What I Did to Sell My House Fast in Los Angeles

By Susan Thomson

Why I Needed to Sell My House Fast in Los Angeles, California

I remember months of turmoil — months of financial and emotional stress… how could I sell my house fast in Los Angeles, California?

We’d had one financial issue after another: first, my husband lost his job, I was in school at the time, and we’d fallen into credit card debt.

We never intended to be financially irresponsible. Neither my husband nor myself came from money. Our parents didn’t know how to teach us about cash management.

We had dug ourselves into a hole and were facing bankruptcy in the near future. We thought we didn’t have any other options. We wanted to start over and do things right this time, but we were so far deep into debt.

Then, one of my classmates and close friends shared with me that her parents had sold their house themselves in an effort to be more private about their sale. 

They didn’t want to list their house to the public, have nosy neighbors look through their home, and they didn’t really have the time or energy to entertain strangers.

They took a route, I had never heard of… house for sale by owner. 

So… how did I sell my house fast in Los Angeles… and what does it mean to do it yourself?

I spent some time researching options for Los Angeles homeowners. I learned that you don’t have to lose your home to the bank; you can take control and sell your house quickly and fairly yourself.

You can skip working with a real estate agent who takes a large fee and publicly tells everyone about your house for any stranger to come into your home.

The practice of selling your house directly is quite common, and the idea that you need an agent is just a misconception.

To do it yourself, you need to find someone who buys homes for cash in Los Angeles outside of the real estate agent route. 

Questions I Asked Before We Took Cash for our House in Los Angeles

• What fees do I, as a seller have to pay?
• Do I need a lawyer to sell my house fast Los Angeles?
• Will there be additional expenses for fixes I need to make so that my house can be sold?
• How long after selling the house, will we receive our money?
• How long do we have until we have to move out after selling?

How I Sold My House Fast in Los Angeles:
Everything You Need to Know to Do It Too

First, we contacted the house buyer my classmate referred me to. We were excited to learn more about our options and to speak with someone that had done this before.

We called the house buyers and they came to our house. They told me that we didn’t need to fix up the house or make any changes. They were happy to meet with me and see the house as-is.

Quite frankly, this was a relief as there was some wear-and-tear, and we needed a new roof that we just could not afford to replace before we would sell.

The gentleman met with us in person and came to our home. He then gave us a CASH offer that same day!

After all of the issues we have had with late mortgage payments, fears of foreclosure and bankruptcy.; it was nice to hear that we had something of value that we didn’t have to lose, but could use as the first step towards financial freedom.

We decided to move forward with escrow, and the entire process was over in two weeks.

I learned that because we are in California, we do NOT need an attorney to sell our own house. However, if you are reading this and are based in another state, please look up details for your respective area. 

We had a couple weeks to move out of closing, although I also learned that this is a case-by-case scenario. Ask about your options. 

We received our money only two days after we closed escrow!

It was one of my the most liberating days we’ve had in years.

Acknowledging that you have a problem like debt and changing your lifestyle isn’t easy; but at the very least the buyer was empathetic and made the process quick, quiet, and respectful.

He had experience with buying Los Angeles houses from people in all types of situations. He was understanding and open about how the valuation process works.

Sell My House Fast, Move Forward Fast

We decided to downsize our living situation for the next couple of years — at least until I graduate and we are a dual-income home. We have now paid off our credit card debt, and are working towards rebuilding our credit. 

We’re looking forward to the day we can buy a home again and have a family together to share it with. In the meantime, we’ve changed our lifestyle. We’re proud to be moving in a new direction. We go for hikes, spend more time outside, and we continue to work hard — worry free of any more debt.

I share my story here today because selling our house fast was the best thing we could have done for our financial and mental health. 

You don’t have to go through bankruptcy. You don’t have to lose your house to foreclosure. You do not have to live in credit card debt keeping up with the Kardashians. 

Financial freedom is within reach; for us, and it started with selling our house for cash ourselves. We just wish someone would have told us about the option sooner.

Do you have questions about how to sell my house fast Los Angeles?
We can help at Sell My Old House.
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