Davidson Realty, Inc.

Best Strategies to Win a Bidding War

June 2, 2022

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Posted by in News, Northeast Florida Market Trends

When buying a home in today’s real estate market, be prepared to pull out every weapon in your arsenal. Most agents are dusting off strategies and techniques they haven’t used since the early 2000s to compete in this competitive seller’s market. “Homes are selling fast and for thousands over list price. Homebuyers need to be ready to move quickly and aggressively when they find a home they love,” shares Davidson Realty President, Sherry Davidson. 

 

Putting together an offer to sellers? Make it strong! With only a month’s worth of inventory up for sale, more and more buyers are making all-cash offers. Cash sales are attractive because the seller has seemingly no risk of financing problems and they save time with the elimination of the underwriting process. 

 

Opt for a shorter inspection period or no inspection. Make an estimate of how much necessary improvements will cost and consider them in your offer. For newer homes, waiving the inspection could be a valid tactic, but the buyer must truly understand and be comfortable with it as it could be extremely risky. 

 

Allowing the seller to rent back the home for a short time is another way to appeal to the seller’s needs. If the seller needs time to find or move into their next home, the buyer can allow the seller to stay for a set period of time and pay rent, usually the mortgage payment, or stay rent-free as the buyer would begin paying the mortgage. Being flexible could be what helps you win a bidding war!

 

Waive the appraisal contingency. The appraisal contingency allows a buyer to get out of a pending sale if the appraised market value of the home is less than the agreed upon contract price. If the contingency is waived, the buyer agrees to pay the difference between what the bank is willing to lend on the appraised value and the contract price. Waiving the appraisal contingency is clearly an attractive strategy, however, the buyer needs to be aware of the risk. 

 

A tool many agents are recommending to buyers to win bidding wars is an escalation or escalator clause which states the buyer will pay a certain amount above the highest bid. This clause makes the offer more attractive because it guarantees it will beat the highest bid. Usually, a limit is set on the clause to avoid the buyer overspending.

 

Footing the bill for closing costs and paying the commission for both sides of the transaction is another way to sweeten the deal for the seller. Additionally, writing a “love” letter could appeal to the emotions of the seller. Trusting your agent to help you select the strategies that work best for your situation is key. 

 

In this real estate market, be ready and act fast! For expert advice on strategies to catch the seller’s attention and put your offer at the top of the list, contact Davidson Realty today at (904) 940-5000. 

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4 Ways to Sweeten the Deal When Buying a Home

May 5, 2021

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Posted by in News, Northeast Florida Market Trends

The real estate market is unlike anything we’ve seen before. Inventory is low, demand is high, and homes are flying off the market! “With the current market conditions, listings are receiving multiple offers and buyers need to be ready to act fast with their best offer when they see a listing they love,” shares Davidson Realty President, Sherry Davidson. In such an intensely competitive market, trust the real estate experts at Davidson Realty to help you put your best foot forward with these strategies. 

 

Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage

The first thing you should do when you decide to purchase a home is obtain a pre-approval letter. A pre-approval letter not only states what a lender is willing to lend to you but shows the seller you are serious and prepared to purchase a home. A pre-approval letter shows legitimacy and a sign of good faith that they can afford to buy the home. Sellers are more likely to select an offer that is pre-approved than one that is not. 

 

Eliminate Contingencies

A clean offer is extremely attractive to sellers. “Any contingencies you have in your offer could be a negative to the seller. Sellers want a low risk and speedy closing,” shares Sherry. Appraisals are often a major cause of home sales falling through. Eliminating this step allows for a smooth sale process with minimal chance of things going wrong. As the buyer, you are effectively taking the risk off the home seller and putting it on to yourself. 

 

Make an All-Cash Offer

All-Cash offers provide the unique opportunity of keeping the sale primarily between the buyer and the seller. Cash offers tend to be stronger than offers utilizing traditional financing because they are less risky for the seller. With a cash sale, no appraisal is necessary since there is no mortgage lender involved. The absence of a mortgage lender also allows for a quicker closing. A fast timeline is advantageous for sellers because the sooner they close, the sooner they get paid.  

 

Be Flexible

Including a flexible timeline in your offer can go a long way with sellers. Depending on the sellers’ situation they may need more or less time in the home than the traditional 30-day closing period. If you are not in a hurry to move, being as adaptable as possible will be to your advantage as the sellers will then be able to decide what works best for them. This can go a long way, especially if competing offers come with strict deadlines. 

 

If you are ready to begin the search for your next home, call Davidson Realty today to help you get started. 

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Dispelling 3 Rumors that buyers are hearing about home purchasing

October 17, 2018

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Posted by in News, Northeast Florida Market Trends

 

As we begin the 4th quarter of 2018,  people are out in the market buying a selling homes and it’s a great time to update everyone on a few things.

 

  1. Millennials and Baby Boomers are competing for the same properties in NE Florida.
  2. There are great incentives when buying a home for first time home buyers. Free Money!!!!
  3. There is a lot of bad information out there, specifically online, that buyers are seeing that makes the idea of buying seem impossible.

 

But good news, we are here to help. Let me dispel 3 rumors that buyers are hearing that get in the way of their willingness to purchase.

 

Rumor #1- Buying a home requires a large Down payment.

False- Depending on the type of loan you can put anywhere from 0%, 3%, to 5% down. You might even qualify for Down Payment Assistance. Buying a home is easier than you think and cost less.

 

Read more

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Avoid Foreclosure: Get Help with your Distressed Property

August 31, 2009

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Posted by in Distressed Properties, Foreclosures, News

help with distressed propertiesAre you having trouble making your mortgage payments? You are not alone. The statistics are staggering. The Mortgage Bankers Association numbers as of August 20, 2009 show nationally 4.3% of all mortgages are in foreclosure and 8.22% are in default (30+ days late). That means 13.16% of 45 million mortgages are in distress.

A scarier statistic to me is that more than 7 out of 10 homeowners go into foreclosure without visible intervention. There are options for people facing foreclosure and there are people trained to help, specifically Realtors with the Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) designation. Northeast Florida’s Davidson Realty has 19 agents with this designation able to help you.

Five major reasons why you want to avoid foreclosure:

  1. You will always have to disclose a foreclosure on any mortgage application and many job applications. A foreclosure is the most devastating credit issue you can have in relation to future credit availability.
  2. You will be ineligible for a government insured loan for 5 to 7 years (only 2 years in a short sale).
  3. Many current or prospective employers run credit checks. Foreclosure can put a current or potential position in jeopardy. Read more
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