Questions Houston Owners Ask Us

Yes. An open claim does not prevent a conveyance. Depending on the policy the claim can be settled before closing, the proceeds assigned where the carrier permits, or the purchase price structured around the expected payout. The mortgage servicer usually controls the escrow and is generally the item that sets the schedule.

It depends on how the transaction is structured and on whether a lender holds it. Where proceeds have already been paid to you they are yours. Where a servicer holds them in a restoration escrow, they are released against inspected repair progress, so a sale without repairs requires the escrow to be resolved as part of closing.

Yes, and it is statutory. Texas sets deadlines for acknowledging, deciding and paying a claim, with interest and attorney's fees payable when they are missed. The sections and the timings are set out on our page covering Texas insurance claim deadlines.

That is your call and we do not advise on it, because adjusting a claim and buying a property are separate roles and combining them would be a conflict. What we can tell you is that the fee is capped by statute and the licence is publicly verifiable, both covered on the same statewide page.

We still buy. A denial changes the price rather than the possibility, and it is worth understanding the stated reason before you decide anything, because denials on grounds like vacancy or non-payment sometimes have remedies.

No. We buy with the debris in place, the roof open and the utilities disconnected. Demolition and the permits that go with it become our obligation after closing. Money spent cleaning a property you are selling as-is rarely returns what it costs.

Yes. A dangerous-building placard restricts occupancy, not conveyance. Title transfers normally. The tag does affect value, because it usually signals that repair costs have passed the point where restoration makes sense.

It is worth what the cleared land is worth, less the cost of clearing it. In some parts of the metro that is a strong number and in others it is a modest one, which depends almost entirely on whether builders are acquiring lots in that submarket. Our service area pages set out which is which.

Substantially, inside the City of Houston and in unincorporated Harris County. Both apply rules that can force an elevated foundation on a rebuild once damage passes a threshold, which changes a repair into a demolition. The mechanism is explained on our Houston fire damage page.

Nothing. No fee for the offer, no commission, no repair spend, and no obligation if you decline.

Offer in one to three days. Closing usually two to six weeks, gated by title work rather than by us. Where probate is required it is longer, and no buyer can shorten that.

Ask for proof of funds naming the entity that will be on the deed, and search that entity as grantee in the county clerk's real property index. Both checks are free and take minutes. We describe how, including on our competitors, on the page about telling Houston cash buyers apart.

No. Remote signing and wire transfer are routine, and out-of-state heirs are among the most common sellers on these files.

Yes. The Texas seller's disclosure notice has a specific line item for previous fires, and as-is language allocates responsibility for unknown conditions rather than excusing disclosure of known ones.

Yes, once you have authority to convey it. If the owner of record died and no probate has been opened, the deed cannot be delivered until heirship is established, which takes months rather than weeks. Starting that process early is the single most useful thing an heir can do.

Uninsured losses are more common than people expect, particularly on older properties and rentals. Nothing about the sale changes; there is simply no claim to coordinate, which usually makes the transaction faster rather than slower.

Every owner on title has to sign. Where co-owners disagree, that is a legal question rather than a transactional one, and it needs a Texas real estate attorney rather than a buyer. We are happy to hold a written offer open while it is resolved.