Sound Off: Securing

In your normal market, a buyer can see several properties before making an offer — then take weeks to complete their due diligence.

Buyers must be nimble, complete their homework quickly and have an offer in-hand to be worth considering.

Buyers need to carefully look at the home, foundation to roof, prior to making an offer.

Through careful review, buyers can learn of any problems or required repairs.

Many buyers can make all-cash offers, so a buyer needing a loan is at a disadvantage.

If so, the buyer might make an offer with no financing contingency.

In this competitive market, buyers often waive contingencies to win the bidding war and secure a home.

Find a couple of fixer properties in the neighborhood and have your agent request disclosures.

While each house is different, learning the cost of repairs allows you to quickly make decisions when you find the house that you love.

Insurance companies input past claims to a database that you can search.

While you’ll need the seller’s permission to obtain it, a Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange report can reveal past issues in which the insurance company was involved.

Discussing whether to have inspections done — either before or after writing a contract — understanding the neighborhood and educating the clients on the nuances of an actual contract play a role in helping clients make those important decisions.

Following through, schooling buyers to remove contingencies in a timely manner and being a team player has saved the day for many a buyer.

Surly agents who try to exert their power and influence in a negative way can cost those very clients the sale because their reputations for being difficult have preceded them.

In a competitive market, cooperation and follow-through carry great weight.

Agents are facilitators and our job is provide objective, thorough information so our clients can made fact-based, informed decisions on buying and selling property.