Questions, answered straight.

No. Builders and sellers can transact directly with buyers - the agent is an optional actor in the deal. StraightKeys carries the structure an agent would otherwise carry: structured offers, deadline tracking, document assembly, and verified parties. And if you would rather work with an agent, you can - represented buyers are welcome on the same rail.

In the software product, no one. The notice in the app says it plainly: “You are buying without an agent. StraightKeys is your toolkit - it does not represent you in this purchase. You review and send every decision yourself.”

For legal questions, a flat-fee consult with an independent attorney is available anytime.

Yes. You can buy directly from a builder or a seller - the agent is an optional actor in the transaction. Real estate law changes from state to state; where two readings are possible, the product follows the stricter one, and nothing on this site is a claim about what is legal in your state.

Every offer is a structured term sheet - price, earnest money, contingencies, dates - never free text, so nothing gets lost in wording. Counters come back as diffs: you see exactly what changed and what didn't. Before anything goes out, the Review & Send screen shows what you're agreeing to; nothing is sent, signed, or spent until you tap Approve, and your approval is recorded with the date. Buying with someone? Each co-buyer approves individually - nothing sends until every buyer has.

Builder-direct

Buyers pay no platform fee - the builder pays a flat $1,500-$4,000 (est.) per closing.

Sellers

A tiered flat fee, typically $999-$2,500 (est.), where the seller product is available.

Buyer plans

Beyond the free tools, flat too - typically $1,499-$2,999 (est.), where available.

Fees are settled at close - never upfront, never financed into your loan.

Your earnest money goes to a licensed title or escrow company - never to StraightKeys, and never to the builder directly. Before you pay, the app shows the escrow destination, the refundability terms, and exactly what the deposit commits you to. Every payment waits for your explicit approval, and you get a logged receipt.

Always. Options are listed for you to choose from, and any business affiliation is disclosed in plain sight. Using a builder's affiliated lender or title company is never required and never changes the price. Your choice, every time.

No - and that's deliberate. We don't characterize neighborhoods or schools in terms of who lives there; fair-housing law protects every buyer from steering, including you. Instead, the app links you to official sources - school district data, census facts, and local statistics portals - so you can weigh what matters to you.

Wire instructions never change. They appear only inside the app, behind step-up identity verification - we will never send wire details by email. Anyone emailing you “updated” instructions is attempting fraud: verify only in the app, and call the title company at the number shown on that screen.

Homes without agents are a fraud target. Verifying every person in every deal - buyers, builders, title - is how strangers safely hand each other keys. Verification is discrete and visible: identity confirmed, financing documented - never a hidden score.

It happens, and the app plans for it. Ending a purchase is hard, so StraightKeys walks you through a guided unwind step by step, and your earnest-money rights are spelled out before you decide anything. There are no dead ends: every screen shows what's still possible and the path forward, and a human is available for questions - typically under 2 hours.