There are many reasons why you shouldn’t list your house for sale in Fort Myers
Steve & JoLeigh believe there are alternative and many times better options then trying to list your house for sale in Fort Myers if you plan on selling.
As real estate brokers / agent ourselves, we know the all the issues associated with listing your house in Fort Myers. And we have a better, more effective and reliable way of selling your home.
Below you will find our top 10 reasons why “you shouldn’t list your house in Fort Myers”
15 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD NOT LIST YOUR HOUSE FOR SALE IN Fort Myers
You Have To “Prepare” If You List Your House For Sale In Fort Myers
Simply put, in order sell your house in Fort Myers, you have to get it ready for the open market. These are retail buyers, in most cases, want to preview a home that is in “perfect” condition.
This could entail cleaning up the curb appeal like landscaping and painting the exterior of your home. This could include removing all the clutter inside the home. This could include doing certain renovations or remodeling as well as doing necessary known repairs which could cost thousands or tens of thousands of dollars especially if your property is a “fixer upper.”
You Have To “Prepare” Your Home Everyday! If You List Your House In Fort Myers
Ok… This might sounds easy, but it really becomes a pain in the ass. Picture this… Your agent says, “hey tomorrow you have a showing at 9am and another one at 3pm.” Well listing your house on the open market in Fort Myers could attract that exposure to serious buyers as well as window shoppers.
In any case, you have to ensure the approproate lights are on, the place smells great, floors are vacuumed, kitchen sink and counters are cleaned up, toilet seats down, beds are made, clutter is put away and so one…
And if you have a beloved pet, you likely will want to have them out of the house as people can be allergic or you might just have a dog who barks that can detract a home buyer from experiencing “living” in your home.
And in some circumstances, some house sellers in Fort Myers are too embarrassed of the condition of their home for people coming in and out of it. And let’s not forget about rentals… If you property is currently leased, tenants have no incentive to prepare the property for sale.
Countless Strangers Will Be In & Out, If You List Your House in Fort Myers
So… This is one that really takes a toll of many Fort Myers house sellers is the amount of strangers coming in and out of their home. Not only do you have to prepare it each time to be in “model home” condition, but you have to deal with rando the commando coming in your house.
This is your average buyers, could be dozens and dozens of them, looking for a home. Oh yeah.. Your nosey neighbors too… You know… That one dude three doors down that always gave you the creeps. He’s now inside your home… Ugh.
What about the “pros?” This is your agent, possibly a caravan of their agents, and the photographer. And then, once in contract, you have the home inspection team, the appraiser and survey company.
And the buyer… Well, they are excited many times. Requesting to come back to the home multiple times to measure and show alllllll of their family members to get their opinions on the potential purchase…
Well… When we buy homes in Fort Myers, it is usually just Joleigh, Steve and maybe one other partner who will respectfully access your home.
All Of Your Neighbors Know When You List Your House In Fort Myers
Many times home sellers want discretion when they list their house in Fort Myers. However, this can be a problem. And can cause conflict with your southwest Florida realty agent.
Your real estate agent wants to get your home on the market for the world to see it. And many home sellers don’t want neighbors knowing and some sellers have high profile jobs while others just want a low key transaction.
When we buy homes in Fort Myers, we can make the transaction very confidential. Just ask.
You Won’t Know When You Will Sell, If Ever, If You List Your Fort Myers House.
When you list your Fort Myers house, you really have no idea when you will go into contract or close for that matter. There are a lot of unknowns when you list your home. How many days on market will it be? Will my agent be bugging me for a price reduction each week? If we go into contract will the buyer actually perform? Will the buyer be able to get financing? Will the buyer request a credit for repairs or closing costs?
There are a lot of circumstances that can prevent a sale from closing with your traditional real estate buyer.
If You List Your House in Fort Myers, You Likely Will Have Repair Requests
If you are able to get an offer on your home, retail buyers will likely have a qualified inspector or inspectors who will rip your home apart. Their main job is to find out every little detail of your home that has an issue from major problems to sometimes normal wear and tear.
And… During their inspection period, they may request (or require) depending on the sales contract used, that you could be responsible to fixing all of these issues. Especially if people perceive it to be cheap homes like a manufactured homes or mobile homes that can attract more issues like soft floors, insulation issues and roof leaks.
When we buy houses in Fort Myers, we never ask for repairs to be completed by you!
You Might Be Required To Pay Repair Credits Fort Myers
In many cases, if a seller refuses to fix issues that come up in the inspection report, then a buyer or their representing agent will request for a credit.
In our experience, many times this request is usually much higher than the true cost to fix or repair the problem. And the reason is, the buyer simply doesn’t want to deal with the problem. So they build in a “problem fee” on top of the true cost to repair. This happens many times when you list your Fort Myers house for sale.
So what is that “problem fee” amount from a retail house buyer? You just never know… We have seen some ridiculous requests only to find out that the buyer’s get so turned off by the counter on the fee amount that they just end up cancelling the contract. And then you are back to market starting all over again.
We never ask for a credit when we buy homes in Fort Myers.
Buyer Closing Costs Could Be Paid By YOU If You List Your Fort Myers House.
Let’s face it. There was a time when 20-25% down payment was required in order to get a loan on a primary residence. These days, you can get conventional loans with 5% down, FHA loans with 3.5% down and even VA loans with 0% down.
In many of these cases, this is all the funds a borrower has in order to close on the transaction. So, there is an option that many buyers and sellers can agree to in order for a buyer with minimal money to buy the home. This is having the seller essentially pay for the buyers closing costs.
If you list your house in Fort Myers, you might have an offer that could include language in additional terms with something like the following: “Seller agrees to pay up to 3.5% toward buyer’s prepaids and / or closing costs.” If the price was $375,000 on your home, you could be paying upwards of over $13,000 toward the buyer’s closing costs!
When we buy homes in Fort Myers, we pay cash and also pay for the title fees!
If You List Your House In Fort Myers, You Will Have To Pay BIG Commissions.
If you list your house Fort Myers home, you could expect to pay commissions anywhere from 5-7% on average. How do commissions work? Let’s say you agree to list with a Fort Myers real estate agent and agree to pay 6%. They will place your property on MLS (Multiple Listing Service) which is a tool used by all licensed real estate agents.
In MLS, the listing agent will state what is called a “co-broker compensation” which is in most cases half of the commission (IE-3%) which will go to an outside agent who procures a buyer for your home. In most cases, an outside agent is usually the one who procures the buyer. In any case, you would be required to pay 6% in this scenario. And if your property was in contract at $375,000, you could expect to pay $22,500 in commissions if you end up listing your Fort Myers house.
When we buy houses in Fort Myers, you save on the commissions because there are not any… This could be huge savings as well for higher end houses like beach fl properties.
If You List Your House In Fort Myers, You Might Have To Pay Title Fees.
Depending on the area you live in and what is negotiated, you might be on the hook to pay title fees. This includes but not limited to a title transaction fee, a settlement fee and the big one, title insurance.
As an example, on a $375,000 transaction, those fees could add up to around $3,000. When we buy houses in Fort Myers, we pay all of the title fees!
Title insurance protects the home buyer and lender (if any) in the case of a title defect that was not caught during the title search by the title agent / company.
When You List Your House In Fort Myers, You’re STUCK In A Listing Contract
A typical REALTOR listing agreement is around 6 months. In some cases, some agents require at least 12 months. The reason is, most good agents will spend time and money working on marketing your home. This could include but not limited to photos, drone shots, videos, Facebook Ads, Mailers, Google Ads, Cold Call Campaigns, Open Houses and more…
So, good agents know time and money invested into listing a Fort Myers home, they have to get an ROI (Return On Investment). If, they do a short listing agreement, odds are they are not doing much to market your property. And those agents who allow you to get out of your Fort Myers listing agreement, will require you to pay for all of that marketing costs PLUS a cancellation fee (If applicable).
And… In most cases if YOU procure your OWN buyer, you will still be obligated to still pay them a commission. So, your hands are kind of tied if you list your Fort Myers house…
We do not list your property when we buy Fort Myers houses. We have a sales contract between us specifying the price, terms and closing date. And that’s it.
Listing Your Fort Myers House, You Likely Will Deal With Financed Buyers.
It depends on the market, but it is estimated around 22% of real estate transaction are in cash. That means close to 80% are financed. Unfortunately, many buyers who enter your home, even with an agent, haven’t even been “approved.”
Most times they are “pre-approved.” What does this exactly mean? Well, they call a mortgage broker, usually referred by their agent to get the buyer “pre-approved” so they can get a “pre-approval letter” so they have something to submit with an offer.
The prospective buyer calls the mortgage guy. Mortgage guy goes “How much do you bring home each month?” “How long have you been at that job” “How much do you spend on rent payments, car payments, etc” “What Do You Think your Credit Score is?” “What are your estimated outstanding balances on debt do you have?” – The mortgage guy gathers this info and then sends a pre-approval letter to the buyer and their agent that they are approved up to $400,000. This usually happens within 10 minutes.
The problem is… None of this information is verified!
We have seen this countless times where buyers go look at $400k properties and get into contract. Only to find out, once the mortgage guy verifies all info through credit reports, tax returns, pay stubs etc, that the buyer can only afford $275,000 instead of $400,000. It becomes a waste of EVERYONE’S time.
And then you go back to market. The problem with Back To Market homes is they have a stigma. Other buyers ask “why did the property come back to market, is something wrong with the property?” And that’s what they think.
We pay cash for Fort Myers houses. No banks. No lenders. No preapprovals. CASH!
You Don’t Know The Type Of Buyer You Get When You List Your Fort Myers House
Some buyers are not the most ethical (nor their agents). Some don’t stop house shopping once they are in contract… What do I mean by this? Well, we see it happen all the time. A buyer is on the search. They get their agent to make offers and they “lock” in a contract.
However, that buyer knows, in their gut, that that home isn’t the exact home they want. They made compromises that they didn’t want to make. So, while they are in contract on your home, they are still shopping.
They are still on an MLS drip and Zillow keeps sending them new listings within their criteria. They call their agent up and ask to see these properties. And while they are in contract on your home during their inspection period, they send you a release and cancellation form.
Then their agent calls your Fort Myers listing agent and makes up some lame excuse as to why they are not moving forward with the sale.
When we buy Fort Myers houses, we close!
You Could Be Listing Your House In Fort Myers with an Incompetent Agent
Ok. I’m going to tread lightly here… (Maybe) As a real estate broker for almost 20 years in SW Florida, I have dealt with some fantastic real estate agents. And I have dealt with some of the most emotional and incompetent real estate agents who frankly should never be in the business.
One word of advice. If you are set on listing your home in Fort Myers with a real estate agent, do your due diligence. Just like you should with us as Fort Myers home buyers…
Many real estate agents are part time. Many real estate agents are bad with finances and “need” the transaction to close at any cost. Many real estate agents do not know how to negotiate or handle their emotions. And unfortunately many just simply don’t know what the hell they are doing.
I know this as I have dealt with thousands of agents over the years. I have personally trained hundreds of real estate agents. And I have even developed online courses for real estate agents to become better agents (over 5,500 students) to better serve the public.
Not to trash real estate agents here… But damn there are some bad one’s out there.
Instead of listing your Fort Myers house, you deal direct with us.
If You List Your House In Fort Myers, It Could Require A Cash Offer
Some properties are in such bad shape that require a cash buyer for your Fort Myers house. Some houses need new roofs where they cannot insure them, thus inability to get financing. Some houses have significant hurricane damage and some houses have significant flooding that prevent traditional financing.
When we buy houses in Fort Myers, we pay cash. This means no need for relying on a bank, going through the approval process, dealing with an appraiser and all the other things that delay or actually terminate a transaction.
Remember, we buy Fort Myers houses but these findings apply to all cities including but not limited to Fort Myers Florida, Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero, Fort Myers Beach, Gold Gate Estates, North Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres, Port Charlotte, San Carlos, San Carlos Estates, North Port, Fort Myers Shores and Surrounding Areas…
Steve and JoLeigh have helped hundreds of house sellers over the years in Fort Myers. Getting rid of the headache and hassle of dealing with an unwanted property is our service to you. See the side-by-side comparison below:
Our Fort Myers Cash Offer Program
Sell your house to The Fort Myers Home Buyers
We’ll make you a fair cash offer so you can sell without the hassles and stress of listing.
- Competitive cash offer within 24 hours
Tell us about your house and we’ll carefully evaluate it with our local market expertise to provide you with a fair, no-obligation offer. - No Showings – No Hassles
We buy houses “as-is” so there are no open houses, no weekend showings, and no need to fix it up. - You choose your closing day
Once we make an offer, we are able to close in days, not months. You pick the date that is best for you. - We pay Title closing costs
Closing costs can add up, which is why we cover them for you. - Zero fees. Zero commissions.
Since we’re buying your house, we charge no fees and no commissions. - We’ll cover any repairs
Does your house need repairs? We’ll handle them for you. You can even leave behind unwanted items and we’ll haul them off at no extra charge. - Relief We see it all the time. Some who sold us their Fort Myers houses have had a really hard time. Whether the inability to pay their mortgage and nearing foreclosure or stressful tenants. We have provided many the opportunity to move on quickly.
The Traditional Way
Listing your Fort Myers house with an agent
The amount of time, money, and stress involved with listing your house adds up.
- The months it takes to sell your Fort Myers house adds up
Your home is costing you money the entire time it sits on the market. Some people just can’t wait 90 days to sell their house. We buy houses sometimes in under 10 days from an executed agreement! - Plenty of showings and disruption to your life
Think about every time you have your agent call to notify you of a showing. You have to get your house ready to show like cleaning, making the beds, cleaning the curb appeal, taking the dog out for a walk and many times the number of showings can provide a serious disruption to your life. - It takes forever to close
It takes anywhere from 30 to 60 days to close after accepting a buyer’s offer. That’s assuming that their financing doesn’t fall through… And… If the buyer’s financing falls through, you have to go back to market and repeat the entire showing process again. - 1-2% in closing costs paid by you, the seller
On average, a seller is responsible for up to 2% of the sales price in the form of closing costs. In Florida, this includes but not limited to Doc Stamps on the Deed, Title Insurance and Title / Attorney Fees. - Fees and commissions stack up
In addition to closing costs, commissions and fees stack up and reduce how much goes in your pocket at close. On average, 6% in commissions/fees are paid by a seller. Think about that… For every $100,000 that could be $6,000. - You could be on the hook for repairs
Many Florida Real Estate Contracts have an inspection period where they still can negotiate or be completely on the hook for repairs that you didn’t know you needed.
Fast Closing Is Available In As Little As 7 Days
We buy houses in many different situations and scenarios. Avoiding foreclosure? Facing divorce? Probate situation? Moving? Upside down in your mortgage? Liens? It doesn’t matter whether you live in it, you’re renting it out, it’s vacant, not habitable or even a non paying tenant (squatter). We help owners who have inherited an unwanted property, own a vacant house, are behind on payments, owe liens, downsized and can’t sell, and more. Even if the house needs repairs that you can’t pay for, is fire damaged, or has bad rental tenants, Creating Real Estate Solutions LLC can help. We have been through it all…
Put an end to all the stress and hassle of selling a house on your own or listing with an agent. Save time and money by selling directly to us.
Don’t List Your House In Fort Myers Before Reaching Out To Us!!
To start, simply fill out our short information form on this site or give us a call at (239) 425-5671. For homes that qualify, we can present you with a fair cash offer within 24 hours with zero obligation. If you have a unique situation, we will discuss the details with you to figure a creative solution to get you to be able to move on quickly with limited stress. Don’t worry if you have no equity, delinquent on your mortgage, have deferred maintenance, we buy houses in all types of situations.
Selling To Steve & Joleigh VS Listing With Fort Myers Home With A Local Real Estate Agent
Choose The Right Option For You
There are three options when selling a house or property in Fort Myers Florida:
- OPTION 1 – List your house on the market with a real estate agent. From listing to cash in hand is usually 45 to 90+ days, plus you must deal with the hassles of open houses, commissions, and financing falling through at the last minute.
- OPTION 2 – Sell the house yourself (FSBO). You’re doing all the work an agent would and save a bit of money, but it costs you too much time and stress.
- OPTION 3 – Sell for cash to Creating Real Estate Solutions LLC. Avoid the hassles of listing on the market, pick your closing date, and don’t bother with cleaning up or repairs. There is no obligation to see our offer, and we LOVE the most difficult situations agents or other investors won’t touch. And honestly, we are more creative buying Fort Myers real estate in the most strenuous scenarios.
When you contact us and submit the short property information form (below), we’ll present you with a fair all-cash offer on your house within 24 hours. We buy houses we can close whenever YOU choose to close.
It’s entirely up to you! It doesn’t matter what condition the house is in, or even if there are tenants in there that you can’t get rid of. Don’t worry about it. We’ll take care of it for you. And, because we buy houses with cash and don’t have to rely on traditional bank financing, we can close in as little as 7 days. (Go here to learn about our process →)
Get An Offer Today, Sell In A Matter Of Days...
Or Give Us A Call Now At (239) 425-5671
Don’t List Your Fort Myers House! Sell Your House And Walk Away
We help property owners just like you, in all kinds of situations. From divorce, foreclosure, death of a family member, burdensome rental property, and all kinds of other situations. We buy houses in Florida and pay a fair cash price. Sometimes, homeowners have lives that are too busy to take the time to do all of the things that typically need to be done to prepare a house to sell on the market. If that describes you, let us know about the property you’d like to be rid of. We can help you sell your home quickly and for cash. And there is NO Obligation, No Pressure and No BS.
If you simply don’t want to put up with the hassle of owning that house any longer but the hassle and time-consuming expense of selling your property the traditional way is just too much, contact us today. Once you let us know about the property you’d like to be rid of, you could have a fair, no-obligation, all-cash offer in 24 hours and close in 7 days!
Please check out the “Our Company” page to read more about Steve and JoLeigh. Steve and JoLeigh have been buying homes in Fort Myers for over 10 years now and been buying real estate in South Florida for over 20 years. We have the experience in working with some of the most trying and difficult real estate transactions.
“We Buy Houses In Fort Myers Florida“, is a no-nonsense local house buying couple who offers cash for houses in Florida. If you need to sell your house for cash, we’re local home buyers in FL and are 100% serious about buying your house.
You’ve got nothing to lose in talking with us. 🙂
