How to Find Cash Home Buyers in San Francisco for a Hassle-Free Home Sale
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Joseph Gordon EditorJoseph Gordon is an Editor with HomeLight. He has several years of experience reporting on the commercial real estate and insurance industries.
If you’re a San Francisco homeowner who needs to sell your home quickly without the headaches of listing on the open market, you might want to consider working with a cash buyer. San Francisco’s promising income potential makes it a solid option for investors, meaning you should have no trouble finding a cash buyer for your property.
However, it’s important to note that San Francisco’s housing market is slowing down, and homes are taking longer to sell on the open market.
This could be a good time to consider a cash home buyer, especially if you value speed and convenience. In this guide, we’ll explain how to find and sell to San Francisco cash home buyers and walk you through the entire process of selling your home for cash.
Sell Your House Fast in San Francisco With a Cash Offer
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Disclaimer: As a friendly reminder, this blog post is meant to be used for educational purposes, not legal or tax advice. HomeLight always encourages you to reach out to your own advisor.
How to find cash home buyers in San Francisco
Looking to sell your home fast and easily? Cash buyers can be a great option. Here are a few ways to seek out trusted cash home buyers in San Francisco who may be willing to make a fair offer on your property.
Work with a reputable local real estate agent
One of the main benefits of a cash offer is that you can often avoid real estate commissions. However, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider working with an agent. Experienced San Francisco agents are usually well-connected to cash home buyers in the Bay Area. Most will have connections on tap for when a property just won’t sell, or the condition of a home makes it a poor fit for a traditional listing.
Instead of researching and contacting cash home buyers, consider asking a real estate agent to connect you with tried-and-tested investors in their network.
HomeLight can connect you with a top-performing real estate agent in your area if you don’t already have one in your contacts. It takes less than two minutes to match you with two or three top agents who fit your needs, and the service is 100% free.
Focus on investors rather than owner-occupiers
Calling the 1-800 number for a multinational investment firm probably won’t get you very far, but there are other ways to grab the attention of cash buyers. You can post about your property on investment websites or Facebook groups, attend real estate investing events, or speak to local real estate agents and property managers.
Of course, you can always search online for “We Buy Houses for Cash” companies in San Francisco, but note that house flippers tend to pay around 70% of a home’s market value to turn a profit (more on that later).
Do your due diligence
If you’ve found a cash buyer you’re considering selling your house to, it’s important to thoroughly vet that company or individual to make sure they’re legitimate. You can verify the company’s rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), assuming they have a profile or are accredited. You can also contact your local office, like the BBB serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California.
You should also read online reviews on sites like Google, Yelp, Trustpilot, and Facebook. Research the company or individual’s investment record, check that they are registered with the state, and ask for referrals from recent sellers.
Before signing an offer, ask for proof of funds
It’s important to choose a reputable cash buyer with readily available funds. Ask the cash buyer for proof of funds—this could be a bank statement or an official letter from the financial institution showing the account balance. If the investor is unwilling to provide a proof of funds letter, consider it a red flag and move on.
Inside the San Francisco cash home buyers market
San Francisco’s cash home-buying market is largely driven by real estate investors, but other groups may be willing to buy your bungalow mortgage-free. Let’s take a closer look at these cash buyers and what motivates them.
New residents
Migration trends in San Francisco took a massive hit in 2021, following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 55,000 people migrating out of the city that year. However, there has been a slight uptick in new residents each year—primarily tech workers with high incomes. These workers are often looking to purchase a home quickly, and have the requisite cash to do so. As high mortgage rates continue to keep buyers on the sidelines, cash sales have been growing in popularity among those who can afford it.
Baby Boomers
In February 2024, 33% of U.S. homebuyers had all-cash sales, the highest share in nearly a decade, according to the Realtors® Confidence Index Survey. Younger Boomers (born 1955–1964) accounted for the largest share of home sellers in the past year at 26%.
Flush with cash, mature buyers increasingly pay for their homes without mortgages. More than half of Older Boomers (born 1946–1954) paid all cash for home purchases they made in 2023, as did 53% of homebuyers from the Silent Generation (born 1925–1945), and 32% of Younger Boomers.
If your San Francisco house has features that appeal to the Baby Boomer generation, like a first-floor primary suite, low-maintenance outdoor space, or wide doorways and hallways, highlight them in the listing description to capture the attention of older buyers willing to pay cash.
Property investors
While cash sales are becoming more common for traditional buyers nationwide, homeowners are still more likely to find success selling to property investors. Beyond institutional buyers, other common types of investors include house flippers, buy-and-hold investors, wholesale investors, and iBuyers.
Pros of working with a San Francisco cash home buyer
Cash offers can be attractive for San Francisco homeowners seeking an efficient and streamlined sales process. Let’s explore the key benefits of working with a cash home buyer:
- Quick closings: Selling to a cash buyer often means you can close the deal much faster than through traditional financing, often within days or weeks. This is because there’s no waiting for the buyer to secure a mortgage, which can significantly speed up the timeline.
- No contingencies: Cash sales typically come with fewer contingencies, if any. This means the sale is less likely to fall through due to financing issues or other common contingencies like home inspections.
- As-is purchase: Cash buyers often purchase homes as-is, meaning you won’t need to spend money or time on repairs or upgrades before the sale. This can be particularly advantageous if your home needs significant work.
- Simplified process: The process of selling to a cash buyer is generally more straightforward and involves less paperwork than selling through traditional means.
How to request a cash offer in San Francisco
If you’re looking for an easier way to secure a cash offer for your home, HomeLight’s Simple Sale platform can connect you with the largest network of vetted and pre-approved investors in the U.S.
After answering a few basic questions about your home, you’ll receive a no-obligation, all-cash offer within 24 hours. If you accept the offer, you can close the sale in as few as 10 days. You can skip the repairs, prep work, and endless showings and choose a move-out date that works for you — up to 30 days from closing.
Cash buyers usually offer less than what you might get on the open market, but selling the traditional way comes with fees that can eat up 9% to 10% of your sale price. So, depending on your needs, a cash buyer could still save you money in the long run.
How much are San Francisco cash home buyers willing to pay?
Cash investors and home-buying companies often look for deals to buy properties for less than what they’re worth on the market. In return, sellers benefit from selling their homes quickly and with less hassle.
House flippers usually follow the 70% rule, meaning they try not to pay more than 70% of a home’s after-repair value (ARV), including repair and upgrade costs.
The San Francisco housing market has been colder in recent years; home sales are down year-over-year, and prices remain elevated. Given the current conditions, offers from house-buying companies might be lower than what you could get on the open market.
During periods with high demand and low inventory (seller’s markets), cash buyers often come closer to a home’s market value. Offers in this scenario range from 80% to 85% of the ARV of the property.
What’s the process of selling to a San Francisco cash home buyer?
If you’re looking for speed and simplicity, a cash home sale may be right for you. Here’s a breakdown of how the process generally works:
Complete the California Transfer Disclosure Statement
Most states have mandated disclosure laws and require you to fill out a form detailing any material defects in the home. In California, sellers are required to disclose any defects before accepting an offer by completing the Transfer Disclosure Statement.
If you’re working with a San Francisco “We Buy Houses” company, they prepare all the necessary documents for you, including this one. However, you can speed up the process by filling it out beforehand. These companies conduct their own inspections and purchase homes in any condition, so filing the disclosure statement is more of a legal obligation from their perspective.
The buyer runs a title search on the property
The cash buyer will also verify the property’s title. This ensures you have legal ownership and checks for any liens or claims that could prevent a smooth sale. Some of the most common reasons for title issues include boundary disputes, unknown easements, undisclosed heirs, public record errors, and forgery.
The seller pays any associated fees
While cash sales typically involve fewer fees than traditional sales, you may still incur some closing costs, like transfer taxes, title insurance, escrow, and attorney fees. For example, California sellers typically pay the Documentary Stamp Tax (aka transfer tax) at a rate of $0.55 per every $500 on the property’s purchase price.
If you’re looking to avoid closing costs altogether, “We Buy Houses” companies will often pay them for you in exchange for an offer that’s below market value.
Deciding to sell to San Francisco cash home buyers
Whether you decide to compare buyers yourself, enlist the help of a real estate agent, or request an offer from Simple Sale, HomeLight can connect you with top professionals and valuable resources. We’re here to help you streamline your selling experience, leveraging San Francisco’s investor-rich market to find a fast and efficient solution for your home sale needs.
Header Image Source: (Sasha • Stories / Unsplash)
- "San Francisco Population and Migration," City and County of San Francisco
- "Did more Bay Area homes sell in 2024? Here’s what the data shows," San Francsico Chronicle, Christian Leonard (December 2024)
- "REALTORS® Confidence Index," National Association of Realtors® (November 2024)
- "2024 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends Report," NAR (April 2024)
- "Cash Rules," National Association of Realtors, Jessica Lautz (April 2023)
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