Having worked with lots of home buyers throughout the years, I’ve become familiar with which steps of the process cause the most concern for my customers. Making an offer is certainly one of the biggest hurdles, even for the most experienced home buyers.
I can’t tell you how many times we find the PERFECT PLACE, but my customers decide not to place an offer on the property. Or folks find an ideal home, but then look for reasons not to buy it.
Sound familiar? Maybe some of these reasonable-sounding concerns are holding you back from making offers:
- You think you might lose your earnest money.
- You’re afraid you might buy a home that has major problems.
- You’re afraid of having an offer rejected.
- You’re focused on learning absolutely everything there is to know beforehand.
- You’re not entirely sure how to make an offer, and don’t want to look foolish.
These are all natural fears, and you are not alone. Buying a home is a huge financial commitment, but… if you don’t write offers, you’re never going to get your dream home!
The truth is, many concerns buyers have don’t get resolved until after the home is under contract. For instance:
- Undisclosed maintenance and repair issues are uncovered during your home inspection.
- What improvements can or cannot be done to the property are determined during your contingency period.
- Final terms, costs and conditions of your loan are determined during your financing contingency.
- If the appraised value is lower than your purchase price, your financing contingency can allow renegotiations.
The offer you write can address these concerns (and others too) with conditions to allow for ongoing negotiations, or options to cancel if unexpected issues come up.
My goal as your Realtor® is not to push you over the hurdle of making an offer, but instead, talk you through the process and help you make a decision. That’s it! The hardest part of buying a home is making the decision, and not letting fear keep you from your dream home.
Hopefully this has shed some light on the topic, and helps you when it comes time to make an offer!
About Susan McCallion
