All of us have seen those signs in McAllen stapled on lamp posts, advertising “We buy houses” companies and you may have wondered… who are they? is that “We buy houses” sign a scam? They usually say things like “We Buy McAllen Houses!” or “Cash For Your House”.
Are These “We Buy Houses in McAllen, Pharr, San Juan, and the Valley of Texas Companies” Credible?
Are you a scam? How can I know if the local house buying companies out there are honest and credible?
Well…all may seem the same when you look at them at first … but keep reading and we’ll walk you through some things to look for in a local house buying company before you decide to work with them.
Buying and selling houses is a valid and respectable profession that actually helps communities and house sellers in many ways. But just like any other profession – there are always some bad apples that make the rest of us look bad.
There are people who are really great, ethical investors who improve their neighborhoods one house at a time. Many times they buy houses that have been vacant, sometimes abandoned for several years, that need lots of work or they are just houses that the owners could not keep up.
And then there are those dishonest people that take advantage of the homeowners that would sign the contract to sell their own grandmother with one hand while stabbing you in the back with the other – as long as they’re making profit.
So you need to be careful out there. Check if they are local because many times you end up with an 1-800 number or a number out of the Valley or out of State that will deal only by phone or email or maybe will send you a local guy to check out the house but are not based in our community. Check if the website offfers testimonials or if they belong to an organization such as a Better Business Bureau. You need to spot the bad apples.
We will try to help you avoid these “shady house buyers” so you can work with honest, ethical, and reputable local companies who can buy your house for a fair all cash offer and close on your schedule using a real estate attorney or a reputable title company, not just a piece of paper signed without witnesses.
But let’s not focus on the negative.
First, let us explain what the best house-flippers are doing in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.
What Reputable McAllen House Buying Companies Are Doing in Hidalgo County, Texas?
- Helping people that need to sell their house fast improve their live situations . Unexpected things happen all the time and people frequengly need money to cover emergency medical expenses, or to relocate to live closer to a relative. We can make that happen in around 10 days (we will work on your time schedule), and we deliver peace of mind. At Dolfin RGV we are a family owned local business based in McAllen, Texas so you can be assured we are here, not somewhere hiding behing a computer.
- Helping sellers get rid of a burdensome property without the hassle of having to list it with a broker and wait months for a sale. You don’t need to make any repairs to the property and you can leave all the unwanted things in the house. We will clean it up later.
- Creating local jobs. We hire plumbers, carpenters, roofers, electricians, painters, brokers, title companies, loan officers, cleaning crews, and many other local people along the way. The average real estate transaction involves 86 people from start to finish. Our investments help create real jobs for people around McAllen TX.
- Buy American . We spend lots of money every year on materials that are made right here in the USA – helping create jobs in our timber mills, factories, supply shops, distribution centers, hardware stores, and more. The US economy is supported in large part on small business that invest and spend locally, such us Dolfin RGV.
- Increasing the value of McAllen neighborhoods. When we flip a house, we’re helping to increase the value of the entire neighboorhoos. We often repair abandoned and distressed properties, turning them into beautiful functional homes for happy families to enjoy for years to come. That activity strengthens McAllen, Edinburg, Pharr, Hidalgo and the surrounding cities in Hidalgo County, Texas.
- Increasing the tax base. When a new buyer purchases one of our homes, they’ll pay a higher tax rate based on the new and improved value. Those taxes then will be used to pay for our local schools, fire department, police, libraries, streets, street and drainage projects, and other valuable infrastructure that improves our communities. In summary, we make a difference improving our neighborhoods.
So house buyers have a positive impact in the community? Definitely yes.
The sad part is that many people believe house-flipping is a get-rich-quick scheme, after they watch tons of silly “reality” shows that just show the drama because the reality of what we do on a daily basis is actually pretty boring and means lots of hard work.
Most of our work is coordinating with lots of people to make sure things are happening on time. We have to make sure all the process goes smoothly and keep up the time-frame.
Now lets see how you can use this information to find out if someone is a credible investor, and not just pulling a house buying scam.
How To Ensure You Are Working With A Reputable Local House Buyer that Actually is Located in McAllen, Edinburg, Hidalgo, or around Hidalgo County and Not Just Coming from up North or other State?
When you contact a local house buyer to potentially buy your house… ask them some of the questions below to ensure they’re reputable, knowledgeable, and honest.
Questions you may ask to screen a company:
- How do you help your clients?
- What do you do for people?
- Can you explain me about your services?
- What aspect of your business do you like the most?
- How would you describe your investment philosophy?
- How can I know that you will close on my house when you say you will?
Look for warning signs:
- “Kitchen table closings” – If a property buyer tries to get you to sign the deed (ownership) of your house over to them at your house, rather than a professional place like a closing attorney or title company… be very careful. Most reputable house buying companies will perform the actual closing of the sale at a neutral reputable place … like a title company or attorney office. This ensures everything is done right and following the law.
- Rushing you to close the deal – If a house buyer tries to pressure you into selling your house and says that you have to make the decision today, watch out! Most reputable house buying companies will make you and offer and that offer will be on the table for at least 2-7 days (minimum) for you to make a decision. Selling a house is a major situation for most people and should not be pressured. The reason reputable house buying services like us at Dolfin RGV do place deadlines on our offers is because the market changes and values can change week to week depending on other sales in the area, also… we buy multiple houses a month and when we make you an offer we’re assuring you that the cash to purchase your house is ready and we’ll reserve that funds for several days so if you do want to sell your house, we can close on your schedule and keep the deadline that works out for you. We love to help people and make it a win win situation! If you feel the offer is not a good fit for you, then we will use those funds to help another seller with their home sale.
Most scammers are looking for a quick scheme, and do not expect an in-depth interview.
Chances are good that they’ll find excuses to hang up the phone and move on to someone who doesn’t ask many questions.
True investors who run honest and ethical McAllen house buying services, however, are building long-term businesses based on trust, relationships and community development.
So when you’re checking out the “we buy houses in McAllen companies“… always feel free to ask some questions! We will be happy to talk to you, no pressure, no obligation.