If you’ve been driving around in Atlanta, chances are you’ve seen some billboards or signs all over town advertising companies that buy houses. You can’t help but see them because they are all over the place. Whether you’re in town or out in the suburbs OTP, you will come across some form of advertisement wanting to buy your home. Often times they say things like “We Buy Houses in Atlanta!” or “Cash For Your House”.
One can’t help but wonder when driving by these advertisements if they are real and even more so if they are credible. I know if I saw a sign written in sharpee stating that “We buy Houses in Atlanta,” I’d probably be thinking, “well, you wont be buying my house.” And that can be the case for a lot of these companies marketing this way. But there are some reputable real estate investment companies that can provide you with a safe and honest way to sell your home if going the traditional route on market doesn’t make sense for you.
Are These “We Buy Houses in Atlanta Companies” Credible?
How do I know if the local house buying companies out there are honest and credible?
Well… sometimes they all look the same at the start… but below we’ll walk you through some things to look for in a local house buying company before you should work with them.
Buying and selling houses is a valid and respectable profession that can help communities and house sellers in many ways. But just like any other line of work – a minority of house buyers in any market are the ones who make the rest of us look bad.
There are people who are really great, ethical folks who improve their neighborhoods one property at a time. They take pride in their work and they truly do care about you the customer, the homeowner, the person.
And then there’s shady, dishonest people who put money ahead of the well being of their clients and who would sign the contract to sell their own grandmother with one hand while stabbing you in the back with the other – as long as they were making enough money. Unfortunatley, there are people like this in every industry you get into.
And yes, they are out there.
We’ll help you avoid these “shady house buyers” so you can work with honest, ethical, and reputable local companies who can buy your house for a fair all cash offer and close on your schedule.
But let’s not focus on the negative – at least not yet.
First, let’s cover exactly what the best house-flippers are doing.
What Reputable Atlanta House Buyers Are Doing
- Helping folks improve their lives by accessing the money they need right away. People often need the cash from their house to cover unexpected medical expenses, unforeseen financial circumstances like losing a job, or to relocate to be close to a relative. We can make that happen in just a few days, and we deliver peace of mind.
- Helping sellers get rid of a burdensome property without the hassle of having to list it with a broker and wait months and month for a sale on market. If you have a problem property, you do not want to sit on it for months waiting for it get sold. You could be losing money each month while you’re waiting. You need it gone quick!
- Creating local jobs. We hire plumbers, contractors, electricians, brokers, title reps, loan officers, administrators and many other folks along the way. The average real estate transaction involves 86 people from start to finish. Our investments help create real jobs for people around Atlanta, GA.
- Buying US products. We spend tons of money on materials that are made right here in the USA – that creates jobs in our timber mills, factories, supply shops, distribution centers and more. The US economy depends on steady improvement, and that requires investment from folks like us.
- Increasing the value of Atlanta neighborhoods. When we improve a house, we’re helping to increase the value of the entire community. We often repair abandoned and neglected houses, turning them into beautiful homes for families. That activity strengthens Atlanta economically but also from an aesthetic value too. Wouldn’t you rather see a nice home in your neighborhood rather than a dilapidated shack that has been neglected for years. Its not only an eye-soar but its also a soar on your property value!
- Increasing the tax base. When a new buyer takes over one of our properties, they’ll pay a higher tax rate based on the new and improved value. Those taxes go to pay for our schools, fire, police, libraries, streets and other valuable pieces of infrastructure. Again, improving our neighborhoods.
Pretty cool stuff, right?
Lots of people think of house-flipping as a get-rich-quick scheme. That’s fueled by silly “reality” shows that amp up the drama because the reality of what we do on a daily basis is actually pretty boring.
Most of our work is coordinating with lots of people to make sure things are happening on time. We have to keep track of lots of moving parts. From managing crews, to setting expectations with sellers, to finding and then managing expectations with buyers, speaking with lenders and title attorneys. Being an investor and wholesaler takes a lot of communication to a see a deal from start to finish.
So let’s get back to how you can use this information to find out if someone is a credible investor, and not just pulling a house buying scam.
How To Ensure You’re Working With A Reputable Local House Buyer
When you talk with a local house buyer to potentially buy your house (someone who claims “We buy houses in Atlanta”)… ask them some of the questions below to ensure they’re reputable, knowledgeable, and honest.
Ask open-ended questions like:
- How do you help your clients?
- What do you do for people?
- Can you tell me more about your services?
- What aspect of your business makes you the proudest?
- How would you describe your investment philosophy?
- How can I know that you’ll close on my house when you say you will?
Second, look for tell tale signs of tactics that those few shady operators tend to use.
- “Kitchen table closings” – If a property buyer tries to get you to sign the deed (ownership) of your house over to them at your house, rather than a professional place like a closing attorney or title company… be leery. Most reputable house buying services will perform the actual closing of the sale at a neutral 3rd party place… like a title company. This ensures everything is done right and on the up and up.
- Pressuring you into a fast closing – If a house buyer tries to pressure you into selling your house and says that you have to make the decision today, be leery. Most reputable house buying services will make you and offer and that offer will be on the table for at least 2-7 days (minimum) for you to make a decision. The reason reputable house buying services like ours at ATL Cash Home Buyers do place deadlines on our offers is because the market changes and values can change week to week depending on other sales in the area, also… we buy multiple houses a month and when we make you an offer we’re assuring you that the cash to purchase your house is ready and we’ll reserve that cash for several days so if you do want to sell your house, we can close on your schedule. If you feel the offer isn’t a fit for you, then we’ll assign those funds to help another seller with their home sale.
Most scammers are looking for a quick score, and not an in-depth interview.
Chances are good that they’ll find excuses to get off the phone and move on to someone who doesn’t ask too many questions.
True investors who run honest and ethical Atlanta house buying services, however, are building long-term businesses based on relationships and community development. At ATL Cash Home Buyers, we have been doing everything we can to build a stable foundation to grow as a company so that we can help homeowners with their problems for years to come. We take pride in our walk and are honest and realistic with you from day one. We want you to feel comfortable at all steps in the process and more importantly, we want you to trust that you are in goods hands.
So when you’re looking at one of the “we buy houses in Atlanta companies“… never be afraid to ask questions!