The honest math
Compare a cash offer and a listing, side by side, with your own numbers.
We do not estimate your home's value. Use an agent's opinion of what it would list for after prep.
Local investors are often reported at 70% to 85%.
Mortgage interest, taxes, insurance, utilities.
Comes out of both routes equally. Leave at 0 to ignore it.
| Line | Listing | Cash |
|---|
Bars show each dollar of the listing price before any mortgage payoff. Not an offer, an appraisal or tax advice. We are not a real estate broker or agent. We connect you with independent local buyers and agents who may pay us a fee. No obligation.
Side by side
Fast, firm and simple.
2 to 4 weekstypical time to close
Usually the highest price.
2 to 4 monthstypical, prep to closing
How long each way usually takes
Weeks from deciding to sell to closing. Estimates from public industry sources. A cleanout is not a third bar: it is a step that can come before either way, and how long it takes depends on what is in the house.
offer, close.
prep, listing and showings, contract to close, buffer.
Ranges are estimates from public industry sources, listed with their limits on the honest math page. The effort rating is our own judgment.
Listing net = price minus commission minus 0.456% deeds excise minus repairs minus (months x monthly carrying cost). Cash net = price x cash % minus 0.456% deeds excise, with repairs and carrying cost assumed to be zero. Mortgage payoff, if entered, is subtracted from both. It ignores attorney fees, title charges and taxes on gains, which apply to both. Figures are estimates from public industry sources, several written by cash-buyer companies, which have an interest.
| Item | Cash / as-is sale | List with an agent |
|---|---|---|
| Price vs market value | Roughly 65% to 85% of value reported for cash buyers overall; about 9 to 11% below for national instant-offer platforms; 15 to 30% below for local investors who are paying for repairs and risk. 1,2 | Full market price, if the house is prepared and priced well. |
| Agent commission | Usually none. | About 5.0% to 5.5% total (seller's agent plus buyer's agent) after the 2024 NAR settlement; negotiable. 3 |
| Massachusetts deeds excise tax | $4.56 per $1,000 of sale price, normally paid by the seller. 4 | Same. |
| Repairs and prep | Usually none. The discount covers them. | Depends on the house; cleaning, paint, small repairs, staging, and any items an inspection finds. You supply this number. |
| Carrying costs | Short: often 2 to 4 weeks to close. | Often 2 to 4 months from prep through closing: mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities. |
| Certainty | High with proof of funds, but check for inspection and financing contingencies. | Depends on the buyer's financing and inspection. |
| Showings | One or two walk-throughs. | Several, over weeks. |
Ranges change and vary by house and buyer. If we find better public data, we will replace these.
Start with the address. It costs nothing, and you can walk away at any point.
We are not a real estate broker or agent. We connect you with independent local buyers and agents who may pay us a fee. No obligation.