6 Top We Buy Houses for Cash Companies in Fort Myers, Florida

We Buy Houses companies in Fort Myers make all-cash offers for homes that often need some work, enabling sellers who lack the time, expertise, and money for repairs to move quickly and receive the cash proceeds from their home sooner if they need it.

A homeowner may want to sell this way for any number of reasons. Perhaps you’re trying to leave hurricane country before the next big storm hits or have found your dream home in a new school zone and need to relocate quickly before a new term begins. Or maybe you’ve inherited a rental condo on the water from your parents, but you’d rather not own a rental and don’t have the time or money to make important repairs before selling.

If you need to sell your Fort Myers home quickly, a We Buy Houses for Cash company could be the best solution. However, before you request a cash offer, it’s important to understand how much a Fort Myers house-buying company might offer for your home and weigh your options. Once you’re familiar with the process, you can opt to select a company on our list of some of the top contenders and get moving.

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Disclaimer: This post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Links and mentions of Fort Myers “we buy houses” companies should not be considered endorsements. 

Working with house-buying companies in Fort Myers

We Buy Houses companies in Fort Myers typically promise to give home sellers quick, convenient all-cash offers, and exceptionally speedy closings, often wrapping up the property sale in as few as seven days. These house-buying companies have polished their processes to help sellers who need to move ASAP, and tend to target distressed homes in need of repairs.

Here’s how the process generally works:

  1. You request an all-cash offer. The company will ask you to provide information about your house and property. Some We Buy Houses groups will make a preliminary offer shortly after you submit the request. However, the initial offer is typically subject to change after they have inspected your home.
  2. The company performs a walk-through. This on-site property visit is typically completed within 24 to 48 hours. The timeframe may vary depending on the company and market.
  3. You receive a firm offer. Your official cash offer is typically received within 24 hours of the on-site visit but can sometimes be presented at the end of the walk-through. At this point, you can accept or decline the offer. The majority of house-buying companies do not negotiate. They usually present a take-it-or-leave-it sale price.
  4. If you accept the offer, you’ll both sign a sales contract. With a signed sales agreement, the closing process will begin. Some house-buying companies will initially provide a large deposit or funds to assist the seller with moving costs. Others will pay for the property upfront.
  5. Close the sale and get paid quickly. We Buy Houses companies can typically close your home sale within seven days to a few weeks. This can vary by company, and sellers who work with a house-buying company often enjoy flexibility in selecting a move-out date that works for them.

Popular We Buy Houses for Cash companies in Fort Myers

If these benefits of selling to a house-buying company in Fort Myers sound good to you, it’s time to find a legitimate operation you can trust.

We’ve compiled some of the top companies that will pay cash for your parents’ villa-style home or your rancher. By selling to one of these companies, you should be able to sell your Fort Myers home in as little as a week or two.

Note: Individual program details frequently change — please visit a company’s website for the most up-to-date information on each program’s fees, market coverage, business model, and more. HomeLight always recommends doing your own research to determine which selling option is best for your situation.

Real Options & Investments

Real Options & Investments, a regional company based in Fort Myers and also serving surrounding cities, has been in business for nine years. Owners Frank and Jazmin Heron buy all home types for cash and pride themselves on providing personal service in order to help customers in the many unique situations that require a fast, easy sale.

According to their website, Real Options provides a stress-free three-step process that could be completed in only a few days. You contact them, they visit your property, and you review their guaranteed cash offer. They handle the paperwork, and there’s no pressure to accept the offer or move out quickly — you both agree on a timeline that works for you.

Locations: Southwest Florida

Closing costs: Sellers pay no closing costs; Real Options & Investments covers them.

Simple Sale (a HomeLight platform)

Simple Sale, a solution from HomeLight, is an online platform where sellers in Fort Myers (and across the country) can request a cash offer for their home. Simple Sale has a network of cash buyers on its platform, and partner investors have a wide range of investment strategies, including fix-and-flip and buy-and-hold. This enables Simple Sale to provide cash offers for a wide array of properties, even those that need some or a lot of work, in different locations throughout Fort Myers.

With Simple Sale, you can get an all-cash offer in 24 hours and sell your home in as few as 10 days, skipping the months it can take to sell the traditional way.

Locations: Nationwide, including Fort Myers

Closing costs: No prep costs, no agent commissions, and no fees charged by HomeLight. Individual investor fees may vary.

House Heroes

House Heroes, an 11-year-old company in southeast Florida, was founded by two childhood friends who first decided to try their hand at real estate together and have now completed over 150 closings. The company says it will purchase any home (condos, apartments, single-home, etc.) — and even vacant land — in any condition.

The House Heroes website promises homeowners a guaranteed cash offer within 24 hours as part of a three-step process. You could even receive a free, no-obligation offer within minutes, the site says, and the deal could be closed within days or within weeks, depending on your needs. Lucas and Earl’s team includes only two staff, and one of their core values is “Small Team, Big Service.”

Locations: Nationwide, including Fort Myers

Closing costs: While the company’s FAQ page says that there are no fees or commissions, it also says, “We’ll often pay for the closing costs too!” — leaving the door open that under some circumstances, a seller may be responsible for some or all of the closing costs.

Meridian Trust

Meridian Trust is a 14-year-old regional company that is part of the Property Force family of brands. Meridian Trust buys homes for cash, while Property Force provides properties to real estate investors. These two brands together have almost 100 employees, and Meridian’s website says they’ve purchased “thousands of homes” to date.

According to its website, Meridian Trust will purchase any single- or multi-family home, apartment, or townhouse as-is — no need to prep. And you can complete your transaction with them in four easy steps. As with other companies, receiving an offer in no way obligates you to sell. One difference, however, is that Meridian Trust says when you call you’ll receive an “immediate cash offer.”

Nevertheless, your timeline to getting cash may be a bit longer with Meridian Trust. In special situations that “require extreme urgency,” their site explains, an express closing may be available in as little as ten business days after you sign the contract. However, their typical closing time is given is a few weeks.

Locations: Florida, Georgia, Alabama

Closing costs: Sellers pay no closing costs; Meridian Trust covers “all customary closing costs” and advertises no commissions or hidden fees.

Florida Cash Home Buyers

Florida Cash Home Buyers co-owners Omer Reiner and Gabe Garcia met in a yoga class, discovered a mutual interest in real estate, and later became friends and eventual business partners. They started Ft. Lauderdale-based Florida Cash Home Buyers in 2014 and, according to their website, have since purchased hundreds of homes.

Much like other companies, Florida Cash Home Buyers advertise a simple, three-step process that is likely to close in 15-30 days. Unlike some others, they do not give “immediate” or “instant” offers, but you can get a same-day offer at your offer appointment, which can be over the phone or in person. The company’s website does not specify whether there are certain home types that they do not buy.

Florida Cash Home Buyers also provide unique offerings. In some cases, for example, you may be able to get a cash advance before finalizing the sale, although this will typically still take about seven days after you accept their offer. In addition, you can also explore other packages for selling for a higher return.

Locations: Florida

Closing costs: Sellers pay no closing costs; Florida Cash Home Buyers covers them.

The Friendly Home Buyer

Founded in 2017 by Jared Sandel, The Friendly Home Buyer advertises that they buy houses for cash in as little as three days and offer same-day appointments, preferring to do business face-to-face as much as possible. Their website also says that, in contrast to many other companies who may try to change a purchase price at the last moment, “when we commit to a purchase price, that’s the price we pay.”

The Friendly Home Buyer touts itself as being more trustworthy than many cash-for-homes outfits.

No repairs or even trash clean-out are required before selling, and the company offers a flexible closing process where you can sign documents from anywhere. The Friendly Home Buyer is also willing to give you time after closing to move out of the home, if needed.

Locations: Florida

Closing costs: Sellers pay no closing costs; The Friendly Home Buyer covers them.

Why sell your Fort Myers house for cash?

There are plenty of valid reasons a Fort Myers home seller may choose to work with a Cash-For-Homes company. Leading the list are the benefits of speed, certainty, and remarkable convenience.

In Fort Myers, it typically takes around 120 days to sell a home on the market using an agent. That includes 76 days on the market, plus the typical 44 days a buyer needs to close on a purchase loan.

Compare that to the typical seven to 10 days promised by many house-buying companies in Fort Myers, and it’s clear why these Cash-For-Homes groups are an attractive option, even though they don’t always offer top dollar for the homes they purchase.

These companies are growing in popularity, especially for sellers who do not have the typically required long weeks or months to prepare, market, and close on a traditional home sale. Let’s look at some of the most common reasons Fort Myers sellers decide to use a We Buy Houses for Cash company over listing a property the traditional way.

  • The home has significant repair issues common in Fort Myers, such as a leaky roof, cracked or moldy stucco, hurricane damage, a cracked foundation, or an inoperable air conditioner.
  • The seller needs to cash in quickly or move ASAP due to a divorce, medical need, financial strain, job relocation, or some other pressing family or life change.
  • The seller doesn’t have the necessary funds or desire to make home repairs.
  • The seller doesn’t want the stress, work, or headaches of prepping the home, coordinating showings, negotiating, or navigating a lengthy or complex sales process.
  • The seller desires the privacy of selling their property quietly off-market to a cash buyer.
  • The seller is facing foreclosure and just wants to sell the home and settle their debts with the lender before the situation (or credit history) gets worse.
  • The seller wants a convenient and fast way to unload an inherited property.
  • The seller is a landlord who no longer wants to manage a rental property, or wants to relieve themselves of a problem tenant.
  • The homeowner is growing old and moving in with a relative or into a care facility, prompting their family to sell the property for convenience or to help fund the move.
  • The seller is living out of state and desires the benefits of an easy, quick cash sale.

If you are a homeowner facing any of these circumstances, requesting a cash offer from a We Buy Houses company might be a good option to consider. However, it’s prudent to think of this as a starting point in your search for solutions. You won’t know if it’s your best move until you know more about other options available to you, which we’ll help you review in a minute.

Pros and cons of house-buying companies in Fort Myers

At this point, you’ve probably noticed that We Buy Houses for Cash companies in Fort Myers can trigger a mixed bag of thoughts that can be difficult to sort. You may like the idea of speed and convenience, but you might be having trouble balancing these with the premium you might pay for a cash-offer service.

In this next section, we’ll walk you through some of the pros and cons of using a We Buy Houses company so you can better weigh your options.

Pros to We Buy Houses for Cash in Fort Myers

One of the biggest advantages of working with We Buy Houses for Cash companies in Fort Myers is that you can sell your home as-is with no repairs required, and they’ll buy homes in any condition.

If your home was severely damaged in a weather event, or you’ve fallen years behind on routine maintenance, you can still sell without needing to make the extensive repairs that financed buyers may require.

Here are some other pros to consider:

  • Speed: You can typically sell your house in as few as seven to 10 days.
  • More certainty: With a pre-offer walk-through, a house-buying company can provide a firm cash offer that comes with few contingencies, or no contingencies at all. We Buy Houses companies have refined their transaction methods in such a way that they can clear away many traditional roadblocks so sellers can plan with more confidence.
  • No repairs: Again, if your home is in need of repairs you can’t afford, you can skip them altogether. Or, if you don’t have the desire or time to tackle repairs, a We Buy Houses company can be a fitting solution to sell a home in poor condition.
  • Less hassle: You won’t need to worry about showings, open houses, fielding offers, negotiating, low appraisals, or the risk of the buyer’s financing falling through. When you work with a reputable We Buy Houses for Cash company in Fort Myers, you’re likely going to experience a smooth journey from offer to close.

That all may sound pretty great to you as a seller if you’re looking to move within weeks rather than the months it might take you to list and sell your home on the market with an agent. However, there are downsides to working with Cash-For-Homes companies. Namely, they typically offer substantially below market value for your home.

Cons to We Buy Houses for Cash in Fort Myers

When considering an offer from a We Buy Houses site, remember that these are house-buying companies, which means they’re ultimately trying to make a profit. They plan to fix up your home and either resell it or rent it out. That takes considerable time, skill, and investment.

Here are some potential downsides to weigh:

  • Lower-priced offers: Most companies follow the 70% rule, meaning they’ll offer you about 70% of your home’s after-repair value (or the value that your house could sell for on the market once it’s all fixed up) minus repair costs. This means the cash offer you receive may be markedly lower than what you could get for your home on the market.
  • Inconsistent market knowledge: There can be a vast difference in a house-buying company’s knowledge of a market. One may have localized information, such as specific neighborhood data, which enables the company to leverage that knowledge into more competitive cash offers. A company without this expertise may give you a lowball offer.
  • A company may be untrustworthy: As with any industry, there’s a risk of falling in with a less trustworthy company. Some cash-offer outfits deliberately make low offers to desperate homeowners and then pressure them into making a fast, unvetted decision. An unprincipled group may even engage in fraud tactics, though it’s rare.
  • Pressure tactics: We Buy Houses for Cash companies know that homeowners in need of a quick sale are often facing a desperate situation. While many offer real solutions, some companies take advantage of this urgency by applying pressure tactics. If you feel pressured to accept an offer, step away and reassess your options. There are a good number of established We Buy Houses for Cash companies in Fort Myers to choose from.

Your home is more than a place where you make memories with family; it’s also likely your biggest asset. Sure, you want to sell quickly, but you could be leaving major money on the table if you choose to work with one of these We Buy Houses for Cash companies.

Always do your research, compare your options, and consult with a trusted advisor before accepting any offer.

Vet cash buyers and know your home’s worth

For many home sellers, We Buy Houses for Cash companies can be a solid solution to get a property sold quickly or to access cash for an expected life challenge. On the other hand, the “cash for your home” rehabbing business model has also led to what some housing advocates call predatory tactics.

The level of integrity and customer service you experience can vary, even within an established house-buying company that strives to maintain consistent business standards. This is because many We Buy Houses for Cash companies are franchises and often use independent investors or local wholesaling outfits. Your experience greatly depends on the character of the person or group making the offer.

If you are considering a cash offer, vet the company thoroughly. Check reviews, read testimonials, and research its presence and performance in the market. And, of course, read the buying agreement carefully before signing.

Get a home value estimate

Before committing to a We Buy Houses for Cash company, HomeLight suggests you consult with a top agent to get a better idea of what your home might be worth if sold on the open market. Then, compare cash offers to what a top agent might be able to get for your home. HomeLight can connect you with a top-performing agent in your market.

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You can also use HomeLight’s free Home Value Estimator right now to get an initial ballpark estimate in less than two minutes.

Other options to sell your home quickly

iBuyers

Within the Cash-For-Homes industry, you’ll also encounter a particular group of companies known as iBuyers, or instant buyers.

iBuyer companies offer sellers many of the same conveniences of other house-buying operations, but they also leverage automated valuation models (AVMs), which use algorithmic technology to apply historical and current market data to their estimates. AVMs allow iBuyers to make a near-instant offer on your home and provide a user-friendly, mostly online home sale experience.

iBuyers have only been around since the mid-2010s but are now widely available across Florida.

iBuyers provide all-cash offers for homes and can close a sale in a matter of days to a few weeks. However, unlike typical We Buy Houses for Cash companies, iBuyers generally seek out homes that are in better condition and usually provide cash offers that are closer to market value, typically in the 85%-95% range.

When considering the iBuyer option, it’s important to note that major iBuyer companies like Opendoor and Offerpad typically charge sizable service fees that can range between 5% and 6%.

Sellers who may be a good fit to work with an iBuyer in Fort Myers include those who prefer to skip staging and showing their home, who live in an area with somewhat similar housing, and who have a home in relatively good shape.

Listing with an agent

It might be surprising to see this agent option included in our story about Cash-For-Homes businesses. Most homeowners seeking information about house-buying companies want to sell a home quickly, not in 120 days. But it’s wise to consider all your options.

If your home is in a housing market that’s seller-friendly, listing your property with a top real estate agent can result in a fast sale, especially if the house is strategically priced and superbly marketed.

Depending on the property and local market conditions, using an agent could pay off. Selling on the market typically yields the highest selling price, even more so if you partner with a proven professional. HomeLight’s internal real estate transaction data shows that the top 5% of agents sell homes for up to 10% more than average agents.

Another significant benefit of consulting with a trusted agent is the insight they can provide through a comparative market analysis (CMA). This is a market report that real estate agents provide to home sellers that acts as a tool to calculate the value of a home. The CMA evaluates a home’s size, features, location, age, and other details in relation to similar properties that have recently sold in the area. A CMA can help you determine an appropriate listing price, which can help estimate how quickly it might sell.

In addition, an experienced agent who knows your market may even be able to connect you with buyers who are willing to provide you with a cash offer that’s closer to your home’s market value.

Many agents will provide a CMA for free, with no obligation to list your home with them. It can be a valuable tool to weigh your options. If, in the end, you decide to sell to a house-buying company, you can proceed with more confidence, knowing you fully examined your options and made a sound financial decision.

If you are interested in exploring the agent option, HomeLight can connect you with a top-performing real estate agent in your area today.

Key takeaways

  • We Buy Houses for Cash companies in Fort Myers can make it possible to conveniently sell your home in as few as seven days with no repairs, open houses, or showings.
  • There are a number of reputable Cash-For-Homes companies serving Fort Myers.
  • Using a We Buy Houses company could mean leaving a significant amount of money on the table compared to an agent-assisted or iBuyer sale.
  • HomeLight’s Simple Sale platform provides no-obligation all-cash offers for homes in almost any condition in Fort Myers. Because the platform has partner investors with different buying parameters across the region, it can be a great starting point if you aren’t sure who would buy your home.

FAQs on Fort Myers house-buying companies

We Buy Houses for Cash in Fort Myers vs. top Fort Myers agent

Another helpful exercise is to compare how a We Buy Houses for Cash company might stack up against working with a real estate agent. Let’s take a glance at how different aspects of the sale might look, and compare possible proceeds.

Aspect of the sale Sell to a We Buy Houses for Cash company in Fort Myers Sell with a top Realtor in Fort Myers
Selling timeline 7 to 30 days 120 days, approximately; 76 to attract an offer, 44 to close the loan
Home preparations None Deep clean, declutter, make necessary repairs, landscape, stage home
Showings None 10 to 25 showings average
Inspections / repairs None May need to make additional repairs for the buyer or renegotiate the price
Appraisal None May need to lower your asking price if the appraisal comes in low
Title search Cash-for-homes companies often handle title issues Must clear title before you can sell home
Financing contingency None Mortgaged buyers use a financing contingency that could hold up the deal if the buyer’s loan doesn’t clear
Agent commission None 3%-5.8% average*
Closing costs None 1% to 3% of the home sale price on top of agent commission*

Example net proceeds

Below, we’ve put together one example of how net proceeds may differ between selling a home to a We Buy Houses for Cash company and an agent-assisted sale.

Let’s say your villa-style home in Fort Myers is currently worth about $385,000 and needs about $30,000 in repairs. Once the repairs are completed, the home might be worth around $415,000.

Sell to a We Buy Houses for Cash company in Fort Myers Sell with a top Realtor in Fort Myers
Estimated sale price ($415,000 x .70) – $30,000 = $260,500 $385,000
Market preparations 0 $3,850 (1% of sale price)
Agent commissions 0 $11,550 (3%* of sale price)
Closing costs 0 $5,775 (1.5%)
Estimated take-home for seller $260,500 $363,825

As this example illustrates, financially it’s usually in your best interest to partner with an experienced real estate agent.

Agent commission changes

*On March 15, 2024, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) announced a landmark lawsuit settlement that will change the way real estate agent commissions are handled in the future. These changes will “decouple” seller and buyer agent compensation. Industry experts predict that this decoupling will likely lower agent fees and give buyers the ability to negotiate commission amounts directly. Learn more.

However, net proceeds are not the only consideration when selling a home. What’s best in your situation will depend on the condition of your property, what level of repairs are needed, and your selling objectives. It could be that selling on the open market will be a challenge in your area, or the agent timeline might not fit your immediate needs.

House-buying companies can be a good alternative for Fort Myers sellers in need of a quick home sale, but it’s important to consider both the benefits and drawbacks. When it comes to selling your home, it’s wise to avoid making any hasty decisions.

Before making a commitment to a Cash-For-Homes company, gather multiple offers and take the time to weigh your options. Consider consulting with a top agent for expert insights on how soon, and for how much, your property might sell on the market. Whatever you decide, HomeLight would be happy to help with your real estate needs!

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