4 Best Ways for Selling a Home in Kansas

A private sale is the quickest way to sell a property in Kansas. In fact, some private sales close in a matter of just days.

Private sales can move quickly because they’re done with cash. All-cash transactions are speedy.

If you’re concerned about your personal privacy, this sale is also a good match for you. There isn’t any advertising campaign featuring images of your home or listing your street address.

So, just how does a private sale work and how do you find this type of buyer? Let’s answer those questions now.

What Are Home Buying Companies?

Home buying firms are real estate investors. They buy investment properties in Kansas with cash so the transactions close quickly.

Investors, home buying companies, and hedge funds have similar interests — buying a home for rental income or to restore or remodel and then sell to others.

Kansas property investors have a variety of buying interests. Some look for multifamily properties, while others focus on single-family homes.

Other cash buyers look for manufactured houses or vacant land. Condition is another area where investors have a variety of interests.

Many investors look for fixers, buying property in as-is condition; while other cash buyers want turnkey homes to quickly lease to renters.

It doesn’t matter what your property looks like or what condition it’s in — there are investors interested in your home.

Cash buyers have one thing in common — they close quickly. Some have their own cash to invest. Other buyers use hard money loans that they take before they make an offer on your property.

That means you skip the waiting involved in a traditional sale to the general public.

Investors work with sellers who want to close quickly and who have a need for a rapid cash sale, including:

• owners selling a house before it goes into foreclosure
• landlords selling a home with sitting tenants
• property owners selling a house before bankruptcy
• homeowners selling a house that needs work
• siblings selling a house as part of an estate
• owners selling a house with property taxes owed
• relatives selling a hoarder house
• seniors selling downsize to a smaller property
• couples selling a house during divorce
• staff selling a house for a job relocation
• homeowners selling your house privately

Professional cash buyers typically work with investor-friendly title companies in Kansas.

These firms have experience in handling cash sales, and they can move quickly to handle the essential property searches and clear up any problems with unpaid liens or encumbrances on the property title.

Pros of Selling to a Home Buying Company

The benefits of selling your home to a real estate investor include not just cash, but also time savings.

• Cash house buying companies can process the transaction faster and easier than if you sold your property the traditional way — by hiring a Realtor to advertise it publicly.

• You won’t have to worry that your fast cash home buyers in Kansas will have trouble obtaining funding. They bring cash to the transaction!

• Cash buyers purchase homes in as-is condition.

• You’ll avoid paying real estate commissions when you and your buyer complete the transaction without agents.

• You’ll have another cash savings because cash buyers usually pay the real estate closing costs for sellers.

Cons of Selling to a Home Buying Company

Selling a home in Kansas to a cash investor has one potential downside.

• You will unlikely receive a price that matches the market value from real estate cash buyers in Kansas. Cash investors are in business, so there will be some profit to the investor on the sale.

But before you automatically discount a home buying company’s offer, it’s important to consider some savings you’ll have with a sale to an investor.

You won’t pay commission when selling to a cash home buyer. That’s a huge savings. You typically won’t pay closing costs either.

You won’t pay the costs to get your home ready for listing. This may also be a considerable savings, particularly if your house isn’t in the turnkey condition that traditional buyers expect.

When you add up those savings, your offer may come closer to what you’d get from a Realtor-assisted sale after paying all costs.

It’s important to locate an ethical company that will bring you a fair price on your home while making a fair profit on the transaction.

Let’s explore the ways to do that next.

How to Find an Ethical Home Buying Company

The first step to take in the search for a professional investor is to make a list of possible prospects.

Collect information from snail-mail ads, recommendations from friends and coworkers, and contact information from TV ads and billboards in your area. Supplement that with an internet search.

Use your browser to search for “cash for homes,” “we buy homes,” or “sell your home for cash.” Be sure to include your town in your search phrase so Google brings up local investors.

Once you’ve compiled a list, it’s vetting time.

Look for an “About Us” or “Our Company” page on the investor’s website. That should provide details about the cash buyer, including their experience in investment.

Make sure your investor has at least three years of experience and some ties to the local community. That might be a membership in local groups or volunteer work.

The next step is to check consumer opinion. What do former clients say about the investors? The Better Business Bureau, Yelp, or Real Estate Bees are good places to find that feedback.

This is a time-consuming process, but your home is a serious investment that requires this research.

There is an easier way to find reputable investors, and you can do it right now by requesting cash offers on our website.

Fill out our simple online form, and you will be connected with reputable investors vetted by our team. Generally, you’ll have more than one interested investor.

There’s no fee for cash offer requests, no commission for you to pay, and no obligation to accept any offer. A triple win for you!

Jayhawker owners selling a home in Kansas looking to have someone else handle everything related to the sale will use the traditional sales approach.

Your agent will provide advice to prepare the house, complete a listing contract, market the property, and guide the sale through all the hoops required to close the transaction.

Who Are Real Estate Agents?

Real estate agents are professionals who must take courses in law, contracts, marketing and ethics to obtain a Kansas license to work under the supervision of a broker.

This is why they are more knowledgeable than you about getting the most out of your property sale.

Homeowners selling a house in Kansas sign a listing contract with the broker that spells out the duties the seller expects from the agent.

Agents are typically hired to assist in pricing the home, develop a marketing plan, help negotiate a sales contract, and supervise the closing process.

Realtors are state members of the National Association of Realtors. The Kansas Association of Realtors promotes professionalism and ethical practices and supervises agents through the local branch offices.

Comparing the advantages with the disadvantages of using an agent can help you make the decision to go with a brokerage.

Pros of Using a Real Estate Agent

• Your agent has the education and experience, so you feel confident that you’re meeting all state and federal laws when listing and selling a property in Kansas.

• Your real estate agent can develop a professional comparative market analysis assessment to assist you in setting a price to bring the most money for your home.

• Your real estate agent is your legal representative and puts your interests above all others, so you don’t have to take on the sales tasks.

Cons of Using a Real Estate Agent

• Looking at how much it costs to sell a house with a Realtor, it may give you pause. Kansas commissions run between 5%-5.5% of the final property sales price.

• You probably won’t sell your house immediately. While you wait, your agent will continue to market your property, and that may take months if your home needs major repairs.

• Buyers brought by agents usually need mortgages to buy. That means weeks of delays while the lender underwrites the loan.

There are a few simple steps you can take to ensure you’re signing a listing contract with a qualified professional. The next segment offers some suggestions.

How to Find a Good Real Estate Agent

Start your search for a good agent by collecting a list of prospects. Ask friends, family, coworkers, and any new neighbors who used an agent for their recommendations.

Consult the Kansas Real Estate Commission to make sure the agents on your list have an active license free of any restrictions.

After you’ve vetted the names on your list, it’s time to check the consumer climate of the agents. The local branch of the Better Business Bureau mediates disputes.

Consult that source to see if your agents have consumer complaints filed there.

It’s then time to select three agents to invite to your home to do a formal listing presentation. Pick real estate agents with a minimum of three years in the field and a history of selling homes in your neighborhood.

Continue the interview until you’ve found an agent you like.

Our next sales method asks you to take on the entire sales process.

The “for sale by owner” option is known as an FSBO, and it has the homeowner assuming the duties that a real estate agent would do in a traditional sale.

The FSBO homeowner will prep the house to make it turnkey-ready and then complete the required property condition disclosure.

You’ll then need to determine your sales price. A home worth calculator can help with that.

FSBO sellers need to understand property laws, legal contracts, and the escrow and title processes, so studying these topics will help you handle the listing, marketing, and closing steps in your transaction.

The most challenging aspect of an FSBO listing is locating buyers, but there are a few tried and true steps to attract prospects to your property.

Ways to Market Your House Yourself

• You’ll need a “For Sale” sign on your property to attract interest from neighbors who might have a friend or family member who wants to live nearby. Be sure the sign includes several ways to contact you for a showing.

• Record a video of your home that features special amenities it may have. Post these shorts online on places like Instagram and YouTube.

• Develop a professional-looking flyer to offer to potential buyers when they tour your home.

• Promote your home listing on a number of FSBO sites. Many of these are free for home sellers.

Deciding to sell by using any method involves considering the advantages and disadvantages to an approach. Let’s do that now for an FSBO listing.

Pros of Marketing Your House Yourself

• You’ll save on your closing costs in Kansas, since real estate commissions are the lion’s share of those fees.

• You can wrangle everything related to your sale. You are in control of all aspects from listing through closing.

• While real estate agents have multiple clients, you have only your house. You can spend all your time on your property.

Cons of Marketing Your House Yourself

• You may face complex challenges that require knowledge and experience in real estate law.

• You’re without experienced and expert assistance in marketing. You may not be able to attract prospective buyers.

• Your inexperience may create delays, and during this time your buyer may walk. If you make a major mistake, you might end up in a law court for your errors.

• You may end up paying more for your FSBO closing costs because you’re unaware of which fees are fixed and what fees are negotiable.

Our last sales method is more common than you might expect.

You’ve found a new house, but there’s a snag: you own a home that needs to be sold before you can buy. Some of the local iBuyer companies in Kansas can help in this situation.

They’ll buy your house with cash, so you can use that home equity to purchase the new property.

And they move quickly so you don’t have the delays of searching for a buyer, that buyer qualifying for a loan, and closing on your current property.

The iBuyer purchases your home, you buy your new house, and the iBuyer then closes on your former property.

Now you now know how to sell a home in Kansas — in fact, four different ways. The last segment of this article traces the typical steps involved in a home sale.

Before Signing a Purchase Contract

In a traditional sale, you’ll need to prep your home. That might include painting, replacing flooring, window coverings, or landscaping. At a minimum, you’ll need to deep clean and declutter.

Some homeowners and real estate agents rent furniture and accessories to stage homes for sale.

Selling to cash investors doesn’t require any prep, since investors buy homes as is.

Kansas real estate laws mandate homeowners fill out a property disclosure that lists any material damages to the house that might impact the value, or conditions that may risk the health and safety of the new owners.

Our article covering how selling a house as is works in Kansas explains more about the property disclosure requirements.

Marketing the Property

Your home will then be marketed. A comprehensive plan helps cover all bases. That might include signage and traditional print and online advertising.

If you’re working with an agent, you’ll have a broker preview and perhaps weekly open houses.

Cash investors, however, don’t require any of this. Simply request an offer from them, and you’re set.

Accepting an Offer

Negotiating offers takes expertise to know what the law requires and prior sales in your local market.

You may go through several rounds of counter offers to finally come to a meeting of the minds on price and terms.

The offers will be accompanied by an earnest money deposit. That money will be deposited in escrow once you accept the offer.

You, if operating as an FSBO, your agent, or your investor, will then open escrow. Escrow is handled by a neutral third party who coordinates the paperwork and money transfers during the transaction.

Your escrow in Kansas may be handled by a title company or by an independent office set up to complete escrow transactions.

Buyer Due Diligence Period

Due diligence is a period when your buyer researches the information presented on the property disclosure by hiring a home inspector to confirm the report.

A title search will be done to ensure your home doesn’t have any encumbrances that would cloud the ownership transfer.

Your buyer will also search for a home loan and make an application. The lender will then appraise your property, and then do underwriting to approve the loan.

Federal law requires your escrow officer to review your closing costs several days before you sign your final transaction documents.

Your closing costs will include fees for commissions and required fees.

In a traditional sale, you’ll pay these charges. But a sale to investors lets you avoid closing costs, in addition to avoiding any commissions.

The final step before closing has your buyer walk through the property to ensure it’s in the same condition as when the offer was written.

Closing

The closing step asks both buyer and seller to sign the official documents under the supervision of either the escrow or title officer. These officers charge a fee for their services.

While Kansas real estate attorneys aren’t required to oversee property closings, some buyers and sellers elect to hire one to attend the closing step.

The keys will then be turned over to the new buyer, and the property deed will then be filed with the Register of Deeds.

We’ve reviewed four methods of selling a Kansas home, and the steps involved in the transaction.

The next move is up to you! It’s time to begin compiling the names of qualified Realtors, iBuyers, and cash home investors.

That’s our expertise. We’ve vetted a collection of our partnering Kansas investors who have cash to buy your property quickly.

Request cash offers by completing a simple online form.

You’re never under any obligation to sell to any of the investors making offers. And you won’t ever pay a commission or a fee for any of the offers or the vetting process!