Cynthia Szoradi

Push to Talk

Improving your chances

What if you found your dream home and placed an offer, only to have another buyer snatch it right out from underneath you? For many, this is the cold reality of the real estate game. With multiple offers being extremely common and property changing hands quickly, it is important to have an edge when putting an offer down on a home. Here are a few things you can do to ensure that you don’t lose out on a great house:

Make a Strong Offer

You should always submit your offer as if there will be multiple offers when bidding on a home. Offer a larger deposit might help your case as well; a larger amount may signify a bigger commitment to the seller. If possible, try to get pre-approved for the purchase and identify your qualifying price range. This costs little time and provides great value. Additionally, take time to minimize or eliminate contingencies to the offer; the fewer contingencies, the stronger the offer.

Be Available

Homes can sometimes sell in hours, so it is important to be constantly available to the seller. Be ready to make decide quickly on a property and be able to react to a change of terms instantly. Show the seller just how interested you are by putting together a buyer profile; this includes time on the job, flexibility, reason for purchasing seller's home, etc. Stay informed on property movement by maintaining a link with your agent. Provide instant access via office phone, voice mail, fax, pager or cellular phone.

By keeping your offer competitive and staying available to both agent and seller, you can give yourself a powerful edge over less organized buyers. Through careful planning, you too may be able to safeguard the purchase of your dream home.