How to Choose a Cash Home Buyer in Ohio
Before accepting any cash offer, verify three things: the buyer is purchasing the house themselves rather than assigning your contract, they can show proof of funds, and a licensed title company or attorney will handle the closing.
Those three checks separate real buyers from lead resellers, and all three can be confirmed in a single phone call. This page is written to help you evaluate any cash buyer in Ohio, Indiana or Kentucky, including HGM Realty Partners. If a company will not answer the questions below plainly, that answer tells you what you need to know.
What is actually behind a “we buy houses” sign?
Three different kinds of business use the same marketing, and they are not the same thing.
| Type | What they actually do | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Direct buyer | Buys the house with their own funds, holds or renovates it, resells it later | One party, one price, they control whether the deal closes |
| Wholesaler | Puts your house under contract, then sells that contract to a third party for a fee | The real buyer is someone you have not met. Deals fall through when no one takes the assignment |
| Lead reseller | Collects your information and sells it as a lead to several investors | Your phone starts ringing. Nobody has committed to buying anything |
None of these is illegal. Wholesaling is a legitimate business. The problem is being told you are dealing with one and actually dealing with another. HGM Realty Partners is a direct buyer: we close in our own name and renovate or hold the properties we buy.
What questions should I ask a cash home buyer?
Ask these five, in this order. The first one matters most.
- “Will you be the buyer on the contract, closing in your own name, or do you intend to assign this contract to someone else?” A direct buyer answers immediately and without qualification. A wholesaler talks about their “network of buyers.” Both answers are useful, so long as you get a straight one.
- “Can you send proof of funds?” A bank statement or a letter from a financial institution showing they hold the money. A real buyer has this ready.
- “Which title company or closing attorney will you use?” A neutral, licensed third party should hold the earnest money and handle the closing. If the answer is vague, or the buyer wants to “handle it in-house,” walk away.
- “What happens if you find something during your walk-through?” The honest answer is that the price may change if there is a major surprise. The dishonest move is a high offer up front followed by a large last-minute cut. Ask how often they re-trade and how they handle it.
- “Can I speak to someone you bought from recently?” Real buyers have real sellers who will vouch for them.
Red flags
- An offer made before anyone has seen the house or photos of it.
- Pressure to sign today, or a bonus that disappears tomorrow.
- A large earnest money deposit that goes to the buyer instead of a title company.
- Refusal to put the offer in writing or to name the closing company.
- Your phone lighting up with other investors right after you filled out one form.
How HGM Realty Partners answers these questions
- We close in our own name. We do not assign your contract.
- Proof of funds available on request, before you sign anything.
- A licensed local title company handles every closing.
- Our walk-through happens before the offer is final, so the number you accept is the number you get.
- Call or text (513) 252-4231 and ask us anything on this list.
Ready to compare a real offer?
We buy houses across Ohio, plus Indiana and Kentucky for cash, exactly as they sit. No repairs, no cleaning, no commissions, and you choose the closing date.
- We pay cash
- Commission-free transaction
- Fast, hassle-free closing
- Your property sold as-is