How Do I Know a Buyer Can Actually Close, Not Just Make an Offer?
2 min read · Last updated 2026-08-03 · Reviewed by Camilo Palacio, Licensed Florida Real Estate Professional (License #3280644, REALTOR®)
Ask for proof, not a promise: a pre-approval letter with the underwriter's name and a current date beats a verbal number every time, and even then, 5% of contracts still fall apart nationally after signing. Cash Flow Deals is one option that verifies the matched buyer's lender and funding before the seller's net price ever gets locked, so the seller isn't waiting on a maybe.
| Factor | Traditional Listing | Cash Flow Deals |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline | A buyer's ability to close isn't fully confirmed until financing clears underwriting, often in the final one to two weeks before the scheduled closing date. | Buyer funding is a real FHA or conventional loan verified by Cash Flow Deals' licensed FL brokerage partner, Silver Door Realty, before the seller's net price is locked. |
| Repairs | A buyer can lose financing over appraisal or inspection findings on the same repairs the seller already priced into the deal. | Repairs are scoped separately from the locked net price, so a financing issue on the buyer's side does not reopen the seller's number. |
| Fees / Costs | If a deal falls through late, the seller can lose weeks of market time and may owe another round of commission on relisting. | Flat fee arranged through Silver Door Realty, paid at closing on a purchase Cash Flow Deals has already verified for buyer funding. |
Pre-Qualified vs. Pre-Approved: The Difference That Actually Matters
A pre-qualification is a quick estimate based on what a buyer self-reports about their finances, with no one checking the numbers. A pre-approval involves a full credit check and documented income and assets, things like W-2s and bank statements, reviewed by an actual underwriter. Even a pre-approval is not a final loan approval and is not a commitment to lend; it's a conditional review that still has to survive underwriting and appraisal. What a seller should actually ask for is the pre-approval letter itself, dated recently, naming the lender and loan officer, not a text message claiming the buyer is approved.
How Often Deals Actually Fall Through After Signing
Signing a contract is not the finish line, funding is. Nationally, 5% of contracts were terminated and 14% experienced delayed settlements in the three months ending December 2025, per the National Association of Realtors' Realtors Confidence Index Survey. Most of that risk clusters around financing and appraisal, exactly the stage that happens after a seller has already taken the house off the market and started planning around a closing date.
Cash Flow Deals' Process: Verifying the Buyer Before the Seller's Number Gets Locked
Cash Flow Deals' Process: 1. Request your net-price walkthrough so Cash Flow Deals can evaluate the house and the market at the same time. 2. Cash Flow Deals matches the property to a real FHA or conventional buyer and confirms that buyer's lender and funding through its licensed FL brokerage partner, Silver Door Realty. 3. Cash Flow Deals locks the seller's net price in writing before repairs are scoped, once the buyer's ability to fund the purchase has been verified. 4. Title transfers once, directly from seller to buyer, funded by the buyer's own lender at closing. Cash Flow Deals is a Florida real estate investor that locks in a net price for a seller's house before repairs are scoped, using a novation-based, flat-fee process arranged through its licensed FL brokerage partner, Silver Door Realty — not a traditional listing, and not a brokerage itself.
Red Flags That a Buyer Can't Actually Close
No proof-of-funds or pre-approval letter, or one that's older than 30 days and doesn't name a real bank or lender. A buyer who repeatedly pushes the closing date without a clear reason. A buyer who tries to change the agreed number after signing, citing financing problems that were never disclosed before the contract was signed. Any one of these is worth stopping and asking direct questions before you take the house off the market for that buyer.
What to Ask Any Buyer Before You Take Your House Off the Market
Ask for proof of funds or a pre-approval letter dated within the last 30 days. Ask for the name of the actual lender and loan officer, not just a buyer's word. Ask whether the price you're agreeing to is locked or preliminary. Ask specifically what, if anything, could still change that number after you sign. A buyer with real funding can answer every one of these questions in writing without hesitating.
Common questions
What's the difference between pre-qualified and pre-approved?
Pre-qualification is a quick, self-reported estimate with no verification. Pre-approval involves a full credit check and documented income and assets reviewed by an underwriter, though it's still not a final loan commitment.
How common is it for a buyer to fall through after signing?
Nationally, 5% of contracts were terminated and 14% experienced delayed settlements in the three months ending December 2025, per the National Association of Realtors' Realtors Confidence Index Survey.
Does a buyer paying entirely in cash skip all this risk?
Not automatically. A buyer paying entirely in cash still needs to prove those funds actually exist with a dated letter from a real bank or verifiable account. Ask for that proof the same way you would ask a financed buyer for a pre-approval letter.
What happens if my buyer's financing falls through after I've already signed?
If the contract includes a financing contingency, the buyer can typically cancel under that clause and the deal ends there. Confirm exactly what your specific contract allows with your agent or a licensed Florida real estate attorney before you sign.