By Corey Trent, Owner — Corey The Home Buyer | Spokane, WA | Last Updated: June 18, 2026
Corey Trent is the owner of Corey The Home Buyer, a Spokane-based real estate company that purchases homes directly for cash. As an end buyer rather than a wholesaler, Corey works one-on-one with homeowners who need to sell quickly and as-is, without repairs, showings, or agent commissions. He buys houses throughout Spokane and the surrounding area, with a focus on flexible closings built around each seller’s real-life timeline.
Editorial disclaimer: This case study is shared for educational and informational purposes only. Every property, situation, and timeline is different, and the outcome described here should not be read as a guarantee of similar results. Corey The Home Buyer does not provide legal, tax, or financial advice. Sellers dealing with title complications, a deceased co-owner, or a distressed sale should consult a qualified attorney, tax professional, or housing counselor. The seller’s identity has been withheld at her request, and only general location information is used.
Selling a home in Spokane, WA, or the surrounding area? Corey The Home Buyer makes a no-obligation cash offer with a same-day response. Call (509) 463-0353 or email corey@coreythehomebuyer.com.
At a Glance
| Field | Detail |
| Location | Spokane, WA |
| Property Type | Single-family home |
| Closing Date | June 5, 2026 |
| Time to Close | 10 days |
| Estimated Seller Savings | $45,000 in repairs avoided (estimated) |
| Exit Strategy | Fix and flip |
| Result | Foreclosure stopped; father secured private assisted living; seller and children moved to stable housing |
Facing foreclosure or a difficult title situation in Spokane? Contact Corey Trent directly at (509) 463-0353 or corey@coreythehomebuyer.com.
The house belonged to the seller’s father. It was in rough shape, with deferred maintenance, it needed repairs, and had a growing tax bill. The family first tried listing it with a real estate agent. That listing had gone nowhere. Meanwhile, the bank was moving toward foreclosure.
The seller’s situation was not just financial. Her fear was that her father, an elderly man who had owned this house for years, would end up in a state facility if the property was lost. She was managing her own housing too, with children depending on her.
Selling the house was the only path to protecting all three households at once. She responded to a direct mail piece from Corey The Home Buyer. Within an hour, Corey Trent called her back.
Why Was the Agent Listing Not Going to Work?
The property had real problems. It needed significant repairs, estimated at $45,000. Buyers using conventional financing generally cannot purchase a home in that condition because lenders require the property to meet minimum habitability standards. That knocked out the largest pool of buyers before the listing even had a chance.
And the foreclosure clock was running. In Washington, a nonjudicial foreclosure follows a strict statutory timeline once a Notice of Default is issued; more information about what a foreclosure is and the process can be viewed, here. A traditional sale, even a successful one, typically takes 30 to 60 days from contract to close. The seller simply did not have that kind of runway.
There was also a title issue she may not have fully understood when the listing went active.
The property had been quitclaimed to the seller (the daughter). She had been legally married for years to a husband she had long since separated from, without a completed divorce. Under Washington community property rules, a spouse’s interest can attach to property acquired during marriage. A spouse’s signature is often required to convey a clear title.
The Washington State Legislature’s community property statute sets out how all this works. But she did not know where her estranged husband was. An agent-assisted sale cannot move forward with that unresolved. Most buyers simply ended up walking away from the deal.
How Did Corey Respond to the Foreclosure Deadline?
When Corey Trent received the seller’s response to his direct mail piece, he returned the call within an hour. That speed is not an accident. In a foreclosure situation, the difference between “we can still stop this” and “the bank has already moved” can be measured in days, not weeks.
From the first conversation, Corey focused on what mattered most to her: her father’s housing. He explained what a cash sale would look like, with no repairs required, no showings, no waiting on a buyer to secure financing, and a closing timeline short enough to stop the foreclosure.
The offer was $330,000, purchased as-is. The closing timeline would be built around stopping the foreclosure, not around the market or an agent’s availability. You can see how the cash process works on the Corey The Home Buyer How It Works page.
What Made the Title So Hard to Close?
Closing this transaction required more than writing a check. It required tracking down the seller’s estranged husband and coordinating signatures from three separate parties: the seller herself, her father (whose name was tied to the deed history), and the estranged husband.
Corey’s team tracked him down and brought all three signers to closing. That process involved coordinating paperwork across multiple parties who were not in regular contact, explaining what each person needed to sign, why it was required, and what the outcome would be.
For a seller already managing an elderly parent, a live foreclosure notice, and her own family’s housing situation, having someone else take ownership of that coordination was not just a simple convenience. It was what made the transaction possible at all.
Most cash buyers will pass on a deal with this level of title complexity. It requires time, persistence, and legal coordination. Corey’s team did not shy away and kept it on track.
Dealing with a complicated title or facing foreclosure in Spokane? Corey The Home Buyer works through situations most buyers will not take on. Call (509) 463-0353 or email corey@coreythehomebuyer.com.
What Happened at Closing?
The property closed on June 5, 2026. The foreclosure was stopped. The seller avoided an estimated $45,000 in repairs she would have had to either fund out of pocket or concede as a price reduction in any traditional sale.
Her father did not end up in state housing. He moved into a private assisted living facility, the outcome she had been working towards from the beginning. She and her children moved into a house that did not need work done before they could live in it. Three households, each in a better position than at the start of the process.
The seller sent a message to Corey after closing – you can see more of our reviews, on our Testimonials page:
“Thank you so much for everything you did. Without you, we would have lost the house, my dad would be in HUD housing, and my kids and I would be homeless. You truly saved all of us.”
Before and After: By the Numbers
The table below captures the measurable changes between the seller’s situation at first contact and the outcome at closing.
| Factor | Before the Sale | After the Sale |
| Foreclosure status | Active; approaching bank deadline | Stopped at closing |
| Property condition | *Major repairs needed (est. $45,000 to remedy) | Sold as-is; seller paid $0 toward repairs |
| Time on market | Listed on MLS with agent; no viable offers received | Under contract and closed within 10 days of contact |
| Title complexity | Three-party signature required; ex-husband’s location unknown | All signers located and coordinated; clean title conveyed |
| Father’s housing | At risk of placement in state HUD facility | Placed in a private assisted living facility |
| Seller’s housing | Facing displacement along with children | Moved into a separate home in working condition |
| Outstanding property taxes | Unpaid at time of sale | Resolved through closing proceeds |
*The Repair cost figure is estimated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sell my house in Spokane if I am facing foreclosure?
Yes, if there is enough time left in the foreclosure process to complete the transaction. A cash buyer can close before the bank’s deadline, but speed matters. The sooner you contact a buyer, the more options you have. In this case, the seller closed within 10 days, which was enough time to stop the foreclosure entirely.
Can I sell if I am behind on property taxes?
Yes. Outstanding property taxes are typically paid at closing from the proceeds of the sale. You do not need to bring cash to the table to cover them beforehand. This is one reason a cash sale can resolve several financial problems in a single transaction.
What if the title on my house is complicated, for example, if an ex-spouse is on the deed?
Title complications do not automatically prevent a sale, but they do require additional work. In this Spokane transaction, the seller’s estranged husband was required by law to sign the deed even though the couple had been separated for years. Corey The Home Buyer’s team located him and coordinated all necessary signatures so closing could proceed on schedule.
What does “as-is” mean when selling to a cash buyer?
It means the buyer purchases the property in its current condition, without requiring the seller to make repairs, clean the home, or offer repair credits. In this transaction, the seller avoided an estimated $45,000 in repairs that would have been unavoidable in a traditional financed sale. Selling as-is also removes the time and stress of managing contractors before a listing goes live.
How quickly can a cash sale close in Spokane?
The timeline depends on title complexity and the seller’s situation. This transaction closed in 10 days, which included tracking down a missing signer and coordinating three-party documentation. A standard financed home sale in the Spokane market averages 30 to 60 days from contract to closing, so cash sales move significantly faster because there is no lender involved.
Sell Your Spokane House for Cash, As-Is, On Your Timeline
If you own a house in Spokane or the surrounding area and you are dealing with foreclosure, deferred repairs, back taxes, a complicated title, or simply need to close fast, Corey The Home Buyer purchases single-family homes for cash, in any condition, with no repairs required and no agent fees. Learn more about how we buy houses across Spokane, WA.
Corey Trent responds quickly and works with sellers through every step of the process, including handling all the paperwork that most buyers will not touch.
Phone: (509) 463-0353 | Email: corey@coreythehomebuyer.com
There is no cost and no obligation. The conversation is free.
About the Author
Corey Trent is the owner of Corey The Home Buyer, a Spokane-based real estate investment company. He purchases homes directly from homeowners across eastern Washington, including properties facing foreclosure, title complications, and major repairs, with no agent fees and no repair requirements.
Sources
- Washington Law Help, Foreclosure. Reviewed for legal accuracy on July 1, 2025. https://www.washingtonlawhelp.org/en/foreclosure
- Washington State Legislature, “RCW 26.16.030: Community Property.” Accessed June 18, 2026. https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=26.16.030