How much do investors usually pay for a house?
Real estate investors typically pay 70–90% of fair market value for a California house, depending on condition, location, and how fast you need to close. The discount reflects the costs the investor is taking off your plate: agent commissions, repair credits, holding costs, and the risk of a deal falling through.
Overview
The full answer
The 70% number comes from the classic flipper formula: Maximum Allowable Offer = (After Repair Value × 70%) − Repair Costs. A flipper who's going to fully renovate a property and resell at retail aims to land near 70% of ARV minus rehab. That's the floor on what investors pay, generally for properties needing major work.
On the higher end, buy-and-hold rental investors and turnkey cash buyers often pay 85–90% of fair market value for properties in good condition that just need a fast close. They're not flipping, they're acquiring a rental at a fair price with no agent commissions, no listing time, and certainty of close. That's worth 5–10% to a seller who wants speed.
Where you land depends on your property and your situation. A clean California home with no major issues and no urgency to close: 85–90% is achievable. A property with foundation issues in a tough neighborhood, owner needing to close in 14 days: closer to 70–75%. The investor's offer reflects the math of their next exit.
When you compare an investor offer to a listing scenario, do the net-to-seller math. Subtract 6% agent commission, 1–3% closing costs, 1–3% in repair credits the buyer's agent will negotiate, and 2–4 months of carrying costs (mortgage, taxes, insurance) from a likely listing-sale price. The net often lands within a few percent of a cash investor offer, and the cash offer arrives in 24 hours, not 4 months.
If you searched "how much do investors pay for houses" or something close to it, this answer covers what California sellers actually need to know. The mechanics are routine for our team, we work with sellers asking about how much do investors pay for houses every week, and the cash-sale path makes most of these situations simpler than the listing route would.
Overview
Related questions and pages
Other California sellers ask:
Related pages on My Home Sold:
Looking for the broader picture? Read how to sell your house fast in California or our guide to the best cash home buyers in California.
Every California cash sale we run follows the same general rhythm. You tell us about the property and your situation. We pull comps, factor your timeline, and send a written cash offer within 24 hours. If you accept, we open escrow with a licensed local title company and close in 7 to 14 days. We pay all standard closing costs, we don't request repairs, and we use the same C.A.R. forms a real estate agent would use, the only difference is speed and certainty.
If you have questions specific to your situation that aren't covered above, the fastest way to get a real answer is to call (855) 699-6090 or request a free written offer. Both are no-obligation and take less than five minutes of your time. We'll be honest about whether a cash sale is the right call for your situation, and if it isn't, we'll tell you what we'd do in your spot.
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