Laurie Thompson admits she needed to sell her townhouse in Smithville, Ont., fast.

The pandemic had done a number on her finances — the bar where she worked had shut down, twice — and rising interest rates meant her monthly mortgage payments of $2,000 were going to almost double last January. Thompson was facing foreclosure.

"I was desperate," she told Go Public.

Thompson had seen street signs and posters in her neighbourhood — companies offering to pay quick cash for houses. She'd even received what appeared to be a hand-written flyer in the mail, advertising a hassle-free cash sale — no renovating, open houses, or Realtor commissions.

She hit the internet and found a company with positive reviews and attractive promises called Honest Home Buyers Incorporated (HHBI), based in nearby Hamilton.