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What does each path actually put in your pocket?
The sale price isn’t what you keep. What you keep is the net: the price minus everything it costs to get there. This guide lays out a real-world net sheet on a $300,000 Twin Cities house, sold two ways: to us for cash, or listed with Ryan on NorthstarMLS. If the two nets are close, speed and certainty might decide it. If they’re far apart, the math decides it. Both paths are part of our four-path approach, and we’ll show you both.
The example house
A 1978 split-level in Burnsville. Three bedrooms, two baths, original kitchen, 17-year-old furnace, roof with a few years left. Recent sales of similar updated houses nearby put it around $300,000 on the market in its current shape with light prep. The owner has 60 to 90 days to work with.
The side-by-side net sheet
| Line item | Listing with Ryan | Cash sale to us |
|---|---|---|
| Sale price | $300,000 | $235,000 |
| Commission (5.5% example) | -$16,500 | $0 |
| Deed tax, title and closing fees (about 1.5%) | -$4,500 | $0, we pay them |
| Prep and repairs before listing | -$8,000 | $0 |
| Holding costs (3 months at $1,800) | -$5,400 | -$900 (about 2 weeks) |
| Moving assistance | $0 | +$1,200 |
| Net before mortgage payoff | $265,600 | $235,300 |
| Days to cash | About 90 | 7 to 14 |
In this example, listing nets about $30,000 more. That’s a lot of money, and for most sellers in this spot, listing is the right call. Ryan would say so.
What the table doesn’t show
Listing has risk the table can’t capture: a buyer’s inspection that reopens the price, an appraisal that comes in low, or financing that falls through a week before closing. A cash sale has none of those. Whether that certainty is worth the difference is your call.
What changes the answer
The gap moves fast when the house or the timeline changes.
More repairs. If the same house needed a $25,000 roof and a $12,000 furnace before a financed buyer’s lender would sign off, the listing prep line jumps and the sale price may still drop. The gap can shrink to a few thousand dollars.
Less time. If you had to close in three weeks, listing isn’t really an option. The comparison becomes cash vs. a price cut to find a fast buyer.
Higher holding costs. A vacant house in winter with a mortgage, utilities and insurance can cost $2,500 or more a month. Every extra month eats the listing advantage.
A buyer who falls through. Losing a buyer after 30 days under contract resets the clock. Two months of extra holding at $1,800 costs $3,600, plus stress.
Minnesota-specific costs to know
- State deed tax: about 0.33% of the sale price, typically paid by the seller. Hennepin and Ramsey counties add a small environmental fee on top.
- Point-of-sale inspections: Minneapolis Truth in Sale of Housing and St. Paul’s evaluation cost money up front and can flag required repairs.
- Radon, well and septic disclosures: separate from the main seller disclosure; not a cost, but a step.
- Title insurance and closing fee: split between buyer and seller depending on the contract.
For every fee in detail, see the cost to sell a house in Minnesota.
When each path wins
| Listing usually wins when | Cash usually wins when |
|---|---|
| The house is in decent shape | Repairs are major or financing-blocking |
| You have 60+ days | You have a deadline under 30 days |
| You can handle showings | The house is full, occupied by tenants, or vacant in winter |
| Title is clean | Liens, probate gaps or a foreclosure are involved |
How to run your own numbers
Use your own list price estimate, commission, repair list and monthly costs. Our free cash vs. list net sheet calculator does the math. Or ask Ryan: he’ll put a comparative market analysis, a listing net sheet and our cash offer on one page, and tell you which one wins. You can list with Ryan or sell for cash, and you’ll know exactly what you gave up either way.