5 Secrets To Get Sellers to Choose Your Bid in a Hot Market

Touring prospective houses can feel like wandering through an infinite, imaginary desert: You’re tired, you’re cranky, and you’re not sure if the experience is EVER. GOING. TO. END.

So when you’ve finally found “The One,” it’s an amazing feeling. You can already picture your first brunch in its adorable breakfast nook.

But wait. Before you summon the moving truck, your dream home’s seller has to pick you, too. Luckily, the key to locking down your ideal abode doesn’t always mean offering the most cash. Here are five ways to tip the odds in your favor.

#1 Negotiate with a Smile

Unlike most commercial real estate transactions, the buying and selling of a home is complicated by all kinds of emotions, explains Sara Benson of Benson Stanley Realty in Chicago. Often, how the seller feels about you can be more important than your money.

“People tend to do business with those they like and trust,” she says.

One of Benson’s favorite examples of this phenomenon occurred when one of her clients was second in line for a home. While the first-place bidders were negotiating their contract, they whipped out a long list of unreasonable demands for the seller.

“This infuriated the homeowner, who finally told them, ‘My property isn’t for sale to you at any price!’” Benson recalls. The seller ended up offering Benson’s clients the house, even though their bid was $10,000 below that of the first buyers.

Lesson learned? “Don’t nitpick over items that are insubstantial, like a torn window screen or a $50 valve on a hot water heater,” says Benson. “This will anger a seller more than anything.” And that, she says, could be a deal breaker.

#2 Get Personal

Bruce Ailion, an agent with RE/MAX in Woodstock, Ga., agrees that profit isn’t always the seller’s primary motivation. He recalls a recent deal in which he was representing an older couple selling their long-time family home.

“We had two offers: one from an investor paying cash, the second from financed first-time buyers.”

Despite Ailion’s recommendations, the sellers chose the first-time buyers, even though the cash offer was higher and would have been a much simpler transaction. Ultimately, what mattered most for Ailion’s clients was to pass their beloved home on to a deserving young family.

#3 Figure Out the Seller's Unique Motivation

Understanding why the sellers have put their home on the market is yet another powerful tool a buyer can bring to the negotiating table, says Ailion.

“Some sellers want a quick sale; others need time to find a home. Some are focused on price, others on certainty,” he says. “There are so many intangibles. It takes a deep understanding to make a good deal for everyone.”

See what information you can glean about the seller — from your agent or even from the seller’s neighbors — to arm yourself with as much information as possible.

“The more flexible a buyer can be on closing and possession, the more likely they’ll be able to negotiate a lower price,” agrees Benson. “They’re giving the seller peace of mind and the comfort of not having to rush out.”

#4 Write a Love Letter

Sometimes, a heartfelt note from a potential buyer can make all the difference, even when the chances seem pretty slim.

Darcey Regan, a Chicago-based HR executive, had already bid on another home when she and her husband stumbled upon a gorgeous old Victorian. Instantly, they were smitten. “I grew up in an old house, and the sellers had done a really great job of maintaining and renovating this one,” she says.

Unfortunately, multiple people had already placed offers on the house, including several developers who were planning to demolish the property. Regan felt her only hope was to write the sellers a letter. In it, she talked about growing up in a similar house, and how much she respected the owners’ efforts to preserve their home.

Within 24 hours, the sellers told her the house was hers. “It turns out they really wanted someone who would keep the house rather than tear it down,” she says.

Though it felt like a long shot, Regan believes her note was successful because it was genuine. Her advice? “Write a letter only if you’re really in love with the house, not because someone told you to.”

#5 Work With a Pro

It also helps to have a knowledgeable, well-respected pro on your side — someone who understands market realities and who will work well with the seller’s agent.

How do you find that seasoned pro with the sterling reputation? “Ask for referrals from your personal and professional network, and interview at least three different [agents] before you choose the one you feel most comfortable working with,” advises Benson.

Residential real estate is a game of both head and heart. Smart buyers who employ both are the ones most likely to win the home of their dreams.

Making the transition from renting to buying.

Here are a few points to consider as you weigh the pros and cons of home ownership.

No doubt you've thought of how nice it would be not to write a rent check every month, but have you done the math? Nothing can make you feel more secure than owning your own house, unless buying a home will create financial problems of its own. Here's a discussion of the most important financial costs associated with home buying to stack up against your monthly rent check.

Instead of the standard deduction on your income tax return, most homeowners itemize their deductions, allowing them to deduct the following (and save on taxes): home mortgage interest, property real estate taxes, state income taxes, gifts to charity, medical and dental expenses over 7.5% of your income, personal property taxes, and most moving expenses.

Figure your monthly payments if you were to buy. Compare your monthly rent to a calculation of the following: purchase price and down payment of your home, your annual income (and debt!), property tax rate, home insurance rate, interest rate and length of loan. For best results, contact a home-buying specialist.

Other costs

Expect other costs to homeowning. Along with your monthly mortgage and down payment, there's property tax and homeowners insurance premiums, and fees known as "closing costs." These include everything from a credit check to "points"- interest paid up-front in return for a lower interest rate. Others: title insurance fee, survey charge, attorney/escrow fees, and loan origination. So do your research!

Long-term equity

No discussion of home ownership is complete without considering the long-term benefits of owning. What your house will be worth when you sell depends on the state of your mortgage and the housing market, in particular. Consult with real estate professionals, read up, and do your math to get a realistic sense of your future home value.

Lifestyle and mobility

Mobility is part of renting. Freedom to take the next job or move for a relationship is easy to come by when you rent a home. And when you do move, there's often more choice of specific location, and price, when you seek rental housing. Want an apartment near a park in western Philadelphia? You may find an easier time looking to rent than buy.

Many renters say they love knowing they're not tied down - and don't have to assume financial responsibility for their living space. This is of course a big difference from home ownership: who does the work.

Who does the work

While you don't receive the joys of making a place truly "your own," you do have limited costs in renting. Landlords are responsible for general upkeep and safety, allowing you to focus on the fine points. Homeowning, in contrast, puts you in the driver's seat. You shoulder the expenses and reap the rewards of home improvement - both great and small. Think about whether you want to put in additional time and money.

Choices, choices

Whether you decide to take the step of home ownership is a personal choice with its own ups and downs. Hopefully we've helped dust off the magic ball a bit; what you see in your future is up to you!

THE HOME SELLING PROCESS - A VISUAL GUIDE

 

 

In a sellers' market: 3 ways for buyers to win a bidding war

Barely 12 months ago, buyers could confidently peruse piles of listing sheets before making a lowball offer and getting a nice discount off the list price.
Not anymore. Last month, there were about 44% fewer homes on the market in Chicago than in February of last year, according to Midwest Real Estate Data. The city had only a 3.8-month supply of housing units, compared to an 8.9-month supply a year ago.
Surprise: it's a seller's market. And that means many homebuyers are likely to find themselves in a bidding war.
I've seen it more than a few times over the last year. You hunt and you search and you think you've found a winner. You and your agent pour over comps and market stats. You figure out what the seller paid for the home and what they owe on it. Your agent grills the listing agent to find seller hot buttons. You construct the perfect negotiation strategy, and submit your offer, ready to get the deal of a lifetime.
Then you get the call, and hear the crushing news that more buyers are hearing these days: "We have received multiple offers. Please submit your highest and best offer by tomorrow at 5 p.m."
So now what? A good listing agent won't tell you much about the other offer. It could be $20,000 less than yours or $20,000 higher. There could be one other offer or four. You're going to have to put your best foot forward. Here are three tips to help you fight for your new home and win:

#1 Remember: It's not all about money
Sometimes it is about timing. Pick a closing date advantageous to the sellers. Can you close quickly, saving the sellers money? Or can you close later, giving them time to find a new home? Find out what matters to them.
Have your agent select a brief (five days or less) attorney review and inspection period. This will minimize the amount of market time a seller could potentially lose if you were to back out of the contract as a result of something found during the inspection. It will also give the seller more time to confidently search for a new home.
Important: This requires you to have your act together. Who's your inspector? Who's your attorney? Call both of them before you put the contract in so you still have time to do your due diligence. Finally, make a large earnest money deposit - say 5 to 10 percent of price - to show the sellers you're serious. They know a buyer with some skin in the game is less likely to jerk them around and then bail on a contract.

#2 Make the seller like you
An offer with a well-written cover letter stands out, and it never hurts to try to relate to a seller. Are you newlyweds buying your first condo? Are the sellers moving out because they just had their first child and need more space?
Great. Play up the nostalgia. Have your agent tell the sellers a bit about yourself and why you like their property. When evaluating multiple offers as a listing agent, I find this is a nice touch. Agents often fire off contracts with no cover letter and little presentation. This gives the impression that their clients aren't as committed to buying the property, and I'm likely to convey that to a seller.
Then, go back to #1 and make sure your agent emphasizes those points in the cover letter. Tell them what you do for a living and how thoroughly your lender has pre-qualified you (Tip: get thoroughly pre-qualified). Sellers should get the impression that you are a buyer with no potential financing issues who is committed to buying their property.

#3 Pay what the property is worth to you
This one should go without saying, but sometimes buyers get caught up in the emotions of the process. Overpaying for a property isn't winning, and neither is stubbornly sticking to a lowball offer.
Have your agent put together a detailed comparative market analysis to determine the fair market value of the property. From there, as I always say: "add love, subtract fear." It's okay to pay a touch more if you really love the place, especially if you've been looking for awhile. But keep in mind, the property will need to appraise for this price if you're getting financing. And it's okay to bid a bit less if you feel you have other strong options.
I took a buyer to see three condos that each had been on the market for three months. That was a Thursday. My buyer left for the weekend to go skiing. When he came home, all three had offers in on them, and two of them had multiple offers. That's the residential housing market in Chicago right now.
My final word of advice: "buyer be ready." Get all your homework done before you make that offer. If you want to survive in this sellers' market, you have to be ready.