Stuck because your house needs work?

Most agents will tell you to fix it first or take a beating on price. I do it differently. Through HomePrep+, I front up to $8,000 of repair costs out of my own pocket, run the prep work, and get reimbursed out of your sale proceeds at closing. You write no check before the listing goes up.

Top 1% of agents in Lincoln · Marine veteran · Acreage specialist

What "stuck" actually looks like

You've got equity in the house. You need to move. The roof has a soft spot. The HVAC is on borrowed time. The carpet is beat. The basement smells. The kitchen is dated.

Three agents have come through. Each one told you the same thing: list it as-is and take $30K off, or fix it first and we'll talk.

You don't have $30K sitting in a drawer to fix it. And you can't afford to lose $30K in equity on the sale. So you wait. Or you give up. Or you take a beating you didn't deserve.

That's where I come in.

How I unstick you

  1. Free walk-through. I come to your house and tell you what actually needs to happen: what to fix, what to skip, what your house is worth at each level of prep. No pressure to list.
  2. I front the prep costs. Roof, paint, carpet, landscaping, staging, whatever moves the needle. My contractors. My invoices. My cash.
  3. I project-manage the work. You don't schedule contractors. You don't chase quotes. You don't pay anyone up front. I run it all.
  4. We list when it shows well. Pro photos, real marketing, the whole system.
  5. I get reimbursed at closing. Out of the sale proceeds, line-itemed on the settlement statement. No surprises.

Who I've done this for

The leaky-roof family in Hickman. Two kids, third on the way. $12K in roof repairs they didn't have. Three agents told them to fix it first or lose $30K. I covered the $12K, listed clean two weeks later, sold at full asking. Closed on their move-up home the same day.

The basement nobody else would touch. Finished basement that flooded twice in two years. Cosmetic damage on the walls. Two agents wanted them to drop the price $40K. A third wouldn't take the listing at all. I brought in a drainage contractor, fronted the fix and the cosmetic repairs, and listed at the number I knew the house was actually worth. Sold at list in nine days.

The divorce situation. Three kids, no income, notice of default in the mail. House needed work they couldn't afford. With both attorneys' approval, we signed paperwork and I went to work: carpets, garage door, yard, professional cleaning. Three weeks before foreclosure hit. Sold quickly. They paid the bank, paid me back, and walked away clean.

Why most agents won't do this

It's a real risk. I'm putting my own money into your house before it sells. If the sale falls apart, I'm out the prep money.

Most agents won't take that risk. They're running on volume: list 30 houses, take whatever closes, move on. A house that needs prep is friction.

I'm running differently. I take fewer listings. I do more work per listing. And I'll back the prep with my own cash because I know the system works.

It's called the Move-Up Method. It's the same system I use for young families upgrading from a starter home, just deployed for a tougher situation. Read the full method here.

Find out why it didn't sell

Send your address. Wade tells you straight, even if the answer is "wait."

Goes straight to Wade. Usually replies same day.

Common questions

How does HomePrep+ work?

Up to $8,000 in repair invoices, contractor labor, paint, carpet, staging. I front it all out of my own pocket. You write no check up front. The cost comes out of your sale proceeds at closing, line-itemed on the settlement statement. Specifics depend on the house and the prep budget. We walk through the numbers on our first walk-through.

What if my house doesn't sell?

That's on me. The way I structure these deals, my prep money is at risk if the sale falls apart. I'm only doing this because I've done it many times and the system works. We price right, we prep right, the house sells.

How big can the prep budget go?

I've done $2K cosmetic refreshes and $25K major repair packages. We'll talk through what's actually worth fixing for your situation. The goal is the highest net to you, not the most prep work.

What if I owe more than the house is worth?

Short-sale situations are something I handle regularly. Let's talk on a free, no-pressure call and I'll walk you through your options, including some that don't involve listing at all.

I'm going through a divorce. Can you handle that?

Yes. I work with divorce attorneys regularly and know how to handle dual-signature listings, equity splits, and tight timelines. We can structure this so both parties' interests are protected.

Are you also a Marine veteran?

Yes. Five years active duty (2011-2016, southern California). I help VA-loan buyers and veteran sellers regularly, and I'll fight for VA deals other agents won't touch. More on Wade's Veterans/VA loan work.

Tell me what's going on with your house.

Free walk-through. No pressure. No pitch. I'll tell you the real number and what it would take to get there, even if you decide not to list with me.

That's where I come in.