6 things to expect after you make an offer on a house (2024)

FAQs

What to expect after putting an offer on a house? ›

“If your offer is accepted, the sale process begins, a deposit is made within three days, and inspections and appraisal are typically completed within 17 days,” says broker Brandon Brown. “Loan approval is then completed before 21 days, with the closing of the property happening around day 30.”

The rule of thumb is usually between 5 and 10 percent of the home price. Bear in mind that you could lose the money if the deal falls through, so it's important not to put up so much that you'd be ruined if you lost the cash.

Legally speaking, there isn't a time frame sellers must respond to your offer. However, it's an unspoken rule in the industry that sellers and/or the listing agents should respond within a few days, with 48 hours the norm.

Yes. Imagine a situation where the seller got multiple full-price offers and is setting up for a bidding war. That seller might counter all of the appealing full-price offers, asking each suitor for a best and final bid, or request a specified higher price.

There are quite a few reasons why a seller might take longer than usual to respond to your offer. The first is if they received multiple offers. “Typically, response time increases if there is more than one offer on the table,” says Ross. “Sellers may take their time to choose which offer is best for them.”

Make Your Offer As Clean As Possible

A clean, no-contingency offer means you're waiving all contingencies to make your bid a bit more competitive and appealing to the seller. A clean offer shouldn't be contingent on the sale of another property or have other financial constraints.

What is the best date to close on a house? ›

If you need to be occupying your home by a certain date to save on rent, it's a much better deal to close at the end of the previous month (for example, January 30) instead of the beginning of the current month (February 1).

After getting a job offer, you can immediately accept, immediately deny or you can negotiate. “What I recommend doing is asking the hiring manager or whoever you get your offer from for a day or two so that you can review the offer.”

Although it may seem like a bad way to do business, the fact is that a seller doesn't have to respond to an offer. The seller or the seller's listing agent may “acknowledge” receipt of your offer, but that's not the same thing as responding to it.

Typically, when a seller rejects your offer they come back with a counteroffer to potentially negotiate a deal what works better for them. If your offer is rejected without counter, it might mean that your offer was too low to be considered by the seller.

A reasonable amount of time to respond to a counter offer is within 24-48 hours. This allows the employer to make a well-informed decision and also shows respect for the candidate's time. It might take a few days in certain situations, like when a budget needs to be approved.

Real estate agents often suggest that sellers either accept the first offer or at least give it serious consideration. Real estate agents around the world generally go by the same mantra when discussing the first offer that a seller receives on their home: “The first offer is always your best offer.”

No, the seller is under no obligation to accept any offer. And if the market is a strong seller's market, they are likely to wait for offers that are above asking price. Can a seller counter a “highest and best” offer? Yes, the seller can counter at any time during the negotiation process.

Are they accepting two contractual estate offers and negotiating two contracts in parallel? The issue is not legal or illegal in the home-buying process: it's meaningless. A seller cannot get another offer if the listing becomes “in contract.” A home is “in contract” after the buyer and the seller signed the contract.

Casey Napolitano, real estate agent, broker and founder of NDA Real Estate in Southern California, says the first offer is usually the best, but every situation is unique and sellers should assess the strength of the offer before making a decision. But there could also be drawbacks.

Why are sellers not accepting my offer? ›

If your home purchase offer was rejected, it was likely for a reason involving money. Your offer price may have been too low or too high, or they may have simply received a better offer. Other reasons could include the listing agreement commission structure, specific contract requirements, or personal reasons.

Asking for a highest and best offer might push the buyer closer to your target sales price, because it shows there's real interest in the property. In negotiations, buyers won't typically start with their highest offer with the goal of leaving a little wiggle room.

All-Cash Buyer

“A cash offer is usually more appealing than a finance offer as the seller doesn't need to worry about whether the bank will approve your loan,” says Sam Heskel, president of Nadlan Valuation, an appraisal management company in Brooklyn, New York.

What are the two rules of offer? ›

There must be communication of acceptance from the offeree's side. You can withdraw an offer any time before it's accepted. Only the person to whom the offer is made can accept it. You are not bound by an acceptance made by someone else on behalf of the offeree without his authorization.

The five requirements for creating a valid contract are an offer, acceptance, consideration, competency and legal intent.

When Is Your First Mortgage Payment Due After Closing? The first mortgage payment is typically due on the first of the month, one full month (30 days) after the closing date. Monthly mortgage installments are paid in arrears, meaning you'll be making payments for the month prior rather than the current month.

A right of first offer (ROFO) is a contractual obligation that allows the holder to purchase an asset before the owner tries to sell it to someone else. If the right holder is no longer interested in the property, the seller can then sell it to a third party.

A promise to do or refrain from doing something in exchange for something else. An offer must be stated and delivered in a way that would lead a reasonable person to expect a binding contract to arise from its acceptance.

A seller is not bound to accept any offer, even at full price. However, your seller could be in breach of your listing agreement by refusing to accept the full-price offer.

When a seller gets a lowball offer, or an unreasonably low offer on the house, they should always counter. For the seller, the act of countering an offer tells the buyer that they're still interested in selling to them if they improve the terms of their deal.

Can a seller change their mind if they accept your offer? ›

Can a seller pull out after accepting an offer? If there is an available contingency in the contract, the buyer can't secure funding, or there is fraud on the part of the buyer, the seller may usually cancel the contract. You may also cancel the sale during the attorney review period.

Yes, a seller can back out of a contract under certain circ*mstances. But you must show that you've upheld the conditions in the purchase agreement or face consequences.

It's held in escrow as a show of good faith that you're interested in purchasing the home. If your bid wins, your earnest money is deducted from the amount you owe at closing. If the seller rejects your offer, your earnest money should be returned.

Ask if there is any flexibility in the starting (or future) salary. Consider perks you may be able to negotiate in addition to or instead of extra salary. Turn down the offer, realizing that the company may not make a counteroffer. Create an opportunity for more discussion.

Making a counteroffer to the first job offer is generally a good thing. As long as you don't fold at the first No, you don't issue ultimatums or make threats and the counteroffer isn't a surprise after the prospective employer already thinks you've accepted, then you will be OK.

Can A Buyer Back Out Of An Accepted Offer? As a home buyer, you can back out of a home purchase agreement. However, with no contingencies written in the contract, you may face costly consequences such as losing your earnest money deposit. As a buyer, the ability to back out of an accepted house offer is good news.

“The rule I've always followed is to never go more than 25% below the listed price,” he says. “Chances are, after fees, commission, and sentimental value, the sellers are already hurting. If you dip below that point, they may disregard your offer entirely.”

Can you put multiple offers on houses? You can put multiple offers on houses – and it's a common practice amongst buyers. There is no law against making offers on more multiple houses.

What do I need to know before making an offer on a house? ›

Yes. A seller can back out of an accepted offer or before closing, as long as there are no specific clauses that state otherwise. That being said, whether or not a seller can back out of a contingent offer depends on the contract that was written and what is mentioned in it.

Yes. For certain types of mortgages, after you sign your mortgage closing documents, you may be able to change your mind. You have the right to cancel, also known as the right of rescission, for most non-purchase money mortgages. A non-purchase money mortgage is a mortgage that is not used to buy the home.

A low offer may be upsetting to the sellers, but if you and your real estate agent present the offer along with an expression of your appreciation for the property, it's more likely to be accepted than a low offer accompanied by a half-complete contract or an insult about the property's condition.

A lowball offer refers to an offer that is far less than the seller's asking price or is deliberately too low, as a means of starting negotiations. To lowball also means to throw out a purposely lower than reasonable number to see how the seller will react.

Typically, a lowball offer is considered to be at least 20% below the asking price. If you're offering 10% below, the property should be in a good condition but may just need some cosmetic work done.

If you're ready to buy a home, you're probably wondering about how to write “a strong offer.” When we say “strong offer,” we're talking about writing the best offer – an offer that's going to have the best chance of getting chosen by the seller.

Real estate agents often suggest that sellers either accept the first offer or at least give it serious consideration. Real estate agents around the world generally go by the same mantra when discussing the first offer that a seller receives on their home: “The first offer is always your best offer.”