You have seen the postcards, the texts, and the "We Buy Houses" signs on every corner. Most of them look the same. Behind them are very different businesses. Some are local people who will stand in your living room this week. Others are companies in another state that have never seen your street, and some are really just passing your address along to someone else.
Neither one is automatically a scam. But the difference decides whether the price you are quoted is the price you actually get paid. Here is how to tell who you are really dealing with.
Why It Matters Before You Sign
A buyer who has never seen your home is pricing it from photos, a county record, and a guess. When the real walkthrough finally happens, or the end buyer shows up, the number often drops. Sellers call this a "retrade," and it usually lands when you are least able to walk away: days before closing, after you have already started packing or lined up your next place.
Distance also changes who you can reach when something goes wrong. A local buyer can be at the property in a day. A company a few states away can take a week to answer an email.
7 Ways to Tell the Difference
1. Do they want to see the home in person?
A local buyer will schedule a walkthrough quickly, often within a day or two, and can usually talk through a number on the spot. An out-of-state company will push for photos, a video call, or "just send us the address and we will send an offer." An offer made without anyone seeing the house is an estimate, and estimates change.
2. Can they talk about your actual neighborhood?
Ask what homes near you have sold for and how your block compares to the next one over. Someone who works Gary, Hammond, Merrillville, or Valparaiso every week knows the difference between those markets, and can talk about the south suburbs of Cook County just as specifically. A remote buyer will stay general and lean on a spreadsheet.
3. Where is the business actually registered?
Look the company up. Indiana businesses are searchable through the Indiana Secretary of State's INBiz portal, and Illinois has a business entity search through its Secretary of State. If the company is registered in another state, lists no physical address, or the name on the contract does not match the name on the mailers, ask why.
4. Who are their reviews from?
Reviews from real sellers in your area, on Google and Trustpilot, with names and cities you can verify, mean more than a polished testimonial page. Check the Better Business Bureau profile too. We are BBB accredited with an A+ rating, and that profile is public for anyone to look at.
5. Who is the title company, and where is it?
Closing should happen through a title company or attorney you can verify. Ask who it is and where the office is. A local buyer will typically use a title company in the area, and you can call them yourself. If the buyer is vague about who handles the closing, treat that as a warning sign.
6. Who is actually buying your house?
Many companies, including us in some deals, use assignment contracts. That is legal and common. What matters is whether the person you are talking to is upfront about it. Ask directly: "Are you buying this yourself, or could this contract be assigned to someone else?" Then ask what happens to your price and closing date if it is. A straight answer is a good sign. Dodging the question is not.
7. How do they handle pressure and timelines?
Be wary of "this offer expires today," long inspection periods that let the buyer back out for almost any reason, or an earnest money deposit that is protected for them but not for you. A buyer who intends to close has no reason to rush you into signing before you understand the contract.
💡 The 3-question test: Call and ask, "When can you see the house?" "What have homes near mine sold for recently?" and "Who is your title company?" A local buyer answers all three right away. Hesitation on any of them tells you something.
What Working With a Local Buyer Looks Like
- We see the home first: we walk the property before we make an offer, so the number is based on what is actually there
- One point of contact: you talk to the same person from the first call through closing
- Local closing: we close through a title company in the area that you can call yourself
- Public track record: our reviews come from your neighbors across Northwest Indiana and the south suburbs, and our BBB profile is open to anyone
⚠️ Never wire money or pay anything upfront to a buyer. A legitimate buyer does not charge you to sell your house. And have your title company or an attorney review any contract before you sign it, no matter who the buyer is.
Want the full list of questions to ask before you sign anything? Read our guide: Questions to Ask an Out-of-State Cash Buyer.
Want to Know Exactly Who You Are Dealing With?
We are local, we will walk your home, and we will answer every question above before you sign anything.
Get My Free Cash Offer →Ask Before You Sign
Any buyer worth working with will be comfortable with these questions. The ones who get uncomfortable are showing you who they are. We buy homes across Lake, Porter, La Porte, Jasper, and Newton County in Indiana and the south suburbs of Cook County in Illinois.
Call us at (219) 419-7719 and ask us anything on this list.