# We Buy Houses Houston: Legit or Not?

Plain-text version of https://htxsellmyhouse.com/we-buy-houses-houston-legit/ for AI assistants and anyone who prefers text. It carries the same facts as the page for people. Every figure names its source and the date it was read.

## The question this page answers

Are we-buy-houses companies in Houston legitimate, and how does a seller check one?

## TL;DR

A we-buy-houses company in Houston is legitimate when it is registered with the state, closes through a title company you can call, and puts the buyer's name and price in a written contract. HTX Sell My House buys houses in Houston that way, and you can check us the same way you check any other buyer.

- Each search of business filings in the Secretary of State's SOSPortal costs $1.00 (Texas Secretary of State, read 2026-10-27)
- Any title company: you may choose the one you want (Texas Department of Insurance, read 2026-10-27)
- Seven days to terminate if the seller's disclosure was not delivered first (Texas Property Code §5.008(f), read 2026-10-27)
- $62 million paid by Opendoor to settle FTC charges over its offers and repair charges (FTC, 2022-08-01, read 2026-10-27)

## The answer

A we-buy-houses company in Houston is legitimate when it is registered with the state, closes through a title company you can call, and puts the buyer's name and price in a written contract. HTX Sell My House buys houses in Houston that way, and you can check us the same way you check any other buyer.

## Key facts

- **$1.00** is the statutorily authorized fee for each search of business filings in the Secretary of State's SOSPortal (Texas Secretary of State, read 2026-10-27).
- **No sign-in** is needed for the Comptroller's Franchise Tax Account Status Search, which shows a company's right to transact business in Texas, its state of formation, its file number and its registered agent (Texas Comptroller, read 2026-10-27).
- **Any title company** you want: "You may choose any title company you want; you don't have to use a company selected by a real estate agent, builder, or lender" (Texas Department of Insurance, read 2026-10-27).
- **Seven days** is how long a buyer has to terminate when the contract was entered without the seller's disclosure notice being delivered first (Texas Property Code §5.008(f), read 2026-10-27).
- **$62 million** is what Opendoor agreed to pay to settle FTC charges that its offers were lower than market value and its repair charges higher than typical (FTC, 2022-08-01, read 2026-10-27).
- **Free alerts**: the Harris County Clerk emails a homeowner when a document is recorded under that homeowner's name (Harris County Clerk, read 2026-10-27).

## How do I check a we-buy-houses company in Houston?

Start with the name on the contract, not the name on the yard sign. Four public records and one document tell you most of what you need, and none needs the company's permission.

**1. The state's business records.** Ask for the legal name of the entity that will sign. A brand is usually an assumed name, and that is a separate filing: for a corporation or limited liability company it goes to the Secretary of State, and "Business entities that file an assumed name certificate with the secretary of state are not required to file an assumed name certificate with the county clerk" (Texas Secretary of State, read 2026-10-27). A sole proprietor files with the county clerk instead.

Confirm the company exists in SOSPortal, where "There is a $1.00 statutorily authorized fee associated with each search" (Texas Secretary of State, read 2026-10-27). Then search the name, or the Secretary of State file number (6 to 10 digits), in the Comptroller's Franchise Tax Account Status Search. You are looking at the right to transact business in Texas, the registration status and the registered agent (Texas Comptroller, read 2026-10-27).

**2. The county deed records.** The Harris County Clerk indexes deeds by grantor and grantee, and the search is open at cclerk.hctx.net. Search the company as grantee. You will see what it has taken title to here, and under which name, which answers a question sellers rarely ask: does the name on my contract match the name that closes?

Register there for the Property Alert System too. The clerk's description of the risk is plain: "Property fraud occurs when someone files a document in the public record, such as a deed, without the property owner's knowledge or consent" (Harris County Clerk, read 2026-10-27).

**3. A title company you choose.** A title company researches ownership, lists the liens and claims against the property, and issues the title insurance policy. The Attorney General's advice to buyers works for a seller: "Title companies ensure that the buyer is dealing with the property's legal owner or authorized agent," and "Be sure you deal directly with the title company" (Texas Attorney General, read 2026-10-27). Ask whether the agent is licensed, since "It's illegal to sell title insurance without a license in Texas" (Texas Department of Insurance, read 2026-10-27). The Department's help line, 800-252-3439, verifies one.

**4. The BBB profile.** BBB publishes "free Business Profiles with ratings, customer reviews, and complaint history" (read 2026-10-27). Search the legal name at bbb.org and read the complaints and the company's answers, not just the grade.

**5. The offer.** Ask for a written offer, the buyer's legal name, the title company's name, and proof of funds, which is a bank statement or letter showing the cash to close is available. A company that plans to assign the contract may not have its own funds, so ask whose money closes.

## What are the red flags?

The FTC's consumer advice on mortgage relief scams describes the pattern behind a low cash offer: "Others trick you into selling them your home for cash for much lower than the selling price of similar homes in your neighborhood" (read 2026-10-27).

- **The deed moves before the money.** "The deed is the legal document that proves who owns the home. If you transfer the deed, you're not likely to get it back" (FTC, read 2026-10-27). Signing a deed at the kitchen table, before closing, is the costliest mistake on this list.
- **The price ignores the block.** Compare the offer with nearby sales and a listing agent's estimate. A cash discount is normal; a number that ignores the street is not.
- **The repair deduction arrives after the walkthrough.** In its 2022 action against Opendoor, "the FTC says Opendoor's offers were lower than a home's market value, and the company asked sellers to pay for home repair costs that were higher than what people would typically spend on repairs in a market sale" (FTC, 2022-08-01, read 2026-10-27). Opendoor paid $62 million to settle.
- **No title company, or one you cannot call.** A company that wants to run the title work itself is asking you to give up the independent party in the sale.
- **A different name on every document.** Website, offer, contract and deed should lead back to one entity you can look up.
- **Money before closing.** An upfront fee, a processing charge or a deposit from you is not part of a normal cash purchase.

## What should the offer and contract say?

Texas Property Code §5.021 says a conveyance of land "must be in writing and must be subscribed and delivered by the conveyor or by the conveyor's agent authorized in writing," so the deed is a written instrument you sign at closing. The contract should state:

- **The buyer's legal name and address**, the same name you looked up.
- **The price, and every deduction from it**, including repairs, closing costs and any other credit the buyer keeps.
- **Earnest money**, which the CFPB defines as "a deposit a buyer pays to show good faith on a signed contract agreement to buy a home" (read 2026-10-27). Ask who holds it, how much it is, and when the buyer can still get it back.
- **The title company**, named, and who pays the premium, which the seller and buyer may negotiate (Texas Department of Insurance, read 2026-10-27).
- **The closing date**, and what happens if a lien cannot be cleared in time.
- **The inspection or option period**, with a date, and what the buyer may deduct when it ends.
- **The assignment clause**, below.

## What if the company assigns my contract?

An assignable contract lets the buyer transfer its right to buy to another party before closing, so the buyer who signs may not be the buyer who closes. That is common and not dishonest by itself. It changes who you deal with at the end.

Ask four questions before you sign. May the buyer assign at all, and by what date? Will you get the assignee's name in writing, and may you approve it? Does the earnest money transfer with the assignment? Who is liable if the assignee does not close? Your contract price is what you are paid; what an assignee pays the original buyer is a separate deal you are not party to unless your contract says so. The deed still runs from you to whoever closes, which is why the grantee index is worth checking after closing as well as before.

## Does a cash sale still close at a title company?

In practice, yes. The Department of Insurance describes the premium as covering "the title search, the title examination, and closing the transaction," and "The title commitment comes before closing; the title policy is issued after closing" (read 2026-10-27). Cash removes the lender, not the title work. With no lender there is no loan policy to require, and "Texas does not require title insurance" (Texas Department of Insurance, read 2026-10-27). The policy that protects the person taking the house is the owner's policy: "Owner's title insurance protects the homeowner if someone sues and says they have a claim against the home from before the homeowner purchased it" (CFPB, read 2026-10-27).

## Does the seller's disclosure still apply to a cash sale?

Read the statute rather than the pitch. §5.008(a) applies to "A seller of residential real property comprising not more than one dwelling unit located in this state," who must give "a written notice as prescribed by this section" (read 2026-10-27). The transfers the section does not apply to are listed in §5.008(e), and a cash sale is not among them. The notice is due on or before the contract's effective date, and if it was not delivered, "the purchaser may terminate the contract for any reason within seven days after receiving the notice" (§5.008(f)).

Two exceptions matter in Houston. The section does not apply to a transfer "by a fiduciary in the course of the administration of a decedent's estate" (Texas Property Code §5.008(e)(5), read 2026-10-27), one more reason to read [selling an inherited house in Houston](https://htxsellmyhouse.com/sell-inherited-house-houston/) first. Nor does it apply "of real property where the value of any dwelling does not exceed five percent of the value of the property" (Texas Property Code §5.008(e)(11), read 2026-10-27), which describes some teardown lots on [our teardown page](https://htxsellmyhouse.com/sell-a-teardown-lot-houston/). Ask the title company or your attorney which applies.

## How does HTX Sell My House fit?

We are a Houston company with two ways to buy. **We buy it:** we make an offer and close ourselves. **We take it to the builders for you:** for an older house on a good lot, we bring it to builders buying in that area and you take the best of their offers. Either way you see the buyer's name in writing before you sign, and you pay nothing to talk to us. You can also list the house or sell to another cash buyer; if a listing would net you more, we tell you so.

Check us the way this page says to check anyone. Our name is an assumed name, and we will give you the legal name behind it in writing so you can search it at the Secretary of State and the county clerk. An assistant answers the phone and takes the details; Susan or Alex calls back within one business day. [Tell us the address and what is wrong with the house](https://htxsellmyhouse.com/#sell-form), and see [who we are](https://htxsellmyhouse.com/about/).

This page is general information, not legal advice. We are not a law firm; a title company or an attorney answers questions about your deed, your contract and your disclosure.

## Questions people ask

### How do I know the company has the money to close?

Ask for proof of funds from the entity that signs the contract, and check that entity's right to transact business in Texas in the Comptroller's Franchise Tax Account Status Search, which needs no sign-in (Texas Comptroller, read 2026-10-27).

### What does it cost to check a company?

One dollar per search of business filings in the Secretary of State's SOSPortal (Texas Secretary of State, read 2026-10-27), and nothing for the Comptroller's status search (Texas Comptroller, read 2026-10-27).

### Is a big company safer than a small one?

Size is not the test; the settlement record is. Opendoor agreed to pay $62 million to settle FTC charges that its offers were lower than market value and its repair charges higher than typical (FTC, 2022-08-01, read 2026-10-27).

## Sources

- [FTC Consumer Advice, Mortgage Relief Scams](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/mortgage-relief-scams), read 2026-10-27
- [FTC Consumer Alert, Opendoor's false claims (2022-08-01)](https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2022/08/closing-door-home-buying-company-opendoors-false-claims), read 2026-10-27
- [Texas Attorney General, Home Buying & Moving](https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection/home-real-estate-and-travel/home-buying-moving), read 2026-10-27
- [Texas Attorney General, File a Consumer Complaint](https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection/file-consumer-complaint), read 2026-10-27
- [Texas Department of Insurance, Title insurance FAQ](https://www.tdi.texas.gov/title/titlefaqs.html), read 2026-10-27
- [CFPB, What is owner's title insurance?](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-owners-title-insurance-en-164/), read 2026-10-27
- [CFPB, Mortgages key terms](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/mortgages/answers/key-terms/), read 2026-10-27
- [Texas Property Code, chapter 5 (§5.008, §5.021)](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PR/htm/PR.5.htm), read 2026-10-27
- [Texas Secretary of State, SOSPortal](https://www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/sosda/index.shtml), read 2026-10-27
- [Texas Secretary of State, Name Filings FAQs](https://www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/namefilingsfaqs.shtml), read 2026-10-27
- [Texas Comptroller, Franchise Tax Account Status Search](https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/franchise/account-status/search), read 2026-10-27
- [Harris County Clerk, Real Property records](https://cclerk.hctx.net/applications/websearch/RP.aspx), read 2026-10-27
- [Harris County Clerk, Property Deed Fraud](https://www.cclerk.hctx.net/PropertyDeedFraud.aspx), read 2026-10-27
- [BBB, Frequently asked questions](https://www.bbb.org/faq), read 2026-10-27
- [FTC, ReportFraud.ftc.gov](https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/), read 2026-10-27

## About this page

- Page for people: https://htxsellmyhouse.com/we-buy-houses-houston-legit/
- Written by Susan Bouchard, co-owner, HTX Sell My House
- Last updated: 2026-10-27
- HTX Sell My House, Houston, Texas. Owned by Susan Bouchard and Alex Bouchard.
- Phone: (346) 752-6836. Email: hello@htxsellmyhouse.com
- Send the address of a property: https://htxsellmyhouse.com/#sell-form