Selling a Home As Is in Kansas (A-to-Z Guide)

‘As is’ means the seller offers a property just as the buyer finds it. The seller has no intention or interest in repairing, replacing, or updating anything in the house in an ‘as is’ sale.

Some states have a special ‘as is’ condition clause in the sale contract, but Kansas has a special bill of sale for property sold in ‘as is’ condition.

Yes! You can sell a home ‘as is’ in Kansas. Simply list your house as an ‘as is’ sale, use the appropriate sales contract, and you’re set.

How does selling a house ‘as is’ work in Kansas? There are some options for selling in the Sunflower State. Let’s start with the property disclosure before we detail those sale options.

Kansas doesn’t require a comprehensive real estate disclosure to be completed by the homeowner to sell a property.

The presence of lead paint, tax assessment levies, and a statement concerning radon gas are the only legal disclosure requirements for someone selling a house in the Sunflower State.

Federal law requires homeowners selling a house to disclose the presence of lead paint in a house constructed before 1978.

As for radon, the disclosure must also include language instructing how to mitigate high levels of the gas.

Owners selling a house subject to special taxation or assessments must also disclose these to potential buyers under Kansas law.

Homeowners selling with a Realtor (a member of the state branch of the National Association of Realtors or NAR) use a standardized disclosure form, but it’s not legally required under state law.

Questions on the Realtor-approved disclosure form ask the owner to share any problems or faults with the property. These are known as “material defects”.

The Realtor checklist asks people selling a house to disclose lead pipes, mold, asbestos, termite damage, and fracking that impacts the soil or drinking water.

The form also asks sellers of houses with foundation problems, failed septic systems, unpermitted improvements, and fire or water damage to disclose those important facts.

Selling a house in a floodplain also should be disclosed by the owner.

It’s the buyer’s responsibility in Kansas to do due diligence by hiring home inspectors and examining the house carefully for any problems.

Homeowners, however, should share anything that would decrease the value of the house, or put the new homeowners’ health or safety at risk.

Failure to disclose issues may risk legal action when the new owner discovers a serious problem known to the seller before the sale.

A haunted house, a home filled with bed bugs, and the presence of polybutylene pipes aren’t specifically mentioned in the disclosure, but owners should be transparent about these issues if they affect the safety, health, or market value of the home.

You can leave stuff behind when you sell your Kansas house ‘as is’, but you need to itemize your things on the sales contract and on the disclosure document. The buyer may or may not agree to accept your items.

Perhaps the toughest question you face before selling is, “Should you sell your Kansas house ‘as is’ or fix it up?”

Why sell a Kansas house ‘as is’? There are a number of advantages to simply selling without doing any repairs or updates.

Pros of Selling Your House As Is

• Finding workers to do the repairs isn’t an easy task, and you’ll also need to supervise the work to make sure it’s done correctly. This is a headache you’ll avoid when selling your house ‘as is’.

• You can sell sooner if you don’t need to take the time to do repairs. This is particularly true when you sell to a Kansas cash home buyer.

• You’ll avoid the ongoing negotiations with a buyer over issues found by a Kansas home inspector.

• You’ll also avoid needing to share any professional home inspections with other buyers, something many buyers will ask to examine.

• Many ‘as is’ buyers won’t even ask you to clean out the house. Some will allow you to leave unwanted items behind.

There are also some downsides to selling ‘as is’.

Cons of Selling Your House As Is

• You probably won’t receive the same kind of offers as a turnkey home listing.

• Most buyers don’t want fixers. Selling ‘as is’ limits your buyer pool. Cash property buyers in Kansas, however, frequently look for houses that need repairs.

Many homeowners don’t consider the “hidden costs” of repairing a fixer property.

Not only do you need to pay for the repairs, but, in addition to the typical closing costs for sellers, you also have a number of costs during the repair period.

You’ll continue to pay utilities, mortgage interest, association dues, property taxes, and any new maintenance issues that happen during the repair period. These add up.

When you balance those hidden costs with a possible lower sales price, it might be to your advantage to sell ‘as is’ instead of taking on the headaches associated with repairing your fixer.

Once you’ve decided to repair or sell ‘as is’, you’ll need to then decide on your plan to sell. Let’s start with selling to an investor.

How to Sell a House As Is, Fast and For Cash Directly to an Investor

Before we get into the details of how to sell a house to an investor, we need to introduce a group of buyers — cash house buyers.

Who Are Cash House Buyers?

Cash house buyers are local investors with cash or with private lenders who lend much faster than banks.

Investors who buy investment properties in Kansas may be large companies, such as hedge funds, or small local entrepreneurs.

They buy properties for rental income or for fixing and flipping (reselling) them as soon as possible after repairs.

Property investors in Kansas specialize in buying houses when people are:

• selling a house for job relocation
• selling a house in poor condition
• selling a marital property during divorce
• selling a house to downsize
• selling a house in an estate
• facing property foreclosure
• selling a house with taxes owed
• selling a house with a property tax lien

Investors typically work with local Kansas investor-friendly title companies to ensure the cash transaction moves smoothly.

There are a number of benefits when working with a cash house buyer.

Pros of Selling Your House As Is Directly to an Investor

• A transaction with a cash house buyer generally means a speedy and easy sale. This is their strongest selling point.

• Cash means you skip the wait time for your buyer to apply for a loan. Even when a buyer comes prequalified to the sale, the house must go through an appraisal. You’ll also wait for lenders to underwrite the loan. This can take a considerable amount of time, which is avoided with a speedy sale to an investor.

• If you don’t use a real estate agent, and your investor also doesn’t use one (which is how it usually happens), you’ll eliminate commission fees. In traditional sales, the buyer pays for commissions of both agents — seller’s and buyer’s.

• Investors typically pick up their fees and also your sale closing costs. That’s a significant advantage for the seller.

When selling to a cash house buying company, there are some downsides, too.

Cons of Selling Your House As Is Directly to an Investor

• Your offers from investors will typically be less than the ‘as is’ market value of your property.

• If you aren’t represented by a real estate professional on your side of the sale, you may miss some negotiation strategies that Realtors use to protect your best interests. While not legally required to represent your interests, investors don’t stay in business long if they aren’t ethical towards their clients.

Finding the Best Cash House Buying Company

What happens when you sell your house ‘as is’ in Kansas to an investor?

The first thing you need to do is to locate at least three cash house buying companies to compare their offers on your house

You can do this by using your favorite internet browser and search by using these general terms:

• we buy houses Lawrence KS
• sell my house for cash Lawrence KS
• iBuyer companies Lawrence KS
• cash house buyers Lawrence KS
• sell my house fast Lawrence KS

Then, you’ll need to do research on the companies that the internet showed you, understand whether or not they are trustworthy, and choose a few to contact for an offer.

Or, you can do it easier by using HouseCashin. HouseCashin has vetted and screened local investors for you. Request cash offers from up to five ethical investors by submitting a form just once.

Then, compare them and choose the one that works best for you.

How to Choose an Ethical Investor?

Before requesting a cash offer on your property, take time to investigate the investors to avoid getting scammed. You can do this in a number of ways.

Start with information from the investors themselves. Look at the company’s website under the “About Us” section and read the bios about the company officers.

Look for companies that have been in business three or more years. This provides time for the investor to become seasoned in the investment field.

Ask for recommendations from satisfied clients, and call these to make sure they’re legitimate references.

Look at online review websites to see if any prior clients have posted reviews. Too many negative comments mean it’s time to move on to another investor or company.

Check with the local branch of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to vet potential investors. See if anyone has filed complaints about the investor or the investment company.

Research your potential investors by using the Kansas State Attorney General’s Office to determine if any complaints were filed there against your potential investors.

How to Sell a House As Is by Listing It by Owner

How do you go about selling my house ‘as is’ in Kansas by owner? The first step is figuring out how much your house is worth. Knowing your home’s value lets you set a price that’s fair to you and attractive to buyers.

Then, you can list your house where prospective buyers can see the ad.

Where Can You List a House For Sale by Owner?

If your house is located in a heavily trafficked area, put a professional-looking sign on the property with your contact information. You can buy “home for sale” signs online.

Record or hire a professional to record a video tour of the property to post online in places like YouTube or TikTok.

‘For sale by owner’ listing services can be used to list properties on a number of websites at little or no cost. Listing your house on a number of websites ensures a large audience for your property.

Make up flyers to share with neighbors and local businesses. Neighbors may have relatives who want to move closer to them. Local employees might want to avoid the commute and live near their workplace.

Pros of Selling Your House by Listing It by Owner

• One major advantage to selling by owner is you’re free from paying any commission fees for a listing agent. That’s 2.5-3% of the sales price in Kansas.

• You are the boss of everything related to your sale when you sell by yourself. You can list and close when you want. You can also decide on how you want to market your house.

• Agents have other clients that need their time. When you list yourself, you’re the first priority all the time.

Cons of Selling Your House by Listing It by Owner

• Most buyers will be represented by a professional agent, and that means you’re still on the hook for half the commission fee (2.5%-3%). That’s in addition to other FSBO closing costs you’ll need to pay.

• Most buyers will also need a mortgage to purchase your house. This adds extra time for appraisals and loan underwriting before you can close the transaction.

• You won’t have a professional to protect your fiduciary interests. You’ll be your own agent when listing yourself.

• If you’re not aware of state, county, and local regulations, you may end up making a mistake that will have your sale fall out of escrow. You may even make an error that puts you in court for damages, even when your mistake was unintentional.

If you’re not interested in doing all the legwork yourself to sell, the last option is to hire a professional who will handle the sale for you.

Who Are Real Estate Agents?

Licensed agents assist clients in real estate transactions. Some agents specialize in working with buyers, while others work exclusively with sellers. Most agents represent both buyers and sellers.

Real estate agents are trained in the law and property transactions. They know the requirements for listing, disclosures, and sales contracts.

Agents assist clients in navigating the sale. They are the ones who find buyers and help sellers professionally negotiate with them and with buyers’ agents.

They also help supervise the escrow process and the details of closing the transaction.

Agents representing properties they don’t own must have a valid Kansas license. They must also work under the supervision of a state-licensed broker.

An agent who uses the title of “Realtor” is a licensed agent who holds membership in the state branch of the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Realtors sign an oath of ethics, and the state NAR branch holds members to that oath with fines and license suspensions. Realtors are organized around local and regional boards.

Pros of Selling Your House As Is with a Real Estate Agent

• Using a Realtor helps you get the highest price for your property. Agents have access to a database of sold properties, so they can price your house accurately to earn top dollar. That database also provides access to other Realtors who have buyers for your house.

• Real estate agents have a fiduciary responsibility to represent your best interests. That means they put you first over all other considerations.

Cons of Selling Your House As Is with a Real Estate Agent

• The average cost when selling a house in Kansas with a real estate agent means your closing costs will be higher. While agent commissions in the state are negotiable, the average commission is between 5%-6%. Sellers typically pay both the buyer and seller commission split. A detailed analysis of the cost of selling with a Realtor helps explain the commission arrangement.

• You’ll be one of a number of clients with a real estate agent. That divides the agent’s time and effort, so it may take longer to sell your property.

• Many buyers using agents will need to obtain a mortgage to buy your house. That adds time to the escrow closing that a cash buyer doesn’t require.

The Realtor cost to sell a home is the major expense listed on the final statement of Kansas closing costs.

How to Choose an Ethical Real Estate Agent?

The easiest way to find an ethical agent is to ask friends and family to recommend a person they’ve worked with in the past. Referrals are the gold standard in real estate.

Make sure the agent has experience selling in your neighborhood, and has also represented ‘as is’ properties.

Fixers pose unique marketing issues, and an agent with ‘as is’ experience can better represent you.

Check the local branch of the Kansas Association of Realtors for any complaints filed against the prospective agents.

Also, check the local branch of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) for any complaints filed against your prospective real estate agent there.

We’ve covered the definition of an ‘as is’ sale, ways you can sell your property, and the pros and cons of each approach.

The only thing left to do now is to decide if you want to repair your fixer, and then select your listing preference.