Selling
The Six Ways to Sell Comparison Chart
All six ways to sell on one page — timeline, cost, and the catch for each.
The six ways to sell
Six ways to sell. One of them is right for you.
Most sellers only hear about two: list it with an agent, or take a cash offer. Here are all six, with the honest downsides included. No jargon without a translation.
Find My Best Way to Sell
0 ways explained · 0 questions in the quiz
| Way to sell | Best when | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Cash Sale | You need money or a clean exit quickly | Usually 7 to 21 days. Faster if the title work is clean. |
| Loan Takeover (Subject-To) | You're behind on payments or a foreclosure date is coming | Often 7 to 14 days — sometimes faster when a foreclosure date is close. |
| Seller Financing (Installment Sale) | You own the house free and clear, or nearly so | Usually 2 to 4 weeks, since there's no bank underwriting. |
| Novation (Partner Sale) | The house needs cosmetic work and you can't or don't want to fund it | Typically 45 to 90 days, depending on how much work the house needs. |
| Rent-to-Own / Lease-Option | You're on the fence about selling and want time to decide | Lease can start in 1 to 2 weeks. The purchase window is usually 1 to 3 years. |
| Traditional Listing | The house is in good, move-in-ready shape | Often 30 to 90 days from listing to closing, sometimes longer. |
Free worksheets for sellers
Run your own numbers before you talk to anyone — including us.
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Questions to Ask Any Home Buyer
Twelve questions that separate a real buyer from someone tying up your house.
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How a low-rate loan can be worth more to a buyer than your equity is to you.
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Seller's True-Cost Worksheet
Add up commissions, repairs, concessions, and carrying costs to find your real net.
What would I walk away with?
Move the sliders and see how each path pays you.
Same house, three very different shapes of money: one lump sum now, a bigger number later, or a smaller check plus monthly income or debt relief. Nothing you type here is saved.
Your rough numbers
Estimates are fine. Nothing here is saved or sent anywhere.
$450,000
$220,000
$2,000
Cash sale
$131,000 – $165,000
One lump sum at closing
A cash buyer takes the house as-is and covers most closing costs, so nothing comes out of your pocket for repairs. The trade is price — you're paid for speed and certainty.
Traditional listing
$153,500 – $196,500
Lump sum, after the market decides
Highest sticker price, smallest number of guarantees. This range already subtracts 5–6% in commissions, 1–2% in seller closing costs, $2,500–$8,000 in prep, and 2–4 months of payments while it sits.
Takeover / seller financing
$13,500 – $47,500
Cash at close, plus relief from $220,000 of debt
Instead of one big check, the payment gets taken over and kept current. You walk away from the monthly obligation with some cash in hand and roughly $182,500 – $243,500 in remaining equity paid over time. Structure matters more than price here.
Illustrative estimate for education only — every home is different; not an offer or appraisal.
Let's find the way that actually solves your problem.
Tell us about your house and your timeline. We'll lay out every option side-by-side — including the ones that don't involve us.