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.
We wrote a letter when we made an offer on our current house. It was a hot market and the house had multiple offers already. We did it to separate ourselves from the rest of the pack. I had also done a little recon and found we had some similarities with the seller that would help form a relationship. Our offer was NOT the best offer on the table (it matched the price of the other offers but our offer had some contingencies) but it was the one that was accepted and we got the house. We still have a very friendly relationship with the seller and for her it WAS a very emotional decision.
A letter may not work with every seller, but it will work with some of them, so what does it hurt to include?
We wrote a letter when we made an offer on our current house. It was a hot market and the house had multiple offers already. We did it to separate ourselves from the rest of the pack. I had also done a little recon and found we had some similarities with the seller that would help form a relationship. Our offer was NOT the best offer on the table (it matched the price of the other offers but our offer had some contingencies) but it was the one that was accepted and we got the house. We still have a very friendly relationship with the seller and for her it WAS a very emotional decision.
A letter may not work with every seller, but it will work with some of them, so what does it hurt to include?
meh, see above
When you see the responses from the All Business Crew, you can assume that it MAY hurt in some circumstances.
In your situation, sounds like a good outreach.
We had a few offers come in over the weekend. One of them was accompanied by a very nice letter from the buyers. A little about them, how much they loved the house, etc. It really tugged at my wife's heartstrings, and if I'm being honest mine a bit too. But unfortunately it was not the strongest offer. I had to remind my wife what we talked about before. We had to be like Spock, numbers and logic, not emotion.
I am curious now how common this practice is? We never did it as buyers, but when we talked to BIL/SIL they said they did. For you RE professionals, do you recommend your clients do this? And if so do you think it gives them an edge?
It wasn't enough to sway us towards a weaker offer, but it definitely made a psychological impact. I think if the offers would have been similar/same, we'd go with the people who wrote the letter.
The best "letter" to send to the seller is a contract with a full-price offer written on it.
I got a lowball with a letter and it just irritated me. I'm not interested in your personal life. It's a business transaction.
That would be an insult to get a lowball with a letter. The people that bought our house wrote a nice letter but it never occurred to me to lower the price but to get a lowball offer with a letter, I would have torn the letter to smithereens. I don't think that was the intention of the letter we got though, they were just trying to personalize things. I never even met them. From what I knew of them, they had really great jobs and could well afford the house.
The best "letter" to send to the seller is a contract with a full-price offer written on it.
If all you care about is getting the most bang for your buck (as I do), then sure. But not everyone sees things that way. So what may be best for you and me may not be best for others.
We had a few offers come in over the weekend. One of them was accompanied by a very nice letter from the buyers. A little about them, how much they loved the house, etc. It really tugged at my wife's heartstrings, and if I'm being honest mine a bit too. But unfortunately it was not the strongest offer. I had to remind my wife what we talked about before. We had to be like Spock, numbers and logic, not emotion.
I am curious now how common this practice is? We never did it as buyers, but when we talked to BIL/SIL they said they did. For you RE professionals, do you recommend your clients do this? And if so do you think it gives them an edge?
It wasn't enough to sway us towards a weaker offer, but it definitely made a psychological impact. I think if the offers would have been similar/same, we'd go with the people who wrote the letter.
It can tip the scales in your client's favor, and it can also add legitimacy and weight to an offer because people who write letters are often perceived as "more serious" and more vested in the idea of choosing your house, and you might be able to get them to come up to match other offers, or overlook possible repairs because they want that house.
It's important to realize that most houses are financed and so your "best" number may not appraise. I had a client selling a condo and because he had been a realtor he didn't consider some of the higher offers because they were actually too high and weren't cash.
It's important to realize that most houses are financed and so your "best" number may not appraise. I had a client selling a condo and because he had been a realtor he didn't consider some of the higher offers because they were actually too high and weren't cash.
Did the client give the bidders the option of revising their offers? We accepted an off-market offer that I thought was probably 20% above market value, but we knew this guy really wanted the property and was pretty wealthy. While the original offer included financing, it eventually closed as a cash deal.
The type letter I would want in one telling they will not be busting my ba!!s, are financially able to make the deal happen now, and will make it happen within my time frame. That will tug my heartstrings.
Got an idea. Take the offer with the heartwrenching letter. Write back that inspections or any requests would be a violation of the deep connection and trust that you feel with the buyer's family.
Got an idea. Take the offer with the heartwrenching letter. Write back that inspections or any requests would be a violation of the deep connection and trust that you feel with the buyer's family.
Enclose a photo of your (still living) dog.
LOL
What's a little toxic black mold between friends, right?
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.
