The honest answer is that both can work — it depends on what you’re optimizing for. Here’s how they actually compare, not the sales-pitch version.

Price

A traditional sale usually nets a higher sticker price, but that number doesn’t account for repairs, commissions, and months of carrying costs. A cash offer is lower up front but has none of those deductions.

Timeline

Traditional listings average 30 to 90 days just to get to closing, assuming nothing falls through. A cash sale can close in as little as a week, on a date you choose.

Certainty

Financed buyers can lose their loan approval days before closing, restarting the whole process. A cash buyer with funds ready doesn’t have that risk.

If speed and certainty matter more to you than squeezing out the last few thousand dollars, a cash sale is usually the better fit — and we’re glad to run the actual numbers for your specific house.