Cash Buyers Paid More and Still Closed Faster
I pulled every listing from January 1 through September 18, 2026, and looked at the 66 sales where the file showed how the buyer paid. That gave me two clear groups: 52 buyers who used a loan and 12 who paid cash. The file tracks payment method for 64 of the 66 sales; the other two did not show how the buyer paid. The question most people ask is whether cash buyers get a discount for the certainty they bring. In this market, the answer is no. Cash buyers paid more and closed faster.
| Paid Cash | Used a Loan | |
|---|---|---|
| Middle sold price | $1,087,000 | $805,000 |
| Middle days to sell | 18 | 35 |
| Share of last asking price | 98.6% | 99.8% |
| Share of first asking price | 98.6% | 98.2% |
- Cash buyers paid more. The typical cash sale closed at $1,087,000, against $805,000 for loan buyers.
- Cash buyers closed faster. Cash deals took 18 days at the middle, loan deals took 35.
- Loan buyers held the line on price. They got 99.8% of the last asking price, a hair above cash buyers at 98.6%.
- Cash is not a bargain tool here. Cash buyers still paid 98.6% of what sellers first asked, the same share as loan buyers.
Cash buyers paid $282,000 more at the middle and closed 17 days sooner
The typical cash sale closed at $1,087,000. The typical loan sale closed at $805,000. That is a $282,000 gap. Some of that is simply which homes cash buyers chose. They tended to buy at the higher end of the market. But the speed gap is harder to explain away.
Cash deals took 18 days at the middle. Loan deals took 35. That is 17 fewer days from list to close. For a seller who wants certainty and a clean timeline, a cash offer carries real value, and this market's numbers show it.
Where loan buyers pulled ahead was on the last asking price. They paid 99.8% of what the seller was asking at the end, against 98.6% for cash buyers. That small edge likely reflects negotiation. Cash buyers may have pushed a little harder once they knew no lender could slow the deal down. On the first asking price, both groups landed at 98.6%, so neither side gave much ground from the start.
It is also worth knowing who this comparison does and does not speak to. The 12 cash sales are a small slice of the 64 sales where payment method was recorded. If you are a seller whose home is priced below $800,000, a cash buyer is less likely to be your buyer. The typical cash sale in this file closed at $1,087,000. Cash tends to show up at the higher end. Loan buyers are the dominant force below that line, making up the bulk of the 52 financed sales.
Loan buyers edged cash on the last asking price, but cash buyers matched them on the first
Cash buyers paid 98.6% of what the seller last asked. Loan buyers paid 99.8%. That 1.2 percentage point difference is the one place loan buyers came out ahead. It is a small gap, but it is real.
Look at the first asking price, though, and the gap closes. Both groups paid 98.6% of what the seller originally wanted. That tells you sellers did not discount their homes for cash. They started at a price and mostly held it, no matter who was buying.
The common mistake a seller makes is assuming a cash offer means accepting less. In this market, that assumption is wrong. The 12 cash sales in this file closed at a higher middle price than the 52 loan sales, and they got there faster.
The next question a seller naturally asks is: how do I attract a cash buyer? The honest answer is that this file does not say which features drew them. What it does say is that cash buyers in this market closed at $1,087,000 at the middle. If your home is priced near or above that level, the odds of seeing a cash offer are meaningfully higher than if you are priced at $700,000. That is not a guarantee, but it is where the cash showed up.
For loan buyers, the practical question is different. Can you compete with a cash offer? The whole market through September 18, 2026 shows 33 homes sold in their first month, and the typical home in that group got 100% of the first asking price. Speed matters as much as payment method. A loan buyer who moves quickly and comes in clean can still win. The 52 financed sales in this file prove it.
What this means if you are selling or buying right now
If you are selling, do not treat a cash offer as a signal to drop your price. The numbers through September 18, 2026 show cash buyers paid more at the middle, not less. What cash does give you is speed and fewer moving parts. If you need a clean, fast close, a cash offer is worth real consideration even if the number is not the highest on the table. Price your home to attract the widest field, and let the offers tell you who is serious.
If you are buying with a loan, you are in the majority here. 52 of the 64 tracked sales used a loan, and those buyers got 99.8% of the last asking price on average, a better result than cash buyers on that one measure. The edge you can press is on price. Sellers in this market have been willing to negotiate a little, and 62.9% of the 35 homes currently for sale have already dropped their price, with a typical cut of $42,500. That is real room to work with if you find the right home.
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