Can I sell my house privately to someone I already know?

Question 1

Kathleen Militello · Accepted Answer

Yes, you can sell privately to someone you know, and cash offers can be legitimate, but the honest advice is to know your home's real market value before you accept any offer, because both of these paths trade the open market's price for convenience. A private sale to someone you know can save time, fees, and showings, and it can be a great outcome when the price is fair. The same is true of a cash offer from an investor: speed and certainty have real value, and sometimes a lower offer with certainty beats a higher one with risk. The danger is accepting a number without knowing the number you could get. A market analysis takes me a day, and it turns 'someone offered me X' into 'X versus what the market would do.' That comparison is the whole decision. If we choose the open market instead, we usually get more, and if we choose the private or cash path, we do it with your eyes open to the trade. Either way, you decide from facts. North Shore coastal towns attract active cash buyers, from investors in the village properties to families buying ahead of a move. A strong cash offer is a real option, and an informed seller evaluates it like any other.

Question 2

Someone offered to buy my house for cash. How do I know if it's a fair offer?

Kathleen Militello · Accepted Answer

Yes, you can sell privately to someone you know, and cash offers can be legitimate, but the honest advice is to know your home's real market value before you accept any offer, because both of these paths trade the open market's price for convenience. A private sale to someone you know can save time, fees, and showings, and it can be a great outcome when the price is fair. The same is true of a cash offer from an investor: speed and certainty have real value, and sometimes a lower offer with certainty beats a higher one with risk. The danger is accepting a number without knowing the number you could get. A market analysis takes me a day, and it turns 'someone offered me X' into 'X versus what the market would do.' That comparison is the whole decision. If we choose the open market instead, we usually get more, and if we choose the private or cash path, we do it with your eyes open to the trade. Either way, you decide from facts. North Shore coastal towns attract active cash buyers, from investors in the village properties to families buying ahead of a move. A strong cash offer is a real option, and an informed seller evaluates it like any other.

Question 3

Should I sell to a cash buyer or put my house on the market?

Kathleen Militello · Accepted Answer

Yes, you can sell privately to someone you know, and cash offers can be legitimate, but the honest advice is to know your home's real market value before you accept any offer, because both of these paths trade the open market's price for convenience. A private sale to someone you know can save time, fees, and showings, and it can be a great outcome when the price is fair. The same is true of a cash offer from an investor: speed and certainty have real value, and sometimes a lower offer with certainty beats a higher one with risk. The danger is accepting a number without knowing the number you could get. A market analysis takes me a day, and it turns 'someone offered me X' into 'X versus what the market would do.' That comparison is the whole decision. If we choose the open market instead, we usually get more, and if we choose the private or cash path, we do it with your eyes open to the trade. Either way, you decide from facts. North Shore coastal towns attract active cash buyers, from investors in the village properties to families buying ahead of a move. A strong cash offer is a real option, and an informed seller evaluates it like any other.

Question 4

Is an off-market offer usually a good deal for the seller?

Kathleen Militello · Accepted Answer

Yes, you can sell privately to someone you know, and cash offers can be legitimate, but the honest advice is to know your home's real market value before you accept any offer, because both of these paths trade the open market's price for convenience. A private sale to someone you know can save time, fees, and showings, and it can be a great outcome when the price is fair. The same is true of a cash offer from an investor: speed and certainty have real value, and sometimes a lower offer with certainty beats a higher one with risk. The danger is accepting a number without knowing the number you could get. A market analysis takes me a day, and it turns 'someone offered me X' into 'X versus what the market would do.' That comparison is the whole decision. If we choose the open market instead, we usually get more, and if we choose the private or cash path, we do it with your eyes open to the trade. Either way, you decide from facts. North Shore coastal towns attract active cash buyers, from investors in the village properties to families buying ahead of a move. A strong cash offer is a real option, and an informed seller evaluates it like any other.

Can I sell my house privately to someone I already know?

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