6 Ways a San Diego Buyers’ Offer Letter can Offend Sellers

San Diego buyers who are getting turned down left and right on their offers may feel like they are never going to find a new home.  Real estate agents often suggest a buyer write an offer letter to the homeowner to explain why they should be chosen for the home sale.  Sometimes an offer letter can help and the sellers will relate to the buyers in some way making them excited to work together. However, more often than not the offer letter that is sent does more harm than good.  

Be careful to avoid these six ways buyers can offend a San Diego seller in an offer letter.

Specific Holidays

This is a hard concept for many people to understand.  Avoid mentioning holidays that can be tied to a specific religion.  Christmas is one that many people refer to in their offer letters. While the homeowner may celebrate Christmas, there is a chance that they do not.  Even though under the Federal Fair Housing Act the homeowner is not to discriminate based on this information, it is still done frequently.

Fighting this is a difficult process and one the buyer is likely to lose.  Just avoid the mention of holidays and simply say the family time spent in the house is what is desirable.

Insulting the Home

Never mention something in the San Diego house that you think is ugly.  The homeowners may love the color of walls that they put up in the nursery.  They have memories in the home and even if that fluorescent yellow is abrasive to the eyes, do not say that.  It is fine to paint once a buyer has moved in, but avoid telling the homeowner their taste is bad.

Complimenting the home will make the San Diego sellers proud of the renovations that they have completed.  They may have spent significant amounts of money on renovations that will ultimately be taken out. If they think the buyer will keep their investments they are more likely to want to make a deal.

Giving Up All Power

Some San Diego buyers get too desperate when searching for a home.  Do not lay out all the cards on the table. Talking about feeling pressured to buy a house or how long the house hunt has lasted is a sure way for the homeowner to gain the upper hand in negotiations.  At the same time, letting the homeowner know the house is desirable is good but do not make it seem like it is the only choice.

Pressure

Time frame is a sensitive subject to many San Diego homeowners.  They may need to make a sale on their house before they can close a deal on their next property.  

This is why a San Diego buyer who makes it clear their time frame is non-negotiable is not a good candidate for a seller.  Having an open time frame and being flexible will help the process go smoothly.

Mentioning Children or Pets

This is something that can be included or excluded depending on different circumstances.  Some homeowners love pets and have many of their own. Likewise, many San Diegohomeowners have raised children in the home and are looking forward to someone taking over that mantle.

However, there are some people who are turned off by the idea of pets or even children ruining their home.  Let’s face it – pets and children make messes and sometimes they can ruin furniture, floors, and walls. Some San Diego homeowners are still very attached to their home and do not want to sell to a buyer who may damage a property that they still love.

Pointing Out The Wrong Aspect Of The Offer

Always focus on the positive in an offer letter.  Do not mention the contingencies, do not mention a short time frame, and certainly do not talk about the low offer that is being sent in with the letter.  Instead, focus on being flexible and talk about having a pre-approval letter or even paying in cash.

Homeowners need to be convinced that this offer is the best one so do not remind them of what they are losing out on.

An offer letter can mean the difference between landing a San Diego home sale and being passed up.  However, it can also be the reason that a homeowner rejects an offer. Offending the San Diego seller in an offer letter is more common than people think.  Even small phrases can turn a homeowner off. Be careful about wording and always keep offer letters focused on the positive.