Special offer

How to make my offer on a Bank Owned Home Stand Out

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with LemonTree Realty

Many people ask "How do I make my offer stand out" when purchasing a bank owned home. They realize after making a few offers that low ball offers wont cut it in this market on homes in good condition in location under $200,000. 

As an REO listing agent myself here in Orlando, FL I have a few tips to helps those out there struggling to get their offers accepted. 

Each bank is different but I find the below information holds pretty true with most the banks that I work with,

Tips for making an offer:

  • Banks prefer offers with high down payments and low risk of rejection, which makes cash offers king, followed by conventional loans, FHA and then VA loans if no other offers are available.
  • The do not want to make repairs to the property (If you need that you need to make sure to sweeten the deal for the bank upfront)
  • The bank is looking for the offer that nets them the most amount of money, however they are looking for low risk as well.(Buyers remember this when asking for closing costs)

Multiple Offer Scenario on an REO property:

An Orlando bank owned property was at $200,000. Buyer A is a cash buyer offering $125,000 as-is, no concessions or contigencies.

Buyer B has a conventional loan, offer price $190,000 with 20% down and no request for closing costs or repairs.

Buyer C has an FHA loan, offer price $205,000 with 3.5% down and closing costs assistance of $5000.

The bank took offer number 2 because while it didnt net them the most out of the buyer is was close to asking and had the least amount of risk that the deal would not close. For the FHA loan to entice the bank to accept their offer either eliminate the need for closing costs or go higher in asking price making the net hard to refuse to the bank.

 

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Heather Unger, GRI, NRBA, CLHMS, CDPE, WinDs

RE/MAX Central Realty

www.HeatherTheRealtor.com     (407) 810-6304

Our Team Specializes in Luxury Real Estate, First Time Home Buyers, Short Sales, Bank Owned Real Estate, REO & Foreclosure Properties

Servicing Real Estate Needs in: Lake Mary, Longwood, Winter Springs, Sanford, Altamonte Springs, Oviedo, Orlando, Downtown Orlando, Thornton Park, College Park, Winter Park, Maitland, Windermere, UCF, Lake Nona, Baldwin Park, Apopka, Ocoee & Winter Garden

 

Comments(10)

Charlie Ragonesi
AllMountainRealty.com - Big Canoe, GA
Homes - Big Canoe, Jasper, North Georgia Pros

Very good post and this is what we tell our buyers here. Thanks for the examples they really make the point. And I like your risk points as well

Aug 10, 2009 05:36 AM
Liz Flint
Century 21 Hardee-Team Realty - Houston, TX
Houston\Tomball Realtor (832)816-8066

Thanks for the info.  I'm sure it will be helpful

Aug 10, 2009 05:52 AM
Marie-Denise Kratsios
Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty - Huntington, NY
Where ever you are, that's where I'll be!

We had an attorney do a short sale presentation at our office meeting this morning.  He basically said the same thing you did.  He  emphasized that in order to present the best offer on behalf of your buyer, there should be a strong down payment.  A very small down payment might indicate to the seller and the short sale lender that the buyer is going to flip and might delay the closing until he has his own buyer in place to flip it to.  If pressured by attorneys to close, a buyer with a small down payment might not have a problem walking away from the contract and forfeiting the small down payment.

Aug 10, 2009 09:51 AM
Brittany Stewart
Luxe Realty Group - Plano, TX
Making Dallas Home

Thanks for the specifics too.  I, too, work with REO's and its hard to explain it to buyers, especially first time buyers.  I ended up loosing out twice with my buyers before they realized what I was trying to suggest..

Aug 10, 2009 06:25 PM
Missy Caulk
Missy Caulk TEAM - Ann Arbor, MI
Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate

Good information. I see banks do crazy things.

They don't like inspections or a contract with too much they may be asked to do.

Thanks for sharing this, will forward to my team.

Aug 10, 2009 11:49 PM
Rob Arnold
Sand Dollar Realty Group, Inc. - Altamonte Springs, FL
Metro Orlando Full Service - Investor Friendly & F

These are great tips.  It is so important for buyers to make strong clean offers if they want to get it accepted.  If I was the seller I would have took offer #2 also, but I would have asked them to come in at full price. 

Aug 11, 2009 03:38 AM
Charles Colaco
Neev Realty - Fairfax, VA

I feel they are great tips and most of the realtors know it, but the buyer client interested in REO is looking  for deals and it takes multiple contracts for them to understand the process :)

Its a pain

Aug 12, 2009 10:10 AM
Brian Griffis
Realty Choice - Springfield, MO

Funny, my clients have lost out on I don't know how many all cash, full price offers.  It is good advice you are giving, but don't count on gettting the house just because you have the best offer.  Banks seem to do whatever they want. 

Aug 14, 2009 12:52 AM
Heather the Realtor Orlando, Lake Mary
LemonTree Realty - Orlando, FL
First Time Home Buyers, Bank Owned Homes

Brian but what are you considering the best offer? As a buyers agent you probably dont know nor probably should know the exact terms of all the offers that come in. Are you thinking the best offer is one that is higher then the asking price? You have to take the whole offer into consideration when determining what is best. I had two offers yesterday on a property listed at $315,000 one offer is $325,000, the other is $335,000 they both net the bank about the same amount of money but even if they $335,000 offer netted the bank more I would recommend the $325,000 one, why because it's a conventional loan with less risk and better terms.

Aug 14, 2009 12:58 AM
Tim Ludemann
Ochopee, FL

Great information once again I look forward to reading more of your Blogs!

Sep 22, 2009 05:10 AM