What would a cash offer on your Putnam County house actually look like?
Move three sliders and you will see a working number, plus every dollar of renovation, holding and selling cost behind it, including what I make. No email required to see the result.
Tell me about the house
At these numbers, a cash purchase does not work
The renovation cost is close to or above what the finished house would sell for. No cash buyer can pay you a number worth taking on a house like this, and anyone who tells you otherwise is planning to renegotiate later. Here is what I would actually suggest:
- List it as-is with an agent. There is a real buyer pool for project houses, and retail buyers will pay more than an investor can.
- Check whether the repair estimate is too high. If the condition is better than you selected, slide it back and see what changes.
- Call me anyway at 904-606-9163. Some houses work as a wholesale or owner finance deal even when a flip does not.
Every dollar behind that number
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| What I put into the house | |
| Cash offer to you | |
| My purchase closing costs and lender fees (2%) | |
| Renovation budget | |
| Interest on purchase plus renovation (12% for 6 months) | |
| Insurance, utilities and taxes while I hold it (6 months) | |
| My total all-in cost | |
| When the finished house sells | |
| Resale price | |
| Selling costs (buyer agent and closing, 4.5%) | |
| Net proceeds from the sale | |
| My profit | |
I build every deal toward roughly a 12% margin on the resale price, because a renovation that runs over budget or a house that sits longer than six months eats that margin fast. I need just to break even at this offer. That risk is the part I am taking on instead of you.
Compare it honestly
| My cash offer | Listing it | |
|---|---|---|
| Roughly what you receive | ||
| Agent commission | $0 | |
| Repairs before selling | $0 | |
| Typical time to cash | 2 to 3 weeks | |
| Showings and inspections | None | Yes |
| Risk the sale falls through | None, no financing | Buyer financing can fail |
The listing column assumes a 6% total commission, 2% seller closing costs, and that you complete the repairs a retail buyer and their lender would require. If those numbers favor listing, list it. I will say so on the phone, and I can help you do it. Run the fuller net sheet comparison →
Get the real number on your Putnam County house
The estimate above is built from a formula. A real offer is built from your actual house, which means I need to see it. Send me the address and I will get you a written as-is offer, usually within 24 to 48 hours.
Why I show you my profit
Almost every cash buyer works the same way. They give you a number, they will not explain it, and they count on you feeling like you have no way to check it. I think that is a bad way to do business in a county this small, where people talk and my name is the only thing I have.
So the calculator on this page runs the same formula I run before I make a real offer. If you think my renovation estimate is too high for your house, slide the condition back and watch the offer climb. If you think a fixed up version of your house is worth more than I assumed, slide the resale number up and show me. That is a fair argument for a higher offer and I am glad to have it.
What I will not do is pretend I am not making money. I am running a business and I take real risk on every one of these. What I can do is show you exactly how much, so you can decide for yourself whether the trade is worth it.
A real Putnam County house, before and after
This is 621 South 18th Street in Palatka. It came to us full of belongings, with a green kitchen from another era and a yard nobody had touched in years. Nobody had to clean it out, and nobody had to fix a thing before we bought it. Here is the same house before and after.
This is what the renovation line in the calculator actually pays for, and it is why the offer on a house in this condition lands where it lands. The work is real, it takes months, and it costs what it costs.
The front of the house
The kitchen
The living room
The rest of the finished house
Photos of our own completed Putnam County project in Palatka. Tap any photo to enlarge.
Putnam County right now
Putnam is the most affordable county in Northeast Florida by a wide margin, and homes here take around 71 days to sell once they are listed. Add a 30 to 45 day closing on top of that and a traditional listing is often a four month project. If your deadline is shorter than that, the speed of a cash close is worth real money to you, and that is the honest reason a lower number can still be the better deal.
We documented one of our own Putnam County projects start to finish, photographed wall to wall, because we actually walk these houses. See that project →
Where I buy in Putnam County
A lot of what I buy here is in the older blocks of South Palatka near the Memorial Bridge, along the SR 100 and US 17 corridors, out in Interlachen, and in the fish camp areas on the west bank of the St. Johns. River access parcels and older block homes are the two things I get called about most.
When a cash offer is not your best move
If your house is in good shape, you are not in a hurry, and you can handle showings, listing it on the open market will almost always put more money in your pocket than I can. That is just math. A retail buyer with a mortgage can pay more than an investor who has to renovate, carry and resell the same house.
A cash sale earns its keep when speed, certainty or condition are the problem. A foreclosure sale date closing in. An inherited house two states away. A tenant you cannot get out. A roof that will not pass an insurance inspection, let alone a lender's. Those are the situations where the certainty is worth more than the last few thousand dollars.
I am a licensed Florida real estate agent as well as a buyer, so I can walk you down either road. If the numbers say list it, I will tell you that.
Questions people actually ask
Is this calculator an actual offer on my Putnam County house?
No, and I want to be clear about that. It is a working estimate built from the same formula I use before I ever walk a property. The real offer comes after I see the house, because condition is the one thing a calculator cannot judge. What the tool does give you is an honest preview of the range and, more importantly, the reasoning behind it.
Why do you show me your own profit?
Because the number only makes sense once you can see what sits behind it. Most cash buyers hand you a figure with no explanation, which leaves you guessing whether you are being taken advantage of. I would rather show you the renovation budget, the holding costs, the selling costs and my margin, and let you decide for yourself whether the trade is fair.
Do you really buy houses anywhere in Putnam County?
Yes. A lot of what I buy here is in the older blocks of South Palatka near the Memorial Bridge, along the SR 100 and US 17 corridors, out in Interlachen, and in the fish camp areas on the west bank of the St. Johns. River access parcels and older block homes are the two things I get called about most.
What if the calculator says the deal does not work?
Then it does not work, and that is useful information. When the repair cost gets close to what the finished house would be worth, no cash buyer can pay you a number worth taking. If that happens I will tell you on the phone instead of stringing you along, and I will walk you through what your other options look like.
Do I pay commissions, closing costs or repair bills?
No. There is no agent commission on my purchase, I cover the normal seller closing costs, and I buy the house in its current condition. You do not need to repair, clean or empty anything. Take what matters to you and leave the rest.
How fast can you close?
Usually two to three weeks once title is clear, and faster if you need it. There is no bank financing and no appraisal contingency, which is what removes most of the delay. If you need more time instead, you pick the closing date.
You are also a licensed agent. Is that a conflict?
It is a disclosure, and you should hold me to it. I am a licensed Florida real estate agent, and when I buy your house I am acting as the buyer and principal, not as your agent. The upside for you is that if the numbers say listing would put more money in your pocket, I can tell you that and show you what that path looks like.