A Tale of Two Selling Methods
When you need to sell a house in Clarksville that is burdened by unpaid taxes, mechanics’ liens, or other debts, you are not in a standard selling situation. Therefore, standard selling advice doesn’t always apply.
A homeowner with a pristine property in a hot neighborhood like Rossview, with zero debt other than their mortgage, will likely do well listing with a traditional Realtor. But what if your reality involves a stack of delinquent tax notices from Montgomery County, or a lingering dispute with a contractor that resulted in a lien?
At Integrity House Buyers, we believe in transparency. We want you to understand the functional differences between listing with an agent and selling to an investor, specifically when your property has financial encumbrances.
The Traditional Realtor Route: High Hopes, High Hurdles
A Realtor’s job is to market your home to the widest possible audience to get the highest possible price. They list it on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), hold open houses, and court buyers who plan to live in the home.
The Process with Liens: When you list a house with liens, the agent must disclose this complexity. Most retail buyers in Clarksville are using conventional, FHA, or VA financing. These lenders have strict requirements: the title must be clear at closing.
- The Hurdles: You, the seller, are typically responsible for clearing the liens. If you don’t have the cash to pay them off beforehand, you have to hope there is enough equity in the sale to pay them at closing.
- The Appraisal Gap: This is the biggest risk right now. If your house needs repairs (common when folks are struggling financially) and has liens, it might appraise low. If the sale price isn’t high enough to cover your mortgage, the agent’s commission, closing costs, and the liens, you cannot sell. The deal dies.
- The Timeline: A traditional sale currently takes 45–90 days from listing to close in Montgomery County. If you are facing an imminent tax auction, this is often too slow.
The Professional Home Buyer Route: Certainty and Speed
A professional home buyer (or real estate investor) like Integrity House Buyers is not an intermediary; we are the actual buyer. We use our own capital to purchase properties directly from sellers.
The Process with Liens: We view liens simply as math equations to be solved at the closing table. They do not scare us off because we don’t have a nervous mortgage lender breathing down our necks.
- The execution: We make an “as-is” cash offer based on the current condition of your house, minus the cost of necessary repairs and our profit margin.
- Handling the Debt: Our title company verifies the exact amounts owed on taxes or liens. At closing, those debts are paid directly out of our purchase funds. You don’t have to organize the payoffs; we handle the paperwork.
- The Timeline: Because we cut out banks, appraisers, and home inspectors, we can close very quickly—often in 7 to 14 days. This speed is essential if you need to beat a foreclosure deadline.
Comparing the Financials and Stress Factors
Which route is better for you?
Choose a Realtor IF:
- You have plenty of time (3+ months) before any legal action against the property.
- Your home is in excellent condition otherwise and will appraise high.
- You have a small lien amount relative to your massive equity and can perhaps afford to pay it off before listing.
- You are willing to risk a sale falling through due to buyer financing issues.
Choose Integrity House Buyers IF:
- You are facing a deadline (tax sale, foreclosure auction).
- The house needs repairs that you cannot afford to make.
- You want a guaranteed sale date with no showings, open houses, or uncertainties.
- You want the lien amounts handled professionally out of the proceeds without needing cash up front.
Conclusion: Matching the Method to the Situation
Trying to sell a heavily encumbered property on the traditional Clarksville market is like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. It’s possible, but it requires a lot of force and often results in damage.
If your priority is top-dollar retail value and you have the time and money to fight through the hurdles, hire a great agent. If your priority is a guaranteed resolution to your lien problem, speed, and zero out-of-pocket costs, a direct cash sale is the superior tool for the job.
Check out Article: A Complete Guide to Your Options