We are seeing a number of Pre-Approved buyers who placed offers losing out to competition. Here are the some of the tactics that buyers and agents were considering when placing an offer.
1) Conventional Loans are more appealing than FHA ► This is not the case. The house is either in good shape or it is not, and sellers are more concerned with the cash needed to close.
2) Large down payments must be an advantage ► This may be percived to be true, but a 20% down payment from a buyer only offering to put $100 up for the Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) smells funny to me.
3) Pre-Approval detailing they can qualify for more than the offer price ► This also is not advantageous considering it only takes about 5 minutes to get a pre-approval letter from a loan officer.
Offer price is the most important piece to the seller and listing agent. The buyer’s credibility and seriousness can be clearly stated by the EMD they put up with the offer.
For example, let us look at two offers on a home.
1) $180,000 offer with a conventional loan, 5% down payment and $1,000 EMD.
2) $180,000 offer with a FHA loan, 3.5% down payment and $6000 EMD.Offer 2 indicates a much more serious buyer with the higher EMD and cash needed to close will be less of a concern.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on this so PLEASE comment below!
Posts tagged SMOOTH CLOSING
Larger EMD = Offer Accepted!
PA Fallout? We can help!
The chief economist for NAR has recently sighted that contract failure rates have hit a staggering 33%, up from 18% the prior month. NAR claims the main reason for this is due to declined mortgage applications and appraised values.
This is not making any sense to us as lending guidelines continue to open up making it easier for buyers to qualify for home loans.
- Down Payment requirement down to 20% for Jumbo Loans
- Down Payment requirement down to 3% for Conventional Loans
- Credit Score requirements lowered to 620
- Many conventional loans only require a Drive-By Appraisal
- Purchase Transactions have priority and are flying through Underwriting
This is great news heading into 2012 with expanding loan options. Purchase Agreements are falling apart for a number of different reasons. Call us if we can help your buyer understand what needs to be done to get their loan clear to close. Or call us if we can help you understand what the lender is telling your buyer.
Do you agree with NAR’s findings? Comment below, we would love to hear your thoughts!
Employment pitfalls for buyers
Our experiences have identified a few key employment issues for past buyers that were already pre-approved.
- Buyer was transferred here to Michigan with same employer
- Need 30 days of pay stubs at new location
- Results in DELAYED CLOSING
- Buyer changed employers after initial pre-approval was done
- Income now commission based
- Results in DELAYED CLOSING
- Buyer leaves current job and buys a business after initial pre-approval
- Buyer did not inform anyone until new offer was accepted
- Results in DEAD DEAL
Here are some Key Points about Income:
♦ Need 1 year history for Bonuses and Overtime
♦ Job gaps will require an Explanation Letter
♦ Must receive 1 pay-stub after returning from Maternity leave
♦ New job requires 30 days of pay-stubsMake sure to encourage buyers to have updated pre-approval letters and keep everyone on the same page!
Join Our Conversations