Offering Over Asking Price on a Home: When to Pull Out the Cash and When to

One tried and true method for standing out among hordes of eager home buyers is to offer more money than the asking price. 

It's a tactic that makes sense: When a well-priced house in a great neighborhood goes on the market, you'll need to do something to get the seller's attention. 

Extra cash could be just the thing to make yours the winning offer.

But before offering more money than the sellers are asking for, buyers should consider several factors, says Michele Lerner, a real estate expert and author of "Homebuying: Tough Times, First Time, Any Time."

“First, you must be completely comfortable with the larger monthly mortgage payments,” Lerner says. “Before you make a higher offer, you need to find out exactly what the financial impact would be."

Additionally, she says, you need to be honest with yourself about how much you want the house.

“Sometimes buyers get caught up in the competition and don’t realize that they’re spending more than they want for a house.”

Disadvantages of offering over asking price
While offering above the listing price can help you outbid the competition, there are also some potentially negative outcomes.

“You could write this crazy high offer, and it turns out you had no competition and could have purchased the home at the original asking price,” says Chantay Bridges, a REALTOR® with Real Estate Professionals World Enterprise Marketing in Los Angeles. “And you could be paying more than what it’s really worth.”

How much over asking price should you offer?
If you decide to offer over the asking price, determining just how much over can be challenging.

“There really is no magic formula,” says Rick Snow, a broker with Exit West Realty in El Paso, TX. “It would depend on the market.”

Your real estate agent can help you come up with a competitive offer.

“They are the ones in a position to truly understand the market," says John Powell, chief development officer of Help-U-Sell Real Estate. And the concept of "sweetening the deal" really does take on a different meaning in different regions.

"In Arizona it might be 5% over; in California it may be 10% over asking,” he says.

Sometimes you need to take a big step back and try to see the bigger picture—and it isn't always just about price. One seller, for example, might want a strong buyer who can close escrow quickly above all else. Your real estate agent can help you navigate this, and help you determine the buttons to push in getting your deal accepted.

5 Ways to Beat Out the Competition

As the real estate market starts to pick up in many parts of the country, real estate agents from small towns to the big cities are blogging, tweeting, ranting and raving about multiple-offer situations.
A seller’s asking price is just that: an asking price. The seller may choose to price their home above, at or well below what the actual market will bear. Then, with luck, come the offers from buyers. Sometimes, there are multiple offers all under the asking price. Other times, all offers come in right around the asking price.
But in some situations, there are more than six offers coming in over asking price. Depending on where you live, you, as a potential buyer, may be forced to compete with other buyers in a bidding war. Here are five steps you can take to beat the competition in a multiple-offer situation.

Hire a good local agent

In most communities, 80 percent of the business is done by 20 percent of the agents. These agents are experienced in the local market and have relationships with other agents as well as inspectors, contractors, mortgage brokers and appraisers. More than anything, these 20 percent of agents “get” it.
A seller is looking for a sure thing and a smooth, clean escrow. With stakes high, who wouldn’t want a sure thing? In fact, the last thing the seller (or their agent) wants is to enter into escrow with an inexperienced or out-of-the-area agent.
That’s why, when faced with multiple offers, a seller, guided by their agent, may choose to work with a lower-priced offer because that buyer has a good agent. Many times, a lower priced offer will be countered up to match the price of a buyer with an unknown agent.

Get your financial ducks in a row before making an offer

Before you can make a strong and winning offer, you need to have your finances in order. This means being pre-approved for a loan and staying in regular contact with your lender or mortgage broker. Have an auto email alert set up from your real estate agent’s MLS. Know the new listings as they hit the market and be prepared to visit them right away. Be ready to make a move when the right house comes along.
An informed buyer has been in the market for some time. They’ve seen multiple properties, either at open houses or private appointments. They come to the multiple-offer situation fully prepared, knowledgeable of the market and ready to present themselves as a strong, motivated buyer. The seller and their agent will appreciate that.

Don’t wait

Many times, a new listing is sold before the first open house. If a desirable property hits the MLS on a Tuesday, you need to see it Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. As agents tell sellers all the time, your first buyer is likely your best buyer. The buyers who don’t rest on their laurels get the home. They show that they are on it, they’re motivated and they really want the property. This often translates into a successful deal or smooth escrow for the seller and the listing agent.
If you’re serious about buying and have your financial ducks in a row, don’t wait for the open house. As soon as you see the listing, let your agent know you’re interested or have them start doing the research.

Make a ‘clean’ offer

There’s an assumption that the successful bidder simply pays the most money. But this isn’t usually the case. While price is a huge factor, the terms and conditions are as important, if not more so.
To make your bid the most compelling, be as flexible as possible to the seller’s needs. If you know the seller needs a quick escrow because they just bought a place, give it to them. If they just had a baby and need some extra time, go with a longer close or offer to close quickly but give them a “rent-back.” If you’re going to have inspections, check with the inspector and see if you can get an appointment soon after getting your offer accepted. That way you can remove your inspection contingency quicker.
The same holds true with an appraisal. If your lender is able to pre-schedule an appraisal or at least check their schedule, it can only help. The last thing a seller wants is to accept an offer, only to wait 14 or 21 days to discover the buyer can’t get a loan or the leaky roof scared them away. Make your offer clean with swift timeframes for contingencies. There have been times when a seller leaves 2 to 3 percent on the table; just to be sure the deal will close “cleanly.”

Present yourself in the best possible light

Presentation can’t be emphasized enough. Make sure your agent presents your offer to the seller in a professional way. The offer should, when possible, be presented in person. A contract should be typed, not handwritten. Without a doubt, a pre-approval letter from your bank or broker should be attached to the offer. A cover letter from you or your agent presenting you, as buyers, to the sellers should always accompany your offer. If there are disclosures presented to you prior to your making an offer, sign off on them. Make it clear to the seller that you’re serious, motivated and ready to move ahead should they choose to work with you.

Strong and clean is the way to go

It’s the common sense stuff that will help differentiate you from the pack. Be up front, show that you’re motivated and look at the big picture of your offer — not just the dollar amount.
Of course, many times the highest bidder wins. But every day, there are dozens of buyers who kick themselves because they would have paid the price that it took to win the bidding war. Presenting yourself and your offer in the strongest and most clean way will go a long way to assuring you come out on top.

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4 Tips for Sellers to Seal the Deal

You want to get the best price for your homes as quickly as possible. Who doesn’t? But how do you entice prospective buyers to seal the deal? Impress potential buyers with these four well-researched real estate tips, and you may impress yourselves with the results.

1. Sales price

A correctly priced house is the key to selling a home. Buyers will be looking for a home to meet their price point and includes their top priorities. In most cases a home listing becomes stale due to improper pricing. A house priced too high may miss potential buyers, which costs time and money. And of, course, you don’t want to price yourself so low that you lose money on the house. You want to seal the deal.

2. Location, location, location

A home in an excellent location sells quicker and for more money. Home buyers seek quality of life in a neighborhood: parks, community pools, gyms and supermarkets close to home. Properties close to mass transportation, highways and fewer traffic zones save time, and they can add a lot of lifestyle convenience. This goes for future resale value, too: a home located a block from a noisy train station will have lower resale potential than one two blocks from a school and park.

3. Fix it up

This is the time to spruce up your house to seal the deal. Odd jobs you’ve put off: do them now. Fix the damaged door hinge, the chipped light switch, and the paint on the garage door. You don’t want a picky buyer to pass on your $300,000 home because they were put off by a spot of peeling paint that made them wonder if anything else is less than tip-top shape. You want to seal the deal instead by doing the little things.

4. Make your home welcoming

Sellers need to present a welcoming atmosphere. This is the best opportunity to showcase the qualities of your home for home buyer viewings so you can seal the deal. Clean up the yard as much as possible. Purchase a nice welcome mat and some potted plants to place around the entrance to the house. If your REALTOR® makes suggestions for staging the home interior—decluttering, moving furniture, maybe painting a wall—heed them. They know what’s selling. And they want no less than that for your home, too.

All sellers want to be able to seal the deal quickly, so that they can move on to their next experience. Following these quick sellers tips can help get that done sooner, rather than later.

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The 5 Most Popular LA Neighborhoods

From celebrity sightings to basking on beaches in November, Los Angeles living provides year-round outdoor fun. However, Los Angeles residents enjoy more than just warm weather – their city is home to some of the most upscale neighborhoods in the country.

While it may sound like a great idea, moving to LA can be an intimidating, expensive transition for non-natives. The LA metro area encompasses multiple districts, each with individual benefits and drawbacks. Interested in becoming a SoCal transplant? Consider these five top neighborhoods.

 

Beverly Hills

It’s no surprise Beverly Hills real estate is consistently among the best in the United States. The median home value is a steep $2.58 million, which stretches far beyond most house hunters’ budgets. Correspondingly, the median household income is $70,945, which is a far cry from the $44,512 national median. Aside from the rich and famous, most residents here fall into one of three categories: urban dwellers from foreign countries, educated professionals with high incomes and college graduates with high expenses. The cost of living in Beverly Hills is extremely high, making it an impractical choice for many – except those who are heir to a corporate fortune or relatives of entertainment industry royalty.

Highland Park

Often referred to as the West coast’s Brooklyn, Highland Park is home to a diverse mix of urban families and wealthy singles. Highland Park dwellers make about $34,791 per year. Highland Park homes have consistent increasing values, rendering it a smart neighborhood for home purchases. The median home value in Highland Park is $518,900, which is a 19.2 percent increase from 2013. Highland Park features upscale shopping and dining, as well as access to the Gold Line for a no-hassle commute to downtown.

 

 

Los Feliz

A bit more on the expensive side than some other LA districts, Los Feliz’s median home value is $1.09 million. Los Feliz home values have increased 8.8 percent over the last year, and Zillow projects a 4.1 percent increase by March of 2015. Compared to Los Angeles homes for sale, which have a median list price of $540,000, Los Feliz homes for sale are listed for about $1.33 million. The majority of residents are in their 30s without children. In fact, 82.9 percent of the homeowners in the region do not have children, so consider other neighborhoods when searching for family-oriented atmospheres. The median household income in Los Feliz surpasses the national median at $46,113. Most residents here enjoy post-graduate educations, mid-management professions and higher incomes.

 

Silver Lake

Silver Lake is most well-known for its eclectic culture and unique residents, thanks to Forbes’ “Best Hipster Neighborhood” designation two years ago. In addition to an abundance of coffee shops and artsy occupations, Silver Lake has some of the best food carts and locally-owned bars in the city. Silver Lake’s median home value is $800,600. The 15 percent increase in home values since last year indicates a strong, ascending housing market and great investing opportunities. The typical income in Silver Lake falls around $44,949, which is slightly higher than the national median. Most residents here are urban, young professional singles with mid-range incomes. Silver Lake’s living expenses are less than other areas, yet the neighborhood is still considered upscale.

 

West Hollywood

Also known as WeHo, this neighborhood is Beverly Hills’ more frugal and trendy younger sister. West Hollywood real estate features a median home value of $640,700, which is an 18.3 percent increase year-over-year. Most WeHo residents are big-spending young professionals and urban singles with a median income of $38,914. The majority (52.9 percent) of residents here are not married, so families might consider more kid-friendly locales. Like all city neighborhoods, there are good and bad areas, so make sure to research specific apartment buildings and sub-neighborhoods before blindly relocating.

Although these neighborhoods differ in their economic makeup, they are all fantastic options for future LA residents. The most important aspect of searching for homes in any city is ensuring that surrounding areas fit individual needs. Investigate parks, schools, nightlife and commute times to determine the best neighborhoods.

HOMES ARE SELLING FAST!

How to make a successful offer on a home!

You've found a home that you like and are ready to make a home offer on it.

Before you put your offer in writing, make sure you understand what information you should, and should not, include in the home offer.
This article will help you.

The first thing you should do is forget about the myths you've heard about making a home offer. Many people buyers believe that once they've put in an offer on a home, that they still have the liberty to shop around.

While this is true, to some extent, it's in your best interest not to make any additional offers while you still have one on the table.

A home offer made on a piece of property is a legally binding contract. Should the buyer accept your offer, you are held to the offer.

There's another big reason why you shouldn't continue to shop around after you've made a home offer on a house. If you find a home you think you like more than the one you've made an offer on and the seller accepts your home offer, you are in an unfortunate situation. You will likely regret the decision to purchase the home for as long as you live in it.

Once you make a home offer, the seller can do one of several things: accept the offer, reject it, propose a counter offer, or fail to respond. If the seller does anything except accept the offer you still have the ability to continue home shopping.

When you're making an offer on a home there are several piece of information you need to include. The selling price is one of the most obvious. You don't have to offer the seller's asking price. You can go higher or lower as you so choose. Of course, the price you offer will depend on the amount you can afford to pay.

Your home offer should concessions that you wish for the seller to make. For example, if you want the seller to pay a portion of the closing costs, this information must be included in the offer.

You have the ability to stipulate that the home offer is contingent upon certain financing criteria. This keeps you from having to purchase the property if you do not receive favorable mortgage terms.

Don't leave out home inspection contingencies. Otherwise, you could end up purchasing a home that needs major work done to it. Your offer should include something to the effect of "subject to an acceptable whole house inspection report." Of course, if you are purchasing a fixer-upper, these contingencies might vary.

Don't make the assumption that everything you see in the house will be included when you make the final purchase. This includes appliances such as stoves and refrigerators. You must clearly define what is included in the sale.

Finally, you should include the amount of earnest money that you are depositing with the home offer.

Keep in mind that your offer can easily become the sales contract for your home if it is accepted by the seller. Make sure it includes everything you would want the sales contract to include.

How did home sellers handle multiple offers?

 

 

10 tips for homebuyers and sellers in 2014

Goodness, is it 2006 again? At the dawn of 2014, it feels like it. 

Homeowners enjoyed double-digit price growth in the first half of 2013, greatly exceeding experts' predictions of a year ago and even settling into pre-recession values in many markets. Though there was some softening in the second half, sellers remain in their element and are turning the screws on anxious buyers who fear further price spikes and escalating interest rates. New-construction home sales are up, previously underwater properties are in positive equity again and investors are turning their attention to "secondary markets" to find value. Economists expect house prices to rise another 4 percent to 5 percent in 2014, meaning remaining bargains will get even more sparse.
With that in mind, here are 10 tips befitting the up-market of 2014.

Sellers: Jump-start the process.You may be an avowed procrastinator, but if you want to sell a house this year, start planning now. The process, say sellers, always takes longer than expected. So get your home inspected now; there may be unseen major repairs to address. Declutter, clean closets and shelves, store extraneous possessions and furnishings and other stuff that might keep sellers from picturing themselves in your space. Attend an open house or two to get an idea of how to stage yours. And move along: Owners still waiting for the market to peak should beware that this real estate cycle may be shorter-lived than last.
Check mortgage interest rates available in your area.

Buyers: Be credit-ready.

There's a lot of competition out there for homes, so tarry not. Get your credit report and start repairing any blips. If your scores are below 620 or so, a conventional loan will be a challenge. But if they're under 740, you still might not get the best rates. Many buyers get a prequalification letter from the lender, but you can one-up them with a preapproval, which comes after a more thorough evaluation of your finances. A preapproval letter shows the seller that you're good to go and can close quickly.

Sellers: Vet your real estate agent, then follow the agent's advice.

Sellers lose time and money by hiring poorly. Interview several potential agents. You'll want a full-timer who is Web savvy and uses mobile technology, because at least 4 in 5 buyers view their homes first online. Your agent should be a proven performer in your submarket and be willing to walk you through the financial aspects of your deal. The more the agent knows about schools, commutes and other local details, the better. Once vetted, accept your agent's advice on pricing, marketing and negotiation.

Buyers: Adjust your negotiating expectations.

Lowball offers are off the table in this environment and could eliminate you from consideration. Respond to counteroffers quickly to keep other buyers from entering the picture; you don't want to encourage a bidding war. If one breaks out, be prepared to get fewer concessions and pay more money. And have a few other homes in mind so you can be willing to walk away if the price soars.
 Sellers: It's your market (finally) so make the most of it.At long last, it's a seller's market! While you're interviewing agents, be wary of those offering too-good-to-be-true price opinions because they may be trying to "buy" your listing. And don't jump at that first (seemingly) generous offer, especially if sellers are getting multiple offers. If you're getting your price and then some, give something back to the buyer in good faith, such as an early move-in date or some personal property you're not attached to. Never let the buyers' agents know what you're willing to do, though. Make them ask.

Buyers: Find life after foreclosure.

Have a foreclosure in recent years? Join the crowd. Though you might think you have to wait seven years to get another conventional mortgage, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the FHA say they actually require just a three-year waiting period if the foreclosure was caused by extenuating circumstances. There are plenty of nonconforming lenders -- often called "shadow bankers" -- out there if you can endure a big down payment (around 20 percent) and above-market interest rates. Or consider a lease-purchase or lease-option where you pay the homeowner a monthly premium above your rent for the right to buy at a set price later.

Sellers: Hesitate to renovate.

We hear that newly renovated homes are easier sells, and that's true. So is it time to remodel that outmoded kitchen? Not if you plan to sell soon. According to remodeling surveys, the average renovation project returns only about two-thirds on investment. For example, a major bathroom remodel costing $15,000 yields about $10,000 in resale value. The same goes for a major kitchen remodel. In most cases, it would be cheaper to issue credits to buyers or drop your price a few grand. Lighter jobs like new doors are more practical and return about 85 percent. But feel free to spend a bit on paint (basic colors), curb appeal and fence replacement to enhance exteriors.

Buyers: Ask and you won't receive (an unpleasant surprise).

You'd be dismayed at the things sellers aren't obliged to disclose in most states, including on-premises felonies, suicide, murder or a neighboring sex offender. Don't be afraid to thoroughly question the selling party in writing before signing the contract. Some questions: Is there a cell tower, water tower, natural gas well, oil well or other non-residential construction scheduled to be built in this neighborhood (then define "neighborhood")? Is there commercial zoning on nearby vacant land? Is the yard prone to flooding? Are train whistles or other regular loud noises audible there? Did known criminal activity occur in the house? Have there been reported hauntings? Are there loud neighbors, dogs or other noise pollution? Are there registered sex offenders or other known criminals living nearby? If the selling party refuses to answer any of these questions, that's a bright red flag.

Sellers: Tailor your local game.

Folks who base their selling decisions on trends on cable news are often left wondering, "Why can't I sell at this price?" The truth is, all markets are different and all real estate is local, and prices can vary greatly even in adjacent subdivisions. Home prices are dictated largely by demand, land availability, foreclosures and employment. Most local real estate offices will provide market stats and at least a few recent comp sales in hopes of earning your business. Additional trend data can be found online or in local newspapers and business journals. A polite call or email to a local real estate appraiser might net more info or links to local statistics.

Sellers and buyers: Heed changing trends.

Pay attention to trends and react accordingly. Thinking of laying carpet? Agent surveys in the past few years show homes with hardwood floors or faux wood laminate floors are far faster sells. You still want to be in suburbia? Millennials don't. Numerous cities -- such as Austin, Texas; Portland, Oregon; and Minneapolis -- have watched this more environmentally conscious generation flock to "mixed-use" urban districts served by trendy cafes, nightclubs, bike paths, civic events and mass transit. For now, they're not buying condos, which haven't recovered like the single-family market. They're renting -- but watching the condo market ever so carefully.

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