A First-Time Buyer Competes and Wins in Houston with HomeLight Cash Offer

First-time homebuyer Cat Urso had a short list of requirements for her new home. She knew she wanted three bedrooms and a central location in Houston, but otherwise, Urso trusted that she’d know “the one” when she saw it.

“With Cat, it was all about the energy,” says her real estate agent, Ryan Holliday.

Sure enough, after about a month of searching, Urso knew she found what she’d been looking for as soon as she walked through the door.

“We hadn’t toured the whole home yet — we hadn’t even been upstairs yet and she was saying, ‘This is it!’” Holliday recalls.

But Urso would need more than just good vibes to make this house her own. Houston was in the midst of a hot seller’s market and competition between buyers was fierce.

“There would be 10 people at the same time at other homes trying to buy the same house,” says Urso. “I was hearing about houses selling for $100,000 more than the asking price.”

Fortunately for Urso, Holliday had arranged her viewing the day before the home was scheduled for an open house. Even more advantageously, she had the power of a cash offer in her back pocket.

Help your first-time buyers compete and win

As agents well know, most first-time homebuyers aren’t stepping up to negotiations with cash in hand. A financing contingency may be common, but it’s not going to give buyers the competitive edge they need to stand out in a market where multiple offers are inevitable.

Holliday, who has been selling real estate since 2014, learned about HomeLight Cash Offer through a high-volume mentor.

“I was in the HomeLight training meeting and I was just sitting there like, ‘This is too good to be true,’” says Holliday, “Then Cat came into the picture and I thought, ‘This is the perfect situation, let’s try it.’ And it was a wonderful success.”

HomeLight Cash Offer works with qualified buyers — including first-timers like Urso — to give them the buying power of cash. Since the program eliminates any financing contingency and allows for a fast closing, buyers can make an ultra-competitive offer that captures the attention of listing agents.

“We explored the traditional route with a loan, but HomeLight Cash Offer ultimately seemed like the better offer,” says Holliday.

Urso says that she went through three different loan providers to fully understand her options. When HomeLight Cash Offer was able to match the highest loan approval she could get with traditional financing, she knew the choice was clear.

“There were so many additional benefits of working with the HomeLight team,” says Urso. “The support I received was so personal — I really felt taken care of.”

Tailored support from HomeLight Cash Offer

First-time homebuyers have a lot of questions, and being transferred around to different departments to complete the approval and purchase process can be daunting.

“With HomeLight, I never had to relay any information between different people. The baton had already been passed, so with everyone I talked to it was just, ‘Here’s the one thing we need from you at this moment.’ I didn’t have to think about the process whatsoever,” Urso explains.

From his side, Holliday appreciated that his client was well-supported and that communication was clear from all sides — something that always makes an agent’s job a little bit easier.

“We were all on the same team,” he says. “I was looped in on everything and witnessed how supported she was. There were people who were specialists in each area of the business and I was able to get that deep insight on each topic — knowledge was shared and communicated really well throughout the process.”

A happy homeowner in Houston

Thanks to her competitive buying power with HomeLight Cash Offer — and Holliday’s excellent timing in helping her beat the crowds of an open house — Urso is now the proud owner of a centrally located home with a great vibe.

She lives just 10 minutes away from her graduate school campus and already feels right at home in her first property.

“I love my house so much. I am so head-over-heels for this place,” Urso says.

“And I really loved working with HomeLight! It was such an easy process every step of the way.”

Header Image Source: (CY / Unsplash)