If you’ve mentioned to anyone that you’re thinking about selling your house, or if your property has sat vacant for a while, you’ve probably already gotten a few unsolicited postcards or calls from cash home buyers South Florida operators. Some are legitimate local companies. Some are out-of-state wholesalers who never intend to close and are just hoping to flip your contract to someone else for a fee. A few are outright predatory, counting on sellers being too stressed, too rushed, or too unfamiliar with the process to ask hard questions.
The average distressed homeowner gets more of these solicitations than they’d expect, bandit signs, mailers, texts, sometimes multiple a week. That volume alone makes it hard to tell a serious buyer from a wholesaler fishing for a signature. The good news is that seven questions will tell you almost everything you need to know before you sign anything.
Why Not Every “Cash Buyer” Is Equal
The term “cash buyer” gets used loosely. Some companies genuinely have the funds sitting ready and close on their own timeline. Others are wholesalers, they put your house under contract at a low price, then try to resell that contract to an actual investor for a markup before the deal ever closes. If they can’t find a buyer, the deal falls through, and you’re back where you started, having lost weeks or months in the process.
Neither approach is automatically illegal. But you deserve to know which one you’re dealing with before you sign, not after. If you want a closer look at how far this can go, our breakdown of a real foreclosure relief scam case shows what it looks like when a “buyer” was never real to begin with.
7 Questions to Ask Before You Accept an Offer
Quick Reference
- Can you show proof of funds?
- Who pays closing costs?
- Are there contingencies hidden in the contract?
- Can you be flexible on my closing date?
- How did you calculate this offer?
- Can I see reviews or talk to a past seller?
- What happens if I change my mind before closing?
1. Can You Show Proof of Funds?
A real cash buyer can produce a bank statement or a letter from their financial institution showing the funds exist. This isn’t a rude question to ask, it’s standard practice, and any legitimate buyer will expect it. If someone gets defensive or vague when you ask, that’s worth paying attention to.
2. Who Pays Closing Costs?
In a lot of cash-sale arrangements, the buyer covers most or all of the standard closing costs. That’s not universal, though, and the answer should be spelled out clearly in the offer, not left as a vague promise. Ask specifically what you’ll walk away with after title fees, any prorated taxes, and other line items are accounted for.
3. Are There Contingencies Hidden in the Contract?
“Cash offer” sometimes gets used loosely to describe a contract that’s still contingent on the buyer securing financing from a private lender, or on them finding a third-party investor to fund the deal. Read the contract for contingency clauses, and ask directly: is this offer contingent on anything other than a clean title? If the answer is anything other than “no,” get specifics.
4. Can You Be Flexible on My Closing Date?
Your timeline might be tighter or looser than a buyer’s default process assumes. Maybe you need 60 days to find a new place. Maybe you need to close in two weeks because a foreclosure date is approaching. A buyer who can’t or won’t work around your actual situation isn’t offering you much of an advantage over a traditional sale.
5. How Did You Calculate This Offer?
You don’t need a real estate license to ask for the math. A legitimate buyer should be able to explain, at least in general terms, how they landed on their number, comparable sales in your area, an estimate of needed repairs, and their own margin. If a buyer just states a figure and won’t explain how they got there, or gets annoyed at the question, take that as information.
6. Can I See Reviews or Talk to a Past Seller?
Look up the company on the Better Business Bureau’s website before doing business with them, and ask if they can connect you with a past seller who’s willing to talk about their experience. A company with nothing to show, no reviews, no references, no online presence beyond a phone number, is a company you know almost nothing about.
7. What Happens If I Change My Mind Before Closing?
Ask this before you sign anything. Some contracts include penalties for backing out. Others don’t. You should know exactly what your options are if your situation changes between accepting an offer and closing day, rather than finding out under pressure later.
A Few Red Flags That Are Easy to Miss
Beyond the seven questions, there are some patterns worth watching for on your own.
Pressure to sign the same day you first talk
Before you’ve had time to think it over or run the numbers past anyone else.
An unusually high initial offer that gets “renegotiated” down
Often after an inspection, sometimes for reasons that don’t hold up to scrutiny.
A buyer who won’t put anything in writing until the last possible moment
Or who asks you to sign a contract with blank fields to be filled in later.
Discouragement from talking to a real estate attorney
A legitimate buyer has no reason to keep you from getting outside advice. For a transaction this size, it’s worth having someone look over the paperwork regardless of who you’re selling to.
None of this means every unfamiliar buyer is trying to take advantage of you. Most aren’t. But a few minutes of due diligence, using the questions above, is usually enough to sort out who’s operating in good faith.
How Antlop Answers Each of These Upfront
We’d rather you ask all seven questions before you sign than trust us blindly. Antonio Lopez has been buying property with his own funds in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties since 2012, which means proof of funds isn’t a hurdle, it’s just part of the first conversation. There are no hidden financing contingencies, no pressure to sign on a timeline that doesn’t work for you, and no surprise fees added at closing.
Ready to Ask Us These Questions Yourself?
We’d rather answer all seven upfront than have you trust us blindly. No obligation either way.
Start the ConversationFor the fuller picture of how a cash sale works start to finish, see our sell my house fast South Florida guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if a cash home buyer in South Florida is legitimate?
Ask for proof of funds, check them on the Better Business Bureau’s website, and ask to speak with a past seller. A legitimate buyer will answer all of these without hesitation.
What’s the difference between a cash buyer and a wholesaler?
A genuine cash buyer has funds ready and closes on their own. A wholesaler puts your house under contract at a low price, then tries to resell that contract to another investor, and the deal can fall through if they can’t find one.
Should a cash offer have contingencies?
A true cash offer should only be contingent on a clean title. If it’s contingent on the buyer securing outside financing or finding a third-party investor, it isn’t really a cash offer.
Can I back out after accepting a cash offer?
It depends on the contract. Some include penalties for backing out and some don’t, which is exactly why it’s worth asking before you sign, not after.
Who normally pays closing costs in a cash sale?
In many cash-sale arrangements the buyer covers most or all standard closing costs, but this isn’t universal. It should be spelled out clearly in the offer itself.
Ready to talk? Call (305) 501-0457, there’s no obligation either way.
