How to Avoid "We Buy Houses" Scams in Arizona

Red flags to watch for

• Pressure to sign the same day
  Any offer worth taking will still be there tomorrow. If a buyer insists the price is only good for the next few hours, that's a tactic, not a market condition.
• No written offer
  Verbal numbers are worth nothing. Everything real happens in writing, in a purchase contract, going through an escrow company.
• No proof of funds
  A cash buyer should be able to show proof of funds on request. If they can't or won't, they may be shopping your contract to a third party rather than actually buying it themselves.
• Unwillingness to explain the number
  A legitimate buyer can walk you through how they arrived at their price — comparable sales, condition adjustments, closing costs. 'It's just what we can pay' isn't an explanation.
• Refusing to let you verify who they are
  A real business has a real address, a real entity registered with the state, and a real title/escrow company they work with. If any of those are vague, that's a signal.
• Asking you to sign a deed, option, or memorandum before a purchase contract exists
  Side paperwork that transfers or clouds title before an actual sale is one of the highest-risk moves in this space. Nothing about your house should transfer or be recorded outside of a proper closing.

Questions to ask before you sign anything

You don't need to be a real estate expert to protect yourself — you just need to ask a handful of direct questions and see whether the answers are direct back.

• Can you show me proof of funds today?
• How will my existing mortgage and any liens be paid off at closing?
• Can I see the offer in writing before I decide anything?
• Which title or escrow company are we using, and can I verify them independently?
• Can I have 24 to 48 hours to review this with someone I trust?
• Are you the actual buyer, or are you assigning this contract to someone else?
• What happens to my belongings and my closing timeline?

What a legitimate offer usually looks like

The pattern is boring, and that's the point. A written offer on a real purchase agreement. A named, licensed title or escrow company holding earnest money and coordinating closing. Proof of funds available on request. A clear explanation of how the price was calculated. Room to sleep on it, talk to a family member, or run it past an attorney.

If the person on the other side is comfortable with all of that, you're probably dealing with a real operator. If they aren't, that's information — take it seriously.

Related reading before you commit to anyone

The mortgage piece is where the worst outcomes in this industry happen, so it's worth understanding directly: here's what actually happens to your existing mortgage when you sell to a cash buyer. If you're comparing paths, a real numbers comparison between a cash offer and listing with an agent is a more honest read than most calculators. And if you're wondering about our own licensing posture, why we're not a licensed brokerage and what that means explains it plainly.

One special case: if you inherited the house and are being contacted before probate is even finished, start with do you have to go through probate to sell a house in Arizona. The pressure a lot of families feel in that window comes from buyers who don't want you to think through it carefully — the whole point of the article you're reading right now is that you should.