Frequently Asked Questions
Maybe you have a few questions. That’s okay; most people do. So here’s a quick collection of some of the questions people ask us… along with our answers. If you still have a question, don’t hesitate to contact us (or give us a call) and we’ll be happy to answer it for you.
Q: Will you be listing my house on the MLS or actually buying it?
A: Great question. While we are also licensed salespeople in Virginia, we are professional home buyers: We buy houses Hampton Roads that meet our purchasing criteria. From there we may repair the house and resell it to another homeowner or keep it as a rental ourselves.
Q: Do you pay fair prices for properties?
A: YES! We are a family owned company, and our sole mission is to help homeowners by providing quality customer service and delivering value. Virtually 100% of the time, you will net more money from your home by listing it with an agent. (We can do that too!). But, that process can take many months – even in a hot market – because you are at the mercy of the buyer’s mortgage banker, appraiser, surveyor, engineer, and well-meaning family. At the last minute you may be required to make repairs or provide price concessions, or kill the deal and start all over again! You will have to make your home available to strangers via showings or open houses, as well as numerous inspections and follow-ups. When you sell your home to us, we take away all of that stress and unknown. You will only have to make your home available once or twice to our contractors or fellow investors. There is no haggling over the price or repairs. No last minute changes. No additional fees. No cleaning up so that a family of 4 and their 16 nosy relatives can come over to look at your home at 7:30pm. Our service is TIME and CONVENIENCE, and we pay a very fair price for that.
DOWNLOAD our free guide that walks you through the Pros and Cons (plus the cost and timeline) of selling your house to a real estate investor… plus learn the pros, cons, and costs of the other two alternatives… listing with an agent or selling it yourself.
Q: How do you determine the price to offer on my house?
A: Great question, and we’re an open book: Our process is very straightforward. We look at the location of the property, what repairs are needed, the current condition of the property, and values of comparable houses sold in the area recently. We subtract our costs from the value of comparable houses in your area, and that becomes our offer.
Q: Are there any fees or commissions to work with you?
A: This is what makes us stand out from the traditional method of selling your house: There are NO fees or commissions when you sell your house to us. We’ll make you an offer, and if it’s a fit then we’ll buy your house (and we’ll often pay for the closing costs too!). No hassle. No fees. We make our money after we pay for repairs on the house (if any) and sell it for a profit (we’re taking the risks here on whether we can sell it for a profit or not, once we buy the house from you… the responsibility is ours and you walk away without the burden of the property and its payments… and often with cash in your hand).
Q: How are you different from a traditional real estate agent?
A: Real estate agents list properties and hope that someone will buy them. The agent shows the properties to prospective buyers if there are any, and then take a percentage of the sale price if they find a buyer. Oftentimes, the agent’s commission is 3-6% of the sale price of your house (so if it’s a $100,000 house, you’ll pay between $3,000 – $6,000 in commissions to an agent). Agents provide a great service for those that can wait months to sell, and who don’t mind giving up some of that sale price to pay for the commissions. But that’s where we’re different: We’re not only agents, we’re home buyers. Our company actually buys houses. Since we’re actually the one buying the house from you, and we pay with all cash… we can make a decision to buy your house within a couple of days (usually the same day). Again, we make our living by taking the risk to buy the house with our own cash, repair the house, and market it ourselves to find a buyer.
Q: Is there any obligation when I submit my info?
A: There is absolutely zero obligation for you. Once you tell us a bit about your property, we’ll take a look at things, maybe set up a call with you to find out a bit more, and make you an all-cash offer that’s fair for you and fair for us. From there, it’s 100% your decision on whether or not you’d like to sell your house to us… and we won’t hassle you, won’t harass you… it’s 100% your decision and we’ll let you decide what’s right for you.
Q: What does an “all cash” offer mean?
A: All cash means exactly that – all cash! Because we are real estate investors who are purchasing your home directly, we don’t rely on traditional financing like retail homebuyers. When you sell to us, there’s no risk of financing falling through or closing being delayed. When we make you an offer, that’s the full amount you’ll receive if you sell your home to us.
Q: What if I don’t need a “fast closing”?
A: At Academy Home Buyers, we work on your time frame. If you don’t need a fast closing due to the need to make arrangements, explore your future options, etc – we can schedule the closing on the day that works best for you!
Q: Will I get a low-ball offer?
A: Our goal is to provide you with the most fair offer possible. Unlike other buyers or the big tech giants, we’re transparent with how we arrive at an offer amount. What we offer is based on what the value of the property may be once we make the necessary improvements and upgrades. We’re entirely transparent with this offer process and happy to walk you through how it works.
Click here to learn more about how we calculate your offer.
Q: Is this even legit?
A: Yes – the real estate industry is rapidly changing, and thousands of Americans are exploring their options when it comes to selling their house the fastest, easiest, and most transparent way. That’s where we come in. We offer an alternative for those who may not have the time or ability to list their house on the market for top dollar. We’ll work with you to assess your situation, make you a transparent all-cash offer and close on your timeline.
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Learn The Pros and Cons Of Selling Your House To Local Professional Home Buyer– FREE Guide:
Download our FREE Guide here. Or, you can always feel free to Contact us anytime if you have questions, want a no hassle Situation Evaluation, or want to just learn more about how we can help homeowners sell unwanted properties for cash.
Get the FREE Guide and then give us a call at (757) 755-5587 and we’ll discuss what your home is worth and what we can offer to buy it for with our Cash Offer Program.