Sell a House Fast in San Antonio [Your Options in 2024]

Sell a house fast in San Antonio in 2024? Is it still possible?

Absolutely!

How Fast Are Houses Selling in San Antonio?

According to Redfin, San Antonio homes are taking longer to sell in 2024 versus 2023. In 2023, houses sold within 46 days on average. The trend in increasing days on market continue to the point where houses are selling within 54 days on average now. And that statistic is still on the rise.

How to Sell a House Fast in San Antonio in 2024

As a real estate expert who has navigated the San Antonio market's ups and downs since 2003, I've encountered many homeowners echoing the sentiment, 'I need to sell my house fast, and I can't afford to wait!'

This urgency is something I deeply understand, having worked closely with sellers who found themselves in time-sensitive situations ranging from job relocations to financial hardships.

In my years of experience, I've learned that the desire to sell quickly isn't just about impatience; it's often a crucial step for moving forward in life.

For example, I once assisted a family needing to relocate for a new job opportunity. The pressure was intense, as they had to secure a sale quickly so they could by another house and make the move.

We bought the house as-is and paid cash to close the sale in just three weeks. Knowing the market and the unique circumstances sellers face, allowed us to provide a very fast home sale.

Want Rather Than Need To Sell a House Fast

Maybe it is not even a matter of wanting to sell your home quickly.

Maybe you are facing a situation that put you in a position to NEED to sell your house fast.

Bad things happen to good people all of the time.

While some people resort to prayers to sell a house fast, we want to give you some other options. Prayers are always a good idea, but sometimes He requires us to take some action.

So we at Danny Buys Houses, decided to put together this list of options to sell a house fast in San Antonio.

7 Tips To Attract a Buyer and Sell a House Fast

If you are not facing a situation that makes you need to sell fast, you can use these tips to make your house attractive to buyers.

When your house stands out and you offer incentives, you will get a buyer much faster.

1. Offer to pay closing costs
2. Offer to pay for a home warranty
3. Enhance your curb appeal with a bright door and fresh landscaping
4. Have professional photos taken (this is how AirBnb does so well)
5. Declutter if you have a lot of furniture - Professionally Stage if you do not
6. Choose a high performing real estate agent with proof they can sell in down markets
7. Price your house to sell (this is the quickest, most powerful way to sell fast)

If you'd like more options to entice buyers to notice your property, check out this article by USNews.

Bonus

You can even help a potential buyer get down payment assistance. San Antonio has great down payment assistance programs for first time and other buyers.

Their website states:

"The Homeownership Incentive Program (HIP 80) provides assistance for homebuyers in the general public by lending between $1,000 and $30,000 as a 0% interest / no payments second loan which can be used for the down-payment required by your lender and some of the additional costs associated with purchasing a home."

But I Need to Sell My House Fast, What Can I Do?

If you don't have the luxury or desire to hire a real estate agent, make repairs, do landscaping, pay for professional photography and staging, don't worry!

We've got you covered.

Sell Fast Option 1: Price Below Other Houses

You can list with an agent or sell the house 'for sale by owner' and price it enough below the other houses on the market to ensure a quick sale.

Strategic Pricing for Rapid Sales: A San Antonio Case Study

Drawing from my experience in the San Antonio real estate market, I've observed first-hand that underpricing a house slightly will help it sell faster.

It's not as straightforward as slashing prices though; it involves a calculated analysis of the market.

In 2024, amidst the fluctuating market trends, I decided to price a well-maintained home 5% below market value. This decision was based on a detailed analysis of the local market's inventory levels, which indicated a buyer's market.

The result? The property went under contract in just 8 days, significantly below the average of 44 days.

Requirements for this option

• Condition of Your Home: Your house should be in pretty good shape as banks won't typically lend on houses that need lots of repairs
• Listing Visibility: If you go FSBO, you will need to make sure to post online and get the word out about the house being for sale
• Market Insight: You need to price far below enough to make it an obvious bargain. This is where most people go wrong with this option.
  
  Understanding the local market's dynamics is crucial. We analyzed San Antonio's specific trends, focusing on neighborhoods with similar homes and buyer demographics.

As of February 2024, according to Zillow, "the average San Antonio home value is $253,378, down 3% over the past year and goes to pending in around 43 days."

You will need to know what the average of similar homes in the immediate area of your are selling for. Then reduce your price to be about 5-10% below that amount. People love a bargain!

Sell Fast Option 2: Offer Owner Financing

If you are in a position to do so, you can offer financing for a prospective buyer. This allows you to tap into a market of buyers that don't have optimal credit.

You can sell a house fast with this option because there are many people with the financial means to stop renting but have dings on their credit that prevent them from attaining a bank loan.

Downturn Magic

Back in 2008, we were buying and selling dozens of houses per year. Then, the market crashed. We had to do something because house values were dropping and people were simply not buying. Nobody knew where the bottom would be and were all scared to pay X for a house when it might be worth 20 or 30% less within a year.

We decided to offer owner financing. With owner financing we made it possible for people that didn't have perfect credit to be able to finally own a home. This allowed us to offer homes at great prices, both for them and for us. The result? Our houses sold within 30 days while others were on the market for 6 months or more!

Requirements for this option

• You need to own the house free and clear with no mortgage.
• You have to be ok with getting payments over time rather than all the money for the house at closing
• You will need to properly vet the buyer to make sure they have the ability to pay the debt obligation.
• You may have to foreclose on the buyer if they don't make the payments

Is it common to provide owner financing?

You might be wondering, who actually does this? Quite a few actually.

Nearly 100,000 notes in 2021 alone!

According to noteinvestor.com, "There was nearly a 7% increase in the number of notes created through seller financing with 89,678 in 2021 compared to 84,007 in 2020."

Sell Fast Option 3: Rent to Own

Similar to option 2 above, you can offer to rent to own. This is where you have a lease agreement with a potential buyer that gives them the option to buy the house within a certain number of years.

To learn more about rent to own in Texas, check out this article.

Requirements for this option

• You need to own the house free and clear with no mortgage.
• You will have a tenant.
• You will have to make repairs requested by the tenant.
• You have to be ok with the fact the tenant may not be able to get a loan to buy the house when the agreement is up.

Downsides to Rent To Own

There are downsides to 'rent to own'. The obvious one is when the tenant does not pay rent and needs to be evicted.

Tenants also will feel as though they own the house which can lead to very awkward situations in dealing with any maintenance of home improvement projects.

It's best to completely spell out what is allowed and not allowed in your agreement when you offer rent to own.

Sell Fast Option 4: Sell To A Cash Home Buyer

Personal Experience with Cash Home Buyers in San Antonio

Having been a part of the San Antonio real estate market for years, I've personally worked with several cash home buying companies, often referred to as 'iBuyers'.

These companies offer a streamlined path to sell properties quickly, which I've found to be a lifesaver for sellers under tight timelines or those looking to avoid the traditional home sale hassles.

Real Benefits and Considerations from My Experience:

• Repairs Not Required: One of the main attractions is avoiding repair costs. I've seen homes in various states of disrepair sold without any additional investment from the seller.
• Immediate Payment: The promise of cash at closing is genuine. Sellers benefit from skipping the financing delays that can derail traditional sales.
• Commission Savings: Not having to pay realtor commissions puts more money directly into the seller's pocket.
• Speed of Sale: While 'within a week' is possible, my experience shows that a more realistic timeline ranges from 1-3 weeks, depending on several factors including the buyer's diligence process.
• No Hidden Fees: While the cash offers are usually not completely net to the seller, they are much closer than through a traditional sale. Most cash house buyers will cover most closing costs other than prorated property taxes.

Know What to Expect:

• While the process is significantly faster, setting realistic expectations is important. Not all cash offers are equal, and the highest offer isn't always the best once you account for the details.
• Understanding the company's reputation and reading through any reviews or testimonials can provide additional assurance before proceeding.

Conclusion from Experience: Selling to a cash buyer in San Antonio can indeed help you sell your house fast, but like any transaction, it's vital to enter with eyes wide open.

From my experience, the key lies in doing your due diligence on the buyer, comprehensively reviewing the offer, and considering how the speed and convenience weigh against the potential for a higher price on the open market.

This option is the not only the fastest way to sell a house in San Antonio, it is also the most hassle-free.

More Specific Benefits of Selling to a Cash House Buying Company

• You can get all the money at closing instead of in payments
• You won't need to work with an agent and pay thousands in commissions
• You can close typically within a week (yeah, that is fast!)
• You won't have to wait months for a potential buyer that likes the house to come along
• You likely won't have to pay for a survey
• You won't have to pay for or go through having a professional inspection
• You won't have to make sure the house meets the requirements of the bank doing the financing for your buyer
• You don't have to worry about your neighbors knowing you are selling your house
• You won't have to clean the house out and get it ready for listing with an agent or showing to prospective buyers
• You can get on with your life faster

As you can see there are tons of benefits of working with a cash home buyer. There are even more benefits of selling to a cash home buyer but we didn't have time to list them all here.

Who Sells Fast to Cash House Buyers

A lot of people sell their house for cash. In fact, in October 2022, 31.9% of home purchases were made with cash according to Forbes.

Yes, you read that correctly. Almost a third of all houses sold!

Selling fast isn't the only reason people sell to cash buyers. Here's a quick list of why hundreds of homeowners have sold to Danny Buys Houses since 2004:

• To sell their house super fast in San Antonio
• To avoid making lots of repairs from years of deferred maintenance
• To avoid neighbors knowing they were selling
• To quickly divide the asset for divorce
• To avoid having to deal with family members living in the inherited house
• To get cash for an inherited house
• To avoid a pending foreclosure
• To sell quickly to buy another house
• To allow for ease in relocation

Regardless of the reason you want to sell your San Antonio house fast in 2024, you can count on Danny Buys Houses to give you fast, fair offer. There is no-obligation and no cost to get a cash offer.

Call us or fill out the form today to get your fair cash offer.