You own a house in Houston. You need to sell it. Maybe it's inherited. Maybe you're behind on payments. Maybe you're relocating or just tired of being a landlord. An agent tells you 90 days and 6% commission. A cash buyer tells you 7 days and zero fees. Which is real?
This is a practical guide from Afiyah Realty's acquisitions team — we close over 40 cash deals a month across Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, and surrounding metros. Everything below is what we actually tell sellers when they call us at 346-313-7818.
Why cash buyers exist in the first place
The Houston real estate market has a supply problem at the high end and a demand problem at the distressed end. Most retail buyers want move-in-ready homes with conventional financing. That leaves out houses that:
- Need significant repairs ($20K+ in deferred maintenance)
- Have title issues or back taxes
- Are tenant-occupied with month-to-month leases
- Need to close fast because of relocation, divorce, or pre-foreclosure
- Are flood-zone or Harvey-damaged and miss FEMA map requirements
Cash buyers (us and a handful of other legitimate firms) specialize in this segment. We take properties as-is, close in 7-21 days, and handle title and paperwork on our end. Our margin comes from buying at a discount, fixing up, and selling to a retail buyer later. It's a repeatable business model — not a scam.
The agent math vs. the cash offer math
Say your house is worth $300,000 on the retail market. Here's what you actually walk away with:
Path A — Traditional agent listing
- Listing price: $300,000
- Actual sale price (average negotiation): $285,000
- Agent commission (6%): −$17,100
- Closing costs, title, inspection concessions: −$6,000
- Repair credits buyer demands: −$4,500 (average)
- Mortgage payments during 90-day listing: −$4,200
- Net to seller: $253,200
- Timeline: 90 days (with risk of deal falling through)
Path B — Cash offer from a reputable buyer (us)
- Offer: $245,000 (as-is, no repairs)
- Agent commission: $0
- Closing costs: $0 (we pay)
- Repair credits: $0
- Holding costs: $0
- Net to seller: $245,000
- Timeline: 7-14 days, guaranteed close
The difference is ~$8,000 in your pocket going the agent route — but only if everything works. Fall out of contract once, spend 120+ days on market, or pay out of pocket for a repair you can't afford, and the cash offer wins.
What makes a legitimate cash buyer
Not all cash buyers are real. Here's our checklist when a seller is evaluating us (or anyone else):
- Proof of funds within 24 hours. We send a bank statement or attorney letter on request. If someone dodges this, walk.
- Earnest money goes to a title company, not the buyer directly. Ours goes to Stewart Title or a similar licensed escrow agent.
- No "wholesale contract assignment" surprises. If the buyer plans to resell the contract before closing (wholesaling), they should disclose it upfront.
- Named address, real phone, real website. Our address is Houston TX, our phone is 346-313-7818, and our website is afiyahrealty.com.
- Reviews from real sellers. Google, BBB, Trustpilot. We're BBB A+ rated with 500+ closed deals.
Creative finance: when cash isn't the best structure
Here's the part most sellers don't know about. If you have equity in your home but also a low-interest mortgage (sub-4%), a pure cash sale means you lose that loan forever. Creative finance can be better:
Subject-to financing
We take over your existing mortgage payments. The loan stays in your name (technically), but we make every payment, and the title transfers to us or an LLC. Best for: sellers who have low equity, low interest rate, or need to exit fast without damaging credit.
Seller financing
You become the bank. We pay you a down payment at closing, then monthly installments with interest. You receive more total money over time, and the tax treatment (installment sale) is often favorable. Best for: sellers who don't need all the cash upfront and want recurring income.
Lease option
We lease the house from you with an option to buy at today's price later. You keep current rent income; we lock in the purchase price. Best for: sellers who aren't ready to sell today but want a guaranteed exit in 12-36 months.
Creative finance isn't for everyone, but for the right situation it beats cash hands-down. If you're not sure which fits, call us and we'll walk through your specific numbers on a free 15-minute call.
Houston-specific considerations
A few things unique to our market:
- Harris County tax delinquencies — we roll back taxes into closing. You don't need cash on hand.
- Flood zones — we buy pre-FEMA-map houses without flood certificates. No penalty for location.
- HOA communities (Kingwood, The Woodlands, Bridgeland, Sugar Land) — we handle HOA estoppel and transfer fees.
- Texas title — clean-title closes happen in 10-14 days. We work with 3 title companies across Greater Houston.
How to start
Two paths:
- Fill out the offer form at afiyahrealty.com/pages/sell. You'll get a call within the hour.
- Call or text 346-313-7818. Ask for the acquisitions team. Mention you read this post.
We give offers, not sales pitches. If the numbers don't work for you, we'll tell you — and we'll refer you to an agent if that's actually the better path. We've been doing this long enough to know which deals fit and which don't.
Lateefat Lawal is the CEO and founder of Afiyah Realty, a Houston-based real estate acquisition and investment platform. Afiyah is BBB A+ rated with 500+ closed deals across 12 US states and 8 countries. Contact: 346-313-7818 or WhatsApp.