I get a lot of calls from people who are trying to decide whether to list with a Realtor or sell to a Real Estate Investor.  There are advantages to both but in the end it just boils down to your specific situation.  People are worried that it may take months to get their house sold, and for good reason.  The housing market in Amarillo is not as bad as some parts of the country.  In fact, home sales are up for 2012.  Many Realtors say that this is the best market that they have seen since 2008.

So why does it take some people so long to sell their house?

In my opinion there are really two housing markets.  One market for pretty houses and one for houses that need work.  It is very simple.  There are still a lot of houses on the market.  Competition is fierce.  Buyers are very picky and are looking for houses in good condition and for a good price.  If you have a house that needs a lot of work it will probably take a while for it to sell.  When the housing market was at its peak, distressed properties could be sold without too much trouble.  But now, mainly because of Foreclosures, the market is flooded with ‘fixer-uppers.’  In the past fixer uppers were hard to find.  Now they are on every block.  This makes it very difficult to sell a distressed property on the open market.   As banks keep discounting these properties in order to get them off of their books, the market just keeps getting softer.  That is why it makes sense to get an offer from Real Estate Investor.

If you have a fixer upper should you list with a Realtor or sell to an investor?

I say this to people over and over.  If you have a house that is in good condition, in a good neighborhood, and you have months for it to sell, then listing with a Realtor is the way to go.  Keep in mind that you will end up paying around 6% in Realtor fees, about 2% in your closing costs, and usually 3% in buyers closing costs.  You will probably get hit with a list of repairs that you will need to make.  You will have holding costs for the time that it sets on the market.  But in the end you will come out ahead.

But what if you have a house that needs work and you can’t afford to make the repairs?  What if you can’t wait for months for it to sell?  That is when it may be best to sell to an investor.

We are a local husband and wife team who specialize in buying houses in the Amarillo area.  Why should you work with us?

1. We are super easy to work with! We make sure you understand all of your options.
2. We pay cash!  You don’t have to worry about long drawn-out bank approvals.
3. We close whenever you want! You are in complete control.
4. We buy property in as is condition. You don’t have to fix anything or clean anything!
5. We don’t put a sign in your yard and try to sell your house to other buyers. WE BUY IT!

If you have a house that needs a lot of work, or you have a house that you need to sell fast, call us today at 806-359-7653 or visit us online at Amarillo Real Estate Investors.

If I needed to sell my house to an Amarillo Real Estate Investors I have to admit that I would be a little skeptical.  And for good reason!  It seems like there is always some Real Estate Investor making the news who tried to scam home owner out of their house.  It also seems like a lot of Real Estate Investors are, well, for lack of a better word, just plain weird.    Considering the fact that your home is probably your biggest asset, it pays to chose wisely when considering Amarillo Real Estate Investors companies!

Let me say this… just because someone says they are Amarillo Real Estate Investors doesn’t always mean that they are a legitimate company.  I could tell you plenty of stories of people who tried to work with a rookie investor who ended up regretting it!

So how do you know if you are dealing with a reputable Amarillo Real Estate Investors company?  Here are some suggestions:

1.  Try to deal with only local Real Estate Investors.  This makes checking up on a company much easier.

2.  Ask for and call references.  This is so important.  A good company should have plenty of satisfied customers.

3.  Check with the Amarillo Better Business Bureau.  This isn’t always a completely reliable source, but it is still a good place to start.

4.  Insist on using a local title company.

5.  Meet the person face to face if possible.

6. Ask lots of questions.  If something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t.

7. Have a local Amarillo attorney review the contract.

It is important to remember that not all Amarillo Real Estate Investors companies are bad.   We buy Amarillo houses but we also help people.  Sometimes we advise people to do something besides selling us their house.  That usually surprises them, but that’s just how we do it.  We have to live and work here in Amarillo with the same people we help.  We are very much a local company.  People can stop by our office for a cup of coffee anytime.  But the bottom line is that we do what we say we will do and our deals close on time. That’s why we are still in business.

If you are looking for legitimate Amarillo Real Estate Investors give me a call.  I would love to visit with you about your house.  You can call me at 806-359-7653 or visit my website at Amarillo Real Estate Investors.

When I tell people that I am an Amarillo Real Estate Investors most of the time it is pretty well received.  But sometimes people give me the evil eye.  It’s almost like I just told them that I am a drug dealer or something!  I often hear people saying that Amarillo Real Estate Investors try to steal houses or that they are low-ballers.  But they are just like any other small business owners.  They are just trying to make a living.  Sure there are bad ones out there, but there are also plenty of good ones.  Before you jump to conclusions, here are a few things that you might want to consider:

Amarillo Real Estate Investors work with smaller profit margins than most other retail businesses. Most houses are purchased by investors for around 70-75% of value.  Then they spend money rehabbing the property.  They also have to pay taxes, insurance, and make payments until the property sells.  When it sells they will usually end up paying most of the new buyer’s closing costs plus a 6% Realtor commission.  They will also have their own closing costs to pay.  When all the dust settles, most Amarillo Real Estate Investors will end up making around 5-10% on the total deal.  This is not a very good return when you consider the tremendous amount of risk that is involved.  Realtors make 6% and have no risk.  Most retail stores have between a 30% and 50% mark up, if not more.  Car dealers buy your trade in for $10,000 and sell it for $14,000.  These margins are much better than the margins that Amarillo Real Estate Investors work with.

Price is not the only thing to consider in a transaction. Think about a convenience store.  You pay more for items in a convenience store then you do in a grocery store, but you can get what you need right now!  People always pay more for convenience.  People will knowingly accept less for their house if they can have their money in 3 days instead of 3 months.  The same applies to someone who is trades their vehicle to the dealer instead of selling it on their own.  Each person sells for his or her own reasons.  Sometimes convenience or timing can be more important than price.  That’s why many people sell to Amarillo Real Estate Investors.

Amarillo Real Estate Investors help the economy and provide an invaluable service to the community. They buy houses that are not desirable.   They remodel these houses, increase the value, and sell them.  By transforming these run-down houses they increase the value of the entire neighborhood.   This is a good thing, especially if you live next door to the distressed house.  In many blue collar neighborhoods Amarillo Real Estate Investors account for a huge portion of the houses that are sold.  So the bottom line is that Amarillo Real Estate Investors increase home values and sell lots of houses.  According to the National Association of Realtors, two jobs are created for every house that is sold.  Every house that is sold pumps nearly $60,000 into the economy.  Amarillo Real Estate Investors help drive the housing market.

Amarillo Real Estate Investors provide affordable housing. If it weren’t for these investors there would be no rent houses.  Imagine that… a world without rentals.  There are a lot of people who would be in trouble.  I mean, who hasn’t lived in a rent house at one time or another.

Every month I get calls from people who live in small towns where there are no Real Estate Investors.  These people are desperate for someone to buy their house.   Their house is in such bad condition that it cannot be sold to a home owner.  Unfortunately I can’t help them.  Most critics of Amarillo Real Estate Investors forget that not everyone has a house in a good neighborhood that is in perfect condition.  Not everyone can wait for six months for their house to sell.  Most critics have never faced foreclosure, loss of income, bankruptcy, or divorce.  They have never walked in the shoes of people who are facing desperate situations.  Thank goodness there are a few good Amarillo Real Estate Investors!

If your house needs a lot of work or if you need to sell it fast give us a call.  We can buy your house and close in less than a week.  We are members of the better business bureau and have tons of references.  Call us at 806-359-7653 or visit us on line at Amarillo Real Estate Investors.