Selling options

Your Options for Selling a House in Puget Sound

There is more than one way to sell, and the right one depends on the house, your timeline, and how much work you want to take on. Here is each option without the sales pitch.

Your options

Three honest ways to sell. We help you pick the right one.

Most companies push one product. We would rather you understand the trade-offs, even when the answer is not us.

Cash offer vs. listing

The trade-off, in plain numbers.

An investor offer is typically below full retail value. What you get back is speed, certainty, and skipping repairs, commissions, and months of showings. Here is what that usually looks like in Puget Sound.

 Selling to Sound Home OfferListing with an agent
PriceBelow retail; the offer is the net (we pay standard closing costs)Highest gross price if the home shows well and the market cooperates
Commissions and fees$0Typically 5 to 6% of the sale price plus seller closing costs
Repairs and prepNone. Leave what you do not want.Repairs, cleaning, staging, photos; buyer inspection repair requests
ShowingsNoneOpen houses and showings for weeks
Time to closeAs few as 10 days, or your date60 to 120 days on average, plus buyer financing risk
CertaintyCash; no appraisal or loan contingencyFinancing, appraisal, and inspection contingencies can collapse a sale
Best forRepairs, tenants, probate, deadlines, or simply wanting it doneMove-in-ready homes and sellers with time to wait

Ranges are typical for the Puget Sound market and vary by property. Washington real estate excise tax applies to either path. See a worked example.

How we calculate an offer

Our number is not pulled from the air. Here is the formula.

Every offer starts with what the house would sell for fully renovated, then subtracts what it costs us to get it there and resell it. We put every line in writing.

  • After-repair value. Recent comparable sales within about a mile, adjusted for size, lot, and condition.
  • Repairs. A real scope from our contractor walk-through, not a guess to lower the price.
  • Selling and holding costs. Excise tax, commissions on resale, insurance, utilities, and financing while we own it.
  • Our margin. We are a business; we show it rather than hide it in a lowball.

Illustrative example only

After-repair value (from comps)$650,000
Repairs and updates− $85,000
Resale, holding, and closing costs− $52,000
Our margin− $58,000
Written cash offer$455,000

Figures are a made-up illustration of the method, not an offer on any property. Each offer is prepared individually.

See your offer. Then decide.

A written cash offer within 24 hours, the math shown, no obligation. If listing would net you more, we will say so.

Sound Home Offer is a professional home-buying company, not a real estate brokerage, attorney, or financial advisor, and we do not act as your agent or in a fiduciary capacity. We may purchase your property directly, purchase and resell it, or, where disclosed in writing, assign our purchase contract to another buyer. An investor offer is typically below full retail market value in exchange for speed, certainty, and buying as-is. Selling to us is one option among several; you are encouraged to seek independent legal, tax, and financial advice before signing anything. Read our full disclosures.