Step 1 — The quote
You send the buyer the VIN (or year/make/model if no VIN), the mileage, and a couple of honest photos. A real cash buyer responds with a specific dollar offer — not a range, not 'starting at,' and not 'up to.' The offer is based on live wholesale auction data (Manheim, Adesa) for your exact trim and condition. Expect the quote to come back inside 15 minutes for any weekday message during business hours.
Step 2 — Acceptance and scheduling
If you like the number, you accept and the buyer sends you their office address (legitimate buyers have a fixed location). You pick an appointment window — morning, afternoon, evening, or weekend. Most DFW cash buyers are flexible because the appointment itself only takes 30–45 minutes. Nothing is locked until you both agree on time and place; you can still back out of the offer at this stage.
Step 3 — The appointment
You drive the car to the buyer's office. Bring the Texas title (do NOT sign it beforehand), your driver's license, and the keys (both if you have both). A buyer will typically have coffee or water while you wait. The inspection takes 30 minutes — they verify the VIN on the dashboard and door jamb matches the title, walk around the car noting any damage, take interior photos, and run the engine / test drive briefly. This is where any undisclosed issues get noticed, so accuracy in your original photos and description matters.
Step 4 — The paperwork
Once the car checks out, you sign the back of the Texas title — specifically the 'Assignment of Title' section, with the sale date, your signature as seller, and the buyer's information. The buyer signs too. You fill out Form 130-U (Application for Texas Title) if applicable, or the buyer does it. You keep a copy of everything. If there's a lien on the car, this is when the buyer calls your lender on speakerphone to confirm the payoff amount, then wires the payoff directly.
Step 5 — Payment
You choose check same day. Cash is instant — bills in your hand, a signed bill of sale, done. ACH arrives in your account within a few hours (most banks post it within 30 minutes from a business-account sender, but some take until the next business day). For any amount above about $5,000, ACH is usually safer than cash — fewer counting questions, no physical transport risk. The buyer hands you the keys back for a moment so you can grab any personal items from the car, removes your license plates (which stay with you in Texas), and that's the end of the deal.
How long does the whole thing take?
From your first message to cash-in-hand: 2 to 4 hours is typical if you can appoint that same day. Here's the breakdown: 10–15 minutes for the quote, 15 minutes for scheduling, 20–45 minutes drive to the office (depending on where you are in DFW), 30–45 minutes at the office for inspection and paperwork, and minutes for payment. If you can't drive in the same day, the appointment window and drive time stretches out — but the actual sale-day activity is always the same ~1 hour block.