When you\’ve found a special house you want to call home, you\’ll probably feel excited and a bit nervous.Let the sales professional know you\’re ready to write an \”offer to purchase\” a written document that declares how much you are willing to pay for the home provided that certain conditions are met. Because it\’s a legally binding contract that you will sign and date, it may be a good idea to have a lawyer review it, within the grace period noted in the contract.
This is the time when it is most important for you to keep in mind that, unless you have specifically retained the services of a buyer\’s agent, the sales professional is working for the seller. As the legal agent of the seller, he or she is obligated to help the seller get the best price, and will report to the seller any confidence you share.
It\’s best to make your offer without sharing with the agent your willingness to offer any higher price if the seller does not accept your offer.
Your offer should have a time limit for the seller to accept it, reject it, or make a counter-offer. If a counter-offer is made, you will have some time to respond. Often, several offers go back and forth until an offer is accepted, or one party decides to end negotiations.