How Booker Sold His Fire-Damaged Atlanta House As-Is

When Booker called us, his house had already been through more than most homes ever go through. A fire started in a back bedroom while he was living there. He had to move out, the fire department had to open up the roof to put it out, and the house sat empty while the pressure kept building.

On top of the damage, there was a private loan against the property, and the lender wanted to be paid. Booker was living about an hour away. He told us plainly that he was ready to be done with the house and just needed to get what he could out of it.

If you are sitting on a house after a fire, you already know how stuck that feels. Here is how Booker got unstuck.

Why a fire-damaged house is so hard to sell in Atlanta

Most buyers cannot get a normal loan on a house with fire damage. Banks will not lend on a home that is not livable, and a listing agent will usually tell you to repair it first. Repairs after a fire are rarely small: roof, framing, wiring, smoke and soot, and often water or mold from the days the house sat open to the weather.

That leaves most owners with three choices. Pay for the repairs up front, wait on an insurance claim that may or may not cover the whole job, or sell the house as it sits to a buyer who pays cash. Booker had no interest in managing a rebuild from an hour away, and his lender was not going to wait for one.

Getting the numbers right before we made an offer

Public records listed the house as a smaller home than it really was. Booker's family told us about an addition that made it a four bedroom, two bath house, and that addition is where the fire started. Before we made an offer, we went back and re-ran our numbers on the house exactly as it really was, not the version on paper.

Then Jason called Booker with a straight cash offer for the house as-is. He was honest that the number reflected a house that needed a lot of work, and he told Booker there was no pressure if he wanted to wait. Booker said yes on that call.

What we handled so Booker didn't have to

• No repairs, no cleanout and no showings. We bought the house exactly as the fire left it.
• We covered the normal closing costs.
• Our closing attorney confirmed the loan payoff in writing and handled the paperwork, so there were no surprises at the closing table.
• Our team went to Booker for every signature and picked up the house key from him, so he never had to make the drive.
• On closing day, we picked Booker up and brought him to the closing.

The loan balance moved around more than once while we worked, which is common when a house has been sitting. Rather than react to every new number, we let the attorney pull the official payoff and worked from that. The deal closed at the price we agreed on.

We promised six weeks. We closed in under four.

From signed contract to closing took 25 days. The private loan was paid off at closing, and a house that had become a weight on Booker's shoulders was finally off his plate.

Thank you for trusting us, Booker.

Own a fire-damaged house in Atlanta?

You do not have to fix it, clean it out or wait on a contractor. We buy houses in any condition across Atlanta and close in 7 to 60 days, on your schedule. You can see how our cash offer works, read answers to common questions, or hear from other homeowners we have helped.

Fire damage, a lender who wants to be paid, repairs you can't afford: tell us what you are dealing with and we will give you an honest number, with no pressure either way.