10 steps of the home buying process (step 5/10 Writing an offer)

Step 5- Writing an offer

Once you have found the right home for you the next step is to write an offer.  The main thing to remember is everything is negotiable in the contract so you want to make a list of the things that are important to you.

There is more to it than just the price and closing date.  Are the sellers paying some of the buyers closing costs or all of them?  Is there a home warranty? Are you having an inspection?  How long do you have to complete your inspection?  How much earnest money are you putting down?  These are just a few of the many questions your agent will be asking you.  Some of them have a much larger impact than others so you need to craft your offer to be attractive to the seller.

This is so important because you are setting the tone of the negotiation by not only how you write your offer but by how the offer is presented to the seller.  This will change depending on each home.  Everyone’s situation is different, so the more you know about the neighborhood and the seller the better chance you will have to write an offer that works for both parties.

Tom Sommers/Edina Realty