| A Home Sellers Service From CLHLLC |
YOUR HOMES VALUE
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ABOUT OFFERS
When Chris becomes Your Seller's Agent, a whole bunch of work is about to happen. And you are about to become involved also; fixing up your home, letting people look through your home, wondering when a buyer will be found. All of this is for one purpose; the buyer making you an offer. The buyer is your FRIEND. The offer is a GREETING to you. The buyer wants to BUY your home. You will not believe the number of home sellers who shoot themselves in the foot. Every agent is familiar with these. And they actualy do happen.
Here's one. Person buys home for $780,000 here in Southwest Florida at 2005 peak of prices. In 2006 at beginning of decline in prices, person who now wants to move to California, lists home for $750,000 (reluctantly) with a friend. An offer is tendered for $720,000. The agent is delighted as prices are falling daily. The seller will not even make a counter offer, being insulted and angry having just paid $780,000 for the home. The agent dutifully points out to the seller that often the first offer is the best offer. In this case it was the only offer. The owner now living in California just wants (and needs) to sell this home. This seller accepted $580,000 for the home in 2007. Every agent is familiar with these. And they actualy do happen.
The tendering of an offer in Real Estate is not like buying a car. When you as seller publicly proclaim that your home is for sale for a certin price and under certain terms, this public proclamation is a contract between you and the John and Jane Doe public. When ANYBODY responds with an offer to meet your price and terms exactly, you are legally obliged to sell them your home. If you suddenly have a change of heart remembering that your children all grew up in the home... well remember when Chevy Chase bought his own house BACK for twice what he had just ageed to sell it for. Every agent is familiar with these. And they actualy do happen.
But usually when a buyer makes an offer, it has some terms and maybe a price that differ from your listing agreement to sell. The offer by law must come in the form of a written legal contract. (Florida law - all offers must be in writting and must be presented to seller) If you as home seller, accept the offer, the house is sold for the price and terms in this contract. If you decline the contract, that is the end of that offer (see foot shot off above). However you can make changes (amendments) to the contract and send it back to buyers as a counter-offer from the seller and then negotiations may continue. All of this offer/counter-offer stuff is done as legal contracts that are of course enforceable in courts.
If you as seller get an offer that does not meet the terms of the listing contract, keep your gun in the cabinet. Offers with lower prices than the asking price, may be motivated by mortgage qualification limits, or the buyer and their agent simply do not agree that the home is worth that much, or they may be trying to rob you. Regardless do not take it as a personal insult. The focus ought to remain on the home. Give Chris a chance to try and continue negotiations. It is a fact that staying at the table and honestly trying to find a common ground, will usually result in a sale that pleases both seller and buyer.
Chris will work very dilegently with you to review each term of the purchase offer. Each term is negotiable, and Chris as Your Seller's Agent will work with you to identify what the alternative options are for all terms. You as seller can mark some terms as acceptable, and make amendments to some terms for your counter-offer.
The ordinary terms in offer-contracts include what personal and real property is included and excluded from the sale, terms of buyer financing, how closing costs are to be shared, closing date, possession date, and buyer's contingencies and dates for the contingencies to expire.These contingency deadline dates are especially crucial. Typical buyer contingencies are for obtaining certain kinds of financing, inspections of the home, property appraisal, review of title, etc.
GIVE “CHRIS” A CALL – LET’S DISCUSS HOME SELLING AND START YOU ON THE ROAD TO A SUCCESSFUL HOME SALE
YOU CAN'T MISS WITH CHRIS Call him today! OK?
