Before you sign: seller guides

What every homeowner should know before selling to a cash buyer, with the sources we relied on.

• Are "We Buy Houses" Companies Legit? How to Check Any Cash BuyerHow to check a "we buy houses" company before you sign: proof of funds, earnest money, contract clauses, and the red flags regulators warn about.
• Earnest Money When Selling to a Cash Buyer: What's Normal and What's a Red FlagWhat an earnest money deposit is, how much is typical, who should hold it, and why a cash buyer who puts down $10 or nothing is a warning sign.
• The "Reduction Call": When a Cash Buyer Cuts Your Price Right Before ClosingDays before closing, the buyer calls to lower the price. How the reduction call (retrade) works, and how to protect yourself before you sign.
• What Is a Lis Pendens? Meaning, Effects & How to Remove OneA lis pendens is a recorded notice that a lawsuit involves a property. How it clouds a sale, how long it lasts, how to remove one, and each state's rules.
• Assignment of Contract: How to Tell If Your "Cash Buyer" Is Really a WholesalerMany "we buy houses" buyers sell your contract to another investor for a fee. How assignment works, how to spot it, and your rights.
• Cash Buyer Contract Red Flags: 10 Things to Check Before You SignWhat to check in a cash buyer's contract: assignment terms, cancellation rights, deposits, deadlines, recording clauses, default remedies and subject-to deals.
• Real Estate Wholesaling Laws by State (2026): All 50 StatesWhich states license or regulate real estate wholesalers, what they must disclose, and where sellers can cancel. All 50 states and DC, with sources.
• Double Closing Explained: What It Means When Your Buyer Resells the Same DayIn a double closing, an investor buys your house and resells it, often the same day. How it differs from assignment and what it means for you.
• Memorandum of Contract: How a Buyer Can Put a "Cloud" on Your TitleSome investors record a memorandum of contract against your home, which can stop you from selling to anyone else. What it is and how it gets removed.
• What Is a Real Estate Wholesaler? What It Means When One Makes You an OfferA wholesaler puts your house under contract, then sells that contract to another investor for a fee. How to spot one, the risks, and your rights.
• How to Sell Your House As-Is for Cash (Without Getting Lowballed)How cash offers work, what as-is really means, how investors, iBuyers and listing compare, and how to get a fair cash offer without getting trapped.