Needs Repairs

3. Can I sell my house if it’s not up to code?

Yes, you can. It’s kind of like the last question. If the property isn’t up to code, you won’t be able to sell to your traditional retail buyer through financing. You’re going to have to sell to someone who can pay cash for the property and take the liability for those code violations. Typically, it will be an investor that would buy the property, fix the issues, and resell the property.

But you can definitely sell it. It’s just going to be a particular type of buyer that’s going to be looking to buy a property like that. You have to talk with someone who is experienced in purchasing code violations. It also depends on how far you are into the code violation. Are there already liens on the property and things of that nature?

Simple Sale Central Florida is one of the few companies that will actually close on a property with existing liens. We’ve taken on that risk in the past and we’ll continue to do so on projects that we think are worth it.

Read More: Tips for Selling a House with Code Violations

4. My house is in very bad condition. Can I still sell it?

Of course. Excessive repairs fall under what we term “distressed.” Just because your home’s in very bad condition doesn’t mean you can’t sell. You can definitely sell. You just need to find the right kind of buyer that can deal with excessive rehabs and things like that. You can definitely still sell. It’s not really a problem at all.

It really depends, but most investors would try it. It depends on if the house is an older wood-frame house or if it’s newer, possibly a less aged blockhouse, but it still has a lot of issues. You know, you’re going to vary on what buyers are going to want to take the risk.  

Read More: Should I Sell My House if it’s in Poor Condition?

5. Any tips for selling a house that needs work?

I see this a lot where people kind of take time to do things to distressed properties that don’t really raise the value. They may try to clean some walls or something like that and honestly, those types of things are going to be a waste of time. Better options are fixing serious issues like the roof or AC.

Fixing anything costly is going to be your best way to get the most bang for your buck. I would try to take care of the bigger issues. Putting a brand new AC or roof on the property. Even if the interior isn’t that great, those types of things will help raise the value of the property.

Updating a bathroom or the kitchen… a lot of those things would help, but you really need to make sure you know what you’re doing. Make sure that if you hire someone, you trust them and they know what they’re doing. I often see people stressed because they chose a bad general contractor or an unlicensed contractor that did the work and didn’t do a very good job, and didn’t actually help the value of the house very much. You just have to be very careful.

Read More: How to Sell a House That Needs Repairs

6. Can I sell a house with a lien on it?

Yes, you can sell a house with a lien on it. There aren’t that many people that will buy it. We WILL buy the property, but for the most part a lot of investors will not buy the property with liens unless they’re re-negotiated before the close, and it all depends on how big the liens are.

In the past, we closed on a property with $360,000 in liens, and the house was worth maybe $200,000 or $175,000. It needed a ton of work, but we closed on that property and took the risk. It took a long time to negotiate the liens. Those are the types of things that we do take the risk on and will take a look at; we would definitely be interested.

Read More: Can You Sell a House With a Property Tax Lien?

7. Are there benefits to selling my home to a cash home buyer?

Kind of reiterating some of the things I’ve already said, there are definitely benefits. If you have a distressed issue, but can still put it on the open market, typically that will be better. We always consider that option with our clients. We have a brokerage and will list the property for them. 99% of the time they’re going to net more money out on the open market if they can sell to a retail buyer. It’s possible you’ll just get a higher cash offer by putting it out on the market.

But, there’s certain things that have to be done. Listing a property with a bunch of liens on it is not going to work. The benefits of selling to most cash-only buyers is that you’ll have far less showings. It’s going to be a faster close. And less stress, than if you put it on the market. There’s a high probability you get more money, but you’re possibly going to do more showings. It’s going to take longer.

It really depends on your situation. For about half of our clients looking for a cash offer on their distressed property, we end up listing it just because it’s a better outcome for them. We make a commission on the sale, so we’re fine with it. We do have to make money on our transactions to continue doing more transactions and helping people.

There can be benefits depending on your situation. Sometimes it’s a disadvantage, but it really just depends on your situation if you need to sell to a cash-only buyer.

Read More: What is a Cash Home Buyer?

8. Can I sell my home before foreclosure?

Yes, you definitely can. We don’t work with a ton of foreclosures, but we’ve bought them before being foreclosed on a few times. You can definitely sell your house. It’s not an issue. The only issues are going to be you need someone and make sure they’re going to close. It can’t be someone just wanting to come in and get a mortgage on the property. They’re not going to be able to buy it.

Probably the most important thing is making sure whoever you work with is actually going to close on the property. You don’t want to go 30 days thinking you’re closing, heading into foreclosure, and then not close. I’ve seen that recently.

We’ve worked with clients and someone’s offered them the deal of a lifetime offer on their house. If you only have 30 days until foreclosure, you’d better make sure they’re going to close. Unfortunately, that’s how it goes. So, yeah, to answer the question, you absolutely can sell a home before a foreclosure.

Read More: Can You Sell Your House Before Foreclosure?

9. I’m trying to sell my home, but it’s in probate. Is there anything I can do?

Well, you definitely need a probate attorney to get through that process. Don’t try to do it alone. There’s too many laws, too many complications. I would definitely hire a trusted probate attorney.

If you get a probate attorney at random, just make sure they have great reviews and a good reputation. Some of them can be so busy that they don’t do a very good job. They have so many other things going on. Make sure you work with a law firm that has a great reputation, and will get you through the process as quickly as possible. Sometimes it can take quite a while, several months.

That’s my biggest recommendation: don’t try to do it yourself. Don’t even try to start doing it yourself. Go to an attorney, find a good, trusted attorney. That’s what we do. We typically work with the same one or two attorneys all the time. They do a great job, and I know they’ll take care of the clients that we work with.

Read More: What to Expect When Selling a House in Probate

10. Is there anything I might not know about selling a house as-is?

It really depends on the as-is condition. What I see, probably most often, is when someone wants to sell their house as-is, and let’s say it needs $40,000 of work. Sellers often don’t understand the discount they’re going to have to take on their house for someone to buy it.

Unless the person that’s buying it is going to be living there, it has to be resold. To buy a property, resell it and make money, there is a discount that has to be put in. There’s so many costs associated for the rehab, for the holding costs of the property, which is taxes, insurance. It is closing costs, which is 2%. It’s commissions to agents, which is anywhere from 3% for one agent or 5-6% for two agents. All these things add up.

In order for companies like us to make money, we do have to buy that property for probably less than what you think it’s worth. But it’s not that we’re getting greedy or anything of that nature. We understand the costs associated. There are many people that have bought and sold one house or two houses. But in order to stay in this business, there’s a lot of risk in buying a house. There’s a lot of unknowns. There’s things that can go wrong.

So, we have to buy the property at a price to make sure that we can buy and sell a lot of these and help a lot of people with their situation. We are open to being transparent about exactly what something is going to cost and exactly how much we’re going to make on the deal if everything goes according to plan. But it doesn’t always go according to plan, either. Sometimes we don’t make anything.

People don’t talk about that side of the business where you buy a house at what you think is an acceptable price, and you don’t make anything. Some people outside the business are convinced that you’re always making a ton of money. That’s not always the case. But we continue to do it because we are very realistic, patient and we try to do the right thing.

Wrapping Up

So, I think that is it for the questions. I’ll check the comments. I don’t see any comments. But as always, thanks for watching this. If you’re watching it live or later, I do appreciate it.

If you want to get in touch with us call us at (407)338-4183. That’ll get you to us. You can tell us about your property that you’re looking to sell. And you can also go to our website, SimpleSaleCentralFlorida.com. I do appreciate it. Thank you. Bye.