Question 1

Do you purchase homes directly, or will you list my house on the MLS?

Accepted Answer

We buy directly. HudREI is not a real estate brokerage and we do not list properties on the MLS. We are the buyer, we pay cash, and we handle the sale from the first call to the closing table.

Question 2

Where do you buy houses?

Accepted Answer

Indiana and Tennessee, and within them a specific set of counties rather than the whole of either state. In Indiana that is 15 counties: Lake, Allen, Elkhart, LaPorte, Marion, St. Joseph, Tippecanoe, Madison, Hamilton, Johnson, Hendricks, Delaware, Boone, Howard and Hancock. In Tennessee it is four, all in the east: Knox, Blount, Sevier and Anderson. We do not buy in Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga or Murfreesboro.

Question 3

Will you make me a fair offer?

Accepted Answer

Our offer reflects the condition of the house and what comparable homes nearby have actually sold for. It is usually below what a fully renovated listing would fetch, because we take on the repairs, the holding costs and the risk. What you get in exchange is certainty, speed and no costs coming out of your pocket.

Question 4

How do you work out what my house is worth?

Accepted Answer

We look at location, recent comparable sales, the condition of the house and what it would take to make it sellable on the open market. We will walk you through how we got to the number if you ask. If our offer does not make sense for you, nothing happens.

Question 5

Am I obligated to anything if I send you my address?

Accepted Answer

No. There is no fee, no contract and no obligation to get an offer. You tell us about the property, we look at it, we give you a number, and the decision is entirely yours.

Question 6

What makes you different from a real estate agent?

Accepted Answer

An agent lists your house and waits for a buyer, then takes a commission when one appears. We are the buyer. Because there is no lender, no appraisal contingency and no financing to fall through on our side, we can commit to a price in days rather than hoping for an offer in months.

Question 7

Do you buy houses that are in good condition too?

Accepted Answer

Yes. People sell to us for reasons that have nothing to do with the condition of the house, like a job starting in another state, a divorce, or a property that is simply too far away to manage. If the house is in good shape and you have time, we will also tell you plainly when listing it would likely net you more.

Question 8

Do I pay any fees or commissions?

Accepted Answer

No. There is no commission, no listing fee and no charge for the offer. We cover the standard closing costs on our side of the transaction, so the number you agree to is the number the payoff and your proceeds come out of.

Question 9

Who pays the closing costs?

Accepted Answer

We do. The usual buyer-side and standard seller-side closing costs are handled by us as part of the deal. Items that are genuinely yours regardless of who buys, like a mortgage payoff, outstanding property taxes or an existing lien, are paid out of the sale proceeds at closing.

Question 10

Do I have to pay for repairs or clean the house out first?

Accepted Answer

Neither. We buy as-is, which includes a house with a roof problem, a house that has not been updated since the seventies and a house that is still full of belongings. Take what you want and leave the rest; clearing it is our job after closing.

Question 11

What if I owe more on the mortgage than the house is worth?

Accepted Answer

Then a straight sale will not cover the loan, and you are looking at a short sale, which your lender has to approve. We will still look at it and tell you honestly whether we think it can work, rather than tying up your house while a clock runs against you.

Question 12

Will I owe tax on the sale?

Accepted Answer

That depends on your own situation, including what you paid, how long you owned it and whether it was your primary residence or an inherited property. We are not tax advisers, so this is a question for a CPA, and it is worth asking before you sign anything rather than after.

Question 13

How quickly can you close?

Accepted Answer

Cash closings usually land in two to three weeks, and we can go faster when something forces it, like a scheduled foreclosure sale. The limit is almost never us. It is the title search and, where there is a mortgage, how long the lender takes to issue a payoff letter.

Question 14

Can I pick the closing date?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and most sellers do. If you need to be out this month we will work to that, and if you need to stay until the end of a school year or until a new place is ready, we will set the closing out to match. Tell us the date you actually need and we will build the deal around it.

Question 15

What could slow my closing down?

Accepted Answer

Almost always something on title: an old lien nobody knew about, a deed recorded wrong years ago, a deceased owner still on the title, or an unreleased mortgage from a loan that was paid off. These are usually fixable, and the title company does the fixing, but they take time.

Question 16

Do I need to be there in person to close?

Accepted Answer

Usually not. Remote and mail-away closings are routine, which matters when you have already moved out of state or you are selling an inherited house from another city. The title company will tell you what has to be signed in front of a notary.

Question 17

How many times will someone need to come to the house?

Accepted Answer

Typically once, and sometimes not at all. There are no public showings, no open houses and no stream of buyers walking through. If the property is occupied by a tenant or you simply do not want anyone inside, tell us and we will work from photos.

Question 18

Can I still sell my house if it is already in foreclosure?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The house is yours until the foreclosure sale is actually completed, and you can sell it right up to that point. The mortgage gets paid off out of the sale proceeds at closing, and that is what ends the foreclosure.

Question 19

How much time do I have before the foreclosure sale?

Accepted Answer

That depends on which state the house is in, and the difference is big. Indiana forecloses through the courts, so the lender has to sue, get a judgment and then hold a sheriff's sale, which takes months. Most Tennessee mortgages are deeds of trust with a power of sale, so a trustee can sell without a court case and the sale can arrive weeks after the notice.

Question 20

Do I keep any money if I sell while in foreclosure?

Accepted Answer

If the price covers the mortgage payoff and costs, whatever is left over is yours. That is the real argument for selling rather than letting the auction happen, because at a foreclosure auction you have no say in the price at all.

Question 21

I am behind on property taxes. Can I still sell?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Delinquent property taxes are a lien, and liens are paid out of the proceeds at closing like any other debt against the property. You do not have to find the money first in order to sell.

Question 22

What happens if my house already went to a tax sale?

Accepted Answer

In both states a tax sale is followed by a redemption period during which the owner can still act, so it is often later than people assume and still not too late. The dates are specific and they are enforced, so this is the moment to call rather than wait. Bring us whatever the county sent you.

Question 23

Will selling instead of foreclosing help my credit?

Accepted Answer

A completed foreclosure is one of the heavier marks a credit report can carry. If you sell first, the loan reports as paid rather than foreclosed. We cannot promise what any particular bureau will show, but those two outcomes are not the same thing.

Question 24

Can I sell a house I inherited?

Accepted Answer

Usually yes, but it depends on whether the title has reached you yet. If the estate has been administered and the deed is in your name, you can sell like any other owner. If it has not, the sale generally has to go through the estate, and who signs depends on how the estate is set up.

Question 25

Do I have to finish probate before I can sell?

Accepted Answer

Often you can sell during probate rather than after, with the personal representative signing and the court involved to the degree your state and the estate require. We buy properties in probate regularly and work alongside the attorney handling it. If an estate attorney is not involved yet, that is the first call to make, not us.

Question 26

My siblings and I inherited the house and we do not agree. What now?

Accepted Answer

Every owner on the deed has to sign for a sale to close, so this has to be worked out rather than worked around. What we can do is put a firm number in front of everyone, which often turns a vague argument about what the house might be worth into a concrete decision. We will talk to all of you, not just whoever called.

Question 27

The house is full of my parent's belongings and I live out of state.

Accepted Answer

That is one of the most common calls we take. You do not need to clear it out, hold an estate sale or hire anyone to haul things away. Take what matters to you, tell us the rest can go, and we handle it after closing.

Question 28

Can I sell a rental with tenants still living in it?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and you do not need to evict anyone first. We buy occupied rentals and take the property subject to the existing lease, so the tenancy carries over to us and your tenants stay where they are. Send us the leases and the rent roll and we can price it from there.

Question 29

What if my tenant has stopped paying?

Accepted Answer

We still buy. A non-paying tenant is a reason people sell rather than a reason we walk away, and taking on that situation is part of what you are handing off. Tell us where things actually stand, including anything already filed, so the offer reflects reality.

Question 30

My house has been empty for a long time. Is that a problem?

Accepted Answer

Not for us, though it may already be a problem for you. Insurers often restrict or cancel coverage on a vacant house, and vacancy invites the frozen pipe, the roof leak nobody noticed and the break-in. We buy vacant houses as-is, including ones that have been sitting for years.

Question 31

The city has cited me for code violations. Can I still sell?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Citations, repair orders and municipal liens are dealt with through the closing rather than before it, and you do not have to make the repairs to sell to us. Bring us whatever the city sent, including anything with a hearing date on it.

Question 32

There is a lien on the property. Does that kill the sale?

Accepted Answer

Usually not. Mortgages, tax liens, judgment liens, mechanic's liens and HOA liens are found by the title search and paid from the proceeds at closing. What causes real trouble is a lien nobody disclosed and the title company discovers late, so tell us what you know up front.

Question 33

My listing expired and the house never sold. What is different about selling to you?

Accepted Answer

A listing that expires usually failed on price, on condition or on buyers whose financing fell apart. None of those three apply to us: we are not waiting for a lender, we are not asking for repairs and we are not going to renegotiate after an inspection. You get one number and a closing date.

Frequently Asked Questions

How HudREI works

Fees, costs and your money

Timeline and closing

Foreclosure and back taxes

Inherited houses and probate

Rentals, vacant houses and problem properties

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