5 Top We Buy Houses for Cash Companies in Tampa Bay
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McCoy Worthington, Contributing AuthorClose
McCoy Worthington Contributing AuthorMcCoy Worthington is a freelance writer and full-time copywriter. His professional experience branches across magazine writing, PR, social media, and content marketing. He’s passionate about learning, education, and telling the stories of people and companies around the world.
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Richard Haddad, Executive EditorClose
Richard Haddad Executive EditorRichard Haddad is the executive editor of HomeLight.com. He works with an experienced content team that oversees the company’s blog featuring in-depth articles about the home buying and selling process, homeownership news, home care and design tips, and related real estate trends. Previously, he served as an editor and content producer for World Company, Gannett, and Western News & Info, where he also served as news director and director of internet operations.
We Buy Houses companies in Tampa Bay 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.
Maybe you inherited a property, live outside of Florida, and need to sell it in a hurry. Perhaps you were recently laid off or landed a new job outside of Tampa and have to move right away. Or maybe you’ve fallen on hard financial times and need cash to pay off an urgent debt.
Need to Sell Your House Fast in Tampa Bay?
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Disclaimer: This post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Links and mentions of Tampa Bay area “we buy houses” companies should not be considered endorsements.
If you need to sell your Tampa Bay 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 Tampa Bay 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.
Working with house-buying companies in Tampa Bay
We Buy Houses companies in Tampa Bay 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Tampa Bay
If these benefits of selling to a house-buying company in Tampa Bay 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 parent’s ranch-style home or condo. By selling to one of these companies, you should be able to sell your Tampa Bay 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.
Cash House Buyers Tampa
Cash House Buyers Tampa features a simple home-selling process, where you can call, provide the details of your home, and receive an offer within 24 hours. The company specializes in buying homes in poor condition, purchasing pre-foreclosure or inherited houses, and working with homeowners in other distressed situations. They’re committed to walking homeowners through the selling process. If you’re too busy to meet for a pre-offer consultation, they’ll also drive by your property and provide a cash offer over the phone or schedule an appointment with tenants or a designated person you trust.
Locations: Tampa Bay and surrounding Florida areas
Closing costs: Sellers pay no closing costs; Cash House Buyers Tampa covers them.
Cash House Buyers Tampa has 4.8 out of 5 stars on Google with 13 reviews. Customer reviews for Cash House Buyers Tampa speak to the company’s straightforward process and professionalism. Reviewers express gratitude to the company for its helpful and knowledgeable staff.
Phone: 813-278-6948
Simple Sale (a HomeLight platform)
Simple Sale, a solution from HomeLight, is an online platform where sellers in Tampa Bay (and across the country) can request a cash offer for their home. Simple Sale connects you to the largest network of cash buyers in the U.S. 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 Tampa Bay.
With Simple Sale, you can get an all-cash offer in as little as 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 Tampa Bay
Closing costs: No prep costs, no agent commissions, and no fees charged by HomeLight. Individual investor fees may vary.
Simple Sale is a HomeLight platform. HomeLight was founded in 2012 and is BBB accredited with an A+ rating. The company has 4.8 stars on Google based on hundreds of user reviews. Below you can hear about how Baohan Wu, a seller who used Simple Sale to sell his high-rise apartment, closed within three and a half weeks and what he thought of the process overall.
Phone: 844-488-8455
Tampa Fast Home Buyer
This company has been buying homes for cash since 2016 and features a team with more than 43 years of combined years in real estate. The team has experience with a wide range of real estate tasks, including acquisitions, repairs, development, and selling. Unlike some home-for-cash buyers, they don’t rely on outside financial partners when they purchase homes. They’re also willing to help sellers find a new home or move out of their property.
Locations: Tampa Bay, as well as St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Brandon, Largo, Seminole, Wesley Chapel, Dade City, Lakeland, Seminole, and Valrico
Closing costs: Tampa Fast Home Buyer says it will “often pay for the closing costs.”
Tampa Fast Home Buyer has been BBB accredited since February 2021 and holds an A+ rating. The company has 5 out of 5 stars on Google with 34 reviews. Customer reviews for Tampa Fast Home Buyer praise the company’s responsiveness. Reviewers say the company is professional and trustworthy.
Phone: 813-906-9011
Emperor House Buyers LLC
Although Emperor House Buyers LLC has only been in business for a few years, it has quickly earned a reputation as a fast, stress-free home-selling option. The business features a simple three-step process where you call to discuss the property, they show up for a 15-minute property viewing, and they present a cash offer. The company also promises to complete the full transaction in as few as five business days.
Locations: Tampa Bay, as well as throughout Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties
Closing costs: Sellers pay no closing costs; Emperor House Buyers LLC covers them.
Emperor House Buyers LLC has been BBB accredited since June 2022 and holds an A rating. It has 4.6 out of 5 stars on Google with 9 reviews. Customer reviews for Emperor House Buyers LLC speak to the company’s hassle-free process and strong offers. They say the company has helped during quick sales and displays professionalism.
Phone: 813-803-2777
Revival Homebuyer
This is a family-owned company that has been buying homes for cash for five years. In that time, they’ve bought more than 1,000 houses. They only buy properties in the Tampa Bay area and are made up of a four-person team of home buyers. They are also committed to helping homeowners sell their properties in all types of conditions and situations, including if homes are run down or if you inherited a property unexpectedly.
Locations: Tampa Bay, as well as Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, and Polk Counties
Closing costs: Sellers pay no closing costs; Revival Homebuyer covers them.
Revival Homebuyer has been BBB accredited since December 2019 and holds an A+ rating. The company has 5 out of 5 stars on Google with 100 reviews. Customer reviews for Revival Homebuyer speak to the company’s quick responses and trustworthiness. They also say the team has experience buying distressed properties, purchasing inherited properties, and assisting in the probate process.
Phone: 813-548-3674
Why sell your Tampa Bay house for cash?
There are plenty of valid reasons a Tampa Bay 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 Tampa Bay, it typically takes around 91 days to sell a home on the market using an agent. That includes 48 days listed on the market until a signed contract, plus the 43 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 Tampa Bay, 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 Tampa Bay 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 Tampa Bay, such as flooding issues, drainage problems, or roof damage.
- The seller needs to cash in quickly 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 Tampa Bay
At this point, you’ve probably noticed that We Buy Houses for Cash companies in Tampa Bay 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 Tampa Bay
One of the biggest advantages of working with We Buy Houses for Cash companies in Tampa Bay 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 Tampa Bay, 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 Tampa Bay
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 Tampa Bay 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.
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 historic 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 90% 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 Tampa Bay 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 91 days. But it’s wise to consider all your options.
If your home is in a seller-friendly housing market, 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.
Curious What Your Home Is Worth?
Get a near-instant real estate house price estimate from HomeLight for free. Our tool analyzes the records of recently sold homes near you, your home’s last sale price, and other market trends to provide a preliminary range of value in under two minutes.
FAQs on Tampa Bay house-buying companies
By and large, most We Buy Houses for Cash companies are legitimate businesses. Their services and transaction fees may differ, but the business model has been around for decades. If you use an established group with a track record, you can be fairly confident that it’s legit.
That said, as with any financial transaction, it’s a good idea to be on the alert for scams. Always research companies before you sign a contract. Check customer reviews, look at their online presence, verify professional licenses, get a referral if possible, and vet the company on the Better Business Bureau website. Watch for anything that just doesn’t seem right.
As described in our pros and cons list above, most We Buy Houses for Cash companies apply the 70% rule, meaning they’ll offer you about 70% of your home’s after-repair value, minus their estimated repair costs.
Here’s an example of what a simplified formula might look like:
(Your home’s ARV x .70) – repair costs
To see how this might work in a real-world scenario, let’s take a look at an example offer equation. Let’s say your Tampa Bay ranch-style home could sell for $205,000 after repairs, but it’s going to need $30,000 of work to get there.
($205,000 x .70) – $30,000 = $113,500
In this example, a Tampa Bay We Buy Houses company might offer you around $113,500 for your home.
However, different types of house-buying companies will offer varying amounts for homes. As mentioned previously, iBuyers tend to pay more than We Buy Houses companies because iBuyers look for homes in better condition. An iBuyer might pay you 90% or more of market value while charging a fee for their services.
When you accept an offer from a We Buy Houses for Cash company, you will likely be coming to grips with a two-edged sword. On the one side, it shouldn’t cost you any additional money because these companies make an offer and handle almost everything once the offer is accepted. On the other hand, you’ll likely get less money overall for your home.
Because We Buy Houses for Cash companies tend to focus on distressed homes, they typically have zero fees. Many will even cover your closing costs. In most cases, this means that the cash offer you receive is going to be the price you walk away with at the end of the deal. Of course, it’s always a good idea to flat-out ask the company if there are any hidden program fees that might impact your bottom line.
- Research and vet the house-buying companies that serve your area. Our list above is a good place to start.
- Submit offer requests to a few of the companies you like best.
- Schedule any required on-site property visits.
- Compare offers. Weigh the pros and cons and choose the best option for you.
- Close the sale in a week to 30 days and get paid. (Some companies will let you choose a closing date up to 90 days after accepting the offer, which can be helpful when planning a move.)
We Buy Houses for Cash in Tampa Bay vs. top Tampa Bay 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 Tampa Bay | Sell with a top Realtor in Tampa Bay |
| Selling timeline | 7 to 30 days | 91 days average; 48 to attract an offer, 43 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 | 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 ranch-style home in Tampa Bay is currently worth about $205,000 and needs about $25,000 in repairs. Once the repairs are completed, the home might be worth around $230,000.
| Sell to a We Buy Houses for Cash company in Tampa Bay | Sell with a top Realtor® in Tampa Bay | |
| Estimated sale price | ($230,000 x .70) – $25,000 = $136,000 | $205,000 |
| Market preparations | 0 | $2,050 (1% of sale price) |
| Agent commissions | 0 | $11,890 (5.8% of sale price) |
| Closing costs | 0 | $3,075 (1.5%) |
| Estimated take-home for seller | $136,000 | $187,985 |
As this example illustrates, financially it’s usually in your best interest to partner with an experienced real estate agent.
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.
Key takeaways
- We Buy Houses for Cash companies in Tampa Bay 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 Tampa Bay.
- 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 Tampa Bay. 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.
House-buying companies can be a good alternative for Tampa Bay 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!
Header Image Source: (sepavone / Depositphotos)
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