Do You Need to Sell Your House in California?
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There's many circumstances that can lead a homeowner to the decision to sell their property. Sometimes, properties are unwanted and become a great burden. Things like inherited homes, rental properties that aren’t quite working out, properties in foreclosure, and properties in bad shape may seem better off in someone else’s hands.
NO MATTER YOUR SITUATION WE CAN HELP
We help hundreds of home owners in difficult situations every year
At Home Buyers USA, we’ve seen and worked with clients from a variety of situations. We may be able to help you work with your lender, bypass high commission rates, and unload even the most undesirable of properties no one else wants. If you would like to sell your home in a more traditional way, here are a few options with different situations.
A death in the family may prompt you to move house. Whether the deceased was the person who was responsible for paying the bulk of the mortgage or the emotional affect the house has on the family after the deceased’s passing leads you to sell, it’s a heartbreaking position to find yourself in.
California law requires the disclosure of deaths that occurred on a property within three years before the sale date. This means that if someone has died in your home, potential buyers have a right to that information. The only exception within the law is an exemption for deaths relating to AIDS, as AIDS is seen as a disability in the state of California.
This can have some upsetting consequences for homeowners. Superstitious buyers are sometimes put off when they learn that someone has died in the home they are about to purchase, and they may not be willing to purchase the home, or may request the price be reduced on the grounds that they consider the death on the property to be a material defect.
This will not be a problem for us and we can help your situation no matter the circumstances. If this is something you don't want to deal with, you can sell us the house so you don't have to deal with it.
Valid financial hardship can help you quickly sell your home. If you can prove to the court that your financial situation cannot be remedied, and that it isn’t the direct result of a voluntary misappropriation of your funds, your lender may be able to legally agree to a short sale if it means circumventing foreclosure.
If you aren’t yet behind on your payments and you’re taking a proactive approach, it’s important to start as soon as you know that your financial situation has become unstable and the outlook for a swift recovery is bleak. The sooner you contact us the sooner we can help you with your situation by purchasing the home and relieving you of your financial obligation.
Nobody wants to get stuck in a bad neighborhood – and this is especially true of families with children. In California, you’ll have to disclose the situation with your neighbors if it’s considered a public nuisance, but not if it’s considered a private nuisance. If you had a personal falling out with your neighbor, that remains your business. If your neighbors are generally loud and disruptive in a way that affects your whole street, you’ll have to disclose that.
A Los Angeles county court case in 1998 set a precedence for this situation. In the case of Shapiro v. Sutherland, the new owner of a property took the former owner of a property to court for minimizing the issues created by a problematic neighbor.
In some situations, bad neighbors can bring down property values. When an entire neighborhood has fallen into a state of disrepair, the value of your home will decrease as a result. If you find that your neighbors have had such a negative impact that your home is now worth less than what you purchased it for, you’re going to need help.
A real estate agent may not be able to solve this issue. If you just want to be done with the property and relieved of the burden of the home, you can sell us the house and we'll handle it for you.
Your lender doesn’t want to go to foreclosure any more than you do. If you believe that foreclosure is becoming inevitable, you may be able to sell your home before the process begins.
In the state of California, judicial foreclosures are fairly uncommon, mostly due to the homeowner protection laws and extensive legal feels involved. Your lender may be able to come to an agreement for a sale price of your home, provided it covers your debt to an amount they deem reasonable.
Hopefully, your job transfer is an exciting opportunity. Before you get to enjoy all of that excitement, you’ll have to tie up some loose ends – one of which is the property you currently own. If you need to sell it fast in order to relocate, you may find that this is a lot more difficult than you had initially thought it would be.
If you can afford to keep up with the mortgage on your property while you’re away, you may be able to sell it remotely. If you can’t, you risk going into foreclosure. If you find you’re missing payments, your lender may agree to short sale and forgive any deficiency left behind. In California, short sale is a final action.
When you work with us however, you can sell us the house, at a price that is fair but slightly below Market, within 7 days or less. This relieves you of the stress of finding a buyer and having to continue to pay the mortgage on a home you're no longer occupying. You can sell quickly, be done with the property in a matter of days and have cash in hand in as little as a few weeks.
Run down homes lose value quickly, and are very difficult to sell. Real estate agents may choose not to take on the sale of a run down home. If you don’t have the money and time required to fix the home, you may have your hands tied.
If the problem goes unchecked long enough, the California Code of Civil Procedure can allow the state government to condemn and take your home through eminent domain.
This is a very complicated procedure, and it’s better to prevent things from getting this far. Before you receive a notice of condemnation, it’s better to unload your home while it’s still salvageable.
A real estate agent is unlikely to want to take the case on. Here at HBUSA we would love to speak with you about your property. We love Fixer-Uppers and would love to make you a fair cash offer for your property.
Bad tenants are bad news. If you want to get them out of your property so you can sell it, you have a few options.
In California, tenants can be served with a three day notice. This is great, but you’re also running the risk that they’ll actually pay up and hang around for another month.
The best way to get rid of these tenants is through careful negotiations, provided you can get them to work and avoid further damage to the property.
The good news is, when working with a company like ours, you can sell us the property and we'll ALSO take over the Tenants so you no longer have to deal with them. You can learn more about how this works by contacting us today.
During a divorce, the house will generally be awarded to the spouse that owns the house if his or her name is the only name on the home loan. If the loan is in both names and both parties want the house, this can come to a dispute.
If neither couple can afford the house on their own, California allows the home to be sold for an agreed upon price, and the profits from the sale are equally divided and distributed between both parties.
If you’ve suddenly learned that you’ll be transferred out of state or overseas, you might find yourself in a bind with your mortgage.
You’re packing up and going away, and you won’t be around to maintain your home or make your payments. If you don’t have time to sell your home through traditional means, you may qualify for the HAFA program, which allows military personnel to work with their lenders for short sale.
If you want a quicker solution, working with Real Estate Investors is an ideal solution to your situation.
In an ideal situation, foreclosure will never come to fruition. Thanks to California’s One Action Rule, a short sale of your home can completely prevent foreclosure, and your lender cannot come after you for any deficit left in the wake of a short sale.
Lenders know that if you’re unable to pay your mortgage, attempting to pay an outstanding debt on top of your new housing costs is unlikely to result in a favorable outcome for either party. Because of this, short sale is a widely utilized alternative.
It’s disheartening to learn that your home didn’t sell on time, and your listing is about to vanish.
This is sometimes due to the low value of a home that doesn’t justify its asking price. If your home is in an unfavorable neighborhood or needs work done, buyers won’t be eager to scoop it up.
Investors, on the other hand, may be willing to lay out some cash to turn your home into something that will be more desirable to buyers in the current market.
If you’re looking to relocate immediately, you may not have time to wait on your home to sell. The market may go up and down, affecting what a reasonable selling price would be. If you’re looking to pick up and go, opting for a fast cash sale is your best option
Selling a fire damaged home seems nearly impossible, if it's on the regular market. A lot of real estate agents won’t even touch properties with significant fire damage, and if they do, they’ll want a lot of commission for handling a complicated case.
Since significant fire damage can reduce the value of a home to a significantly low sum, you don’t want to have to pay out that commission to an Agent. Investors are a much better option in this case, since they’re willing to purchase the property as-is without any fees or commissions. The agreed upon price is what you receive with no strings attached.
If you’ve lost your job, the Keep Your Home California program may be able to help you retain your home, provided you qualify for their mortgage assistance program. If you can’t comply with their terms or won’t be able to keep up with your other expenses, you’ll need to sell the home quickly before you default with your lender.
California courts accept job loss as a legitimate hardship, so detailing your situation in a letter of hardship to the court may encourage your lender to permit a short sale in order to prevent the problem from worsening.
Inheriting a property in California isn’t nearly as much of a tax burden as it can be in other states. You’re locked into the deceased’s property tax rate, meaning you won’t have to pay tremendous taxes while you’re waiting for the home to sell. The way you sell it depends on the value of the home.
If the home is in a desirable area and left in great condition, it may sell quickly through a realtor. If the deceased owner wasn’t able to keep up with the property, it may have incurred some damage that will need to be repaired. If you’re looking for the quickest way out, an investor will take on the burden of repairing the home.
If your home needs repairs to the extent that selling it seems like a better option, you’re probably facing a wealth of issues that will be exorbitantly costly to fix.
If the mortgage is already paid off, it may not be worth the time and investment to handle the repairs yourself. Investors take homes no matter what shape they’re in. They’ll do the dirty work and give you the cash for the opportunity
It’s difficult to sell a home with code violations. If you can’t afford to bring the home up to code yourself, buyers may view the property in a similar light. They want to pay for a house that’s move in ready, with no inherent issues that need addressing.
Lenders may not want to finance the purchase of a home with code violations. Selling your home to someone like an investor who already intends on renovating the property is quicker and simpler than hoping you’ll find the right buyer who will be able to obtain financing for your home.
When settling a divorce or bankruptcy, the California court will not exempt your home as a part of your assets. They may mandate its sale, and they’ll want to do it as quickly as possible.
If you have a large debt to settle, there’s no telling how little it will sell for in an auction. In this scenario, opting for a cash buyer who can work with the court on your behalf may allow you to settle more debt in your attempt to repair your financial situation.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT SALES METHOD FOR YOUR HOME
SELLING THROUGH A REALTOR
When deciding how to sell your property, a homeowner’s first thought is almost always turning to a realtor. In the state of California, the average realtor commission is approximately 4.7%, which is less than the average standard of 6%. Houses that are hard to sell due to damage, undesirable location, or extreme time constraints may warrant a higher commission rate.
Selling through a realtor is not your only option however. You can also sell your home yourself. Some states require a licensed real estate agent to review the paperwork during the by owner sale process, but California is not one of them. This means that homeowners have the green light to sell their homes as they see fit. While the freedom may feel exciting, it certainly doesn’t make the process any easier.
FOR SALE BY OWNER
With a by owner sale, you’ll be responsible for all of the advertising costs. You’ll pay to list your home and promote that listing. It’s up to you to determine a reasonable asking price, and that involves thoroughly researching similar homes in your area.
Too high and your home may sit on the market unsold. Too low, and you’re practically giving away money. You’ll have to stage the home yourself, give potential buyers the tours, and complete all of the required paperwork on your own. It’s a lot trickier than it looks. If your home is difficult to sell or you’re facing financial adversity, you can always turn to a reliable home investor.
SELLING TO AN INVESTOR
The fastest way to sell a home is to a cash buyer. With a cash buyer, you won’t have to wait for a mortgage loan to get approved, and there’s virtually no risk of the buyer falling through. If you need to sell your home quickly and you don’t have the time or resources to add value, repair, or advertise your home, a home investor is the quickest way to complete the process.
This is a great solution if there’s significant damage to the property that you cannot afford to fix or simply don’t desire to fix. Investors also purchase properties that are in or near foreclosure, probate properties, and unwanted rentals or vacation homes that could use a little bit of a revamp.
When you want to sell to an investor, you don’t have to list your home. Just contact the investor, and they’ll make you an offer in a relatively short period of time. There are many great benefits when working with an investor. You bypass a lot of the red tape of the traditional real estate process, and interested investors will always buy right away. It saves you a lot of time, and allows you to move on quickly.
DOES YOUR HOME NEED REPAIRS OR UPGRADES?
Average costs for the most basic roof replacement vary by region, and California homeowners can expect to shell out an average of $6,256 on a utilitarian roof – the highest average in the country. If you don’t have the funds to fix it, or doing so would be an unwise use of capital, home investors may still be interested in your property.
They’ll make you an offer that’s less the cost of the repairs, saving you time and the money you may have otherwise spent. This is particularly helpful if you won’t see a return on your investment. You’ll also be eliminating the real estate agent’s commission, which drives the sale profits down even further.
FINDING HONEST INVESTORS
If you’ve chosen home investment as an alternative to foreclosure, a swift end to probate, or a means of resolving issues with a damaged property you don’t want to fix, the process is very straightforward.
Most investors are prepared to deal with the court, as they already know what the court wants to hear. They already have great contractors working on their side, and they’re prepared to handle all kinds of home damage.
Buying and selling homes are very large transactions, and many scam artists are eager to get their hands in the piles of money. As soon as one scam ends, another one pops up. A lot of these scams take advantage of loopholes in local laws that will allow them to profit off of vulnerable homeowners.
Certain resources exist, such as the California Association of Realtor’s Scam Watch that can help keep you up to date on scams plaguing your area. Always thoroughly research any potential investors and read testimonials from homeowners who have experience working with the company before you proceed with any deals.
Make sure you never sign something you don’t completely understand, and remember that if something seems too good to be true, it is.
CALIFORNIA INVESTORS SPECIALIZE IN HELPING HOME OWNERS IN DIFFICULT SITUATIONS
What to Do in Foreclosure
When in foreclosure you’re free to sell your home all the way up to the moment where the foreclosure is completed, but starting sooner will prevent the financial circumstances from worsening.[read more="Read more" less="Read less"]
There are two types of foreclosure: judicial foreclosure, and nonjudicial foreclosure. Since judicial foreclosure is absurdly expensive and very time consuming, the majority of lenders are eager to avoid that route. If you’re facing foreclosure, you’re most likely facing a nonjudicial foreclosure.
Due to California’s One Action rule, a law designed to protect vulnerable homeowners from potential exploitation by their lenders, your lender is only allowed to select one action. This means that the sale of your home during foreclosure is a final act, and your lender is legally barred from pursuing you for the difference between the sale price and what you owe on your mortgage.
If you’re in foreclosure, you cannot profit from the sale of your home. All of the money needs to go directly to your bank, who will approve an offer. Allowing the foreclosure process to continue will only add debt, and you’ll still be responsible for the maintenance costs of that property in the meantime.
The quickest and simplest thing to do in this situation would be to contact a reputable home investor. Investors will be able to work with your bank to resolve the situation quickly through a short sale. Your credit score will still take a hit, but it won’t be as high as it would have been if the home didn’t sell and the foreclosure was completed.[/read]
What to do as a Landlord
If your property isn’t occupied, you can sell it just like you would any other property. If you have tenants you can no longer work with, you’ll have to remove them from the home.[read more="Read more" less="Read less"]
Sometimes, tenants can get vengeful, leaving behind messes and damage as a result of their evictions. It’s important you work softly with tenants to come to a peaceful resolution.
In the state of California, failure to pay rent, failure to leave voluntarily after a lease is not renewed, excessive damage to the property, and provable violation of rental agreement terms are all sound grounds for eviction.
If you can’t work out an agreement for a tenant to voluntarily vacate or negotiate terms that both sides will agree to, you’ll have to proceed with the formal eviction process.
The benefit with working with a Real Estate Investor is they can help you work with your tenants. With our company, we can actually take on your tenants so the sales transition is smooth. Contact us to learn more.[/read]
What to do if you're in Probate
Probate isn’t necessary in every situation. If it's necessary in your situation, you'll need to start before anything can be sold or transferred. Once an executor is assigned (if one wasn’t named in the will), that executor has a considerable amount of independence. [read more="Read more" less="Read less"]
Under California’s Independent Administration of Estates Act, the executor is allowed to handle most parts of the process without court approval. Selling real estate, however, does require approval from the probate court.
First, all valid debts are paid out of the estate. Creditors have a period of four months to place a claim, and you have the ability to decide which are valid and which aren’t. If a creditor presses your decision, they may speak with the court, who will have the final say. If there isn’t enough money in the estate to pay all of the deceased’s outstanding debts, the court decides in which order things are to be handled.
After things are settled, the executor can petition the close the estate and do so with the court’s approval. That’s when the house is truly the property of the inheritor, who can decide whether to sell it or keep it.
Until then, the executor is still responsible for the upkeep of the home in probate. Often times, homes in probate are in a state of disrepair due to illness or old age of their original owner, and you’ll have to decide how to approach that situation.
Our company is very familiar with the probate process and we have purchased dozens of homes that were in similar situations. If you decide working with a real estate investor is your best solution we can help make the process smooth and seamless for you. [/read]
What to do if Home needs repairs
Some repairs are not at all worthwhile when it comes to return on investment. If the damage is to the extent where you fear no one will buy your home unless the repairs are completed, you may feel obligated to complete them. [read more="Read more" less="Read less"]
A roof that severely leaks, a basement prone to frequent flooding, or sewage draining issues can be huge deal breakers to potential buyers. Some real estate agents won’t want to work with homes that are in serious need of repair unless the homeowner is willing to spend the money to fix the problem. Average costs for the most basic roof replacement vary by region, and California homeowners can expect to shell out an average of $6,256 on a utilitarian roof – the highest average in the country.
If you don’t have the funds to fix it, or doing so would be an unwise use of capital, home investors may still be interested in your property. They’ll make you an offer that’s less the cost of the repairs, saving you time and the money you may have otherwise spent. This is particularly helpful if you won’t see a return on your investment. You’ll also be eliminating the real estate agent’s commission, which drives the sale profits down even further.[/read]
ABOUT HOME BUYERS USA
At USA Home Buyers, we have plenty of experience dealing with a wide variety of scenarios in which a homeowner has decided that selling to an investor is the best solution to their predicament.
Contact us with information about your home, and we’ll be able to prepare you a quick cash offer, no matter what your circumstances are.
Chances are, you haven’t decided to sell your home on a whim. There are many reasons why a homeowner may decide to sell, and in many cases we can be a great alternative to traditional sales methods.
HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT WORKING WITH US
★★★★★
Best experience in selling a property. From agreed on price to close of escrow. Good communication with little effort from me. I highly recommend.
- Laura O., Perris, CA
★★★★★
Working with SoCal Home Buyers made a bad experience so much better. Thank you Lisa and Kristen for being so wonderful!
- Keri A., Cabazon, CA
★★★★★
It was great to work with someone who does what he said he was going to do, and on time. Thank you, thank you! It was a great experience.
- Sharon V., Hesperia, CA
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