Special offer

Why CASH Isn't Always King...

Reblogger Valerie Osterhoudt
Real Estate Agent with Johnson Real Estate, Inc. RES.0761759

I wanted to reblog Rob's post.  Why?  This is happening to me as we speak.  This does seem to be the trend lately... and I think word needs to get out that sellers still CAN'T give the store away.

Original content by Rob Magnotta

I've noticed an interesting trend lately. And by interesting, I mean completely and utterly frustrating.

Recently, I've been lucky enough to be working with a few "All Cash" buyers, or at least lucky in so much as their purchases weren't reliant on a bank. Yes, interest rates are ridiculously low, but you still have to qualify, which is not an easy task. The cash buyer solves this problem, and assuming they make a reasonable offer on a property, the transaction should be quick and painless, right?

Some of you may notice that I put the word "reasonable" in front of the word offer. That wasn't an accident. On a $600,000 home, I just had a buyer ask me... "Do you think they'll take $450,000?"

No. I don't. {I really really don't. In fact, I don't want them to. I don't even want them to counter! I just want a nice, quick rejection. And why? Because you're offer is LUDICROUS!}

Even if we want to debate the "bottom of market" that we may or may not have hit, we're pretty darn close.
And while I don't have a crystal ball, I'm going to go out on a limb and say we do NOT have another 30% drop to go. Personally, I don't think we have another 20% to go. So if my cash buyer wanted to write a low ball offer, I would have suggested $540,000, and would have prepared my buyer for the next step, which would more than likely be a counter offer. Some of you may think I should write the offer for whatever my client wants to write the offer at. And for the most part, you're right.
But where's the line? When do we put our reputation first? These are tough questions, but if you know the market you're in, and you know your client wants to write an offer that is light years away from making any sense, what's wrong with saying, "I'm sorry, but I won't submit an offer that low."

There are plenty of Trustee Sales, Monday through Friday around here. You got cash? You want to see if you can pick a home up for 70 cents on the dollar? Give it a shot. You don't need me for that.

I'm a Realtor. That means I work on commission. My TIME is king.

Posted by

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Valerie Osterhoudt, ABR
(Accredited Buyers Representative)

Is a Full Time Realtor® with with Johnson Real Estate, in Cromwell, CT who specializes in Homes and Condos For Sale in the Middlesex and Hartford Counties in CT.

VALERIE OSTERHOUDT REALTOR IN CROMWELL CT

valerie osterhoudt

Valerie Osterhoudt, ABR ~Johnson Real Estate, Inc.
cell:  860.883.8889

email: Valerie Osterhoudt, ABR

website: www.CTrealtorMLS.com

 

Jack Gilleland
Home Inspection and Investor Services, Clayton - Clayton, OH

Valerie, I hope is wrong about one thing.  I would wish that maybe there is only 10% left to rock bottom.  I don't say that as someone that is even remotely connected to real estate, I say that as a homeowner that has seen a 60k drop in the value of his home.

Aug 03, 2010 08:27 AM
Steve Loynd
Alpine Lakes Real Estate Inc., - Lincoln, NH
800-926-5653, White Mountains NH

Val, I hope buyers will look at current sales of comparable properties, and forget that the listing is a short sale...market value doesn't care what the sellers issues are. If there are expensive repairs that is one thing but if like property exists use that to set the value.

Aug 03, 2010 11:41 AM
Heather Chavez
Second Self Virtual Assistance - Caldwell, ID
Real Estate Virtual, Assistant (928) 692-3235

Hey, Valerie.  Nice to see you back.  I tried emailing you but it was returned with a mailer-daemon reply.  Bummer!  Anyway, I think the responsible thing for Realtors to do is to let buyers know ahead of time when a low-ball offer is really an insult. (maybe not in those words, but you get the gist)  Some people just don't understand that, while the market has experienced its own depression, these kinds of offers don't help anybody.  And, I would think that, if the Realtor submitted that offer, it might even turn the seller off of the buyer completely as someone who isn't serious about buying.  Just my opinion.

Aug 03, 2010 12:08 PM
Kristin Johnston - REALTOR®
RE/MAX Platinum - Waukesha, WI
Giving Back With Each Home Sold!

EXACTLY!   I think people forget how hard this business is in the first place, much less to take discounted commissions...arggggg

Aug 04, 2010 01:45 AM