Here's the low down, and my learning curve along the way.
House #1 - Find a house. Like it, but decide to think on it for a while. Soon learn that you don't have time to think on a house for a few weeks, as when I call the real estate agent she tells me, "There is already an offer in on the house. You can put in a back-up offer if you want." Nope.
House # 2 - Still not realizing quite how quickly things work in this market. Find a house (probably my favorite of any I have wanted to put in an offer on). I think about the house for a few days. In the mean time, the house (which was originally in-house at our real estate agency) is now advertised to all agencies in Miles City, and the whole world on the internet. I call and let the real estate agent know I want the place. They tell me there was another offer from another agency that was just put in(probably less than an hour before I called), but it wasn't accepted or rejected yet. I put in an offer. The other people get the house.
House #3 - I find a house. Put in an offer. This house listing has already been listed to the entire world at this point, but I've learned from my mistakes. I like the house, I'm going to put in an offer right away. I get the counter offer back. They want to sell me the house and then rent in back from me? Not quite what I'd had in mind when buying a house. Take too long to make a decision on whether to say no or counter the counter. Someone else puts in an offer. They ask for the best offer from each of us. We both put in an offer, and actually, neither of us gets the house as the owner decides she wants to sell the house, but not close on it for another half a year. I'm actually glad I didn't get that place.
House #4 - The real estate agent tells me about this house. It is still an in-house listing. Good. If I like it, I'll make an offer before they publish it to the world. I can't look at it right away due to work, but as soon as I have a free day, I take a look at the house (and others). I like the house. I like the location. I like the garage. I like the asking price. Could use some updates, but I'm okay with that. Learning from past mistakes, I tell the real estate agent I'm going to put in an offer before the whole world knows about the house. She has a meeting and we are going to write up the offer after the meeting. We part ways. Five minutes later I get a text. "Just a head's up. Apparently someone else is going to put in an offer as well. bring your A-game offer." okay, that's not how it was worded, but you get the point. I made an offer higher than I would have made if it was just me. Seller comes back and tells both of us to make our best offer. Apparently a cash payment and no inspection or appraisal beat my offer. The big twist is that the other potential buyer was actually going to come back or call the agency back on Monday to possibly put in an offer, but he must have had some foreboding as he out of the blue decided to make his offer today instead.
It's actually kind of a joke around the real estate office now. Actually, today when my real estate agent came into the office and told the other agents I was going to put in an offer on the place, they said something like, "Poor girl" It seems that if I like a house enough to want to put in an offer, the house is going to get another offer that I just can't beat. So, today I told the real estate agents that I should get a commission every time I put an offer in on a house. I think they're game.
Plan of Action for the future:
1) if they tell me about a house, forget work. take comp-time. Look at the house ASAP. If I like the house, put in an offer before anyone else can. Maybe even bribe the agents not to show the house to anyone else until the buyer has decided if they are going to accept my decision; OR
2) Take this as a sign I'm not supposed to live here.
House #1 - Find a house. Like it, but decide to think on it for a while. Soon learn that you don't have time to think on a house for a few weeks, as when I call the real estate agent she tells me, "There is already an offer in on the house. You can put in a back-up offer if you want." Nope.
House # 2 - Still not realizing quite how quickly things work in this market. Find a house (probably my favorite of any I have wanted to put in an offer on). I think about the house for a few days. In the mean time, the house (which was originally in-house at our real estate agency) is now advertised to all agencies in Miles City, and the whole world on the internet. I call and let the real estate agent know I want the place. They tell me there was another offer from another agency that was just put in(probably less than an hour before I called), but it wasn't accepted or rejected yet. I put in an offer. The other people get the house.
House #3 - I find a house. Put in an offer. This house listing has already been listed to the entire world at this point, but I've learned from my mistakes. I like the house, I'm going to put in an offer right away. I get the counter offer back. They want to sell me the house and then rent in back from me? Not quite what I'd had in mind when buying a house. Take too long to make a decision on whether to say no or counter the counter. Someone else puts in an offer. They ask for the best offer from each of us. We both put in an offer, and actually, neither of us gets the house as the owner decides she wants to sell the house, but not close on it for another half a year. I'm actually glad I didn't get that place.
House #4 - The real estate agent tells me about this house. It is still an in-house listing. Good. If I like it, I'll make an offer before they publish it to the world. I can't look at it right away due to work, but as soon as I have a free day, I take a look at the house (and others). I like the house. I like the location. I like the garage. I like the asking price. Could use some updates, but I'm okay with that. Learning from past mistakes, I tell the real estate agent I'm going to put in an offer before the whole world knows about the house. She has a meeting and we are going to write up the offer after the meeting. We part ways. Five minutes later I get a text. "Just a head's up. Apparently someone else is going to put in an offer as well. bring your A-game offer." okay, that's not how it was worded, but you get the point. I made an offer higher than I would have made if it was just me. Seller comes back and tells both of us to make our best offer. Apparently a cash payment and no inspection or appraisal beat my offer. The big twist is that the other potential buyer was actually going to come back or call the agency back on Monday to possibly put in an offer, but he must have had some foreboding as he out of the blue decided to make his offer today instead.
It's actually kind of a joke around the real estate office now. Actually, today when my real estate agent came into the office and told the other agents I was going to put in an offer on the place, they said something like, "Poor girl" It seems that if I like a house enough to want to put in an offer, the house is going to get another offer that I just can't beat. So, today I told the real estate agents that I should get a commission every time I put an offer in on a house. I think they're game.
Plan of Action for the future:
1) if they tell me about a house, forget work. take comp-time. Look at the house ASAP. If I like the house, put in an offer before anyone else can. Maybe even bribe the agents not to show the house to anyone else until the buyer has decided if they are going to accept my decision; OR
2) Take this as a sign I'm not supposed to live here.
2 comments:
well, come live in Western wa or portland area!
Amen to Beee!
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