It’s a fair question — ‘we buy houses’ signs are everywhere from Plano to Princeton, and not everyone behind them is legitimate. We’re a newer, owner-operated Collin County company ourselves, so rather than say ‘trust us,’ here’s the checklist we’d want our own family to use on any cash buyer. Including us.
Seven Ways to Verify Any Cash Buyer
- Ask for proof of funds. A legitimate buyer will show a bank statement or a verifiable proof-of-funds letter before you sign anything. ‘The money’s ready’ is not proof.
- Insist on closing through a licensed Texas title company. The title company holds the earnest money, clears the title, and disburses funds. Anyone who wants to close ‘directly’ or hold your deed personally is a hard no.
- Make them show their math. Serious buyers can explain exactly how they got to their number. We publish our entire offer formula — market value, repairs, costs, and our margin. If a buyer won’t explain theirs, ask why.
- Ask whether they’re buying or assigning. Wholesalers contract your house and sell the contract to someone else. That’s legal in Texas — since 2017, they must disclose they’re selling an option or assigning a contract — but you deserve to know whether the person across the table is the actual buyer. We are.
- Check the earnest money. Real buyers put down meaningful earnest money at the title company. A $10 deposit means they can walk away for free while your clock burns.
- Look for a real local footprint. A Texas entity in good standing, a consistent phone number and address, deed records under their name at the county clerk, and a Google Business Profile. Reviews help — but be skeptical of walls of vague five-star praise. Fake testimonials are common in this industry, which is why our reviews page says plainly that we’re new and won’t publish what we can’t verify.
- Never pay a fee to receive an offer. Application fees, ‘processing’ fees, or upfront costs of any kind are a scam signature.
Red Flags That Should End the Conversation
- Pressure to sign today, or an offer that expires in hours
- A price that drops sharply right before closing (“re-trading”) without a documented reason
- Requests to sign a deed, power of attorney, or anything notarized outside a title company
- No physical presence in North Texas and no one who will meet you at the property
- Unsolicited contracts arriving after a foreclosure notice becomes public record — verify twice as hard under deadline pressure
Why This Matters More After a Public Filing
The moment a notice of default or probate filing hits the public record, the letters start. Some are from ethical local buyers; some are not. The checklist above works regardless of how they found you — and a legitimate buyer will never resent being verified.
Keep Reading — Collin County Resources
- Our exact offer formula, published
- What you can verify about us today
- How cash home buyers actually make money
Get an Honest Answer About Your House
Put us through this checklist — proof of funds, title-company closing, math on paper. If we don’t pass, don’t sell to us. Call or text 469-699-4316 or request a free, no-obligation cash offer — and see exactly how we calculate every number before you decide anything.