Sunday, 2 October 2011

Bidding on Homes: How to Make an Offer

By Jamie Sarner


When you have seriously spotted a prospect for a Toronto house for sale, the very next step is to put in an offer to get it. This can put you through the emotional wringer, as until now, your search has been in the world of speculation "now you're about to put forth a deposit honestly and sign a legal document which will eventually transliterate into homeownership for you!

An agent will show you what equivalent homes are selling for, and will gauge the type of competition you can face. For example, some sellers 'hold back ' offers until a particular date, which is a tactic engineered to collect all offers at the same time and create a feeling of pressure among purchasers, who must submit their offers by the stated day and time or risk losing the house. An agent will tell you how many offers you are facing in a competitive situation. Or, the house may have been on the marketplace for awhile, offers are welcomed anytime, and the sellers could be enthusiastic to see what you bring to the table anytime.

Once you've selected the price you're ready to offer, an agent will draft the legal document and communicate it to the seller's representative for you. The offer will specify the terms and conditions of your offer to get the home. We're going to go over the document awfully punctiliously together to make certain all of the terms are acceptable to you.

The Major Elements of an Offer

Offers to get real property are boring papers, but they contain some simple key elements that are of grave importance. Here are the major elements of an offer you need to be aware of:

- Sale price: Depending on what price comparable homes up for sale have managed to command, competition from other consumers, and your own bottom line, the price you offer could be different to the original requested price.
- Deposit: The deposit shows your good faith and will definitely be applied against the down-payment when the sale closes. Usually it is 5% of the acquisition price. It is crucial to have this amount accessible within 24 hours of making your offer, so if your funds are tied up, you may wish to look into a credit line from which a bank draft can be issued.
- Conditions: Qualifiers in your offer that really must be satisfied before a deal is struck. These might include 'subject to home inspection ', 'subject to the buyer getting financing ' or 'subject to further deposits ', to cite a couple examples.
- Inclusions & Exclusions: What's going to be left at the house for you and what will not be. Often, fixings such as major appliances, light fittings and faucets are left at the back, while chattels (private possessions/ornamental items belonging to the seller) aren't, unless otherwise stipulated in the offer.
- Title Search Date: This is the last date your counsel has before the property closes, to search the title and ensure there aren't any issues or issues with the legal possession of the property.
- Closing (Possession Date) : This is the day the title to the property is legally transferred and the exchange of funds finalized.






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