What Gets a Wholesale Deal a Fast Yes: Our Submission Checklist for Florida Wholesalers

Home › Blog › Fast-Yes Submission Checklist · Updated October 25, 2026

Every wholesaler in Florida has lived some version of the same week. You get a signed contract on a three-bedroom block home, you send it out, and then the questions start trickling in one at a time. How old is the roof? Is the tenant paying? Can someone get in Thursday? Which comps did you use? By the time you have answered all of them, your inspection period is nearly gone and the buyer who was interested on Monday has moved on to something easier.

A fast yes is not luck, and it is not about finding a buyer who will skip due diligence. It comes from anticipating the questions a disciplined buyer has to answer before committing money, and answering them in the first message. Libera Capital Group is a direct cash buyer of houses and improved commercial property across Florida, with Southwest Florida as our home market. We buy for our own account, and when a package lands complete, we aim to reply within one business day with a yes, no or counter. When it lands incomplete, the clock effectively starts over each time we have to ask for something.

This article is the inside view: how a buyer like us actually reaches a decision, what belongs in a submission, the specific photos and documents that remove doubt, and the habits that quietly turn a yes into a maybe. If you are newer to the business, it will save you a lot of back-and-forth. If you have been doing this for years, treat it as a pre-flight check. Either way, the goal is the same: spend your time finding the next deal instead of re-explaining the last one.

How does a cash buyer actually decide on a wholesale deal?

From the outside, a buyer’s decision can look arbitrary: one deal gets an answer in a few hours, another sits for days. From the inside, it is a fairly mechanical sequence. Each step either has the information it needs or it stalls. Understanding the sequence is the single most useful thing a wholesaler can learn, because it tells you what to put at the top of your email.

Step one: is this deal real and closable?

Before anyone opens a comp tool, the first screen is about control and closability. Is there a signed purchase agreement or written permission from the owner to present the property? Does the person who signed actually hold title, or is there a spouse, co-heir, estate or entity that also needs to sign? Is the contract assignable, or will it require a double close? Is there a foreclosure sale date, a tax deed application or a code enforcement lien that changes the calendar? If those answers are missing, a careful buyer will not spend time on valuation, because a perfectly priced deal that cannot close is worth nothing to either of you.

Step two: what is the finished product worth?

Next comes after-repair value. A buyer is not asking what the house is worth today; it is asking what a retail buyer, with a lender and an insurance company standing behind them, will pay after the work is done. That depends on comparable closed sales that genuinely match: same construction type, similar size and age, the same side of the canal or highway, the same flood exposure. In Southwest Florida, it also depends on whether the finished home will be insurable at a cost buyers will accept, which is why roof age and wind-mitigation features matter so much in our market.

Step three: what will it cost to get there?

Repairs are where most deals live or die. The buyer needs to know which big-ticket systems are near the end of their life: roof covering, electrical panel, air conditioning, water heater, plumbing supply lines, windows and, for waterfront homes, the seawall and dock. Cosmetic work is easy to estimate from photos. The expensive surprises are not, which is why your evidence on the major systems carries far more weight than a pretty kitchen shot.

Step four: can we verify it before the deadline?

Finally, the buyer has to confirm what it has been told. That means a walkthrough or inspection, which means access, which means time. A deal with ten days left on the inspection period and a lockbox code is easy to say yes to. A deal with eighteen hours left and a tenant who will not answer the door is a deal most buyers pass on, even at a good price.

Notice what is not on that list: your enthusiasm, the word “steal” in the subject line, or a countdown timer. A buyer moves fastest when it has the fewest unknowns, so the real job of a submission is to shrink the unknowns.

The fast-yes checklist at a glance

Here is the whole thing on one screen. The rest of the article explains how to do each part well. You can send everything through the Submit a Deal page or the form at the bottom of this post; the form asks for most of it in order, so treat this table as the reasoning behind the fields.

If you only have time to improve one thing, improve the repair evidence. The gap between a wholesaler’s scope and a buyer’s scope is one of the most common reasons a Florida number does not work, and it is almost always about a system nobody photographed.

How should you show that you control the deal?

Control is the foundation of every submission, and it is also the area where Florida wholesalers need to be most careful. We only review deals that the sender has under a signed purchase contract or has written permission from the owner to present. The form on this page requires you to confirm that, and we will ask to see the paperwork before we sign anything. That is not distrust; it protects you, the seller and us.

What to send

• The executed purchase agreement, including every addendum and counter. If the contract has an assignment clause, an “and/or assigns” buyer designation, or language restricting assignment, we need to see it, because it determines whether we close by assignment or by double close.
• The signature page showing who signed and in what capacity: individually, as trustee, as personal representative of an estate, or as a manager of an LLC.
• The effective date, inspection or due-diligence deadline, and closing date, typed into your message as well as shown in the contract. Retyping them sounds redundant, but it prevents a date from being missed in a long PDF.
• The escrow agent or title company already holding your deposit, if one has been opened, with a contact name.

What not to send

You do not need to forward the seller’s driver’s license, bank statements, mortgage statements with full account numbers or other sensitive personal documents to show control. Redact what is not needed. The title company handles identity and payoff verification at closing, and you should treat a seller’s private information with the same care you would want for your own.

When you don’t have a contract yet

Sometimes you have a motivated owner and a relationship but not a signed agreement. In that case, the honest route is to get the owner’s written permission to present the property to us, or to get the contract signed first. Do not describe a property as “under contract” when it is not, and do not market a property you do not control. Florida’s real estate license law, Chapter 475 of the Florida Statutes, regulates who may advertise or negotiate the sale of another person’s property for compensation, and how those rules apply to wholesaling depends on the specific facts. Several other states have recently passed wholesaling-specific disclosure laws, and Florida’s rules can change too. This is general information, not legal advice; talk with a Florida real estate attorney about how you structure your contracts and your marketing.

Which photos and video answer a buyer’s underwriting questions?

Most wholesale photo sets are shot like a listing: the living room from the doorway, the kitchen at its best angle, maybe the pool. Those photos tell a buyer almost nothing about cost. A fast-yes photo set is shot like an inspector’s notebook. The goal is to answer specific questions, so organize it around those questions.

The system-by-system shot list

• Roof: wide shots of every plane from the ground, close-ups of any lifted shingles, cracked tiles or ponding on flat sections, and, if you can safely get it, a photo of the roof permit card or the date on the most recent roof permit from the county or city records. In Florida, roof age drives insurability, so the date matters as much as the condition.
• Electrical: the main panel with the cover on and the label legible, then with the door open showing the breakers. Brand matters: some older panel brands are difficult to insure. Photograph the meter can and any exterior disconnects.
• HVAC: the condenser data plate (it shows the manufacture date), the air handler in the garage or closet, and any rust, water staining or secondary drain pan issues.
• Water heater: the label showing the date and capacity.
• Plumbing: under every sink, showing the supply lines and drains, and any visible piping in the garage or attic. Note if you see older piping materials or signs of past leaks.
• Windows and doors: whether they are impact-rated or protected by shutters. A close-up of a corner label, if present, is helpful.
• Structure: any cracks in block walls, stucco, slab or ceilings, with something in frame for scale. Step cracks and cracks wider than a hairline deserve their own photos.
• Water intrusion: ceiling stains, baseboard swelling, flooring damage, and any visible mold. If the property took water in a storm, say so and show the waterline.
• Waterfront: the seawall cap from above and the face from the water side if accessible, the dock, any lift, and the condition of the cap joints and tiebacks if visible.
• Well and septic: the well head and pressure tank, and the septic tank lid location, if the property is not on central utilities.
• Exterior: all four elevations, the driveway, fencing, the pool shell and equipment, and the lot’s drainage.

The unedited walkthrough video

Add one continuous video walking from the front door through every room, including closets, garage and attic hatch, narrating what you see. Do not edit out the bad parts; buyers assume anything cut is a problem. A single honest video often replaces a first site visit for deciding whether to schedule a real one, which is exactly what speeds things up.

How to deliver it

Upload to a shared folder and send the link, with files named by room or system (“roof-north,” “panel-open,” “ac-data-plate”). Email attachments get compressed, bounced or lost. Date your photos or tell us when they were taken. Old photos from a previous listing can be useful context, but label them as such so nobody mistakes a pre-storm kitchen for the current one.

How do you present numbers a buyer can trust?

Your numbers are an argument, and the best arguments show their work. We underwrite every deal from the finished value backward, accounting for repairs, holding costs, insurance, resale costs and risk. You do not need to agree with how a buyer weighs each of those, but you do need to show the inputs you used so the conversation is about specifics instead of instincts.

After-repair value: show the comps and the logic

Send three to five recent closed sales you consider comparable, with addresses, sale dates, square footage and a sentence on why each one fits. Point out the differences: “comp two has a pool, ours does not,” or “comp three is on a sailboat-access canal; ours is on a freshwater canal.” Acknowledging differences is far more persuasive than ignoring them, because it shows you understand where your number could be wrong. For a deeper look at how Southwest Florida features such as flood zones, elevation and canal access change values, see our deal analysis guide for Southwest Florida wholesalers.

Repairs: itemize, don’t summarize

A single lump sum invites suspicion. A short itemized list builds confidence even when the total is rough. Break it into roof, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, windows and doors, kitchen, baths, flooring, paint and drywall, exterior and pool, permits and contingency. Mark which items you saw directly and which are assumptions. If a contractor gave you a number, say so and include it.

Your price: one number, stated plainly

Tell us the price you want from us, whether by assignment or double close, as one figure. Ranges and “best offer” requests slow everything down, because they force the buyer to guess what will be accepted. If your number has room, a buyer will counter; that is part of the process. If it does not, saying so clearly is fine too. We aim to answer with a yes, no or counter, and a single price makes that answer faster.

Be transparent about the spread

We do not set rules for what a wholesaler earns, and we are not interested in negotiating your fee for its own sake. We look at the total price relative to the work and risk. That said, in an assignment the end buyer typically sees the fee on the closing paperwork, and sellers increasingly read their contracts carefully. Price your deals so that the numbers make sense to everyone who will eventually look at them.

When should you send a deal, and how does access affect the answer?

Time is the hidden variable in every wholesale deal. The same property can be an easy yes with two weeks left on the inspection period and an automatic pass with one day left. Plan your calendar around the buyer’s verification steps, not just your contract dates.

Send early, even before your numbers are perfect

Send the deal as soon as you have a signed contract and basic photos. You can follow up with comps and a fuller scope. An early heads-up lets us look at the location, pull public records and hold time for a walkthrough while you finish your homework. A “preview” message that clearly says what is still coming is far more useful than a polished package delivered on the last day.

Spell out access in one sentence

“Vacant, lockbox on the side door, code by text, available any day before 6 p.m.” is a perfect access note. So is “Tenant-occupied, 24 hours’ notice required, seller will coordinate, best days Tuesday and Thursday.” What slows everything down is silence on access, because it guarantees a round of messages before anyone can schedule anything.

Occupied properties need extra detail

If someone lives there, tell us who: the owner, a family member, a tenant with a written lease, a tenant on a month-to-month arrangement, or someone whose status is unclear. Include the rent, whether it is current, and whether the seller has deposits or a lease to transfer. Occupancy changes both the timeline and the type of buyer the property suits, so it is one of the first things we look at. Our page on selling a property with problem tenants covers the issues sellers face, which are the same ones that show up in your deal.

What a realistic timeline looks like

Every deal is different, but a well-packaged residential deal generally moves through the same stages: initial review, a walkthrough, a written agreement, an earnest money deposit with the title company, title work, and closing. Commercial deals add rent rolls, leases and sometimes third-party reports, so they take longer. We will tell you what we are waiting on at each stage. The Submit a Deal page walks through that sequence in detail, including how assignments and double closes are handled through a Florida title company.

What turns a fast yes into a slow maybe?

Some patterns reliably add days to a decision or kill it outright. Most have nothing to do with price.

• The price moves after the first message. If the number goes up once a buyer shows interest, every other number in the package becomes suspect too.
• Problems surface at the walkthrough instead of in the email. An undisclosed foundation crack, a code case or a second owner discovered on site resets the conversation. Disclosed problems get priced; discovered problems get questioned.
• The same deal arrives from three people. When a property is shopped widely by multiple parties, buyers start wondering who actually controls it. Keep your distribution tight and accurate.
• The property is also listed on the MLS. If the seller has an active listing agreement, say so. It affects whether and how the deal can proceed.
• Photos are old or from a different season. A pre-storm photo set on a post-storm house wastes everyone’s time.
• The seller doesn’t know a buyer is coming. Walkthroughs that surprise the owner create friction and sometimes end the deal.
• Unanswered title clues. A recent death, a divorce, an open foreclosure case, an estate that has not been opened or a deed into an LLC that is no longer active all need early attention. Our guide to inherited and probate properties explains why those situations need extra time.
• Vacant land slipped into a house package. We buy houses and improved commercial property on this site; lots go to our land division instead.

None of these is fatal by itself if you flag it. What turns a yes into a maybe is surprise. A buyer can work with almost any fact; it cannot work with a fact it learns late.

What extra items does a commercial or multifamily submission need?

Commercial and small multifamily deals follow the same logic, but the buyer is valuing an income stream as well as a building. Add these to your package whenever they exist, and say plainly when they do not:

• Rent roll showing each unit or suite, tenant, rent, lease start and end dates, and deposits held.
• Operating history for the trailing twelve months if available: income, taxes, insurance, utilities, repairs and management.
• Copies of leases, especially for commercial tenants, including renewal options, who pays which expenses and any rights of first refusal.
• Zoning and use: the current use, whether it conforms, and any open code or fire marshal issues.
• Known environmental history for properties such as former service stations, dry cleaners or industrial sites.
• Building systems: roof type and age, HVAC units and their ages, fire sprinklers or alarms, and parking condition.

We buy most types of improved commercial property throughout Florida, from small apartment buildings to retail, office, industrial and hospitality. Our overview of commercial property we buy explains the range. Commercial reviews take longer than houses, so early submission matters even more.

What happens after you hit send?

1. We confirm receipt and check control. We review the contract or written permission, the parties and the dates. If something is missing, we ask for it once, specifically.
2. We run a desk review. Location, public records, flood zone, permit history, comps and your scope. We aim to reply within one business day with a yes, no or counter on a complete package.
3. We walk the property. A verbal yes becomes firm after we have seen it. If we find something material that was not visible or disclosed, we explain it plainly.
4. We sign and close through a Florida title company. Earnest money goes to the title company, not to either party, and the deal closes by assignment or double close depending on your contract. Proof of funds is available on request for deals under contract.

If we pass, we will tell you why. That feedback is often the most valuable part of the exchange, because it shows you how buyers will see your next deal. Wholesalers who send us deals regularly can join our wholesaler network to receive our current buy box and target areas, which makes it easier to know in advance what fits. For an overview of how we work with deal sources overall, see our wholesaler partner page.

County-specific guides

Local details change the checklist. A Cape Coral canal home needs seawall photos; a Lehigh Acres rental needs well and septic details; a Naples condo needs association documents; a North Port house might be a half-built shell. Our county guides cover what matters in each market:

• Wholesale deals in Lee County
• Wholesale deals in Collier County
• Wholesale deals in Charlotte County
• Wholesale deals in Sarasota County

We review deals statewide, but Southwest Florida is our home market and where we know the neighborhoods best. Storm-affected properties are welcome too; our page on hurricane and flood-damaged homes explains what we look for after a storm.

Frequently Asked Questions about getting a fast yes on a wholesale deal

Send us your next deal

Use the form below to submit a property you have under contract or have written permission to present. Prefer to talk it through? Call (239) 686-0823 or email acquisitions@liberacg.com. Our office is at 10012 Gulf Center Dr, Suite 5253, Fort Myers, FL 33913, with meetings by appointment.