When you’ve done some viewings and found a house you’d like to call home, the next step is to make an offer. Your offer will include many things, but almost as important as the price you’re willing to pay, are the conditions your offer will include.
Conditions are a way to protect yourself when making an offer on a home. They give you time to ensure you can in fact, purchase the house, and that there are no underlying secrets that could diminish your quality of life down the road.
There are a few common (and important) conditions to consider putting in your offer. However, it’s also critical to note that the real estate market is HOT, and if you wind up in a multiple offer situation, having too many conditions could put you at risk of losing the home to someone else.
In fact, while it can be a dicey decision, some buyers will opt to add NO conditions and make an immediate cash offer on the home, making it a much easier process for the seller, as they aren’t required to wait for conditions to be met and waived by the buyer.
However, if you aren’t in a position (or simply aren’t comfortable) putting in an offer with no conditions, here are some important ones to consider when making your offer:
Financing
Even if you already have a mortgage pre-approval -and in this market, we ABSOLUTELY recommend coming in with a pre-approval- This condition gives you peace of mind.
It gives your mortgage professional time to make sure that the house you have put an offer in on is worth the amount of money you said you are willing to pay (this may require an appraisal). They want to make sure the investment makes sense. This also provides time to calculate mortgage payments etc. You want to make sure you will be able to comfortably afford this new home.
Home Inspection
Home inspections can cost anywhere from approximately $300-$400. However, did you know that when working with a Sutton-Huron Shores realty inc. agent, we will pay for the home inspection to be completed by the inspector of your choice! J
Typically, an inspection takes a few hours. The inspector likes to take a thorough look at the home on their own and then the Buyers can come and do a walkthrough with them and hear any recommendations the inspector has. The inspector will send a summary following the appointment, which is a good thing to send to your insurance company. There is also a full report that is emailed to you for your continual reference.
If the home is up to your expectations, you can clear the condition. If there are some unexpected things that you feel were not reflected in the price you agreed upon paying then you can chat with your agent about asking for a reduce in order to cover whatever works needs to be done.
If not, it’s time to start looking at other homes. If you’re having trouble finding a home inspector, give me a call and I’d be happy to give you a few recommendations.
Insurance
Before you close on a home, it’s important to know whether or not an insurance provider will agree to insure it. This one is usually straight forward but if there are elements of the home that require a little more to insure (ie. a wood stove or aluminum wiring) you want to have time to make sure that you understand what is required.
Past Utility Bills
If you weren’t shown any utility bills prior to putting in an offer, it could be a good idea to ask to see Hydro, Gas and other bills from the past year. Affording the mortgage is one thing, but don’t forget about (or underestimate) the other costs a home will incur. To learn more about unexpected home costs, you can check out my previous article here.
Choosing which conditions (if any) to include in your offer can be difficult. That’s what your real estate agent is there for! We are well versed in all of the different obstacles or roadblocks that could occur in the offer process.
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