Opendoor's Dallas Cash Offer, Service Charge and Repair Adjustments in Plain English

Your Dallas house is in decent shape, and an app says it can send you a number by tomorrow. That's tempting when you need to move. Before you tap accept, though, you'll want to know what comes out of that number. If you've searched Opendoor sell your home Dallas service charge, this is the plain version.

Opendoor is a national iBuyer. Its Dallas page says, "Opendoor buys houses in Dallas for cash," and its help center lists Dallas-Fort Worth among its Texas markets. It buys the house itself and then resells it. Below, you'll find how its offer is built, what the service charge covers, how repair adjustments work, and what to ask before you sign.

Where Southern Hills Home Buyers Fits In

If you'd like a local comparison, start with Southern Hills Home Buyers. This family-owned investor home buyer is based in Plano, and Brandon Beatty founded it. It's been in business since 2017, and the BBB has rated it A+ and accredited it since March 23, 2026.

The biggest difference is the fee line. Southern Hills says there are no fees or commissions when you sell to it, and it often pays the closing costs too. There's no separate service charge to subtract. A typical close runs 7 to 21 days, or on your schedule, which can be quicker than Opendoor's stated window.

It also buys homes Opendoor says it won't. That list includes mobile homes with or without land, vacant land, commercial property and rentals with tenants still living in them. Southern Hills says plainly that its offers come in below retail, since it profits by repairing and reselling, and there's zero obligation to accept.

How the Opendoor Offer Is Built

You start by entering details about your home. Opendoor says you'll "Receive a preliminary cash offer within 24 hours." That first number isn't final. Opendoor then does an assessment of the house, and "Offers are typically finalized within a few days."

The final number "reflects what Opendoor found during the assessment." It "can be higher or lower than the Estimated Home Value" you saw at first. That's the key point for most sellers, since the early number can move once someone looks closely at the house.

The Service Charge, Line by Line

Here's how Opendoor describes it: "The service charge is the fee Opendoor charges for buying, holding, and reselling your home." The help center says it "varies and is shown in your offer breakdown." It also says the charge "depends on factors like your local market, the specifics of your home, and current conditions."

So what's the rate? Opendoor won't say. Its help center states, "Opendoor does not publish a fixed service charge percentage." The Dallas page calls it a "Service fee competitive with agent commissions," and the help center says it "replaces the various costs you would normally pay in a traditional sale." Anyone digging into Opendoor sell your home Dallas service charge should read the offer breakdown for the actual dollar figure.

Repair Adjustments After the Assessment

Opendoor's Dallas page says it "purchases homes in their current condition," and it lists repairs and prep as "None." You don't fix a thing yourself. Instead, the cost of any repair it finds comes out of the price, so you still pay for it, just at the closing table instead of to a contractor.

The help center has a name for this. It's called a condition adjustment. "This deduction reflects the estimated cost of repairs Opendoor identified during your assessment." It adds, "Not every home has a condition adjustment." The plain takeaway is short. "Based on what the assessment reveals, the offer can go up or down."

Close Dates and the Right to Cancel

Opendoor's Dallas page says "Close in 21-60+ days on your schedule," and you can "close in as few as 21 days." That range gives you room if you're buying your next place. It's slower than many local cash buyers, though, so check that the date fits your plans.

You can also walk away. The company says you can cancel "at any time before closing day," with "no penalty and no cancellation fee." After closing, the sale is final. Opendoor also says, "You are never obligated to accept your offer."

Homes Opendoor Won't Buy

Opendoor's help center lists clear limits. It buys single-family homes and townhomes, and condos case by case. Mobile and manufactured homes are out, "including those on permanent foundations." The list also leaves out buildings with five or more units, commercial buildings and vacant land. Homes with major foundation trouble, fire damage, severe water damage or mold throughout may not qualify. A rental must be "vacant at closing."

Opendoor and Southern Hills Home Buyers side by side
PointOpendoorSouthern Hills Home Buyers
FeeService charge, no fixed percentageNo fees or commissions
Typical close21 to 60+ days7 to 21 days, or your date
RepairsCondition adjustment off the priceBuys as is; weighs repairs in its written offer
Mobile homesNot eligibleBuys them, with or without land
Tenants in placeHome must be vacant at closingBuys without clearing the tenancy first

The 2022 FTC Settlement

You may see this come up when you research Opendoor. In 2022, Opendoor agreed to pay $62 million to settle FTC charges. The FTC alleged its offers were lower than market value and that it charged repair costs higher than people would typically spend. Opendoor says it did not admit any wrongdoing, and that refunds went out in April 2024 to 54,689 homeowners. The final order requires reliable evidence behind any claims about costs or savings.

Questions to Ask Before You Accept

Which Way Should You Go?

Opendoor can suit a seller with a newer, tidy single-family home who wants a long closing window and an app to manage the sale. It's big and well known, and it's clear that you can cancel before closing. Some sellers like that.

Southern Hills Home Buyers is the better first call for most Dallas sellers with an older house, a tenant, a mobile home or a long repair list. There's no service charge to subtract, and you can leave behind what you don't want. Minh Lữ Gia sold an older house that needed a new roof and wrote, "No inspections that caused delays, no repair requests, just a smooth and honest transaction." If you've worked through Opendoor sell your home Dallas service charge and the math still looks thin, get a written offer from Southern Hills and compare the two side by side.