Everything Bay Area homeowners ask before selling their house for cash — answered honestly. No sales pitch, no fluff. If you don't see your question here, call us at (408) 767-3002.
Our process has three simple steps. First, you fill out our short form or call us at (408) 767-3002 — it takes under 2 minutes. Second, we review your property and deliver a fair written cash offer within 24 hours. Third, you pick your closing date — as fast as 7 days — and receive your cash through a licensed California escrow company.
There are no agents, no open houses, no repairs required, and no fees charged to you at any point. The offer we make is the amount you walk away with.
Yes — in most cases we get back to you the same day. Once you submit your property details, we review the information, research current market data for your specific Bay Area city, and deliver a written cash offer within 24 hours.
Unlike a traditional listing where you wait weeks or months for an offer, our process is designed to move fast. We know that if you're reaching out to us, time is likely a factor.
We can close in as little as 7 days in many cases. The exact timeline depends on your situation, the property, and how quickly we can complete our due diligence walkthrough. Most of our closings happen within 7 to 21 days.
If you need more time — because you're still moving, sorting belongings, or need a specific date — we work around your schedule. You choose the closing date, not us.
This is the most important question to ask any cash buyer — and we take it seriously. Here is our honest answer:
Once you accept our offer, we conduct a due diligence period of up to 21 days that includes a property walkthrough. This is standard in the industry and allows us to finalize closing details. If something significant is discovered during that walkthrough that was not visible or disclosed upfront, we will have an open, honest conversation with you about it.
What we will never do is call you the day before closing with a surprise reduction after you have already made plans, given notice, or moved on emotionally. That is the practice that has earned national iBuyers like Opendoor a $62 million FTC settlement — and it is the opposite of how we operate.
Our promise: No surprise reductions. No last-minute phone calls. If anything needs to be discussed, we discuss it early, openly, and honestly.
Absolutely not. We buy houses in any condition across the Bay Area — move-in ready or completely trashed. Mold, fire damage, foundation issues, code violations, hoarding situations, major structural problems — none of it disqualifies your property.
Do not spend a single dollar on repairs, cleaning, or staging before contacting us. We factor the property's condition into our offer. You sell it exactly as it sits today.
Zero. We are not real estate agents and we do not charge commissions. We also cover all standard closing costs. The number in our written offer is the amount you receive at closing — nothing is deducted on your end.
Compare this to a traditional sale where you typically pay 5–6% in agent commissions plus 1–2% in closing costs. On a $700,000 home that can be $49,000–$56,000 out of your pocket before you see a single dollar.
Closing happens through a licensed California escrow company — not through us directly. This is an important protection for you as the seller. A neutral third-party escrow holds funds and coordinates the title transfer, ensuring everything is done legally and correctly.
Your proceeds are wired directly to your bank account at closing. You should always verify wiring instructions by phone to an independently confirmed number — never from an email link. We will walk you through this process step by step.
Important: Never accept wire instructions from a buyer directly without verification through the escrow company. This protects you from wire fraud — one of the fastest-growing scams in California real estate.
We believe in being transparent about this — because most cash buyers are not. Our offer is based on several factors:
Cash investors typically work within a framework that allows them to buy below market value in exchange for the speed, certainty, and convenience they provide. We will always explain how we arrived at our number — before you are emotionally committed to a decision.
Honest answer: a cash offer will typically be below what you might achieve through a perfectly timed open market sale with a great agent, full staging, and ideal buyer competition. That is the trade-off for speed, certainty, no repairs, no commissions, and no risk of a deal falling through.
However, when you factor in agent commissions (5–6%), closing costs (1–2%), repair costs, carrying costs during a 60–90 day listing, and the risk of a financed buyer falling through — the real net difference is often much smaller than it appears.
We encourage you to get a Comparative Market Analysis from a licensed Realtor before deciding so you can make an informed comparison. We have nothing to hide and want you to make the best decision for your situation.
None whatsoever. Our cash offer is 100% free and carries zero obligation. You can accept it, decline it, or simply think about it — we will never pressure you or follow up aggressively.
We want you to feel completely comfortable with your decision. If our offer does not work for you, there are no hard feelings and no cost to you for the time we spent.
This is one of the most important questions to ask any cash buyer and we respect you for asking it. Some "we buy houses" operators are wholesalers who sign a purchase contract with the intent of assigning (selling) it to a third-party investor. They never actually intend to buy the home themselves. If they cannot find an end buyer, they may back out — leaving you with nothing after weeks of waiting.
We work with a network of qualified cash buyers and investors across the Bay Area. Our goal is to close your transaction — whether we take it down directly or bring in a vetted partner to close it. We are transparent about this process and you will always know who is closing on your property before you sign anything.
Always ask: "Are you buying this property yourself, or assigning the contract?" Any legitimate buyer will answer this question directly.
Yes. Any legitimate cash buyer should be able to provide proof of funds — a bank statement or letter from a financial institution confirming the ability to close. We can provide this upon request.
Be cautious of any buyer who refuses to provide proof of funds, provides a letter from their own company rather than a bank, or asks for an unusually long inspection period with vague exit contingencies. These are documented warning signs of unqualified or fraudulent buyers.
Yes — and the sooner you act, the better. Selling before a foreclosure auction is completed can protect your credit, preserve any remaining equity, and give you a clean financial exit. Once a foreclosure sale is completed, your options disappear.
We move quickly in these situations and understand the urgency. We have helped Bay Area homeowners in pre-foreclosure across San Jose, Oakland, Fremont, and Gilroy close before the auction date. Call us immediately at (408) 767-3002 if you are in this situation — time is critical.
Yes. We regularly buy inherited properties and homes that are in or going through the probate process across Santa Clara, Alameda, and San Benito counties. We understand the legal complexities involved and work with the estate's timeline.
If you have inherited a property in the Bay Area and are not sure where to start, call us — we can walk you through the process and answer your questions without any pressure or obligation.
Important California note: inherited property that is sold may be subject to capital gains tax depending on the step-up basis and other factors. We recommend consulting a CPA or tax professional before closing.
Yes. Selling a jointly owned property during a divorce is one of the most common situations we handle. A quick cash sale can simplify the process significantly — both parties receive their share of the proceeds and can move on without a drawn-out listing process that requires ongoing cooperation between separating spouses.
We handle these transactions with discretion and professionalism. We can work directly with both parties or with your attorney. A California family law attorney should always be involved to ensure the sale and distribution of proceeds complies with your divorce agreement or court order.
Yes. We buy rental properties with tenants in place throughout the Bay Area. If you are a tired landlord dealing with problem tenants, non-payment, or simply done managing a rental property, we can take it off your hands without requiring you to evict anyone first.
California has strong tenant protection laws, particularly in cities like Oakland, Berkeley, and San Jose. We are familiar with these regulations and factor them into our offer and process.
Yes. Tax liens, unpaid property taxes, code violations, and similar encumbrances do not prevent a sale — they are typically resolved through the closing process using the sale proceeds. We work with experienced title companies across the Bay Area who handle these situations regularly.
Let us know about any known liens or violations when you contact us — it helps us structure the offer and closing correctly from the start.
Yes. We buy properties in any physical condition across the Bay Area — including fire damage, water damage, mold, foundation problems, structural issues, and homes that have been vacant for years. There is no condition that automatically disqualifies a property from a cash sale.
These types of properties are often exactly what we specialize in. We factor the repair costs into our offer so you never have to deal with contractors, permits, or remediation on your own.
This is something we can discuss and potentially accommodate depending on the situation. Some sellers need extra time after closing to move, find new housing, or handle logistics. A post-closing occupancy arrangement can sometimes be structured as part of the sale agreement.
Bring this up when you contact us — we would rather find a solution that works for everyone than lose a deal over a timing issue.
Cash home buying is a completely legitimate industry — but like any industry, it has bad actors. The California Department of Real Estate (DRE) actively monitors and prosecutes fraudulent operators. Here is how to protect yourself:
San Jose Home Buyers operates transparently, closes through licensed escrow, and will answer every question you have before you sign anything.
Never. Your information is 100% private. We do not sell leads, share contact information with agent networks, or pass your details to third parties.
Some national platforms — particularly aggregators and marketplace-style cash offer sites — use the promise of a cash offer to collect your contact information, then sell it to real estate agents who flood you with calls. This practice has been widely documented and is the reason so many sellers feel burned after requesting a "cash offer" online.
When you contact San Jose Home Buyers, you hear from us — and only us.
Based on documented complaints from California sellers, here are the red flags that signal a problematic cash buyer:
Walk away if a buyer: Pressures you with "this offer expires today" urgency · Refuses to provide bank-verified proof of funds · Wants to use their own notary or escrow · Has blank spaces in the contract · Asks you to sign a power of attorney · Promises "market value" without disclosing fees · Has no BBB listing, no reviews, and no physical address · Offers a dramatically high initial offer before ever seeing the property
In 2022, the Federal Trade Commission reached a $62 million settlement with Opendoor — one of the largest national iBuyers — after finding that between 2017 and 2019, the company's marketing misled sellers by promising "market value" without adequately disclosing the service fees and post-inspection repair deductions that significantly reduced sellers' actual net proceeds.
In April 2024, those settlement funds were distributed as direct refunds to 54,689 homeowners. The case is publicly documented at ftc.gov.
This case highlighted a practice that many sellers had already discovered on their own: an attractive initial offer followed by large deductions after the seller is emotionally committed. We mention this not to attack a competitor, but because Bay Area sellers deserve to understand the full landscape before making a decision.
Yes — and this is important. The California DRE issued a Consumer Alert in February 2026 specifically warning about schemes targeting senior homeowners in the Bay Area. Tactics documented in these schemes include:
If anyone approaches you unsolicited about buying your home and creates urgency, refuses to put things in writing, or asks you to sign a power of attorney — do not sign anything. Verify every buyer at dre.ca.gov and consult a trusted family member or attorney first.
Santa Clara County, Alameda County, and San Francisco County all offer free property fraud alert services that email you when any document is recorded against your property. Enroll at your county recorder's website.
We buy houses throughout the entire Bay Area across three counties:
If your city is not listed, call us — we may still be able to help depending on the property and situation.
Yes — Hollister and San Benito County are part of our core service area. Hollister is one of the fastest-growing cities in the region and sits right on the Gilroy corridor, making it a natural part of our South Bay coverage.
We buy houses in Hollister, San Juan Bautista, and all surrounding San Benito County communities. Call us at (408) 767-3002 for a same-day response on any San Benito County property.
Yes — the East Bay is a core part of our service area. We actively buy houses across all of Alameda County including Oakland, Fremont, Hayward, San Leandro, Union City, Newark, Livermore, Dublin, Pleasanton, Berkeley, Castro Valley, and all surrounding communities.
The East Bay has a large homeowner population with strong equity positions and a variety of motivated seller situations — and very few local cash buyers who cover it as thoroughly as we do.
Call us directly — a real local Bay Area buyer picks up. No scripts, no call centers, no runaround. We are happy to answer any question about our process, your property, or your situation before you commit to anything.
No pressure. No obligation. Bay Area's most transparent local cash home buyers.