Not All “We Buy Houses” Companies Are the Same
Search “cash home buyers Fort Wayne” and you’ll find a crowd: local investors like us, national franchises, iBuyer-style platforms, lead-selling websites wearing local costumes, and listicle sites ranking companies they’ve never called. Here’s an honest framework for choosing — including the questions that would eliminate us if we couldn’t answer them.
The Five Types of “Cash Buyer” You’ll Meet
1. Local independent buyers
Fort Wayne-based companies (like Indiana Home Solutions) buying directly, with their own funds, in their own market. Advantages: local pricing knowledge, no franchise fees baked into offers, the person on the phone is the decision-maker. This is what we are — and yes, we’re biased, so verify us with the same checklist as everyone else.
2. National franchises
Recognizable brands with local franchisees. Legitimate, established processes — but franchise royalties and corporate overhead come out of somewhere, and it’s usually the offer.
3. iBuyers
App-based instant offers (Opendoor and similar). Convenient for newer cookie-cutter homes in the markets they serve — but they largely don’t operate in Fort Wayne, and they charge service fees plus repair deductions that surprise people. (Full breakdown coming in our iBuyer comparison post.)
4. Wholesalers
They contract your house, then sell the CONTRACT to an actual buyer for a fee. Not inherently evil — but if they can’t find an end buyer, deals collapse late, and their fee came out of your price. Ask directly: “Are you buying this yourself, or assigning the contract?” Honest wholesalers answer honestly. Dishonest ones just became your problem.
5. Lead sellers
Websites that LOOK like buyers but exist to sell your info to 3-5 actual buyers, who then all call you. Signs: no local address, no reviews, stock photos, forms that ask everything before telling you anything.
The 7-Point Vetting Checklist
- Real local footprint: a Fort Wayne address you can verify (ours: 5370 S 800 E-92, Fort Wayne, IN 46818), a phone that gets answered, an actual team
- Reviews with specifics: Google reviews describing real transactions — not five-star one-liners posted the same week (read ours)
- Registered entity: look them up on the Indiana Secretary of State business search — takes 60 seconds
- Written offers with visible math: any buyer who won’t show how they got the number is hoping you won’t ask
- Proof of funds on request: non-negotiable
- Title company closing: a licensed Allen County title company holds the money and records the deed — never a kitchen-table closing
- Zero pressure and zero fees: real buyers give you time to compare and never charge you anything, ever (the full red-flag list)
Compare Offers on Four Numbers, Not One
| Ask every buyer | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Net price to me? | Some quote high, then deduct “fees” — your NET is the real number |
| Who pays closing costs? | Should be them; confirm in writing |
| Earnest money amount + where held? | Serious deposits at a title company = commitment |
| Inspection window + what happens after? | The re-trade scam lives in vague inspection clauses |
Get Two or Three Offers — Including Ours
Seriously: competition is your best protection, and comparing takes one afternoon. If our number wins, we close in 7-14 days. If it doesn’t, you sold well anyway.
Call (260) 203-0686 or request your free offer.
More Ways We Can Help
- The Scam Red-Flags Checklist
- How to Judge Any Cash Offer
- Why Fort Wayne Sellers Choose Us
- Reviews from Real Sellers