How to make your offer stand out on your favorite home
As you have been looking at listings, driving around neighborhoods, and maybe even wandered into a open houses you might be wondering what your offer will need to have in order for you to get the keys to that great home.
Regardless of market conditions there are many times where there are 2, 3 or even upwards of 10 offers on a single home! Making sure your offer stands out will give you the best opportunity to win that home that you can see yourself living in.
Keep in mind our list is a bit longer than the average agent, because we want to make sure you don’t pay too much for a home and that you get the home that you really want at the same time. We invite you to consider the following items to include in your offer.
· Copy of a check –
This check should be written in the amount of your good faith deposit. This shows you are ready to put the home under contract.
· FICO scores –
Providing a copy of your FICO scores along with your offer truly shows you have nothing to hide. This shows the seller and listing agent how prepared you are for home ownership and they will get a good idea of your loan worthiness.
· Pre-Approval –
A pre-approval is a step above the pre-qualification. This demonstrates that you have had a lender review your pay stubs, bank accounts, fico scores, etc to make sure that you are prepared for a loan. It takes a little more time and seller’s and agents know anyone who submits a pre-approval is prepared to close on the home when they make an offer.
· Proof of Funds –
Although a pre-approval may dictate that you have funds available, provide a bank statement with the letter head from your bank showing you have funds available and ready to purchase the home.
· Personal Letter –
This is an item that takes a bit more time and is worth every minute of time. We have spent countless hours writing letters for clients. Your letter should tell your personal story, about you, about your motivation, and about how you are prepared to be a home owner. At the end of the day the seller (even if it’s a bank) wants to sell the home to someone who has the passion to not just get the home under contract, but close!
