Compare your options
Compare cash home buyers in Little Rock
Not every company that says we buy houses is the buyer. Here is how to tell a direct cash buyer from a middleman, how a cash sale compares with the open market, and where we stand on every check.
A direct buyer or a middleman
Arkansas does not require a license just to buy houses. The law exempts anyone buying property for their own account, under Ark. Code Ann. 17-42-104, so anyone can put up a yard sign and call themselves a cash home buyer. Some are exactly that. Others are middlemen, often called wholesalers, who sign a contract with you and then look for an investor to take it over.
Neither one is illegal. But they are different deals with different risks, and the difference decides whether your sale actually closes.
A direct cash buyer
Buys the house itself, with its own money, and closes in its own name. The company you talk to is the owner on the deed at the end.
A middleman
Signs a contract with you, then looks for an investor to take it over. If nobody takes it, the sale can stall or fall through after you have waited on it.
Who is buying
A direct cash buyer
The company in front of you. It closes the sale in its own name.
A middleman
An investor you have not met. The contract gets passed along.
Where the money comes from
A direct cash buyer
Its own funds. Ask for proof and call the bank yourself.
A middleman
The end investor, once one signs on.
The buyer line on the contract
A direct cash buyer
The company name, plain.
A middleman
A name followed by the words and/or assigns.
The deposit
A direct cash buyer
Meaningful, and held in escrow at an Arkansas title company.
A middleman
Often small. A tiny deposit is cheap to walk away from.
If no investor shows up
A direct cash buyer
Nothing changes. The buyer already has the money.
A middleman
The sale can stall or fall through after you have waited on it.
Check any buyer in about ten minutes
Every check is free, and a real buyer will not mind a single one of them. Our guide on vetting a cash home buyer walks through all five, step by step. These are the four fastest.
01
Look up the license
Search the Arkansas Real Estate Commission roster by name. The roster lists people, not brand names. Arkansas does not require a license just to buy houses, so no result is not proof of a scam, but a license adds state oversight.
02
Ask for proof of funds
A bank letter or recent statement in the name of the exact company on your contract, with enough money to close. Then call the bank at the number on its own website, never one printed on the letter.
03
Read the buyer line
The words and/or assigns after the buyer name let your contract pass to someone you have never met. If you want the company in front of you to close, ask them to strike those words.
04
Confirm who holds the deposit
Earnest money belongs with a neutral third party until closing, never in the buyer pocket. Ask which Arkansas title company holds it, then call that company to confirm.
How we answer the same checks
We wrote the vetting guide because we pass it. Run every check on us.
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Licensed, and on the roster
Tara Helgestad, our owner, is a licensed Arkansas real estate professional. Look her up on the state roster by name.
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Our own money
Tara has bought more than 500 houses across Central Arkansas since 2010 and paid sellers more than $75 million.
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A real closing
Every sale runs through an Arkansas title company. Your deposit sits in escrow there, never in our pocket.
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A written number
You get a guaranteed cash offer within 24 hours, and the offer you accept is the amount you are paid at closing.
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No fees
No commissions and no service fees, and we cover the typical closing costs, meaning the title work.
If anything here does not hold up, call (501) 251-9330 and ask us about it. You will talk to one of us.
The easiest way to sell a house in Central Arkansas
Time to close
Selling to Tara Pays Cash
Less than 10 days
Listing on the market
Often 60 to 90+ days
Commissions and fees
Selling to Tara Pays Cash
None
Listing on the market
Typically 5 to 6 percent plus fees
Repairs
Selling to Tara Pays Cash
None. We buy as-is
Listing on the market
Usually expected before or after inspection
Showings and open houses
Selling to Tara Pays Cash
None
Listing on the market
Ongoing until you accept an offer
Certainty
Selling to Tara Pays Cash
Written guaranteed cash offer
Listing on the market
Depends on the buyer's financing
Closing costs
Selling to Tara Pays Cash
We cover the title costs
Listing on the market
Sellers often pay a share
Sell as-is for a guaranteed cash offer.
When each choice actually fits
The open market can win
If the house shows well and you can wait a few months, selling it on the open market usually brings a higher price, even after the fees that come with it. Our how it works page says this plainly, in a section called when we are not your best option, and we mean it. Our guide comparing a cash offer with the open market covers the full cost picture.
A cash sale fits
When the house needs work you do not want to fund, when the timeline matters more than the last dollar, or when you want a written number that does not move at closing. The tradeoff is honest: an as-is cash price is usually below what a fully repaired house brings on the open market. What you get back is speed, certainty, and a sale that does not depend on anyone else showing up.
Questions people ask when they compare
What is the difference between a cash home buyer and a wholesaler?
A direct cash buyer purchases the house itself, with its own money, and closes the sale in its own name. A wholesaler signs a contract with you and then tries to pass that contract to an investor. Arkansas does not require a license to do either, so read the buyer line of the contract and ask who is actually closing before you sign.
Who actually buys the house when Tara Pays Cash makes an offer?
We do. Tara Pays Cash buys property for its own account, as the buyer, acting as a principal. Tara Helgestad, our owner, is a licensed Arkansas real estate professional who has bought more than 500 houses across Central Arkansas since 2010. Every closing runs through an Arkansas title company, and your deposit sits in escrow there until the sale is done.
Are there any fees when you sell your house to Tara Pays Cash?
No. There are no commissions and no service fees, and we cover the typical closing costs, meaning the title work. The written offer you accept is the amount you are paid at closing. A cash sale does not erase what is owed on the house itself, like a mortgage balance or unpaid taxes. Those are paid out of your proceeds at closing with any buyer.
Why does it matter whether a cash buyer is a middleman?
Certainty. A buyer with its own money can close as soon as the title work is done. A middleman has to find an investor to take over the contract first, and a tiny deposit makes it cheap to walk away late if nobody appears. The buyer line on the contract and the size of the deposit usually tell you which one you are talking to.
Get your guaranteed cash offer today
Tell us about your house. We will call within 24 hours with a real number.
Prefer to talk now? Call (501) 251-9330.