HomeVestors (also known as We Buy Ugly Houses) is a franchise network where each individual local franchisee considers the condition of a home and makes an offer to pay cash for the property. In determining the offer, each franchisee discounts from the estimated retail value after it’s fully renovated.
HomeVestors franchisees make money with a difference between buying and selling each home. Typically an offer equal to 70% of home value is expected from this type of sale after any cost of the repairs and resale.
HomeVestors franchisee will buy a home at a price that is below market value due to necessary repairs, renovation, and other factors. After the franchisee buys the home, it renovates and resells it for a profit or rents it out to qualified tenants.
With the low offer price, comes a convenience of an all-cash closing when selling a home. HomeVestors franchisee typically closes a home in 30 days of receiving cash offer.
Typically each franchisee uses the following factors when determining the offer: existing condition of the home including repairs needed, time it will take to finish needed repairs, value of a home compared to other comparable homes in the area, real estate commission required to resell, costs associated with maintaining a home during repairs, including taxes, payments, insurance, utilities and homeowner dues.
The main disadvantage of using HomeVestors is high losses in homeowners' equity. HomeVestors is a "heavy" model, ready to buy homes in all-cash transactions.
As any real estate investor, HomeVestors franchisee is susceptible to losing money in any given transaction. This model is prone to a number of risk factors, high operational costs and a continued need for higher-than-average Return on Investment (ROI) with each flip.
HomeVestors franchisee is not legally bound to represent consumers, its main legal obligation is to its stakeholders. Moreover, because most homes in the United States are financed, homeowners own only partial net equity in their home.
Banks receive the same amount of the remaining mortgage sum regardless of how any given home is sold, or how much of homeowners' net equity is lost in the transaction with HomeVestors.
Today, there are a number of highly qualified real estate agents who offer competitive listing rates and flat fee listings across the United States. Unless a situation absolutely requires a quick sale, HomeOpenly recommends that consumers first consider using a licensed real estate agent working on competitive terms to properly list their homes on the open market before turning to HomeVestors option.
Savvy Lane is a multi-state broker, offers consumers flat fee listing savings and buyers refunds in Washington, Oregon (listing savings only), and California.
Savvy Lane offers listing savings (1% listing) and buyer’s refunds (60%-67% of the Buyer’s Agent Commission)
Savvy Lane is a consumer-focused real estate agent that successfully represents consumers across Washington, Oregon, and California and offers sizeable savings. Savvy Lane service includes posting home on the MLS and MLS Aggregator services, professional photos and a virtual tour in addition to all typical services offered by a traditional real estate agent.
If a seller accepts an offer from a buyer represented by Savvy Lane, the full buyer agent commission (2.5%-3%) amount is waived. Savvy Lane says that this process favorably lowers overall transaction costs, but it also requires a buyer to accept the potential downside of dual representation.
For buyers Savvy Lane offers one of the best in the industry buyer’s refund savings, depending on the total amount of the buy-side commission offered by the seller (Savvy Lane keeps 1% of what is typically 2.5%-3% Buyer's Agent Commission.)
Overall Savvy Lane offers an excellent proposition to Buyers and Sellers alike.