Gone are the days of leisurely strolling through homes to find the perfect home at an attractive price, where the seller will gladly repair anything you request and give you other concessions just to sell the home. Instead, today's buyers need to be prepared to pounce on opportunity at a moment's notice.
Casey and Chris are getting married in the summer. They wanted to be moved into their new home before the wedding and began their search recently. They were thrilled when they qualified for a FHA loan for $250k.
Chris and Casey work in the car industry and work long hours. They found several homes they were interested in and excitedly submitted one offer after another on homes they liked. Unfortunately, they were beaten out by buyers making cash offers and/or conventional loan offers that appeared at first glance to be more attractive to the sellers.
Feeling discouraged and needing some time off from the whole house chase, Chris decided to go fishing in Cheesman Canyon, because it is one of his favorite ways to relax.
Who knew how the day would unfold?
Normally, I go to Pilates on Sunday mornings myself, but something told me to check my email. The listing agent, Jim, from one of our prior offers emailed me early Sunday morning to say that his cash buyer had pulled out. Would we still be interested in the home in Castle Rock?
Knowing how quickly properties are moving due to the low inventory in Denver real estate now, I called Chris and Casey immediately. I was sure they would want the home.
Chris had left at dawn that day to go fishing with his buddies and was out of cell phone range. Casey was prepared to make the decision without Chris because she knew how much he loved the house in the first place, but she couldn't sign for him, and he was NOT reachable.
I implored the listing agent, who by the way had a waiting list of eager buyers to call if the house became available again, to please give us until 4 pm, which was when Chris should have been back.
Chris wasn't back by 4 pm, and we couldn't reach him. Casey and I were frantic.
Through some miraculous turn of events, Jim, the listing agent agreed to give us a few more hours. Chris finally got back into cell phone range around 7 pm.
So what happened with Casey and Chis? Did they get the house?
You bet. Thanks to Jim Garcia, http://castlepines-realestate.
They close on February 10th, just in time for a Very Happy Valentine's Day.
What have we learned here?
1. Don't Go Fishing!
Even if you aren't looking at homes that particular day or weekend, treat your home search like a job. Be on call and available to respond to opportunities that could pop up when you least expect it.
2. Stay in Touch!
Contracts can now be signed electronically, but you have to be in cel phone range and reachable to make that happen.
3. Write a Winning Offer that puts your Best Face Forward.
Your Realtor can only do so much, so increase your chances of success by treating your home search seriously as if you were going to a job interview. Be prepared to write personal letters to the sellers for the home you love. Provide your Realtor with the ammunition they need to make your offer shine as an outstanding home buying applicant.
4. Don't Get Discouraged.
Yes, it's a battle zone out there, but if you keep a sense of humor, and stay alert for opportunities, you'll succeed.
Ready to look for the perfect Denver area home? Promise me that you won't go fishing? (Just kidding of course!) Contact me, I would love to help you find the perfect place!
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