What is a "we buy houses" offer in Miami, and should you take it?
Many unsolicited cash offers on Miami-Dade homes come from wholesalers, not end buyers. A wholesaler signs a contract with you at a discount, then sells that contract to someone else and keeps the difference. It can be legal in Florida, but the price is often far below what the open market would pay. Before you sign, look for an assignment clause, a long inspection period, and a thin deposit.
By Lynley Ciorobea | October 26, 2026
The letter says cash, as-is, close whenever you want. It does not say the sender may never own your house.
That is how a wholesaler works. They sign a contract with you at a discount, then sell the contract itself to a real buyer and keep the spread. The tell is two words after the buyer's name: "and/or assigns." If you see them, the person signing is not necessarily the person closing.
None of this is automatically shady. Florida has no wholesaling-specific statute, and assigning a contract you hold is generally lawful as long as the wholesaler markets the contract rights rather than your property. That distinction is their licensing problem under Chapter 475, not yours. Your problem is simpler. It's money.
Here's a hypothetical. A Pinecrest owner signs at $2.4 million, cash. The wholesaler finds an end buyer at $2.9 million and collects $500,000 for a handful of phone calls. That is 17 percent of the real price, and it came out of the seller's side of the table. A Florida broker told WUSF in 2025 that wholesaling is "an epidemic" in the state and that owners can lose 40 to 50 percent of their equity this way. Those are his numbers, not mine, but the structure behind them is real.
Scarcity makes it worse. Miami-Dade single-family inventory was down 17 percent year over year in September, at 4,536 active listings, according to a market report from Echo Fine Properties. When houses are hard to find, people who find them first and shop them later get busy. If you own in Coral Gables or Pinecrest on a lot where the land is the story, expect more mail, not less.
What to read before you sign anything
Start with the buyer's name line, then the inspection period. Wholesalers like long ones, thirty days or more, paired with a small deposit. That window is when they shop your house. You are off the market while they look, and if nobody bites, they walk. A $1,000 deposit on a $2.4 million contract is an option, not a commitment.
Next, ask who is funding the closing and ask for the end buyer's name. A real cash buyer can show documents. Our post on proof of funds for a Miami cash offer covers what those look like, and a quick Sunbiz search on the buying LLC tells you who is behind it.
Backing out is where it gets ugly. The same broker described wholesalers recording a notice that clouds title and, in one case he cited, demanding $15,000 or 10 percent of the sale price, whichever is greater. Florida's foreclosure rescue statute (501.1377) gives homeowners a three-business-day cancellation right, but it covers owners in foreclosure, not a straight cash purchase. Don't assume a cooling-off period exists. You can search the Miami-Dade Clerk's official records for anything recorded against your name before you list, and you should.
The honest comparison is not a wholesaler versus doing nothing. It is a wholesaler versus the market. Across Lynley's Coral Gables single-family listings, homes went to contract in a median of 6 days (her closings from 2015 to 2026, not a forecast). A buyer who wants speed and certainty exists. The number to measure any offer against is what your house nets after a proper listing. If you own in Coral Gables or Pinecrest, those pages show how we price and prepare.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is wholesaling legal in Florida?
Generally yes. Florida has no dedicated wholesaling law, and a buyer can assign a contract they hold. The legal line is advertising someone else's property without a license, which Chapter 475 treats as unlicensed brokerage. Have a Florida real estate attorney review any contract.
Can I cancel after signing with a wholesaler?
Not easily. In a straight purchase, Florida adds no statutory cooling-off period, so your rights come from the contract. The inspection period usually favors the buyer. Get an attorney to read it before you sign, not after.
How can I tell if a cash buyer is a wholesaler?
Look for "and/or assigns," a small deposit, a long inspection period, and reluctance to name the funding source or the people behind the LLC. Any one is a reason to slow down.
If a letter is sitting on your counter, send me a photo of it. I'll tell you whether the sender is buying your house or buying a place in line.
About Lynley Ciorobea
Lynley Ciorobea is a Miami-born real estate professional known for helping homeowners successfully prepare, position, and sell their homes across Coral Gables, South Miami, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, and the surrounding southern Miami neighborhoods. Since 2007, she has built her business around thoughtful strategy, strong negotiation, and a marketing-first approach designed to help listings stand out in an ever-evolving market. A true local, Lynley grew up in Pinecrest and graduated from Palmer Trinity School before attending Duke University, where she earned a BA in Psychology. As the founder of the Lynley Residential Group, Lynley remains personally involved in every listing she represents. With more than $250 million in career transactions and more than 70 5-star Google reviews, she brings a local perspective that goes far beyond surface-level market knowledge.
If you are thinking through a pre-sale exterior plan for your own house, I am happy to walk you through the order of operations. Reach out anytime at lynleyresidential.com.