Preparing to write a home offer can be exciting and stressful at the same time. In a seller’s market, where sellers are getting numerous offers above asking price, you need to be sure your offer will stand out above the rest.
Try these 5 proven methods to make sure your offer is noticed!
Aside from how much to offer and how long contingencies timelines should be, there are 5 easy ways to get the sellers attention that go a long way in the offer process!
- Make your Earnest Money ‘earnest’. Remember, earnest money is not only a Noun but a Verb! The amount of earnest money can be a strong indicator to the seller of how “earnest” you are and how much you want the house.
- Go for a quick close. This is a great way to really get the sellers attention. In some cases, a short escrow period will motivate a seller to take your offer.
- Attach your pre-approval letter with your offer. It’s also a good idea to make your lender accessible to the seller’s agent for any questions about your financing.
- Attach a copy of your credit score with your offer. We’ve talked with some of our real estate partners, and they’ve mentioned that sellers are curious about the buyers’ credit scores. Credit issues can hold up a closing or force the failure of a sale completely.
- Have your inspection already scheduled. Sounds silly, but letting the sellers know you’ve already reached out to an inspector helps in a couple of ways:
#1. It may very well get the offer signed quicker and with less counters AND
#2. Shows the sellers you’re not messing around and have every intention of buying this house!
We hope this article helped you understand the subtleties of making an offer on a home. If you, or anyone you know is thinking about buying a home and have additional questions or concerns about the process, please feel free to reach out!