What do you mean, you need a letter from my Lender?

What do you mean, you need a letter from my Lender?

Fair question.  In days of old, Real Estate Agents would show homes to anyone who wanted to look.  We'd put prospective Buyers in our cars, grab our trusty MLS book and drive all over town for days, just looking at homes.  Often a prospective Buyer would fall in love with a home and we'd write an offer, only to find out, AFTER they had applied for the loan, they didn't qualify for that amount.

So, we Loan Officers and Real Estate Agents got smart.  We started suggesting Buyers get pre-approved or pre-qualified (in my opinion they are different, though many agents use the terms interchangeably).  Like most anything new, it took awhile for everyone to see the benefit of doing this.  Once it was realized how much more productive that information made everyone's lives, it became an industry norm.

You may very well have $500,000. cash just sitting in the bank for you to use in the purchase of a home.  You may have a credit score in the 800's and the ability to get any loan for which you apply. 

The Sellers have no way of knowing that.  I have no way of knowing that.  Frankly, I don't need all of your financial information.  I simply need a letter from your Lender or Bank, stating that you have the ablility, the qualifications and funds to purchase a home.  If you are only able to secure a loan for $300,000, there's no reason to look at homes in the $500,000 range.  Even if they are over-priced, chances are good they're not THAT over-priced and it's a waste of everyone's time and energy to look at homes which are out of your price range.  Did I mention the cost of gas?

You would be surprised at the number of people who think they have more buying power than they actually do.  Regulations are tight, banks are making it more difficult to obtain loans.  Even people with excellent credit and cash on-hand are finding they are unable to obtain loans, as in days-gone-by.  It's just so much better when we know up-front, how much home you can comfortably afford.

Now when it comes time to submit an offer, we'll want a letter from your Lender or Bank which is tailored to the property on which you have chosen to make an offer.   No generic," Mr. & Mrs. Buyer can buy up to $XXX,XXX".  That's the type of letter which is going to hurt your negotiating power.  We'll want one that says you are ready, willling and ABLE to purchase XYZ Maple Street for $XXX,XXX.

When I ask for a letter from your Lender or Bank, I'm not trying to be difficult or nosy;  I'm trying to keep all of us from wasting time and energy.  Did I mention the cost of gas?  Buying a new home should be fun and exciting -- it quickly stops being that when a Buyer falls in love with a home, only to discover it's out of their reach . . .

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   Copyright © 2010 - 2011 All Rights Reserved

Tish Lloyd, REALTOR®

Broker

NC Real Estate Lic. 269076

Prudential Laney Real Estate

527 Causeway Drive

Wrightsville Beach, NC  28480

910.547.1446

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