Making an offer tomorrow but another interested couple is looking tonight!!!

[Goddess Tiff]

We are making an offer on a home, our first, tomorrow. We LOVE this house, and it is perfect. We went for a final look and it turns out another couple went to look at it tonight is well, for the second time.

What if they put in an offer?? We're freaked out because we want this house SO MUCH.

Any similar stories to share with me while I wait in agony to find out whether they offer, whether we can afford to outbid them if they do, and whether our offer will be accepted wither way?

[villanelle75]

Just want to wish you good luck. If you are absolutely sure this house is the ONE, jsu tmake sure your offer is a strogn as you are comfortable with. You likely wont' know if they offered, and you almsot certianly won't know, at least initially, what they offered, so you'll just have to make a strong offer. I hope it works out!

[EJM]

I agree with the PP, make the strongest offer you can and keep in mind that price might not be the most important thing to the sellers (i.e. open closing date, amount of earnest money to show how serious you are, quick close etc).

We put in an offer on a house on 4/17 in a hurry after falling in love with it and finding out another offer was submitted that morning. We opted to put in 10x the typical earnest money to show the sellers we were serious about the property and not going to walk away. Unfortunately we had to make our offer contingent on our current place closing (we had buyers already), and the other offer was without any conditions including an inspection on a 1920s house. Way to risky IMO, so we said we would inspect and use it to decline/accept but not to bargain the price further. At the advice of our agent we picked a price we felt was a bit low but ok for an opening offer. So we waited and waited and waited. Eight days later the son was finally able to track down the soon to be ex-husband who was in France and unreachable. :rolleyes: Already long story short ;) , they accepted our original offer -- no counter :eek: with all our terms because of the earnest money, 45ish day closing, and our excellent credit rating which ensured we were getting financing. We think we offered a neligible amount more than the other offer, but it wasn't what swayed the deal.

Our inspection is tomorrow morning! So don't freak out, it definitely can work out in your favor even if you cannot outbid the other couple!

[carrie9142]

Make it a strong offer, but not the highest you would possibly go. Eliminate as many contingencies as possible (except, IMO, an inspection). Some buyers respond well to a personal letter.

Also, realize that sometimes sellers or agents can just lie and say someone is interested or going to make an offer to drive up the price. Try to put as much emotional distance b/t yourself and the house-sometimes things don't work out, or it has a horrible inspection, or whatever. So try not to stress!

Oh, and I like to make my offers expire at a certain time so the sellers don't take forever getting back to me. I am not a good waiter! If the sellers are reachable, they should know whether they like or don't like the offer pretty fast.

[Goddess Tiff]

WE GOT IT!!!! :D :D :D

BTW, the other couple did offer today too, and we beat them.

[EJM]

Congratulations!! :)

[littlelove8138]

Congratulations!! :)


i agree that's wonderful!!!

[Liz]

Congratulations!!!

[Goddess Tiff]

Thanks all!!