Asking for cash credit at closing (tenants, contingencies, 2%, clause)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Just a question for all experienced homebuyers/realtors. Is it possible to ask for a cash credit at closing for a landscaping service for the yard & cleaning service for the home?
For example, when my husband and I moved into our first home a few months ago, we (and our mothers) spent hours cleaning the place because it was not very clean. It wasn't filthy, but it was obvious that they did the bare minimum before moving out. There was even a full load of laundry in the dryer that I did not discover until weeks after closing, since we did not move in right away. I never told them about the clothes and they never asked, but I haven't thrown them out yet.
We had a similar situation with the yard - we closed in December and the back yard was covered in dead leaves, sticks, random small pieces of trash (!), & those spiky brown balls that fall from trees. It seemed like the sellers stopped doing yard work in mid-October when we made our offer on the house. We spent a few hours today cleaning that mess up from the back yard. There's also trash underneath the deck, which will be inconvenient because there's wooden latticework covering the bottom of the deck all the way to the ground so we'll have to pull it off to access the underside of the deck.
Opinions? I'm just wondering out of curiosity, just in case there's a next time with all of this!
Just a question for all experienced homebuyers/realtors. Is it possible to ask for a cash credit at closing for a landscaping service for the yard & cleaning service for the home?
You can ask for anything you want. "Ask" being the operative word.
When buying, don't you have the final walk through before going to closing?
This, is when a buyer needs to make sure the home is in a condition that is acceptable and appropriate, within reason. If not, address it at closing or have certain contingencies in your offer.
If you're getting a mortgage to purchase a house, most lenders are not going to allow for any cash back to the buyer. You should include your requirements in the original offer specifying what you expect as far as cleaning and/or yard condition.
When buying, don't you have the final walk through before going to closing?
This, is when a buyer needs to make sure the home is in a condition that is acceptable and appropriate, within reason. If not, address it at closing or have certain contingencies in your offer.
I don't understand the post either - I thought there was a walk-through (and not sure exactly what she is asking for? credit for leaf raking?
Our contracts have several Items to check concerning cleaning, pet related pest control, removal of seller's items etc. Everything is negotiable of course but I usually ask for it if representing a buyer depending on the situation. In a transaction I have that closes soon, instead of a professional cleaning the sellers offered a $700 credit at closing for cleaning. Their lender won't allow a cleaning credit but they will allow closing costs credit, so we changed that and everyone was happy. The buyer will come out ahead probably and less headache at final walkthrough. As long as the house is empty of the tenants and their belongings, we're gonna be happy.
So, to answer your specific question, your agent should have covered all this in detail when negotiating the contract. now in days gone by, one would never dream of leaving a dirty house for the next occupant - we didn't need a clause in a contract to tell us how to be decent and courteous people. But, those days are gone.
Some people simply do not do yard work during the late fall or winter, particularly in the backyard... In fact, I would say most people around where I live do not... so not clearing the leaves and other tree debris may have had nothing to do with when you went under contract.
No, most lenders will not permit a cash payment at closing, because it appears to be a kickback that in turn lowers the value of the house.
Ideally, a purchase and sale agreement could request that the home be professionally cleaned within 48 hours prior to closing. Give them time to move out, then have a cleaning crew to come in and clean it. Around here, that's usually about $300-$500. You can also request that carpets be professionally cleaned. If the yard is in bad shape, you could ask for a professional landscaper to cut, rake and trim. Honestly, though, I've never seen it addressed, unless the yard was so overgrown that there was a concern of rodents. I do agree with a previous poster that, depending on where you live, the weather this winter has not really lent itself to casual yardwork, and trash, etc. can blow into your yard from neighbors, etc. Try to give them the benefit of the doubt (hard, I know. :-) )
You ddn't buy a new house, and while your own sense of pride might prevent you from handing over a filthy hovel, other people's standards can be a lot less scrupulous. On the plus side, the price you paid probably reflected the lack of care -- and cleaning is an easy fix to increase value.
I'd be damned if I'd save the clothes, though -- I'd toss 'em. :-)
You don't know until you ask. We have two different discount or rebate programs catching fire here. One is where a buyer writes on a new home, the Realtor will rebate up to 2% towards closing costs. Discount #2 is where the agent will sell your home for 0 commission (3% to the buyer's agent), as long as, you use them for your purchase of a new home. The 2nd one gives the seller a higher net from the sale of their home.
You don't know until you ask. We have two different discount or rebate programs catching fire here. One is where a buyer writes on a new home, the Realtor will rebate up to 2% towards closing costs. Discount #2 is where the agent will sell your home for 0 commission (3% to the buyer's agent), as long as, you use them for your purchase of a new home. The 2nd one gives the seller a higher net from the sale of their home.
Yeah, that second discount scheme has bitten more than one real estate agent in the butt -- they use the agent to sell their house, but then when it comes to buying a house, suddenly there are a million reasons not to use that agent . . .
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
