Full Transparency

How We Calculate Your Cash Offer

No tricks, no hidden fees. Here is the exact formula we use to price every cash offer on Florida properties.

What Is After-Repair Value (ARV)?

After-Repair Value is the estimated market value of your property after all necessary repairs and updates are completed. This is the starting point for every cash offer we make. We do not guess at this number - we calculate it using real data.

Our ARV analysis includes three components:

  • Comparable sales (comps) - We pull recent closed sales within a half-mile radius of your property. We focus on homes sold in the last 90 days that match your property type, square footage (within 20%), bedroom and bathroom count, and lot size.
  • Market adjustments - If your neighborhood is trending up or down, we factor that in. A rising market means a higher ARV. A declining market means a lower one. We use MLS data and county records to track these trends.
  • Condition-based comparison - We compare your property to recently renovated homes in the area, not distressed ones. The ARV assumes the home is in move-in ready condition after repairs.

For most Florida single-family homes, we can establish a reliable ARV within $10,000-$15,000 accuracy. For unusual properties (large acreage, commercial mixed-use, waterfront), the range may be wider, and we will walk you through our reasoning.

How Do We Estimate Repair Costs?

Repair estimates are the second major factor in your offer. We assess every property individually - there is no flat percentage discount. Our repair estimate process works in three stages:

Stage 1: Initial assessment. Based on photos, property age, and your description of the home's condition, we create a preliminary repair budget. This covers structural issues, roof condition, HVAC age, plumbing, electrical, flooring, kitchen, bathrooms, and exterior.

Stage 2: On-site walkthrough. Before finalizing any offer, we (or our local representative) walk the property. We check for issues that photos do not reveal - water damage behind walls, foundation settling, termite activity, mold, code violations, and unpermitted additions.

Stage 3: Contractor verification. For major repairs (roof replacement, foundation work, full HVAC), we use current contractor pricing from licensed Florida contractors we work with regularly. We do not inflate repair numbers to lower your offer. Our estimates reflect actual project costs.

Common repair cost ranges in Florida (2026):

  • Roof replacement (shingle): $8,000 - $15,000
  • Roof replacement (tile): $15,000 - $30,000
  • Full HVAC replacement: $5,000 - $9,000
  • Kitchen renovation: $12,000 - $35,000
  • Bathroom renovation: $5,000 - $15,000 per bathroom
  • Foundation repair: $5,000 - $25,000
  • Full interior paint and flooring: $8,000 - $18,000
  • Mold remediation: $2,000 - $10,000

What Is Our Offer Formula?

Here is the exact formula we use for every cash offer:

Your Cash Offer = ARV - Repair Costs - Holding Costs - Our Margin

Breaking down each component:

  • ARV - After-Repair Value as described above
  • Repair Costs - The actual cost to bring the home to market-ready condition
  • Holding Costs - The expenses we pay while renovating and reselling: property taxes, insurance, utilities, lawn care, HOA fees, and financing costs. For a typical 4-6 month renovation and resale cycle in Florida, holding costs run $8,000-$15,000 depending on property value.
  • Our Margin - This is how our business stays in operation. Our target margin is 10-15% of ARV. This covers our team's time, transaction costs (title insurance, recording fees, transfer taxes), and business risk. Some properties have higher risk (flood zone, structural issues, long renovation timelines) which may increase the margin. Others with cosmetic-only work may have a lower margin.

Real Example - $350K ARV Property

Here is a real scenario based on a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home in the Tampa Bay area:

ComponentAmountNotes
After-Repair Value$350,000Based on 5 comparable sales within 0.5 miles
Repair Costs-$45,000New roof ($12K), kitchen ($18K), bathrooms ($10K), paint/flooring ($5K)
Holding Costs-$12,0005 months: taxes, insurance, utilities, financing
Selling Costs-$10,5003% buyer agent commission when we resell
Our Margin (12%)-$42,000Business operating costs and profit
Your Cash Offer$240,50068.7% of ARV

This means the homeowner receives approximately 69% of what the home would sell for after full renovation. That may sound low at first - but read the next section to understand why the net proceeds often compare favorably to a traditional sale.

Why Is the Offer Below Market Value?

Every cash buyer, investor, and house flipper offers below full retail value. Here is why - and why it still makes financial sense for many sellers:

We absorb all the risk. Once we buy your home, the renovation is on us. If material costs spike, if we discover hidden damage, if the market shifts downward - those are our problems, not yours. You walk away with guaranteed funds at closing.

We pay closing costs. In a traditional sale, the seller pays title insurance, documentary stamps, recording fees, and often buyer concessions. These costs add up to 1-3% of the sale price. We cover them.

No commissions. A traditional sale costs 5-6% in agent commissions. On a $350,000 home, that is $17,500-$21,000 out of your pocket. With us, you pay zero commissions.

No repairs required. To sell at full market value on the MLS, most homes need $5,000-$30,000+ in repairs, staging, and updates. Buyers expect move-in ready. We buy as-is.

No carrying costs during listing. The average Florida home sits on market for 45-90 days, plus 30-45 days to close. That is 3-5 months of mortgage payments, insurance, property taxes, HOA fees, and maintenance. At $2,500/month in carrying costs, that is $7,500-$12,500.

Certainty of closing. Approximately 15-20% of traditional sales fall through due to financing issues, inspection contingencies, or appraisal gaps. When a deal falls through, you start the listing process over - adding months and thousands in carrying costs. Cash sales close at 95%+ rates.

Traditional Sale vs Cash Sale - Net Proceeds Comparison

Using our $350,000 ARV example, here is what the homeowner actually nets in each scenario:

Cost Category Traditional Sale (MLS) Cash Sale (Us)
Sale Price$350,000$240,500
Pre-Sale Repairs-$25,000$0
Agent Commissions (5.5%)-$19,250$0
Closing Costs (2%)-$7,000$0 (we pay)
Carrying Costs (4 months)-$10,000$0
Staging and Photography-$2,500$0
Buyer Concessions-$5,000$0
Net to Seller$281,250$240,500
Time to Close90 - 150 days7 - 14 days

The difference is approximately $40,000 in this example. But consider: the traditional sale assumes everything goes perfectly - no deal falls through, no price reductions, no additional repair requests after inspection. It also assumes you have $25,000 cash available for pre-sale repairs and 4+ months to wait.

For sellers who need speed, certainty, or cannot fund repairs, the cash offer delivers comparable value when you factor in the real costs, risks, and time value of money.

Can I Negotiate?

Yes. Our initial offer is a starting point, not an ultimatum. Here are the situations where we commonly adjust:

  • You have recent comps we missed. If a neighbor's home just sold for more than our ARV estimate, share it. Better data means a better offer.
  • Repair costs are lower than estimated. If you recently replaced the roof, HVAC, or other major systems and have documentation, we reduce our repair estimate and increase your offer.
  • You can be flexible on closing date. If you do not need to close in 7 days and can give us 30-45 days, we can sometimes increase the offer because our holding cost calculation changes.
  • You have multiple offers. If another cash buyer has made a competing offer, let us know. We will review and respond.

We will never pressure you to accept. Take the offer to your attorney, your financial advisor, or your family. Compare it to other options. If it works for you, great. If not, no hard feelings.

Our goal is to make offers that are fair for both sides. If the numbers do not work for a particular property, we will tell you honestly rather than making a lowball offer that wastes everyone's time.

Get Your Free Cash Offer Today

FAQ

We provide a preliminary offer within 24 hours of receiving your property information. After a walkthrough, we finalize the number within 48 hours.

No. Our offer is completely free with no obligation. You can take it, compare it to other options, or walk away with no pressure.

Homes in good condition receive higher offers because our repair estimate is lower. Move-in ready properties typically receive 75-85% of market value.

No fees, no commissions, no closing costs to you. The offer amount is what you receive at closing minus only your existing mortgage payoff and any liens.

If you are underwater on your mortgage, we will discuss options including short sale negotiation with your lender. We have experience working with lenders on these situations.

MG
Mark Gabrielli
Founder, OneCashOffer

Mark has facilitated hundreds of property transactions across Florida.

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