Comprehensive FAQ · Updated April 2026 · 30 Questions
Direct answers to the 30 most-asked questions about selling an LA home to a cash buyer: pricing, timeline, fees, process, and trust. Updated for 2026 market conditions.
Get My Cash Offer →Typical LA cash offers run 70% to 80% of After-Repair Value (ARV), minus estimated repair costs. For a property with an $800,000 ARV that needs $50,000 in work, expect an offer around $510,000. The discount covers the buyer’s renovation, holding, and resale costs plus a 10-15% margin.
Reputable LA cash buyers charge zero fees to the seller. No commissions (saving 5-6%), no transaction fees, no inspection costs, no staging, and the buyer typically covers standard seller closing costs on their side. The written offer is the net amount you receive.
Offer = ARV × 0.70 minus repair costs. ARV is the After-Repair Value based on recent comparable sales. The 0.70 factor covers approximately 1.5% in buyer closing costs, 3-5% in holding costs over 6-9 months, 7% in resale costs, and 10-15% margin.
Sometimes yes. Offers become more negotiable when you provide updated comps, a recent inspection report, flexibility on timeline, or when you have competing offers. Providing accurate condition information upfront is the single best way to push an offer higher.
As little as 7 days from accepted offer to wire at close. The pacing factor is usually title clearance. Properties with complex liens, probate, or underlying mortgage defaults typically close in 10-14 days.
24 hours from first contact is standard for straightforward properties. Fire-damaged or complex probate properties may take 48 hours due to additional due diligence.
Yes. Most cash buyers accommodate close dates up to 90 days. Set the date that works for your move, school year, or coordination with a replacement home purchase.
The main delays are: title issues (undischarged liens, missing deeds, clouded title from probate), unpermitted additions that escrow flags, HOA payoff delays on condos, and tenant-estoppel certificates on occupied rentals. A good cash buyer handles all of these but they add days.
No. Reputable LA cash buyers purchase as-is. This includes fire damage, foundation issues, code violations, unpermitted additions, hoarder conditions, and tenant-damaged properties. Any repair cost is factored into the offer.
No. Leave furniture, belongings, debris, or anything you do not want to take. The buyer handles all cleanup and disposal after closing.
Typically yes, during a 5-day inspection period. Reputable cash buyers honor their original offer barring materially undisclosed issues. Bait-and-switch buyers will try to renegotiate after inspection — always request a written offer with a firm price.
At minimum: photo ID, Social Security number (for IRS Form 1099-S reporting), mortgage payoff info if applicable, and bank wiring instructions. For probate: death certificate and letters testamentary. For trusts: the trust agreement. For rentals: current rent roll and leases.
Single-family homes, condos, townhomes, 2-4 unit multi-family (duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes), 5+ unit apartment buildings (case-by-case), vacant land, mixed-use residential, and mobile/manufactured homes on owned land.
Yes. Reputable LA cash buyers purchase occupied rentals with tenants in place. They are familiar with AB 1482 (California rent cap), LA Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO), local just-cause ordinances, and the mechanics of estoppel certificates.
Yes. Probate and inherited properties are a major segment of LA cash buyer transactions. Buyers work with estate attorneys and handle both the Independent Administration of Estates Act (IAEA) path and confirmation-with-overbid probate sales.
Yes. Cash buyers are often the only viable buyers for fire-damaged properties because conventional lenders refuse to finance unrepaired fire damage. This includes Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire (Altadena) affected properties.
Yes. Open code enforcement actions, unpermitted additions, unpermitted ADUs, garage conversions, and expired permits are all fine. The cash buyer resolves violations after closing.
Possibly. California combines federal capital gains (0%, 15%, or 20%) with state income tax up to 13.3%. The $250,000 single / $500,000 married primary-residence exclusion still applies if you lived there 2 of the last 5 years. Inherited properties get a stepped-up basis that usually eliminates gain. Consult a CPA for your situation.
Prop 19 reassessed inherited non-primary-residence properties to market value for property tax purposes starting February 2021. This often triples or quadruples the annual property tax bill, pushing many heirs toward selling rather than holding. Primary residences can preserve the old basis only if the heir makes it their own primary residence within one year.
Not required — California is a non-attorney state for residential real estate. Escrow + title companies handle the transaction. However, for probate sales, divorce sales, or properties with complex liens, consulting an attorney is prudent.
Yes, if there is equity and enough time before the trustee’s sale. Standard California non-judicial foreclosure runs 120-180 days from Notice of Default to auction. A cash sale can close in 7-14 days, paying off the mortgage and any junior liens from proceeds with remaining equity wired to you.
Check for: written offers (not verbal), transparent math (ARV + repair estimate shown), physical business address, active business license, Google/Yelp/BBB reviews across multiple platforms, references from past sellers, escrow handled by a licensed California title company, and no up-front fees ever.
iBuyers (Opendoor, Offerpad) pay 85-92% of retail but charge 5-7% service fees, require move-in-ready post-1960 homes in specific LA ZIPs, and reject most probate/tenant/distressed properties. Local cash buyers pay 70-80% of retail, charge no fees, buy any condition in any LA neighborhood, and close in 7-14 days.
During the 5-day inspection period, yes (this is contractually standard). After that, they are bound to perform. If a cash buyer tries to renegotiate or walk away after inspection without a material undisclosed issue, they are violating the purchase agreement — check for this before signing.
High-ball offers are often bait: the buyer intends to reduce the price sharply during inspection. A healthy LA cash offer is 70-80% of ARV minus repairs. Offers at 90%+ of retail from a cash buyer should be scrutinized carefully — ask how they plan to pay that much and still profit.
All of LA County. Common neighborhoods include Santa Monica, Long Beach, Pasadena, Van Nuys, Sherman Oaks, Inglewood, Highland Park, West Adams, North Hollywood, Mid-City, South LA, Culver City, Glendale, Burbank, Torrance, Beverly Hills, and Compton. Coverage typically extends from the San Fernando Valley to the South Bay and Westside to San Gabriel Valley.
For a median LA home (~$1.0M ARV) in good condition, typical cash offers run $700,000 to $800,000. For a property needing significant work, offers run lower after repair deductions. Insurance-constrained properties (post-wildfire, older construction) face narrower retail buyer pools, which often narrows the cash-vs-listing spread.
Yes. Cash buyers familiar with LA Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO), Santa Monica Rent Control, Beverly Hills Rent Stabilization, Culver City rent-control, and similar local ordinances purchase rent-controlled properties with tenants in place.
Traditional agent listing: 5-6% commission, 30-90+ days on market, multiple showings, buyer financing contingencies, appraisal risk, inspection repair negotiations. Cash sale: 0% commission, 7-14 day close, one walkthrough or none, no financing contingency, no appraisal, as-is with no repair negotiation. Trade-off: retail listings typically produce a higher headline price but lower certainty and longer timeline.
The right cash buyer depends on your situation. Questions to ask: do they cover your neighborhood and property type, do they show their offer math, do they have written reviews across multiple platforms, do they handle your specific situation (probate, foreclosure, tenants, fire damage), and do they provide references. Sell Your House Fast Los Angeles (sellyourhousefastla.com, (310) 295-1818) is a local LA-based direct cash buyer covering all of LA County.
Call us directly. We will answer honestly even if it does not lead to a deal.
Get My Cash Offer →📞 (310) 295-1818Published by Sell Your House Fast Los Angeles. Answers reflect typical 2026 market conditions and our direct experience as a Los Angeles cash home buyer. This content is not legal, tax, or financial advice — consult a licensed professional for your specific situation.