How I Won a Real Estate Deal With the Lowest Cash Offer | Juan Munoz
Key takeaways
- Juan won a deal with the lowest cash offer by matching the seller's earnest money deposit on the house she was buying next, instead of competing on price alone.
- He avoids the typical $5,000 hard money cost (two points plus closing costs) by using Subject-To deals, giving the seller just a couple thousand dollars to move while taking over existing financing.
- Subject-To properties he buys often need minimal rehab—paint touch-ups and some flooring—because sellers kept their homes in good shape, letting him flip quickly on the open market.
- He keeps unclosed sellers on an email marketing campaign sharing closing testimonials, noting roughly 5 out of 10 deals that sign with another investor end up falling through and coming back to him.
- In small inland towns like LaBelle, Florida, comps are unreliable, so being active and 'boots on the ground' helped him find a local cash buyer who consistently pays more than others—something he'd have missed without local presence.
- He builds in a contingency for cost overruns on flips, which currently take 6 to 8 months, to protect his numbers against rising construction costs and competition from new builds.
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) communication builds trust with Southwest Florida's large Spanish-speaking seller population—sellers notice when someone speaks fluently versus just having learned the language, which makes them feel more comfortable.
About the guest
Juan Munoz is founder of Sell Florida House Now, a cash home buying company serving Southwest Florida. He started five years ago after seeing investors leave sellers hanging at the closing table, and works across wholesaling, creative financing (Subject-To), fix and flips, and commercial projects. He operates bilingually in English and Spanish and is active in his local REIA.
Listen to the audio
“I'm actually the lowest offer, but I have a pretty good EMD because she's buying another place. So she wants somebody to be able to come in and close the property. So I told her, 'Listen, I'm just gonna match your earnest deposit, whatever it is on your new place.'”
Juan Munoz
“A deal is not closed until that check hits the bank, right? So we kind of never give up on a deal, even if they sign with somebody else.”
Juan Munoz
“In the age of AI videos, AI images, AI everything, just being authentic, being you and actually showing sellers that you are doing the business... I think that's where you'll definitely make a huge difference.”
Juan Munoz
Questions answered in this episode
How did Juan Munoz win a deal with the lowest cash offer?
He matched the seller's earnest money deposit amount on the new home she was purchasing, giving her confidence he'd close since he'd lose that deposit too if he backed out. This addressed her real concern—reliability—rather than competing purely on offer price.
How does Subject-To investing save money compared to a traditional cash purchase with hard money?
With a hard money loan you typically pay two points plus closing costs, putting you about $5,000 in before touching the property. With Subject-To, you take over existing financing and may only need to give the seller a couple thousand dollars to move, avoiding those upfront loan costs.
What's currently driving deal flow in Southwest Florida according to Juan Munoz?
He's seeing a high number of foreclosures that many investors can't capitalize on because they don't know how to reach or talk to those homeowners, which is where Subject-To deals come in. He's also seeing an uptick in probate deals, including out-of-state sellers needing to sell quickly after a parent's death.
What is the biggest threat to fix-and-flip investors in Florida right now?
New construction. Prices for new builds are evening out with flipped homes, and buyers tend to choose new construction even when it has its own issues, because it's perceived as better. Juan is also seeing new builds abandoned and unfinished hitting the market.
Why does speaking Spanish matter for sellers in Southwest Florida?
A good portion of sellers in the area are Spanish-speaking, and being bilingual lets Juan reach and build trust with them directly. He notes sellers can tell when someone speaks fluently versus having just learned the language, which makes them feel more comfortable, as if he's 'one of them.'
How should investors protect their numbers when flip costs rise mid-project?
Juan builds a contingency into his numbers upfront, accounting for the fact that flips currently take 6 to 8 months and costs can jump during that window. He says this buffer can save thousands even if the added costs never fully materialize.
Resources and links
- SELL FLORIDA HOUSE NOW’s Website
- Juan Munoz’s Phone Number: 239-510-9479
Full transcript
Juan Munoz:
Right now it’s just being very authentic, and in the age of AI videos, AI images, AI everything. So just being authentic, being you and actually showing sellers that you are doing the business and that they can trust you and you seem like a legitimate guy that can help and always put them first. I think that’s where you’ll definitely make a huge difference when it comes to a very small area and with lots of competition—healthy competition.
Scott Bursey:
Welcome back to the Real Estate Pros Podcast powered by Investor Fuel. I’m your host, Scott Bursey. Glad you’re with us. And today we’re thrilled to be joined by Juan Munoz, founder of SELL FLORIDA HOUSE NOW, a cash home buying company serving Southwest Florida. Juan’s work spans four lanes: wholesaling, creative financing, fix and flips, and commercial projects. Listeners, you’re about to hear how a cash buying company really wins deals straight from the man writing the offers. Get ready to dive deep into buying houses for cash, structuring creative deals, and serving homeowners in two languages. Juan, welcome to the show.
Juan Munoz:
Hey, thank you, Scott, for having me. I appreciate you having me on.
Scott Bursey:
It’s wonderful having you on the show and to help our listeners get up to speed. Please give us the ninety-second highlight reel of how your career ignited and where you’re pouring your fuel now.
Juan Munoz:
Yeah, so starting five years ago and seeing how broken the system was and saw how a lot of so-called investors were leaving the sellers hanging and getting closer to the closing table and I saw them like, that’s just not right and kinda came in, wanted to do things different, be upfront, and just get the property closed, which is what a lot of sellers ended up wanting to. And right now the biggest, you know, I’m focusing on is really diving deep into commercial buildings.
Scott Bursey:
Thanks for laying that out, Juan. That gives us a solid foundation to build on. What really caught my attention about you was the way you’ve been able to run your whole business in two languages. I find that fascinating. You work with homeowners and investors in English and Spanish all across Southwest Florida. Most buyers can only walk through one door, Juan. You walk through both. And that changes who trusts you in the biggest decisions of their life.
Juan Munoz:
Yeah. No.
Scott Bursey:
Yeah. And taking that just a step further, expanding on that a little bit, right out of the gate, what are you seeing in the Southwest Florida area right now that everybody else may be missing?
Juan Munoz:
Yeah, so right now what I’ve seen is high amount of foreclosures down here and a lot of investors are not able to capitalize on that just because they don’t know how to get to these homeowners or talk to them. So that’s where Subject-To is coming into play right now and we’re kinda taking advantage of that now, to where we’re reaching out to both English and Spanish because we can speak both languages. ‘Cause it’s a good majority of Spanish-speaking sellers down here. So we’re reaching both at the same time and offering a solution to them. It’s huge right now. And also seeing a little bit of increase in probate. The last kind of two properties or wholesale deals that I’ve done were probate deals, which one was out of state and just needed to sell the place quickly. Mother passed away. So those two I’ve been seeing quite often now.
Scott Bursey:
Juan, you spoke about Subject-To. How is that actually turning into deals for you?
Juan Munoz:
Yeah, it’s where other investors can’t pay what happens by the time you buy a cash property, if you’re getting the hard money loan, you’re paying your two points, closing costs. So you’re already just without touching the property five thousand dollars in. With Subject-To, you kinda avoid that ’cause you can just get in the deal, the finances already set in place, and maybe you give the seller a couple of thousand dollars to move on. And honestly, some of these properties that I’ve bought is they need very little because this was their home. So they kept it in really good shape. So we come in, just touch up the paint, maybe change some floors, but do very minimal work and still be able to flip it on the open market.
Scott Bursey:
Appreciate you sharing that, Juan. Thanks for that excellent breakdown. And curious to know, where does a deal get stuck most often for you right now in that competitive market of South Florida?
Juan Munoz:
Where it gets stuck. What I’ve seen right now is—I actually just went through this, I just signed yesterday—a lot of investors throwing high offers at sellers and telling them, “Hey, we can close on this date, blah blah blah,” and putting a hundred-dollar earnest deposit. And I’m like, I tell sellers like, that’s not a serious cash buyer. I know investors can do a lot better than that. But the sellers are able to see right through that. We ended up signing. I’m actually the lowest offer, but I have a pretty good EMD because she’s buying another place. So she wants somebody to be able to come in and close the property. So I told her, “Listen, I’m just gonna match your earnest deposit, whatever it is on your new place. I’m gonna match that.” So that gives you confidence if for any reason you don’t close, or I also lose my deposit. So kinda made a win-win for everybody.
Scott Bursey:
Curious, when a seller goes quiet, what brings them back to the table, Juan? What’s the winning formula there?
Juan Munoz:
Sometimes it’s just they get burnt by that investor. That investor is not able to perform. And we’re constantly also keeping the seller on an email marketing campaign where we’re sharing our testimonials when we do a closing. So those have actually brought in some of the sellers back and just keep top of mind because a deal is not closed until that check hits the bank, right? So we kind of never give up on a deal, even if they sign with somebody else. ‘Cause it’s like five out of ten, sometimes they don’t end up closing. And I’ve seen that time and time again. Just keep in touch with them at a very high level.
Scott Bursey:
That’s a huge lesson, listeners. Hope you wrote that one down. And let me ask you this, Juan: Where’s the biggest opening for a cash buyer in Southwest Florida today, in your view?
Juan Munoz:
Right now it’s just being very authentic, and in the age of AI videos, AI images, AI everything. So just being authentic, being you and actually showing sellers that you are doing the business and that they can trust you and you seem like a legitimate guy that can help and always put them first. I think that’s kind of where you’ll definitely make a huge difference when it comes to a very small area and with lots of competition—healthy competition.
Scott Bursey:
Are the smaller inland towns a different game than the coast?
Juan Munoz:
Yeah, because it’s sometimes hard to comp properties. There’s not a lot of comps and you really gotta be boots on the ground because a lot of these little towns, it’s a lot of cash buyers that are just buying because they just wanna hold. They’re not so-called very sophisticated investors, but they just want to put their money somewhere, right? So just having boots on the ground is really important because the numbers say one thing, but a cash buyer may be able to pay a lot more. And I’ve seen that in a small town, LaBelle, that I’ve been working a lot in. There’s a cash buyer that’s typically paying a lot more than any other cash buyers. It’s good buyers to have. But I wouldn’t be able to find that buyer if I wasn’t very active in that area. So just being active and being out there helps.
Scott Bursey:
Thank you for sharing that excellent perspective with your market there. Digging in, Juan, what is the biggest threat to a Florida flipper right now?
Juan Munoz:
The biggest threat right now is new construction down here. There’s just new houses being built around the corner. And prices are kind of evening it out where you come with a fix and flip product and then you have a new construction and they’re about the same price. So the buyer is always gonna choose new, right? ‘Cause they hear it’s new. Even though new has issues ’cause maybe the builder did a bad job. But right now, the biggest threat is a lot of new construction, a lot of product. Already seeing a lot of new builds being abandoned, not even completed, that are going on the market.
Scott Bursey:
You hit home on the construction. How do you protect your numbers when costs jump mid-flip?
Juan Munoz:
Yeah, putting that in your numbers, putting a contingency out front, knowing that, hey, if this flip—typically, right now it’s six to eight months, what I’ve been experiencing myself. So just putting that contingency in there, knowing that even though it may or may not happen, but just throwing that contingency in there will save you thousands.
Scott Bursey:
Having a buffer, it sounds like. Thanks for walking us through that. And real talk here: What does the next big move look like for your company, SELL FLORIDA HOUSE NOW?
Juan Munoz:
Right now it’s just putting the brand out there, just dominating my little area here, showcasing my brand and meeting a lot more investors. Just take the brand to the next level as well. It’s just being more authentic, because we actually care about sellers and putting sellers first. So it’s taking the brand to the next level. I think I’m doing that well right now with all the reviews that we’re collecting, going to the closing table, meeting the sellers in person, just being authentic and having that face-to-face communication will make a difference.
Scott Bursey:
It’s so important. And Juan, wondering: does the wholesaling lane grow from here or do the four lanes stay balanced?
Juan Munoz:
I think I’m gonna grow that out. And then continue to do the commercial part of it, which I kinda have my eye on. I really like that process and kinda how there’s different competition there, but you can typically make a lot more money in commercial. So use the wholesale funds to fund the commercial projects that we should have here coming up in 2027.
Scott Bursey:
Appreciate you letting us in on that. And wondering, this is the big question that’s been on my mind: Has there ever been a deal that only happened because you could sit at a family’s kitchen table and speak Spanish with them?
Juan Munoz:
Yeah, for sure. A lot of these families are bilingual, so it helps a lot to know their language, understand and make sure you can speak it fluently, even write in Spanish. They just feel a lot more comfortable with you because they can tell the accent, everything. They can tell that you just didn’t learn Spanish, and I guess it makes them feel comfortable, like you’re one of them as well. So it helps a ton.
Scott Bursey:
You talked about making the client feel comfortable. People do business with folks that they know, they like, and they trust. Juan, if you could describe for our listeners: what does your professional network look like right now?
Juan Munoz:
Right now I’m attending the local REIA where we gather, talk about what’s going on in the market, talk about deals, what are they seeing that I’m not seeing, and just kind of exchanging ideas like, “Hey, what are you doing here? Are you doing any Subject-Tos? Do you need help with any?” Or just kind of offering value, letting them know, “Hey, if you need anything, here’s what I’m doing.” Kind of being an open book to my network.
Scott Bursey:
Well, thank you for giving us a look into your circle there. And Juan, let’s dive deep. What’s the most creative deal you’ve ever put together for a seller who had no other way out?
Juan Munoz:
Yeah. I’m working on this one now. It’s a Subject-To deal. It’s in Fort Myers, Florida. It’s a senior with a blind—it’s her son. So it’s a mom and son situation. What happened is the mom deeded the property to her daughter and the daughter took a mortgage without telling the mom. So now it’s up for auction. So what we’re gonna do there is we’re gonna buy Subject-To, give them some money to move in the future because they need to stay there for at least twelve months to kind of build up to be able to move out. So we’re gonna leave them there. We’re gonna put a lease in place. And when they get ready to move, whenever they want to move within that twelve-month span, we’re gonna write a check to find a rental or whatever. So that’s one right now we gotta be very creative with, dealing with the senior and a blind person.
Scott Bursey:
That’s creative and that is executing. Juan, thank you for highlighting that. And Juan, you have given us a lot of really great words of wisdom on your local market here today. Is there any additional words of wisdom or golden nugget that you’d like to leave with our listeners?
Juan Munoz:
Yeah, the biggest one is just be yourself. Don’t be afraid. A lot of gurus, coaches out there preach like you can do this virtually, and you can. I’m not saying you can’t. I’ve done some of those transactions, but think right now to stand out or go meet that person, be yourself, make sure you’re getting a good review. Because that will make the difference for your business tomorrow. The next seller that comes to you wanting to sell their house, they’re gonna see that review and they might see themselves in that person and say, “Hey, this is the person I wanna work with.” Don’t AI everything: pictures, videos.
Scott Bursey:
The human touch. Yeah, that’s powerful. Thank you, Juan. And Juan, for those of our listeners that would like to keep this conversation moving, stay in your lane, collaborate with you perhaps on future deals: what’s the best way for them to plug into your pipeline and reach you directly?
Juan Munoz:
Yeah, they can call me or text me: 239-510-9479. You can call me, text me there or go to my website, see kind of what I’m doing. It’s sellfloridahousenow.com. Those are the two places you’ll definitely find me, reach me. If you have any questions or just starting out, I’m actually helping a friend of mine getting into the business, and two more agents that I’ve worked with before are calling me and saying, “Hey, I wanna get into the business ’cause they’ve been seeing what I’ve been doing.” If you have any questions, more than happy to help with the deal or structure it or even buy it. I’m buying as well.
Scott Bursey:
Juan, thank you so much for joining us today on the Real Estate Pros Podcast.
Juan Munoz:
Yeah, thank you for having me, Scott. This was great.
Scott Bursey:
It most certainly has. It’s been a pleasure. And to our listeners, we appreciate you. If you received value from today’s episode, please subscribe. We’ll be filling your tanks with the lineup of elite guests, just like Juan Munoz, who are accelerating and setting the pace for the rest of the industry. Until next time, keep your standards high and your vision clear. We’ll see you on the next episode, everyone.
