You don’t always have to offer the highest price to win a bidding war on a house. Using a few simple tricks, you can turn your offer into the seller’s holy grail.
POV: It’s 2020 – average days on market are going down – this means houses across the nation are selling lightning fast. Buyers are hard-pressed to get homes and competition is high.
To add to this bleak buyer’s landscape, buying with a VA home loan in a competitive market can be like running uphill with an open parachute.
BUT all is not lost.
There are three things you can do to help your offer win out.
1. Write a Letter
Some say the written word is dead, but in the world of real estate, penmanship is making a comeback! Writing a personal letter to the seller will help them to connect with you on a deeper level, making them more willing to choose your offer over others. After all, we as humans typically make decisions based off of who and what we like – so share your story, be likeable!
2. Get Your Lender Involved
Gain another leg up by getting your lender involved. Whether local or national, connect with your mortgage originator and have them personally call the listing agent to reassure them that you are a strong financial candidate for the home. This extra step will verify that you can actually buy the home and show that your lender is willing to get involved and be proactive through-out the process. (Lending delays are a common issue when it comes to closing on a home.)
3. Appraisal Gap Coverage
Many sellers are cautious to accept a VA loan because they are concerned it might appraise differently than a traditional loan. To circumvent this possibility, if your state allows, offer the seller an appraisal gap coverage. This means that even if the home under-appraises, you are willing to make up a portion or all of the gap in price. This gives the seller more surety that the appraisal process won’t kill the deal.
There are many interesting and creative ways to sweeten up your offer, and each situation will require a unique approach. So as always, ask your local agent for their advice when it comes to crafting your offer. They might even throw out better suggestions that will ultimately get your offer the time of day!
If you have additional questions about our trifecta of VA loan offer tricks – contact us! We are always available to shoot the breeze about real estate. And if you are in need of a real estate agent, our sister company, WeVett Realty will research and interview to find you the perfect match – just say the word!
