The discount in a direct sale buys two things: speed and certainty. If you don't need them, you shouldn't pay for them. That is the whole test.
Case 1
The number you have in mind is already market price
If the price you're hoping for is roughly what the house would bring on the open market, then the open market is where you should go get it. We won't match it. We can't — the difference between our number and market is what pays for closing on your date, buying the house as it stands, and not asking you to fix anything.
Any direct buyer who tells you they'll pay full market price is either mistaken or planning to renegotiate after you're committed.
One thing worth doing before you decide: market price isn't what you keep. Out of it come the agent commission — usually six percent or more, and negotiable but rarely by much — whatever repairs the buyer's inspector asks for, any closing-cost credits you give, and every month of mortgage, taxes, insurance and utilities while the house sits.
Run that number, not the list price. If it still beats what a direct sale would put in your hand, list it — and we'll tell you so ourselves.
Case 2
Your interest rate is low — look at renting it before you sell it
If you're carrying a mortgage at two or three percent, that loan is an asset. You will not be able to borrow at that rate again, and selling the house is the one action that permanently gives it up.
Rents around Columbia are strong enough that for a lot of owners, keeping the house and renting it out beats selling it — sometimes by a wide margin. We own and operate rental property here, so this is a calculation we do constantly. We're glad to run your numbers with you even when the honest answer is that you should keep the house.
Case 3
You're behind on something — make one phone call first
If a lien or a missed payment is the reason you're thinking about selling, find out what the other side is willing to do before you decide anything. It costs one phone call and it is free. Who you call depends on what kind of lien it is — and the wrong call tells you nothing:
| What you're facing | Who to call, and what to ask |
|---|---|
| Behind on the mortgage | Your loan servicer — ask for the loss mitigation department, and ask about forbearance, a repayment plan, or a loan modification. |
| HOA lien | The association's management company. Payment plans are common and are usually cheaper than the alternative for them too. |
| Federal tax lien | The IRS directly. Installment agreements exist, and so does an offer in compromise. |
| Mechanic's lien | A real estate attorney. South Carolina has strict filing requirements, and some liens can be challenged rather than paid. |
Some of those calls change nothing. Some of them change everything. You should know which one yours is before you sign anything — with us or with anyone else.
Case 4
Someone else offered more and can actually close
Then take it. The only thing worth checking is the second half of that sentence.
Ask for proof of funds if the offer is cash, or a lender's pre-approval if it's financed, and ask what their contingencies are and how long their due diligence period runs. A higher offer that collapses in week six is worth less than a lower one that closes. If you want a second pair of eyes on someone else's offer, send it to us — we'll tell you what we see.
Case 5
The house is ready and nothing is pushing you
If it shows well, doesn't need work, and there's no deadline you didn't set yourself, then you already have both things a traditional sale requires: condition and time.
Speed isn't worth anything to you, so don't pay for it. List it.
And when a direct sale does make sense
For balance, here is the other side. Selling directly tends to be the better answer when:
- You need a closing date you can actually count on.
- The house needs work you can't fund or don't want to manage.
- You'd rather not have strangers walking through it.
- There's a clock running that you didn't start.
Send us the address and the number you have in mind. If you're better off somewhere else, we'll tell you — and we'll tell you why.
That costs us deals. We'd rather lose the ones we shouldn't have had.
Ask us where you stand