The price is only half the comparison. Listing has its own costs: commission, closing costs, Michigan transfer tax, and the repairs and months of bills it takes to get a top price. What matters is what you keep.

The honest summary first: if your house is move-in ready and you have a few months, listing it usually nets more.

How much do cash buyers usually pay compared with market value?

Usually less than full market value, and there is no standard percentage. The gap is mostly the repairs, plus the buyer's costs and margin.

A house that needs little work can draw an offer close to what it would net listed. A house that needs a roof, a furnace and a kitchen draws an offer well below, because the buyer pays for that work after closing.

Our own approach is in our FAQs: we pay fair prices, but not always full market value. For a house that needs work, the price reflects what the repairs cost.

Our seller stories show the range. Michael, who had moved into assisted living, was paid his full $125,000 asking price. The owner of a fire-damaged house got an offer of $350,000, the low end of the owner's own $350,000 to $400,000 range.

Lawanda was selling a rental with a tenant in it. A realtor had told her it might list around $128,000, and her own target for a cash sale was $65,000 to $70,000. One is a possible listing price; the other is one seller's goal for a cash sale with a tenant in place.

A fair cash offer for a house is one where you can see each number behind it and check it yourself.

How does a cash buyer calculate an offer on a Detroit house?

Cash home buyers determine an offer by working backward from the finished house. Four numbers do most of the work.

The price the house would sell for after repairs. The buyer looks at recent sales of fixed-up houses nearby, similar in size and style. On a street of 1920s brick bungalows, that means updated bungalows nearby.
The repair estimate. Everything the house needs to sell at that price. For scale, Fixr's 2026 cost guides put an asphalt shingle roof replacement at $8,000 to $16,000 and a furnace replacement at $2,800 to $7,500. Those are national figures, and Detroit quotes can differ.
Holding and resale costs. Property taxes, insurance, utilities and loan interest while the work is done, then the commission, closing costs and Michigan transfer tax when the buyer sells. The buyer pays the same selling costs you would.
The margin. What the buyer earns for putting up the cash and taking the risk that repairs run over or prices dip.

Some buyers skip the itemizing and use a rule of thumb: pay no more than 70% of the price the house would sell for after repairs, minus the repair cost. On a house worth $200,000 fixed up, with $35,000 of work, that gives $105,000. Bob Vila's guide to the rule calls it a guideline, not a fixed standard, and notes that some markets push offers higher.

Our FAQ says it plainly: "We pay fair prices, but not always full market value. For houses needing repairs, we calculate fair prices by subtracting repair costs." With any buyer, ask to see each of the four numbers. If a buyer won't show them, you are being asked to take the total on trust.

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What costs does a cash offer save you compared with listing?

A cash sale to a buyer who takes the house as-is can save you the repairs, the months of holding costs and the agent commission. Some costs, like Michigan transfer tax, apply either way unless the buyer agrees to cover them.

Commission. Commissions are not set by law and are fully negotiable, as the National Association of Realtors spells out in its guide to the practice changes that took effect August 17, 2024. Since then, an offer to pay the buyer's agent cannot appear on the MLS, though a seller can still agree to make one. Bankrate's 2025 guide says listing and buying agents each generally receive about 2.5% to 3% of the sale price.
Michigan transfer tax. The state tax is $3.75 for each $500 of the price, and the seller is legally responsible for it, according to Michigan Treasury. The county tax is $0.55 per $500 in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, according to each county's Register of Deeds. Together that is $8.60 per $1,000, or $1,720 on a $200,000 sale.
A possible exemption. Some sellers of a principal residence qualify for a state transfer tax exemption or refund, which depends in part on the home's state equalized value when you bought it and when you sell. Treasury's page explains the refund. Ask a tax adviser about your own case.
Other closing costs. Title insurance, settlement fees and prorated property taxes. Who pays which depends on the purchase agreement, so ask a title company for an estimate.
Repairs and holding costs. What the house needs to sell at the top price, plus the mortgage, taxes, insurance and utilities for every month it is fixed, listed and closed.
A sale that comes apart. A buyer with a loan needs an appraisal. If it comes in below the price, the CFPB says the buyer can often use it to negotiate the price down, or may cancel the sale.

We buy as-is: no repairs, no cleaning, no showings and no agent commission. Pack what you want and leave the rest. We also cover the typical closing costs. The steps are on our how we buy houses page.

How do you compare your net from a cash offer and a listing side by side?

Subtract every cost from each price, then compare what lands in your account. Here is one illustration with round numbers. It is not an offer on any house, and the lines marked assumed are placeholders for your real figures.

The house is a Metro Detroit single-family home that would sell for $200,000 fixed up. It needs a roof, a furnace, and kitchen, bath and paint work, about $35,000 in all (assumed).

Listing it after you make the repairs:

Sale price: $200,000
Repairs, paid up front: minus $35,000
Commission at 5%, or 2.5% to each agent (assumed): minus $10,000
Michigan transfer tax: minus $1,720
Title and settlement fees (assumed): minus $2,000
Five months of holding costs at $1,000 a month (assumed): minus $5,000
Your net: $146,280

A cash offer built on the buyer's math:

Price after repairs: $200,000
Repairs: minus $35,000
The buyer's own resale and holding costs, the same lines as above: minus $18,720
The buyer's margin (assumed at 10%; every buyer sets its own): minus $20,000
Offer: about $126,000
Your transfer tax on $126,000, unless the buyer pays it: minus $1,084
Your net, if the buyer covers the other closing costs: about $124,900
A rule-of-thumb offer on the same house: $105,000

In this example, listing nets about $21,000 more. To get it, you front $35,000 for repairs, carry the house for about five months, and accept that repairs can run over and an appraisal can reopen the price.

The cash offer trades that $21,000 for no repairs, no months of bills and a set closing date. Which is better depends on whether you have the cash, the time and the patience for a project.

Listing as-is lowers the price, and a buyer with a loan still needs the appraisal to support it.

Why do cash offers on the same house differ so much?

Each of the four numbers is an estimate, and each buyer estimates differently. Two offers $20,000 apart can both be honest.

Different fixed-up prices. One buyer picks the best recent sale on your street. Another picks a weaker one.
Different repair estimates. A buyer who walked through the basement prices the old boiler and the cracked foundation wall. A buyer who did not either guesses or leaves room to adjust later.
Different costs and margins. A buyer who keeps houses as rentals has different costs from one who renovates and resells.
Different terms. Inspection periods, fees, who pays closing costs and transfer tax, and how firm the number is all change what you keep.

The last point matters most with offers made sight unseen. Sylvia, retiring to Arizona, had a $165,000 offer from a buyer who had never seen her house. She did not take it seriously and wanted three opinions. Her story has the rest.

Put each offer through the same math, and ask each buyer what could change the number before closing.

When is a cash offer the wrong choice?

When the house is in good shape and you have time, a cash offer usually costs you money. List it.

The house is move-in ready, so there is little repair cost for a buyer to take off.
You can wait the months a listing takes and carry the bills in the meantime.
You have the cash and energy for repairs that raise the price by more than they cost.
Houses like yours sell steadily to buyers with loans.

In those cases a good agent is the better call, and our guide to finding a good real estate agent in Detroit covers what to ask. A cash sale fits better when the house needs work you do not want to fund, when carrying it costs you every month, or when you want one date and no showings. Our page on selling a fixer-upper as-is covers that case.

Frequently asked questions

Do cash buyers pay 70% of market value?

Some use a rule of thumb close to that, but it is 70% of the price the house would sell for after repairs, minus the repair cost. It is not 70% of what your house is worth today. No law sets the percentage, and buyers who itemize their costs can land above or below it. On a house worth $200,000 fixed up, with $35,000 of work, the rule gives $105,000.

Can I negotiate a cash offer?

Yes. The useful way is to argue the inputs, not the total. If the repair estimate includes a roof you replaced three years ago, or the fixed-up price ignores a better sale down the street, show the buyer. A buyer who moves on the inputs is showing you the math is real. A second or third offer also tells you where your house stands as it is.

Does a cash buyer pay closing costs?

It depends on the contract, so read who pays each line. Some cash buyers cover all or part of the seller's closing costs, and some do not. In Michigan the seller is legally responsible for the state transfer tax, though a buyer can agree to pay it on the seller's behalf. We cover the typical closing costs; ask us for the list on your sale.

Why is a sight-unseen offer often higher than the final number?

Because the buyer has not priced the repairs yet. A number made without a walk-through can only guess at the roof, the furnace and the basement. If the contract lets the buyer inspect and renegotiate, the price can drop once they see the house. Treat a sight-unseen number as a starting guess, and ask the buyer in writing what would change it.

How quickly will I get a cash offer?

It varies by buyer and by how soon they can see the house. We make a no-obligation cash offer, usually within 24 hours, and we can close in as little as 7 days when the title is clear, or on the date you choose. Speed helps, but it matters less than whether the number holds through closing, so ask any buyer how firm their offer is.

Does the condition of the house change the offer more than the neighborhood?

Both matter, in different ways. The neighborhood sets the fixed-up price, which is the starting point. Condition sets the repair estimate, which comes straight off it. On lower-priced houses, condition carries more weight: $35,000 of work is 35% of a house worth $100,000 fixed up, but about 12% of one worth $300,000.

Get a number for your own comparison

If you want a real number to put into this math, we will make a no-obligation cash offer, usually within 24 hours, and you can weigh it against a listing at your own pace. See how we buy houses, contact us, or call (313) 217-9851.

How Much Do Cash Buyers Pay for Houses in Metro Detroit? The Offer Math, Shown