When You Just Want Out

If you're holding a property you wish you didn't own—whether you're a tired landlord, inherited something you never wanted, or simply need to move on—you've probably heard that you should wait for the best price. This page explores what "best" actually means when speed, certainty, and peace of mind matter too.

What Are You Actually Trading?

When you sell a property, you're making tradeoffs—whether you realize it or not. Price is one dimension. Speed is another. Certainty that the deal will close is a third. And convenience—how much time, hassle, and mental energy the process requires—is the fourth.

Different sellers weight these differently. A seller relocating for a job in two weeks cares about speed in a way that a seller with no timeline doesn't. A seller exhausted from managing a rental has different convenience needs than someone with a property manager.

Most sellers default to thinking price is the only dimension that matters. But that assumption may not match what they actually value—or what would actually serve them best.

The Economics of Waiting

The Cost of Waiting

Every month you hold a property, costs add up: mortgage payment, property taxes, insurance, utilities, maintenance. For a typical property, these costs can total 1-2% of property value per month.

This matters for tradeoff math. If waiting for a higher offer costs $2,000 per month, then a three-month wait costs $6,000. An offer that's $5,000 lower but closes immediately might actually net you more than waiting for "top dollar."

The question isn't whether carrying costs exist—they do. The question is how they compare to the potential upside of waiting.

For a full breakdown of what carrying costs include and how investors calculate them, see Cash and Wholesale Offers.

The Costs You Can't Invoice

Beyond carrying costs, there's what you give up while the property sits: equity that could be earning returns elsewhere, time spent on management and maintenance, mental energy devoted to something you want to be done with.

If you have $100,000 in equity tied up in a property, that's $100,000 not earning returns in other investments. If you're spending five hours a week thinking about or dealing with the property, that's time with a value—even if no one writes you a check for it.

These costs are harder to quantify than mortgage payments, but they're real. For sellers who genuinely "just want out," they often matter more than the difference between two offers.

Understanding Fast Sale Options

Fast Doesn't Mean One Price

Cash offers for the same property can vary by 15-25%. A wholesaler might offer $85,000 while an iBuyer (a tech company that makes instant offers) might offer $115,000 for the identical house. The spread depends on buyer type, business model, and local market knowledge.

This matters because "take a fast offer" isn't a single choice—it's a category with real variation. The lowest cash offer and the highest cash offer are different economic outcomes, even though both close quickly.

For a breakdown of cash buyer types and how their business models affect pricing, see Cash and Wholesale Offers.

What the Discount Buys

Cash offers close about 95% of the time. Financed offers close about 75-80% of the time—financing falls through, inspections kill deals, buyers change their minds. The gap between these numbers is what you're paying for when you accept a lower cash offer.

The investor discount—typically 30% below retail for investors who buy, renovate, and resell—covers their holding costs, transaction costs, and profit margin. It's the price of taking on risk and providing speed. Whether that exchange makes sense depends on what you're trading for: guaranteed close in three weeks, or uncertain close in three months.

For the full formula investors use to calculate offers, see Cash and Wholesale Offers.

Your Options

If Speed and Certainty Matter Most

Cash sales typically close in 14-21 days with the highest certainty of any option. The tradeoff is price—typically below what a financed buyer might pay—in exchange for speed and reliability.

For how cash and wholesale offers work, including what to look for and what to avoid, see Cash and Wholesale Offers.

If Your Loan Has Value

If you have an assumable loan (FHA, VA, or USDA) with a below-market interest rate, buyers may want to take it over. Two options exist: assumption, where the buyer qualifies and your liability releases, or subject-to, where the loan stays in your name.

Assumption takes longer (45-90 days for processing) but can fully release you from the debt. Subject-to closes faster but leaves you liable if the buyer stops paying.

For subject-to mechanics and what it means to have your loan stay in your name, see Subject-To Transactions. For assumption and how liability release works, see Loan Assumption.

What This Means for You

The Best Sale Is the One That Fits

"Maximizing price" assumes price is what you're maximizing. But if you're genuinely exhausted, if you need to move, if the property is draining you—then you're not maximizing for price alone. You're maximizing for outcome, which includes your time, your stress, and your ability to move forward.

There's no objectively "best" sale. There are sales that match different priorities. A seller who takes $20,000 less to close in two weeks isn't "losing"—they're buying something: speed, certainty, closure. Whether that purchase is worth it depends on what those things are worth to them.

The question isn't "what's my property worth?" It's "what am I trading, and what am I getting?" The answer depends on what you actually value—not on what you think you're supposed to value.

What you optimize for is your choice.

Related Pages

Options that may apply:

• Cash and Wholesale Offers — for speed and certainty

• Loan Assumption — if you have an assumable loan

• Subject-To Transactions — faster but liability remains

Before you decide:

• Red Flags and Warning Signs — what to watch for in any offer

• Questions to Ask Before Signing — what to clarify before committing

For help evaluating a specific offer you've received, see Red Flags and Warning Signs and Questions to Ask Before Signing.