Selling a House ‘As Is’ in Maryland

Which types of homes are sold as-is?

Homes sold as-is often need repairs or may be cosmetically outdated, so this designation typically isn’t used for turnkey homes, which are in pristine, move-in-ready condition.

These types of properties often attract investors searching for their next flip, or buyers looking for a bargain, perhaps on a home in a great location with lots of potential. Although it’s a convenient route for many sellers, Umanzor notes that this approach can limit the pool of potential buyers. 

“You are limiting the number of buyers that could purchase the property because of the type of loan they have,” Umanzor says. “Especially if there are safety concerns, you’ll be looking for an investor to buy the home rather than a buyer willing to pay top dollar.”

What problems do you have to disclose in Maryland?

In Maryland, sellers generally need to give buyers either an “as-is” disclaimer or a property disclosure statement. The disclaimer says the seller isn’t making guarantees about the home’s condition, while the disclosure lists any problems the seller actually knows about. The latter includes questions that cover a wide range of potential issues, including:

Material facts or defects

• Settlement or other problems with the home’s foundation
• Leaks or evidence of moisture in the basement
• Leaks or evidence of moisture coming from the roof
• Structural defects in the walls or floors
• History of infestation or prior damage from wood-destroying insects

Main home systems

• Any known issues with the plumbing system
• Problems with the heating or air conditioning system
• Issues with electrical fuses, circuit breakers, outlets, or wiring
• The functionality of smoke alarms and any fire suppression systems
• The operating condition of the septic system
• Problems with water supply or water treatment
• Concerns about standing water, gutters, and downspouts

Hazardous or regulated materials

• Licensed landfills
• Asbestos
• Radon gas
• Lead-based paint
• Underground storage tanks
• Any other contamination

Zoning, lot, or permit violations

• Nonconforming uses
• Violation of building restrictions or setback requirements
• Any recorded or unrecorded easement, except for utilities
• If proper permits were pulled for improvements on the property

Home location considerations

• If the property is located in a flood zone
• If the property is located in a conservation or wetland area
• If the home is part of a designated historic district
• If the property is part of a homeowners’ association (HOA)

The disclosure form closes by asking the seller if there are any other material defects, including latent defects. Latent defects refer to hidden material issues in a property that a buyer wouldn’t reasonably detect through careful visual inspection and that pose a direct threat to the health or safety of the buyer or anyone occupying the property.

Even in the case of an as-is sale, you are still required to provide a list of latent defects to prospective buyers.

For the disclaimer portion of the form, you simply need to specify whether you have knowledge of any defects, and then provide a brief explanation in the space provided.

Exemptions

No matter what method you choose to sell your home, it’s required to make these disclosures to the best of your ability. However, Maryland does allow certain exemptions for sellers who haven’t lived in the home, including for homes that have never been occupied or in cases when a certificate of occupancy has been issued within the preceding year.

Review your options to sell as-is in Maryland

The main options to sell a house as-is in Maryland include:

List as-is with the help of a real estate agent

A great real estate agent will assist in the process of listing and selling a home as-is in Maryland. They give simple presentation tips to improve marketing, help set an appropriate price that reflects the home’s condition, and find a buyer willing and eager to buy your home in its current state.

“It’s very important for sellers to work with a top agent,” Umanzor says. “I know my craft and can prepare my clients with everything that’s going to happen throughout the process. Just knowing where you’re going and how you’re going to navigate everything puts you at an advantage.”

Sell directly to a cash buyer

Alternatively, someone who needs to sell their home as-is can work directly with a property investor or house-buying company rather than listing, where it may be difficult to get an offer from a limited buyer pool.

“We Buy Houses” operations buy as-is at a discounted rate and generally look for homes in need of significant repairs. These companies can help sellers cash out quickly, and many will cover a seller’s closing costs.

Steps to list as-is with the help of a real estate agent

Find an agent willing to list the home as-is

Your choice of real estate agent always matters, but especially when selling a property as-is. It’s important to find the right match. It must be someone who doesn’t shy away from listings that need a little TLC and maybe has a strong network of investor connections. They must also be willing to go the extra mile on marketing. 

Considering that most homebuyers prefer a move-in-ready home, an as-is sale likely has a reduced buyer pool from the start. Because of this reduced buyer pool, something that Umanzor will do as both a real estate agent and investor is to lend his clients the money they need to make some of the updates to their properties prior to listing them for sale. (It’s important to note that this is not a service provided by a typical agent.)

He recalls working on three deals where he covered the cost of repairs for the sellers. “They netted almost triple the amount of money we put into the house,” Umanzor says. “It’s a win-win for everybody. Buyers are happy, sellers are extremely happy, and I get a home that is ready to sell that’s presentable.”

Consider a pre-listing inspection

A pre-listing home inspection is the same as a standard home inspection except that the seller pays for it before listing their home on the market. It may sound like a counterintuitive step for an as-is sale, but getting the inspection results upfront can uncover any issues that could affect the home’s value and inform an accurate pricing strategy.

If a buyer requests additional price reductions based on their inspection, you can point out that the estimated cost of certain repairs was already factored into the listing price.

Although Umaznor doesn’t order pre-listing inspections for the sellers he represents, he knows some agents who will bring an inspector in before listing a home. “In the state of Maryland, […] you must disclose any defects that you’re aware of as the homeowner,” Umanzor says. “So once you do that inspection, you must disclose all of that.”

Umanzor went on to say that if the seller chooses to do an inspection and then uses the information to make improvements to the property before listing it for sale, it could be beneficial. By disclosing the inspection report, as well as the improvements they made to the property based on the inspector’s notes, it could give the buyer peace of mind, he says.

Price to reflect as-is condition

The median sale price for homes in Maryland hit $455,000 in July 2026, a 2.2% increase from the same period last year.

Umanzor says that homes sold as-is in the area typically sell for less than regular listings and have a reduced buyer pool, which is why he always provides an offer to help finance home improvement projects for his sellers before listing a house.

To illustrate the potential value of making improvements before listing, Umanzor shares a real-life situation where he helped one seller make $60,000 of repairs to their home, which was completed in about a month. “We got seven offers for the property and sold the house for $468,000. After the repair cost, my clients got $58,000 more than if the property was listed as-is.”

For a head start on your own property’s value, try HomeLight’s Home Value Estimator (HVE) for a free estimate. Our platform combs public data, including tax records and assessments, and pulls recent sales records for other properties in your neighborhood. 

Using a short questionnaire, we also factor in specifics about your home, such as the property type and condition. Input your address, and we’ll provide you with a preliminary home value estimate in as few as two minutes.

What's Your Maryland Home Worth?

Enter your address and get a preliminary estimate of home’s value in under two minutes.

Get Started

Do ever-so-light preparations

Even for as-is home listings in Maryland, Umanzor typically recommends that sellers complete the following:

• Declutter and depersonalize the space
• Deep clean the house
• Mow the grass and improve curb appeal
• Deodorize, especially tackling pet smells
• Consider freshening up the paint

“Making the house clean and appealing is mandatory,” he says. “If you can also give it a fresh coat of paint, that can go a long way.”

Take professional photographs to show potential

Your home listing warrants high-quality images, no matter what type of condition the property is in. A professional photographer will take steps to shoot each room from the best angle, ensure optimal interior and natural lighting, and edit for the ideal brightness and exposure.

Most buyers start their home search online, so great photos can make a big difference. Professional, high-quality images can make your home stand out, attract more buyers, and even help it sell faster.

While many real estate agents offer professional photography as part of the listing process, some do not. In this case, sellers can choose to hire a professional photographer, take high-quality images, or use AI-enhanced tools to capture property photos.

Highlight the surrounding area

Location is crucial for buyers looking for a home with potential. In your as-is listing, be sure to mention your address’ walkability score and if your home is near any of the following:

• Parks or outdoor recreation areas
• Schools
• Restaurants and shopping centers
• Interstate access
• Coffee shops
• Transit line

Include the term ‘as-is’ in the listing

Unless you explicitly mention that your house is being sold as-is, buyers will have no idea of your intentions with the listing. Other common descriptors mentioned in as-is listings in Maryland include “priced to sell,” “fixer-upper,” or “handyman special.”

To balance the focus on as-is condition, work with your agent to craft a property description that highlights the best features of the home, such as acreage, historical significance, structural integrity, unique architecture, and any recent renovations or updates.

Understand that buyers may still negotiate

Listing as-is provides no guarantee that buyers won’t try to negotiate savings on their purchase, even on an asking price you felt was already reduced to reflect the home’s condition. One of the best defenses you can have is an agent who takes a hard stance to prevent a deal from going south for the seller.

“We see different scenarios happening every day, so when I get a contract, I know what questions I need to ask to get the best offer for my client,” Umanzor says. “Not every buyer who has an approval letter will get to the finish line.”

Be aware of the minimum property standards for certain loans

When you place your home on the market, it’s hard to predict if your top offer will come from a cash buyer or a buyer pre-qualified for a home loan. But if you do end up working with a financed buyer, be aware that different mortgage types, such as conventional loans or government-backed FHA, USDA, or VA loans, have different minimum property standards. 

These are standards related to the overall condition of a property, which will play a role in the willingness and ability of a lender to finance a buyer’s loan. Before properties can be financed, their value and condition are typically examined by a state-licensed, independent appraiser contracted by the buyer’s mortgage company.

If you’re unsure whether your home will meet appraisal requirements, you can start by taking a look at the FHA minimum property standards. If your house complies with FHA, then it complies with most other lenders’ requirements.

Prioritize a cash offer if you receive one

On occasion, conventional lenders may even finance a fixer-upper property sold as-is, and it’s not impossible to finance a fixer-upper with an FHA loan. However, if you’re selling a house as-is, especially one that needs heftier repairs, you may want to consider accepting a cash offer if you receive one. 

Cash eliminates the lender-ordered appraisal as well as the time it takes to close on the buyer’s loan, creating a faster and clearer path to settlement.

“Let’s say there’s peeling paint on a home, or a safety issue, such as a leaking roof, mold, or missing railings,” Umanzor says. “These are things that will be concerning to a bank, and most will want those issues taken care of.”

Steps to sell directly to a cash buyer

Now that we’ve covered the general process of listing a home as-is, let’s discuss the alternative of working with an investor. While the process varies from business to business, the steps to selling your home to a house-buying company typically go something like this:

If you aren’t sure where to get a cash offer, consider Simple Sale, a solution from HomeLight. Tell us a bit about your home, such as whether it’s a single-family home or condo, and how much work it needs. From there, we’ll provide you with a no-obligation all-cash offer to buy your home in as few as 24 hours, skipping the months it can take to sell the traditional way. 

HomeLight’s Simple Sale platform provides cash offers for homes in almost any condition nationwide. Sellers can receive offers within 24 hours and close in as little as 7 days. No staging. No showings. No open houses.

Want to know more about the Simple Sale experience? Hear it firsthand from one of our valued clients in the video below.

Additional ‘We Buy Houses’ companies in Maryland

Below, we’ve rounded up some of the top companies that buy homes as-is for cash in Maryland, along with a quick look at what each one offers.

How much will you make from an as-is home sale?

There’s no simple equation for calculating how much you’ll net from an as-is sale. If you list on the market with an agent, you’ll need to account for the cost of agent commissions (about 3% of the home’s sale price on average) and other closing costs, such as title fees and taxes, but you’re likely to field higher offers from buyers and see more competition for the home.

Meanwhile, if you sell to a house-buying company, different types of investors offer varying amounts for homes, largely dependent on their exit strategy. While flippers usually pay about 70% of the home’s ARV, buy-and-hold investors who plan to rent out your property may be able to pay more. In addition, investors often are willing to cover a seller’s closing costs, which can add up to about 1% to 3% of the sale price.

HomeLight’s Net Proceeds Calculator can help run through some possible selling scenarios and estimate your final earnings.

»Learn more: Don’t guess which selling strategy pays off most. Use the Home Cash Offer Comparison Calculator to compare selling as-is versus making repairs and see which option could put more money in your pocket.

Ready to sell your house in Maryland?

Every home sale is different, but you should now have a good idea of what to expect when selling a house as-is in Maryland. From here, you can weigh your options and decide which selling approach makes the most sense for you.

Whether you choose to list as-is with a real estate agent or work with a direct homebuyer, a home doesn’t have to be in perfect condition to sell, so long as you provide disclosures as necessary, set the right price, and know what to expect going in. 

Whenever you’re ready to take the next step, HomeLight would be happy to assist with your real estate needs. Connect with a top agent near you or get started with a cash offer from Simple Sale.

Header Image Source: (Seth Hoffman / Unsplash)