Frequently Asked Questions
We have created this list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) based upon many of the questions that we are asked. Please read through them.
If your question is not listed, please send us an email to info@twohandshomes.com or give us a call at (913) 359-7370. We will work with you to get your questions answered.
- Who are you?
- What do you do?
- Why do you do what you do?
- Are you buying houses during COVID-19?
- Is a “we buy houses” company right for me?
- Why should I choose to work with you vs. some other real estate company?
- Will you list my house with an agent on the MLS?
- How are you different from a real estate agent?
- Why shouldn’t I just list my KC house with an agent?
- How does your process work?
- Do I have any obligations if I fill out your form or reach out to you?
- What cleaning do I need to do, before I move out?
- Are there any fees or commissions to work with you?
- Do you pay fair prices for the properties that you buy?
- My house is in terrible condition, are you sure you will still buy it?
- How many houses do you buy?
- What will you do with my house after you purchase it from me?
- What do you do with unwanted items?
- What happens when I fill out your form or give you a call?
- How long does the in-person appointment take?
- How many people will be at the in-person appointment?
- What does your cash offer price include?
- What does escrow mean and what is the escrow process? How long does escrow take?
- What paperwork do I need to have ready?
- When can I close, after you buy my house?
- How do you sell a house “for sale by owner” (FSBO)?
- Is my information kept confidential?
- What if I know someone else that you could help by buying their house?
1. Who Are You?
We are Stephanie and John. We are the dynamic duo of “Two Hands Homes”. We also have a team of folks that help us in our work. Some of the members of our team include closing attorney, our contractor(s), our agent, our office staff, and others as needed.
Check out our “About Us” page and the “Our Company” page to learn more and to get a detailed picture of who we are and what we are all about. Go ahead, check out the pages now and get to know us a little bit. We are accomplished individuals that are good people just like you and we will treat you with the honesty, transparency, and respect that you deserve.
2. What Do You Do?
We pay cash to buy houses in the greater Kansas City metro and beyond – including other areas of Kansas and Missouri. We buy houses in any condition and any location. This is primarily what we do. We are often the ideal alternative for someone like you that needs to sell your house without wanting to deal with the hassles and headaches of a traditional listing. Even if you don’t have to sell your house fast, we’re your perfect option because you will be able to avoid the expenses and annoyances of listing your house for sale in KC with an agent.
3. Why Do You Do What You Do?
Mother Teresa said it best, “we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.” We think that this along with our mission of “improving lives and the community through real estate” say it best for why we do what we do. We are doing our small part, with great love and commitment, so that together we can achieve something bigger than any of us individually.
We are good people working hard to do good things with other good people (just like you). We enjoy giving back to the community where and when we can. We enjoy seeing the positive impact that we have on people and their situations. The more that we can help others, the more that we are able to give back to our community. We look forward to doing something wonderful with you!
4. Are You Buying Houses During COVID-19?
Yes, we are buying houses during this interesting and difficult time. We are here to help you, and you can still sell your home to us. Your well-being is very important to us and we adhere to the guidance of the national, state, and local officials. We also are flexible in accommodating most requests that you may have.
- We are always available via a phone call. You can complete one of the forms on our website and we will reach back out to you via the phone.
- We are also available via video chat/conference. If meeting in-person is not an option or not comfortable, we can work through nearly all parts of the process via Zoom or something similar.
- We are able to have documents signed remotely via electronic signatures. This allows us to further limit contact and it makes the process easier for most folks.
5. Is A “We Buy Houses” Company Right For Me?
Believe it or not, you do not need to be desperate to sell your home in KC or be in a hurry to sell to work with us. The majority of sellers that we have purchased houses from in the greater Kansas City metro and beyond were not desperate to sell at all, nor were they trying to escape foreclosure. We have found that most of our clients choose us because they have had bad experiences with agents and listing their house, or they just don’t want to deal with the repairs, never ending walkthroughs, or any of the other myriad hassles one has when selling their house in a traditional way.
We are often a great option for folks like you to consider when you do need to sell quick and with ease. This is because we buy houses in any condition, as is, no matter the circumstance, location, or issue that you are facing (if any).
Reach out to us now and let’s figure out the numbers and how much we could offer you in cash for your home in KC. If it makes sense, we will advise you if listing with an agent would be a better choice for you or not. After all, you have nothing to lose by getting a no obligation offer from us. They are completely free to you with no obligation to accept.
6. Why Should I Choose To Work With You vs. Some Other Real Estate Company?
You can work with whomever you like, whether that is us or not. We are here if and when you need our help. We trust that after you have gotten to knows us more (see our “About Us” and the “Our Company” pages) that you will see how we are different and why would would want to work with us vs. someone else.
Here are a few things that set us apart from the rest of the real estate companies.
We focus on you!
We take the time to listen to you, what the story of your house is, why you are needing to sell it, and then we work hard to figure out how to make it work out for both of us. We want to make sure that you get cash for your house! We are able to often give higher offers and more cash than our competitors for the houses that we buy.
We are the top ranking home buyers in Kansas City!
While many may claim this, we are sure that you saw this for yourself when you found us online and at the top of the search results in Google! You may be thinking that’s great, but what does it mean? It means that the people that we have worked within prior to you have loved us! We are a popular choice for a reason – we do what we say and we go through with the transaction.
We are investors, and of course we need to make money. But it doesn’t mean that it needs to be at your expense! We do go out of our way to genuinely help you without expecting anything in return. We are honest, we care, and we are just good people looking to work with other good people like you! You will be in good hands with us!
7. Will You List My House With An Agent On The MLS?
We are cash home buyers! We will not list your house on the MLS in order to purchase it from you. We want to buy your house in cash, perform repairs for any work that needs to be done on it, and then sell it again for a profit. We have many proverbial “tools” in our toolbox when it comes to buying your house. Some of these include things like owner/seller financing, wholesaling, and of course buying it for cash. What all this means is that you will get your house sold fast!
8. How Are You Different From A Real Estate Agent?
Agents market your house on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and in other places with the hope that a buyer will find the listing and be interested in buying the house. Agents charge commissions and fees. Listing your house in Kansas City and beyond with an agent means that you will end up paying closing costs, title fees, perform repairs, and tolerate countless walkthroughs while the house remains on the market – which can turn out to be a long time.
We are a small local family-owned and operated company with the cash and the connections to other cash buyers that are interested in buying houses, rehabbing them, and putting them back on the market for sale for a profit. We are cash buyers and we are investors. We are the ones that will actually be buying your home. When you sell to us, we skip the entire agent process and immediately jump to the offer and then the closing on your property you have for sale in Kansas City, throughout Kansas, and throughout Missouri. One of the biggest differences is that we do not charge you any fees or commissions. Some other differences are listed below.
Two Hands Homes:
- We buy your property for cash.
- We don’t charge commissions or fees. It is 100% free to you!
- We can close on your timeline, often in days or weeks vs. months and months. We can make it happen!
- We will buy your house in its as is condition. You can leave all unwanted items, clutter, and the needed repairs to us.
- Though we work with agents and we may have some team members that are licensed agents, we will not represent you in an agent capacity nor treat our work with you as an agent would. We are investors that happen to also be licensed agents.
Real Estate Agent:
- They will not and do not buy your property.
- They list your house on the open market hoping that it will sell.
- They will often work with you for 6 to 12 months to get your house to sell. This is especially true if the house needs repairs or updating. This means that you will not get your money for the home sale for at least half a year or longer.
- They will charge you a commission. You will pay them a percentage of the final sale price, which is often 6% and sometimes more.
- There are also times in which they will charge you for their marketing efforts, which is one more expense and less money for you.
- They will not clean or repair your property.
There is a time and place for agents. We are not saying that agents are bad, but they are not always the best option for a seller like you. This is especially true if you can’t wait the 6 to 12 months for the sale to complete.
9. Why Shouldn’t I Just List My KC House With An Agent?
Great question! At this point, we honestly do know know yet. We would need to look at your house, your situation, your timeline, your location, your expectations, your needs and requirements, and more in order for us to give you a good answer. We are happy to provide you with our professional recommendation. Just give us a call or fill out our online form.
A lot of folks don’t understand the pros and cons or the advantages and disadvantages of listing a home on the MLS. We would love to help you with this and share the differences with you. If you would like the answer right away, just fill in our form below and we will get in touch with you. From there, we can share with you what we believe is the best course of action for you concerning selling your house in Kansas City.
10. How Does Your Process Work?
First, if you have not checked out our “How Do I Sell My KC House Fast” page, please do. Regarding our process, it begins with you telling us a little bit about your house. We will take what we learned from you and we will perform some research and analysis which is what we use to present you with an all cash offer. If you accept the offer, then all that is left to do is receive your money at closing.
11. Do I Have Any Obligations If I Fill Our Your Form Or Reach Out To You?
Short answer – no! There are no obligations at all. We know that you have options. We also know that there are people out there that are eager to pull a fast one on you or that will try to scam you where they are eager to take advantage of you and your situation. To show how we are different from those people we make sure that there are not costs to you.
You really do have absolutely nothing to lose. Our offers are risk free, free of charge, and come with no obligations or high-pressure. We make you an offer and if you accept our offer great. You will get your cash quickly. If you don’t accept our offer, which is okay also, we will do our best to provide guidance or professional advice for your next steps.
12. What Cleaning Do I Need To Do, Before I Move Out?
The good news is that you don’t need to do any cleaning! That’s none, zilch, nada. 🙂 You also don’t need to make any repairs before you move out. You take whatever it is that you want, and you leave the rest to us. We mean this too! Food in the fridge, clothes on the floor, mattresses, desks, furniture, old magazines, etc. … we’ve seen it all, and none of it scares us. We also don’t judge.
Our goal is to make the transition for you as easy as possible. Take what you want and let us deal with the rest.
13. Are There Any Fees Or Commissions To Work With You?
Nope, there are never any realtor fees or agent commissions when you work with us. From the first call or contact that you have with us and to the cash offer that we provide you, it’s all completely free! Our goal is to make the process as simple, easy, and stress-free as possible for you. There’s no money out of your pocket.
14. Do You Pay Fair Prices For Properties That You Buy?
Great question, the short answer: YES we definitely pay fair prices! We should note that there is a difference between a fair price and market value. If the house is in bad shape or needs a lot of repairs, we take the market value of the house and subtract all the costs of repairs needed and that becomes the number that is a fair price.
There are some special cases or circumstances in which we can present you with a highly competitive offer at market value. For these situations, they usually do not allow us to pay all cash. Seller/owner financing is one such case.
15. My House Is In Terrible Condition, Are You Sure You Will Still Buy It?
Yes we will! We are not scared of and we don’t shy away from houses that need a lot of repairs or work done to them. We buy homes in Kansas City and beyond in any condition – good or bad. The more room for improvement that your house has, the more attractive it is to us. So… Yes, absolutely, we will still buy your house! We’d love to buy your house even if it is in bad shape, good shape, or somewhere in between. We think that you might be surprised by how much we will offer your for your house. Just complete one of our online forms or give us a call now to find out how much we can offer you in cash for your house in KC.
16. How Many Houses Do You Buy?
We get this question a lot! We buy many houses! 🙂 You may wonder what we do with all of them? The answer is simple: we buy them, fix and rehab them back up, and then sell them again for a profit. We bring new life to homes and to neighborhoods. We truly do improve lives and communities through real estate each time that we buy a house from someone like you. Overall, this process is good for people, it is good for the local economy, and it is good for everyone! We help solve your housing situation, we get to do what we love, and we get to bring joy to the new family that takes residence in the rehabbed home.
17. What Will You Do With My House After You Purchase It From Me?
Great question, flipping and fixing houses is our passion. It allows us to keep taking steps closer to our mission – which is to improve lives and communities through real estate. We buy homes and then we renovate them to sell again at a profit. We love challenges and we love being creative. These are qualities that help us take homes and transform them into something that has new life and can help improve the next families life. Our approach allows us to preserve the integrity of your house and provide it to the market so that a new individual or family can call it home sweet home.
18. What Do You Do With Unwanted Items?
We buy your house as is. That means that you can leave all of the cleaning and repairs to us. You can even leave all of your unwanted items behind! We go through each unwanted item that you leave behind and set aside anything that can be give a second life or help someone else out that is in need. We work with various charities, veterans, church groups, and other people in need to donate these items to them. Leaving behind your unwanted items isn’t a burden to us. Often, it’s a blessing for someone else that is in need. This approach saves on landfill space and it furthers us in our mission of improving lives and communities through real estate.
19. What Happens When I Fill Out Your Form Or Give You A Call?
We are here for you. We will communicate with you in a compassionate, respectful, and honest way. Once you submit the form or give us a call, the following will happen:
- You will be connected with a member of our team, or a team member will reach back out to you (usually within 24 hours).
- The team member will ask you a few questions about your house and why you are looking to sell it.
- Next, the team member will work with you to schedule an in-person appointment at your house so that we can perform the walkthrough.
- We will meet your at your property to do a quick walkthrough with you.
- We will identify what repairs are needed, how much the houses around you and in your neighborhood have sold for on the retail market, and what your house could sell for it it was completely updated and remodeled.
- During the walkthrough, we will be taking notes and photos/videos of your house. This helps us ensure that we are estimating the repair costs correctly and to ensure that we keep the repair costs at a minimum, so that we can offer you more.
- We will answer any questions or concerns that you have and present you with a free no obligation cash offer.
20. How Long Does The In-Person Appointment Take?
Generally, our visit to your house lasts between 30-60 minutes. There are some factors that affect the amount of time needed like size of the house, questions and answers, etc. We want to make sure that we take as little time needed to understand the condition of the house while making sure that we take as much time needed to answer any questions or concerns that you may have. If meeting in-person is not an option, there is a certain amount of the home assessment that we can do via Zoom or a similar technology.
21. How Many People Will Be At The In-Person Appointment?
Your privacy is very important to us. This is why we keep the number of folks coming on-site to your house to a minimum. There are times when it will be one of us or one of our team members that will come out. There are other instances in which we will meet up with our contractor and possibly our agent for the in-person appointment. We are flexible and can work with you if there are concerns or requirements that you have for the in-person appointment. Please note that if we do not have our contractor and/or agent with us, then we will need to take more photos to have them help us ensure the repair costs can be kept to the minimum necessary.
22. What Does Your Cash Offer Price Include?
We pay all of the closing costs, the escrow fees, associated transfer fees, and other miscellaneous fees. We even pay for back taxes or other costs that you might be behind on. There are no hidden fees! We pay for everything! Even if your home needs repairs, cleaning, or other services, we will take care of it all for you. We will give you a fast, fair, and all cash offer.
23. What Does Escrow Mean And What Is The Escrow Process? How Long Does Escrow Take?
After you decide to sell your house to us, you will enter into escrow. Escrow is a term that describes a process where there is a neutral third-party that handles the funds associated with the transaction.
Escrow is a fancy way of talking about an arrangement between you (the seller) and us (the buyer) in which we have an independent and non-biased professional company handle the funds, process documents, and perform other related tasks that are needed in order to make the sale final – and most importantly safe for both you and us.
Escrow is one of the pieces of the home selling process that helps make it a safe transaction for you and us. It makes is safe by protecting the assets (i.e., the home, cash, documents, deeds, etc.) of the buyer and the seller so that each fulfills their obligations of the sales agreement before the final transaction is made. The duration of the escrow process varies depending upon the details of each transaction, but it can typically be done in as little as two weeks – if everything is in order and all documents are present.
24. What Paperwork Do I Need To Have Ready?
You will not need to have any paperwork ready when you meet with us for your in-person appointment. If you are behind on payments of any kind (i.e., mortgage, taxes, etc.) having those documents available that show how much is outstanding is helpful during our in-person appointment. However, they are not required.
If you decide to sell your home to us and we enter into an agreement to purchase it, then there will be documents needed as part of the escrow process (see above). We will work with you and communicate with you every step of the way to ensure that you know what to expect and what is next.
25. When Can I Close, After You Buy My House?
We are here for you! We work on your timeline. If you need to close in just a few days, we can do that! If you need to stay after the house closes to help with the transition, we can make that work too. We understand that cookie cutter approaches and one size fits all does not work, and we’re open to working with you to find the best possible options and closing date for your needs.
26. How Do You Sell A House “For Sale By Owner” (FSBO)?
Selling your house on your own, without agents and not through a reputable company like ours is doable. It takes a lot of work and research, but it is absolutely doable.
- First, you need a solid understanding of your market.
- You need to determine how much the house is worth as is. It is easy to think that one’s house should be worth a lot – especially if you like it. This is a common thinking trap that we see FSBO sellers get into. Further, sellers often think that their house is worth a lot more because “it is nicer or prettier looking than my neighbors house”.
- You will need to pay a flat fee to have it listed on the MLS – which would help expand the reach and visibility of the house.
- You will need to learn how to effectively market the property.
- You will need to learn how to negotiate effectively.
- You will need to hold many open houses and learn how to handle the tough, difficult, or uncomfortable questions that you will be asked during the open house.
- You will also need to make sure that you are familiar with all of the laws pertaining to real estate transactions.
Yes, there will be costs associated with selling your house yourself. There will be customary attorney fees, closing costs, holding costs, title insurance costs, escrow costs, taxes, and more for the house as long as you own it. You will, however, not have any agent fees or commissions since you are selling it yourself. The other costs will add up and are significant.
27. Is My Information Kept Confidential?
Yes, ABSOLUTELY 100%! Your privacy is of the utmost importance to us. Any information that you share with us is completely confidential. If you want to work with a reliable and reputable company that will treat you with professionalism, understanding, and respect – you have come to the right place!
28. What If I Know Someone Else That You Could Help By Buying Their House?
Please connect them with us. Maybe there is a vacant house on your street or you know someone that needs and wants to sell their home. We love to help people that can benefit from the services that we offer. Make sure that we know that you helped connect us to them. Better yet, you can provide their information to us and we will do the research and reach out to them to discuss further and provide them with an offer.