Guide · November 9, 2026
How fast a cash sale closes: from the first call to the money in your account
A cash sale skips the buyer's loan. What remains is the title search, the payoffs and the closing papers, plus a few things that can push the date back.
Key points
- With BIMINIO, you get a text within a minute, a call within the hour and a written cash offer within 24 hours.
- You pick the closing date, from 7 to 35 days after you accept.
- A cash buyer has no lender, so there is no appraisal, no loan approval and no loan to fall through.
- The title company's work sets the earliest date: the title search, the payoff letters and any HOA papers.
- A lender must send a payoff statement within 7 business days of a written request, with some exceptions.
- Liens, probate papers, owners who cannot sign or a code case can take longer. Tell the buyer about them on the first call.
Why a cash sale can close sooner
In a sale with a bank loan, the buyer's lender has its own steps: an application, an appraisal, the buyer's income and credit, and the lender's final approval. The house has to be insured before the loan funds. Each step can take time, and any one of them can end the sale.
A cash buyer pays from money it already has, with no lender involved. That removes the appraisal, the loan approval and the lender's insurance rule. What remains is the work any sale needs: a signed contract, a title search, payoffs for the loan and any liens, the closing papers and the recording of the deed.
| Step | Sale with a bank loan | Cash sale |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer's loan approval | Needed | Not needed |
| Appraisal for the lender | Needed | Not needed |
| Insurance before the loan funds | Needed | Not needed to close |
| Title search and title insurance | Needed | Needed |
| Payoff of your loan and liens | Needed | Needed |
| Deed signed and recorded | Needed | Needed |
A sale to BIMINIO, step by step
Here is the order of a sale to BIMINIO, with the times we commit to. The title company's work sits between your acceptance and the closing date you choose.
| Step | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Form or call | Day 0 | You tell us the address and the situation |
| Text | Within a minute | A text confirms we have your request |
| Call | Within the hour | A real person asks a few questions about the house |
| Written offer | Within 24 hours | A firm number, with the comparable sales we used and proof of funds |
| You accept | Your choice | You sign the purchase agreement, and the title company opens the file |
| Building inspection | After you accept | One visit of under 30 minutes, at a time you choose |
| Closing | 7 to 35 days after you accept | You sign, the title company pays the loan and liens, and you are paid |
What the title company does in those days
A licensed title company holds the earnest deposit, searches the county records for the owners, loans and liens on the house, and orders a payoff for each one. It prepares the deed and the closing statement, which lists the price, every payoff and every cost, and what you receive.
Each of those steps waits on someone else. The earliest closing date is the day the last answer arrives. The items further down are the ones that can delay it.
The payoff letter for your mortgage
The title company asks your lender for a payoff statement, the exact amount needed to clear the loan on the closing day. Under 12 CFR 1026.36(c)(3), the lender must send it within a reasonable time, and in no case more than 7 business days after a written request from you or someone acting for you.
The rule has exceptions. For a loan in bankruptcy or foreclosure, a reverse mortgage, or a loan affected by a natural disaster, the lender must send it within a reasonable time instead. Sign the title company's authorization form on the first day, so it can ask your lender at once.
HOA papers
If the house is in a homeowners association, the title company needs the association's statement of what is owed. In Florida, section 720.30851 gives the association 10 business days after a written request to issue an estoppel certificate, which is valid for 30 days when delivered by hand or electronically, and 35 days when mailed.
In Arizona, section 33-1806 gives an association of 50 or more homes 10 days after the owner's written notice of a pending sale to provide its disclosure. The fees are capped at $400 in total, plus up to $100 for a rush within 72 hours. Send the HOA notice the day you accept the offer.
HOA estoppel fees in Florida and Arizona →
State papers that come with the contract and the deed
Each state adds its own papers, and they are part of the timeline. In Florida, section 689.302 asks the seller of residential real property to give the buyer a written flood disclosure at or before the time the contract is signed. Section 404.056(5) asks for the state's radon gas notice on at least one document signed at or before the contract for the sale of any building.
In Arizona, section 11-1133 asks the seller and the buyer, or an agent of either, to certify an affidavit of legal value, which is attached when the deed is recorded. The title company prepares these papers with you, so sign them at the start and they will be ready on closing day.
Get ready on the day you accept
Send the title company these papers on the first day, so it can start every request at once.
- A photo ID for each owner on the deed
- Your lender's name, your loan number, and the signed payoff authorization
- The HOA's name and contact, if there is one
- Any lien, judgment or code notice you have received
- Death certificates, court orders or trust papers, if an owner has died
- How you want to receive your money
What can slow a closing down
These are the items that can push a closing past the first date you hoped for. None of them stops a sale, but each one needs its own answer before the title company can give the buyer clear title. Tell us about any of them on the first call, so the closing date you pick is one that can hold.
| Item | Why it takes time | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| An owner who has died | Someone must get the legal right to sign: a court order, an affidavit or trustee papers | Start the probate or affidavit early |
| An owner who cannot be reached | Every owner on the deed usually signs | Find each owner before you accept |
| Liens and judgments | Each holder must send a payoff or a release | List every lien you know of |
| Code fines | The city's payoff can change daily while a fine runs | Give the title company the case numbers |
| A divorce case | Arizona bars a sale during the case without consent or a court order | Get both spouses' written consent early |
| Unpaid property tax | Must be paid from the sale | Ask the county for the amount |
Picking your closing date
With BIMINIO you pick any date from 7 to 35 days after you accept. Pick a short date if you need the money soon or have a sale date ahead. Pick a later date if you need time to move, to find a new home, or to wait for a court paper.
Speed has a price. A cash offer is below full market value, because the buyer takes on the repairs, the holding costs and the resale. Decide how much a fixed date and no repairs are worth to you, and compare the offer with what a listing would leave you after its costs and its months on the market.
The price in the written offer is the price at closing.
Moving out and getting paid
Plan your move for the days before closing. Take what you want, and leave behind what you do not want. On closing day you sign the deed and the closing papers, as the title company arranges.
The title company pays the loan and liens, then sends you the rest by the method on the closing papers. Before you give or accept any wiring details, call the title company at a number you already have, never a number from an email.
Selling fast in Tampa, Phoenix, Lakeland or Glendale
BIMINIO buys houses in Tampa, Miami, Orlando, Lakeland, Phoenix and Glendale, as is. You get a written cash offer within 24 hours, with the comparable sales we used and proof of funds, and you pick a closing date from 7 to 35 days out. We pay the closing costs. A cash offer is below full market value, so compare it with a listing before you decide.
How fast can you sell your house for cash? →
Want a number for your house? BIMINIO buys in Florida and Arizona, as is. A written offer comes within 24 hours.