Cash Offer or List It? What Towson Sellers Actually Keep
A cash offer trades price for speed and certainty. Listing usually gets a higher price, but it takes longer and you’ll handle showings, an inspection and an appraisal. The right choice comes down to what you’d keep from each and how much the time and hassle are worth to you, so compare the two on paper before you sign anything.
Updated November 2026
Side by side
| Cash buyer | Listing on the market | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Usually below market value; the buyer has to resell at a profit | Set by competing buyers |
| Repairs | Sold as is | You may prepare the house or negotiate inspection items |
| Commission | Often none, though some buyers charge fees | The listing fee is negotiable and set in your listing agreement; buyer’s agent pay is a separate choice, and the buyer may ask for it as a credit |
| Closing timeline | Can be as fast as the title work allows | Typically 30 to 45 days under contract with a loan |
| Certainty | No loan or appraisal to fall through | Financing and appraisal can slow or end a deal |
| Showings | One walkthrough | Showings while the house is listed |
The math on one example
This is an example to show how to compare, not a quote or a prediction for your house. It uses the Baltimore County seller net sheet I run for clients: a $300,000 market price, cash offers 10% and 20% lower (the range I typically see from cash buyers), no mortgage and a November 30 settlement. Taxes are split 50/50 in every column. All figures are estimates and actual costs will vary. Real estate commissions are fully negotiable and aren’t set by law; to change the percentages, use the calculator on what it costs to sell in Baltimore County.
| Cash offer, 20% below | Cash offer, 10% below | Listing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $240,000 | $270,000 | $300,000 |
| Prep and repairs | $0 | $0 | $0 in this example; add yours |
| Listing agent’s fee | $0 | $0 | $9,000 (3%, negotiable) |
| Buyer’s agent pay | $0 | $0 | $9,000 (3%, your choice; $0 if not offered) |
| Brokerage fee | $0 | $0 | $495 |
| Transfer and recordation taxes (your half) | $3,000 | $3,375 | $3,750 |
| Certifications | $50 | $50 | $50 |
| Property tax credit at settlement | +$1,627 | +$1,627 | +$1,627 |
| What you keep | About $238,577 | About $268,202 | About $279,332 |
Here the gap runs from about $11,100 to about $40,800, and that’s the real price of speed. If you’d spend $5,000 getting the house ready to list, take that off the gap. Some cash buyers also pay the seller’s share of the transfer taxes, which narrows it by about $3,000 to $3,400. Sometimes the gap is worth paying. Often it’s more than sellers expect.
The full cost breakdown is on what it costs to sell a house in Baltimore County.
When a cash offer really is the right call
- The house needs work you can’t or won’t fund, and a lender might not approve a buyer’s loan on it.
- You need to close on a fixed date, such as an estate settlement or a job move, and can’t carry the house.
- You’ve already moved out and the carrying costs (mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities) are adding up every month.
Even then, get the listing number first. A cash buyer’s offer is easier to judge when you know what the open market would likely pay.
Getting more than one cash offer
If you go the cash route, don’t take the first number. Ask for proof of funds, read the contract for inspection and walk-away clauses, and have the title company, not the buyer, hold the deposit. I can put your house in front of several investors at once so you’re comparing real offers.
What I bring to this
I’ve managed rentals since 2014, so I know what repairs really cost and what an investor has to spend after buying. That’s how I can tell you whether a cash number is fair. More on how I sell homes, and on the Towson, MD homes for sale guide.
Questions people ask
Is selling to a cash buyer a good idea in Towson?
It can be when speed or the house’s condition matters more than price. Compare the cash offer with what you’d likely keep from a listing first.
How much less do cash buyers pay?
It varies by house and buyer. The cash offers I typically see run 10% to 20% below what the house would likely sell for on the market. Compare a written cash offer with a market estimate based on recent sales near you.
How fast can I close with a cash buyer?
As fast as the title work allows, often a few weeks. A listing with a financed buyer typically takes 30 to 45 days once under contract.
Can I list my house and still take a cash offer?
Yes. Some cash buyers make offers on listed homes, and you can compare them against financed offers.
About Mike Fielder
Mike Fielder is a Baltimore Realtor and Sales Director of The Key Home Team at Cummings & Co. Realtors. Licensed since June 2016, he focuses on North Baltimore (Lake Evesham, Lake Walker, Cedarcroft, Hampden and Remington) and the Towson area. He works with buyers and sellers throughout Maryland and in parts of Pennsylvania, where he’s also licensed. He also serves as Vice President of the Lake Evesham Community Association.
Over his career, Mike has sold 190 homes worth more than $56 million. He’s backed by The Key Home Team, which has sold more than $375 million in real estate and closes about $30 million a year.
Mike founded Property Management of Baltimore in 2014, two years before getting his license, and still runs it. Managing rentals taught him what repairs really cost, which updates buyers pay for, and how to keep a deal moving when something breaks. Sellers get that judgment when deciding what to fix before listing. Buyers get it when they’re reading an inspection report.
A Towson University graduate, Mike keeps his approach simple: price from real recent sales, spend money only where it pays back, and compare offers by what the client actually keeps.
More from Mike: Towson on mikesellsbaltimore.com · Selling with Mike · Full bio
Want both numbers for your house?
Get your home value, and I’ll show you what you’d keep from a listing next to any cash offer you have. Or call me at 410-905-6678.
The Key Home Team of Cummings & Co. Realtors
Cell: 410-905-6678
Email: [email protected]
Office: 410-823-0033
222 W Cold Spring Ln, Suite C, Baltimore, MD 21210
Website: mikesellsbaltimore.com