How to Compete with Cash Buyers in a Bidding War

Learn how credit buyers can compete against cash buyers in bidding wars and secure their dream home.

How to Compete with Cash Buyers in a Bidding War

This isn't always true, but nevertheless, this myth tends to scare buyers in need of financing from trying to compete. According to Redfin, giving up financial contingency is one of the best ways to compete in a bidding war. In fact, it could improve your chance of success by up to 31 percent. Fortunately, beating a cash offer on a home isn't as difficult as many agents think.

We'll share our strategies to improve your offering by reducing the negatives of financing while creatively solving some of the other issues a seller may have. Here are the top 10 that have helped my team successfully overcome cash offers yes, even in this hot market. There is a charge for this service. The fee is approximately 2%, but is reduced if the buyer uses Homeward Mortgage for their final loan. For buyers who have a home to sell, they also offer a cash purchase option before selling.

However, to win against cash offers, you need to do more than just offer a signing bonus. Empower your clients who have no additional funds for a non-appraisal period to try to restructure their loan with a lower down payment option. If that doesn't work, ask them to ask their parents, grandparents, or even borrow from their 401 (k) to fill the gap in case the evaluation isn't enough. With the handshake agreement in mind, I ran to my car and wrote the offer. With a down payment of 3.5% and the lender covering the closing costs (with the interest rate differential), the buyer had enough left to pay my cooperation fee.

While this next tip will give you a head start when deals are close, today's marketers feel like they're getting a dime. It sounds funny when they get offers 10% more to ask for, but ask a home seller and that's what they'll tell you. One of the main reasons cash is king in bidding wars is because of the requirement for an appraisal for mortgages. However, cash offers differentiate the buyer because the homebuying process is often faster for cash buyers. In previous years, cash buyers were often able to offer a lower price just because they could offer money on the spot.

In some cases, sellers will choose a cash offer instead of a funded offer that promises a few thousand dollars more. Although cash offers can make an already competitive market even more so, using some of the tips above, you can differentiate yourself from other potential homebuyers and secure your dream home. By discovering what the seller wants and crafting your offer accordingly, you can sharpen your competitiveness against cash buyers (and also funded buyers). Doing so will give the buyer more room to make that higher bid to win the home without exceeding the budget. If the offers are very close or even a little better, the buyer who has personally connected with the seller could have the upper hand. Other buyers could still make a higher bid, but if not approved beforehand, you may have the advantage even at a slightly lower price.

You may be able to beat cash offers by identifying what else sellers want and then giving it to them. It seems far-fetched, but if possible, paying cash for a house will shoot your offer straight to the top of the pile. You can meet the seller's needs by offering to purchase the house as is, but only after obtaining a professional home inspection. Credit buyers often feel like they can't compete with cash buyers, which can be annoying when a cash buyer makes an offer on a person's dream home. In any competitive housing market, cash buyers are viewed with apprehension by others looking to buy a home.

It allows the seller to continue marketing their home to buyers, and the buyer has the opportunity to eliminate this contingency within a specified time frame if the seller receives another offer. A lot of times, cash buyers come with offers below the asking price, largely due to the ease with which their transactions take place. With these strategies in mind, you can increase your chances of success when competing against cash buyers. By understanding what sellers want and crafting an offer accordingly, you can make yourself stand out from other potential homebuyers and secure your dream home.