You’ve read it in the news… seen it online all over the place about some con artists lurking around posing as legitimate house buyers in Fort Collins … so you’re likely confused on what to look for and what you should do when selling your house fast here in Fort Collins.
There are some tell-tale signs of a potential scammer looking to take advantage of you that we’ll dive into… and things to look for in legitimate Professional local house buyers in the Fort Collins area.
Not All “We Buy Houses” Companies Are Created Equal
You’ve seen those signs that say “We Buy Houses Fort Collins“… or websites like ours that mention the phrase.
First off, this by itself doesn’t indicate whether the house buyer is legitimate or not.
But what you should know… is that there are a handful of highly ethical and honest local house buyers in the area… of which we at NoCo Housing LLC are among that small group of investors you’ll want to look at working with.
Some Tell-Tale “We buy houses scam” Signs That You Should Look For
The signs below are ones that you’ll want to look out for as you look to sell your Fort Collins house fast to an investor. Look for professional house buying companies in Fort Collins who do things in a transparent and ethical way.
So… look for (and avoid) house buyers who do the things below:
AVOID THIS: Charge Upfront Fees To You To Buy Your House From You – No ethical professional house buyers will NOT ask you to pay them anything at all during the process of making you an offer and buying your house.
DO THIS INSTEAD: The way most ethical Fort Collins home buyers work is… 1) They make you an offer free of charge. 2) You choose to accept it if it’s a fit. 3) You close on the sale if it was a fit. The whole process you shouldn’t pay any upfront fees (and usually no fees at all except possibly sharing some of the closing costs). So if a house buying company asks you to pay any fees upfront in order to get an offer… RUN THE OTHER WAY fast and call us at NoCo Housing LLC.
AVOID THIS: Signing Over The Deed To Your Home “At The Kitchen Table” – One scam that has been used here in Fort Collins is the scammer smooth talks their way into having you sign documents there in your house that basically give them the deed to your house then and there. If you do this you’ve essentially given ownership to your house to this scammer.
DO THIS INSTEAD: Instead, make sure the home buyer does everything through a reputable closing agent (like a title company or attorney) who is a 3rd party and impartial to either party. The closing agent will walk you through the terms of the agreement and answer any questions the professional house buyer wasn’t able to answer during the process. This ensures you’re protected and not making a rash decision at the “kitchen table”.
AVOID THIS: The Mortgage Payment Scam – Some scammers have pulled a scam where they instruct the home owner to pay mortgage payments to them (rather than the bank directly) and the scammer will then “handle paying the bank”. In no circumstances should you do this unless you get your mortgage company’s approval in writing. Some of these scammers will then pocket your payments and not pay the mortgage company at all… harming your credit and causing you to be worse off then before.
DO THIS INSTEAD: We’d never recommend you stop paying on your mortgage without an agreement in writing from your lender first. If you’re at a point where you’re on the verge of not being able to make your house payments… we’ll dive into your options with you and in some instances… even help you work with your bank in some cases. In other cases, we’ll just make an offer to buy your house at a fair price.
(Source: Summary of information from the Fannie Mae info site)
Selling Your Fort Collins House Fast Can Be A Great Experience…
… if you make sure you avoid falling into the trap of a scammer.
Always do your homework and make sure the local house buyer you’re working with is reputable, honest, ethical, and can deliver on what they promise.
At NoCo Housing LLC we’ll be upfront with you on what your options are… even if it means that we’re not your best option.
From there, you can make the decision that’s the best for you with no pressure or hassle from us.
So, ask any “we buy houses” company lots of questions before you do business with them to make sure that they’re real, that they’re honest, and that they can and will follow through with any offer they make you.
If you’d rather start your search for a reputable house buyer here with us at NoCo Housing LLC… we’re here for you.
Just give us a call at (970) 744-4949 to get a fair all-cash offer on your house (no hassles or pressure whatsoever) or click the link below to fill out the short form on the next page.
Fill out this form now, and someone from our office will be in touch right away! Or give our office a call anytime! (970) 744-4949