Frequently Asked Questions

At O’Neill Home Buyers, we are Sam, Jack, Peggy, and Andy, a family-run, trusted home buying company in Virginia. We are fortunate to work together as a family, sharing the same values, passion, and commitment to helping homeowners. Our About Us page offers a detailed look at who we are and what drives us—feel free to visit and get to know us better! 😀

We buy houses for cash across Virginia, in any condition or location. In addition to offering fast cash home sales, we provide a range of solutions tailored to your unique needs. Whether you’re looking to sell your house quickly in Virginia or prefer a more flexible timeline to avoid the fees and headaches of listing with an agent, we’re here to help!

“We are not desperate to sell our home in VA, nor are we in a hurry!”

It may come as a surprise, but most of the homeowners who sell to us aren’t desperate or trying to avoid foreclosure. In fact, the majority of our clients choose O’Neill Home Buyers because they’ve had frustrating experiences with real estate agents or simply want to avoid the stress of repairs, multiple showings, and the traditional home-selling process.

At O’Neill Home Buyers, we purchase homes across Hampton Roads Virginia in any condition, regardless of the situation, location, or challenges you might be facing. If you’re looking to sell your house quickly and without hassle, we’re a great option to consider.

Let us provide you with a cash offer for your home in Hampton Roads. We’ll also offer honest advice on whether listing with an agent might be a better route for you. Our cash offers are completely free, and there’s absolutely no obligation to accept—so why not see what we can do for you?

While you have plenty of options when selling your home, you don’t have to choose us! There are many cash home buyers in Hampton Roads—just search for terms like “We Buy Houses in Hampton Roads” or “Sell My House Fast in Hampton Roads,” and you’ll see plenty of companies. However, it’s important to do your research. Unfortunately, not all investors have your best interests at heart, and some may prioritize profit over helping homeowners.

At O’Neill Home Buyers, we are different. We aren’t desperate to buy every house, nor do we need to make huge profits from every deal. While we offer cash for homes in Virginia just like other companies, what sets us apart is how and why we do it. We operate with honesty, integrity, and a genuine desire to help. Yes, we’re here to make money, but never at the expense of taking advantage of homeowners.

I encourage you to explore our About Us and How It Works pages to learn more about our team, our values, and our hassle-free home buying process. See for yourself why we’re a trusted option to buy your house fast for cash in Hampton Roads.

So no, you do not have to choose us, but if you do feel like working with us, just fill in this form and we will take care of you 🙂

A real estate agent (Realtor) doesn’t actually buy your house. Instead, they list your property on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and wait for potential buyers. When selling through an agent in Hampton Roads, you’re responsible for paying commissions, fees, closing costs, title transfer taxes, and dealing with the hassle of multiple showings, open houses, inspections, and appraisals. Plus, selling a house on the MLS can take a long time—anywhere from 6 to 12 months or more is common.

At O’Neill Home Buyers, we are a legitimate cash home buying company in Hampton Roads. We have the resources and connections to buy houses for cash, either to rehab and resell or to hold as rental properties. In many cases, we are the direct buyer, and other times, we sell the property to one of our trusted cash investors.

By working with us, you can skip the traditional agent process entirely. We provide a fair cash offer and can close on your property quickly, without the waiting and uncertainty. Plus, we cover all closing costs—so you don’t have to worry about any fees or commissions. With a guaranteed cash buyer, you avoid the long wait times of the open market.

What you choose depends on your priorities. If you’re focused on getting top market value and have time to wait, listing your property with a Realtor might be the best option. However, if speed, convenience, and certainty are more important, and you're okay with potentially accepting a slightly lower price, selling to a trusted home buying company in Hampton Roads could be the smarter choice.

If your house needs repairs or doesn’t qualify for traditional financing, even a Realtor will likely have to find a cash buyer. In this case, you’ll still need to sell at a discount, and you’ll also pay the Realtor’s commissions, fees, and closing costs. For homes in this condition, selling directly to a cash buyer makes more sense—you’ll save on fees and avoid unnecessary delays.

In addition to making cash offers for homes in Virginia, we offer another solution called “Novation".This allows sellers to make more than a typical cash offer by partnering with us to sell the property to a third-party buyer. We’ll handle the necessary repairs, cover all commissions, and guarantee you a net price that’s typically 10-15% higher than a standard cash offer. This option works best for properties in decent or good condition.

Many homeowners don’t fully understand the pros and cons of listing with a Realtor and thats ok! We’d be happy to walk you through your options. Just fill out one of our web forms or give us a call, and we’ll guide you toward the best approach for selling your home in Virginia.

Absolutely not! We understand that you have many options, and we’re fully aware of the unfortunate reality that some investors in Virginia take advantage of homeowners in difficult situations. To set ourselves apart, we ensure that there are ZERO costs and no risks to you. There’s truly nothing to lose by simply filling out a form on our site to get a cash offer for your home.

If you accept our offer, fantastic! You’ll be able to sell your house quickly and walk away with cash in hand. If our offer isn’t what you’re looking for, we’ll still provide you with honest guidance to help you find the best path forward.

It’s simple! Here’s how our process works:

Step 1 – Discovery

Give us a call or submit your details through one of the secure forms on our site. One of our friendly “House Helpers” will either answer your call immediately or get back to you ASAP for a brief 5-10 minute discovery chat. During this call, we’ll listen to your needs, answer any questions, and provide guidance—even if that means we aren’t the best option for you.

Step 2 – Cash Offer

If you feel our services are a good fit, the next step is setting up a conversation with our Buying Manager, Sam. This can be done in person or over the phone (often on the same day). Sam will conduct a thorough market analysis of your property and craft a cash offer tailored to your specific needs.

Should you choose to accept our offer, we’ll send over a simple, easy-to-read 3-page agreement (we’re not fans of complicated paperwork!). The agreement outlines all the important details discussed with Sam. You can sign electronically or in person, and you’re welcome to have an attorney review it (we recommend it, though it’s not required).

Step 3 – Agreement Review

After signing, we’ll move forward based on our agreement, which may include items like cash advances, property inspections, or repairs handled by us. Throughout this step, you’ll stay in contact with our Title Coordinator, Christina. She’ll ensure that your title is clean, mortgages are settled, HOA fees are taken care of, and any other outstanding items are resolved—so we can smoothly move on to the final step.

Step 4 – Closing

The easiest part! Christina will already have confirmed your preferred closing method—whether at a location of your choice or a trusted attorney’s office—as well as your preferred payment option (certified check or wire transfer).

Christina will notify you of the funding date, so you’ll know exactly when to expect your payment. Together, you’ll coordinate a convenient time for you to sign the closing documents, and once everything is finalized and notarized, you’ll receive your funds within 1-2 business days!

It’s really that simple! If you have any further questions about our process, feel free to give us a call at (757) 578-1214 or check out our How It Works page.

How You Get Paid at Closing

Depending on the location of your closing—whether at the title company’s office or at your preferred location—there are two common ways our sellers receive payment: via wire transfer to your bank account or a certified cashier’s check.

1 – Closing at the Title Company

If you close at the title company, you’ll sign the closing documents and receive payment either through a wire transfer to your bank account or a cashier’s check, whichever you prefer. Keep in mind that if you sign before our funds have been fully transferred, there could be a brief delay between signing and receiving your payment. However, we always strive to ensure funds are available before sending you to the title company. In some cases, you may need to sign prior to funding, but we maintain open communication to keep you informed throughout the process.

2 – Mobile Closing

If you opt for a mobile closing at your preferred location, payment typically follows 1-2 days after signing the closing documents. We’ll send a mobile notary to notarize the paperwork, and the documents will be overnighted to the title company. The title company will hold your documents in escrow and will only record them once our funds are secured. This ensures both parties are protected. Once the funds hit the title company’s account, they’ll either wire the money to you or send a cashier’s check overnight—whichever payment method you choose.

Not at all! You don’t need to stress about a thing. Just take what you want and leave the rest behind. When we say “Sell Your House As-Is,” we truly mean it! We’ve purchased homes with everything from cat poop and dead mice to rotten food in the fridge and cockroaches on the walls. No judgment here.

Why not make the process easier on yourself? Take what matters to you, and let us handle the cleanup. We’re here to make selling your home hassle-free!

Absolutely not! If you’re not ready to move out before closing, we can easily arrange an escrow holdback. This allows us to hold funds in an escrow account while we create a post-occupancy agreement. You’ll have a set amount of time—typically 1 to 3 weeks—to stay in the property after the sale.

If you need more than 3 weeks, we may need to charge market rent for the extended stay, but rest assured, we will never kick you out of your home. Our goal is to ensure a smooth transition that works for both you and us.

Not at all! Our services are completely free for you. We don’t charge anything to make an offer or inspect your property. Since we’re the direct buyers, there are no agent commissions or hidden fees to worry about. Plus, we cover all closing costs, so you don’t have to!

If you need to sell an inherited property in Hampton Roads, we can even pay for probate upfront and get reimbursed at closing. This way, you can focus on selling your home without any out-of-pocket expenses.

We buy homes in Hampton Roads for cash, no matter the condition—good, bad, or in need of serious repairs. Whether your house requires extensive renovations or just some TLC, we and our network of investor buyers see the potential in every property. In fact, the more room for improvement, the more opportunity we see to bring your home back to life.

So, if your home is in rough shape, don’t worry—we’re still interested! You may be surprised by how much we can offer you in cash for your house. Simply fill out our form to find out how much we can pay and experience how easy it is to sell a damaged house in Hampton Roads for cash!

We always strive to pay fair prices, but it’s important to understand the difference between a fair price and market value. The market value represents what your house would be worth if it were fully remodeled. If your property needs repairs, we calculate our offer by deducting the repair costs from the market value, ensuring that the number we arrive at is fair and works for you.

For a detailed explanation of how we calculate our offers, visit our How It Works page.

In some situations, we can offer highly competitive prices, even matching or exceeding market value. However, these offers typically don’t involve an all-cash payment. We may use options like seller financing, Novations, or Subject-To deals. If you’re interested in learning more about these options, give us a call at (757) 578-1214 or fill out one of our online forms, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

We’ve been in business for nearly 7 years and have successfully closed over 250 real estate transactions since we started. Our track record speaks for itself, and we hope it gives you confidence in our ability to get deals to the finish line. That said, during the inspection period, there is a possibility that a contract may be canceled. However, it’s important to note that only a small percentage of our contracts fall through because we make offers with the full intent to close.

Occasionally, unforeseen circumstances arise—such as hidden repairs discovered during inspection, sudden changes in the real estate market (like during COVID-19), or unexpected liens or violations. While these factors can sometimes impact a deal, such instances are rare.

If you’re concerned about the contract being canceled during the inspection period, we can offer a 0-day inspection period. However, please keep in mind that in exchange for this added risk on our end, we may need to negotiate a slightly lower price to account for any unknown issues we might encounter.

If we agree to provide you with a cash advance (0% interest) before your home sale, we’ll first need to complete a title search and obtain loan or lien payoffs. This step ensures that you have the full authority to transfer a clear and marketable title and that no issues will prevent us from moving forward with purchasing your property. Title searches typically take about 5-15 business days, and once the title is cleared and there’s enough equity, we can issue the advance within 1-2 business days.

The amount of the cash advance will depend on your specific needs and circumstances. Typically, we offer advances ranging from $2,500 to $10,000, but in urgent situations, we’ve been able to provide even larger amounts. If you require an advance, please let us know upfront how much you need and the reason behind it, so we can work on structuring the best possible deal for you.

That’s a great question! 🙂 It’s important to remember that no company can please everyone. While we do have some negative reviews, we hope you’ll consider them in context—we have far more positive reviews from satisfied clients. Unfortunately, in some cases, sellers may decide they no longer wish to sell after signing a contract with us. These are often the individuals who leave us negative feedback.

In other instances, we’ve recognized that the fault was on our end, where sellers didn’t fully understand our process and felt frustrated. Over the years, we’ve taken these reviews as valuable lessons and have worked hard to improve our communication. We now make sure our clients know what to expect at every stage of the process.

We take our business seriously and are dedicated not just to our clients but to our employees as well. Our goal is to create a win-win situation for everyone involved. While it’s impossible to please every single person, we always strive to do our best. In fact, I’d be more cautious of companies that have no negative reviews at all.

Unfortunately, yes, some cash buyers do take advantage of homeowners in difficult situations. Many people who sell their homes to cash buyers are facing distress and feel pressured to sell quickly. As a result, some unscrupulous buyers try to exploit these circumstances to secure the best deal for themselves. That’s why it’s crucial to do your homework before committing to sell. Ask yourself: Do they have real, positive reviews? Have they been in business for a while? Do you have a good gut feeling about them?

At O’Neill Home Buyers, we do buy houses in Hampton Roads to make a profit—that’s how we stay in business—but we do so with integrity. Our core values revolve around giving first and treating people how we would want to be treated. While we may not always offer full market value, we operate ethically and never take advantage of someone’s unfortunate situation. We genuinely care about our sellers’ happiness—if you’re not satisfied with our offer, we’d rather you not sell to us.

While some cash buyers may engage in unethical practices, we pride ourselves on transparency and fairness. Feel free to check out our About Us and How It Works pages to get a better sense of our process and see if we’re the right fit for you.