Fair is measured against your net, not the list price
The right comparison for a cash offer is the money you would actually keep from listing, not the price a renovated house down the street sold for. Those are very different numbers once you count what it takes to get there.
A listing price is a starting point. Before you’re paid you may cover repairs to pass a buyer’s inspection, agent commissions, months of taxes and utilities while the house is on the market, and any price cuts. Redfin’s September 2026 data for Akron shows how real that last item is: 35.7% of homes had a price drop, up 6 points from a year earlier, and homes sold for 97.7% of list price on average.
Run the comparison with your own numbers
The simplest test is a side-by-side net sheet. The figures below are a made-up example for a house that needs work, not a quote. Replace them with your own estimates.
| Listing after repairs | As-is cash sale | |
|---|---|---|
| Sale price | $180,000 | $140,000 |
| Repairs before listing (roof, furnace, paint) | -$22,000 | $0 |
| Agent commissions at an assumed 5.5% | -$9,900 | $0 |
| Three months of taxes, insurance and utilities | -$2,400 | $0 |
| Price reduction after inspection | -$4,000 | $0 |
| Approximate net before payoff | $141,700 | $140,000 |
In this example the two nets are close, and the cash sale removes the repair risk and the wait. Change one input and the answer changes. If the house needed only paint, the listing net would be much higher, and the cash offer would look low. That’s the point of doing the math: it tells you which route fits your house.
Leave out costs that are the same either way, such as paying off your mortgage. Our guide to seller closing costs in Ohio lists the ones that differ.
Signs an offer is fair
Price is only part of it. A fair offer usually has these traits:
- The buyer shows their work. They can tell you the after-repair value they used, the sales behind it, and roughly what they budgeted for repairs. How buyers build that number is covered in how cash home buyers calculate offers.
- The repair list matches the house. It reflects what’s actually wrong, not a generic “full rehab” on a house that needs a kitchen.
- The terms match the price. A short inspection period, a named title company and a real earnest money deposit, which in the U.S. typically runs about 1% to 3% of the price.
- No fees come off the top. Check the purchase agreement for “processing,” “administrative” or “service” charges that shrink your net.
- The number holds. A fair offer doesn’t depend on a later “renegotiation” to work.
Signs it isn’t
Some offers look generous on paper and aren’t. Watch for a high number paired with a 30-day or longer inspection period, a clause letting the buyer assign the contract, or language allowing them to cancel for any reason. Each one gives the buyer a way to lower the price later. A low number with no explanation is also a sign; so is any buyer who won’t put the offer in writing.
How big should the gap be?
The gap between an as-is offer and a retail price reflects the work and risk the buyer takes on. ATTOM’s figures show why it can’t be zero: in the second quarter of 2026 the typical flip had a 21.5% gross margin, and that’s before rehab costs, which ATTOM estimates at about 20% to 33% of after-repair value. A buyer has to pay for repairs, carry the house for months and resell it.
What matters to you is whether the gap is explained by your house’s actual condition. A small gap on a house needing major work is generous. A big gap on a move-in-ready house usually isn’t fair to you, and listing is probably the better route. If you’re not sure where your house falls, home appraisal vs cash offer explains how to get an independent opinion of value.
Comparing two cash offers
If you have more than one cash offer, compare the full terms, not just the top line. A made-up example:
| Offer A | Offer B | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $132,000 | $138,000 |
| Earnest money | $3,000 at the title company in 2 days | $500, due “upon acceptance” |
| Inspection period | 7 days | 30 days |
| Assignment allowed | No | Yes, “and/or assigns” |
| Closing | Fixed date | “On or before” with buyer extensions |
| Buyer pays closing costs | Yes | Not stated |
Offer B is $6,000 higher on paper, but it gives the buyer a month to back out, lets them sell the contract, and risks only $500. Offer A is more likely to close at the price shown. Whichever you choose, ask each buyer to explain their number and their terms in writing. If one buyer won’t match the other’s terms, that tells you how confident they are in closing at the price they quoted.
A fair offer leaves you free to say no
The last test is how the buyer treats your decision. A fair buyer gives you the offer in writing, gives you time to compare, and is fine if you pass or list instead. You can see our approach, and the three-way comparison of listing, auction and a direct sale, on the selling options page.
