 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
I’m often asked by people who like to prey on others how to buy real estate in a
) E- {4 T5 s |" e' S; D! Rfalling market, like this one. The danger of doing so is that you buy before the " N: \; l6 Y3 g% o: P% a" M
bottom arrives, and take a capital gains hit. The advantage is you hold absolutely all
% ]: H6 X% p3 n9 jthe cards, and can strike a great deal while the victim-seller is writhing in pain and 8 I* N! z' ?, ~/ R3 y
begging for mercy. That’s the fun part.
' s4 b5 X$ A8 h- l8 U5 u. a) J
, B- m. ?# V/ `- O; ~4 [' Y1 V0 r3 ]! ?So, don’t ask me if it’s time to buy yet, because you won’t like the answer. But if 6 H6 h! r" c5 U' c' Y) ?6 ]
you want some tips on being a vulture, for when the moment’s right, then clip this
) D u( ~9 [. L: w* b7 F' hand stick it on the fridge. (By the way, this is another preview of my coming book.)+ e0 d! K) U* F! \/ H
5 h/ {' x8 E0 `3 R5 \8 @" m* Offer what you want to pay, not what the vendor is asking to be paid. With so many 1 y* R8 l: r$ l6 E' L
properties listed, and so little sales activity, every offer has to be taken
- L6 n% [4 Q) {seriously. Only by writing up an offer on your own terms, at your own price, will you , B( q f7 M- o* \8 y/ ~$ V+ {) ~
get a sign-back showing the true level of desperation you’re dealing with.
5 t3 Z) i9 y# W" N. g; d; i$ p# T3 s# p
* Always submit the offer with a deposit cheque, which is like putting a shiny lure on , O( @4 s/ j3 K
the end of your fishing line. However, the offer must stipulate the cheque is not 2 y: i' N1 n( }
cashable until a firm and binding agreement is reached. So, it means nothing, while * d M* U; ~% }4 l
having a powerful psychological impact.. q. t0 x$ I; r
/ Q( z& v/ j7 M4 V& Z6 Q' ? I* Throw in as many conditions as you want. This will create an offer that is 0 ]8 n) {# ^" m$ w4 }
completely tailored to your needs and wants while providing elements you can remove in 1 p* e+ v3 U" u& B- R3 c
order to gain things you truly want. So, for example, make the offer conditional on
- r, w) i% ?: H; Q2 i) Y# ~the vendors paying all your closing costs, including land transfer tax. While you
- v# S, X+ X! u2 F# T8 G5 Znever expect that to happen, you can remove it during negotiations in order to get 5 e+ z' Z' U1 V+ X
what you do want and expect, which is a bargain price.
3 H' b p s- \* C- Q3 o# k" _1 Q% I
* Ditto for conditions giving you time to arrange financing or even to sell another 0 g1 n5 f6 X: _" }: n
property – they are both traditional deal-breakers, and the vendor’s agent will know
5 c: \6 ~5 ]1 N% U0 _that immediately. So, by reluctantly removing them you move far closer to getting that
# @' C) |( E& {$ C0 I) Rprice.
) ^# g( \4 V% d5 j0 e; @8 ]
9 l& |& @# e4 ?( D* Best, however, to insist on a home inspection. This condition should give you five
- u2 C3 }0 q( v! j- a2 l4 Dbusiness days to complete the process, and is normally done at the purchaser’s
) N: q0 e; Q- y- C: ^6 i* y; i( Dexpense. The reason you want this is because almost all properties need some kind of % z2 ^" V6 ~. k" i5 B& ]; H
work done in order to make them perfect, and when you get the inspector’s report you
) |5 P: A/ p0 W" r% ohave leverage to help you drive down the price. Simply get an estimate of the cost of
6 s9 L `: E/ q0 a. w; P/ hthe repairs and ask for the deal to be rewritten with a price reduced by that amount.
; T( o9 f/ f/ JSince the vendor knows the condition is entirely for your benefit and the deal will ) }0 d) p) f4 | J1 U
die unless you sign a waiver, well, guess what? Vulture.
* I* t3 r' @% `- S/ t; F$ y @* ?- q# W( \$ P
* And remember that the closing date is also an important poker chip to play. Have
1 h' T1 g: X8 i0 E9 g& fyour agent find out what the vendor wants, and then use that to help leverage the
1 @3 ~- n7 G3 Lprice down. Additionally, you can throw any assets you see around the property into
5 |4 P+ n% } v3 @6 m* \your offer – power tools, appliances, lawn tractor, Harley-Davidson, whatever. The
1 C! P6 J; `4 e- d" u( J3 jmore you put in, the more clutter there is for the vendor to wade through, and the
+ {, C8 C- ~. s; O. m2 v- Q, ?- o* ?better chance you have of securing the best deal.
4 q e: i- X& S9 _. T- P5 v1 G$ w$ p/ C/ i) H$ R
* Speaking of which, why not make two offers at the same time on two competing 8 ?8 O- J7 k' c# l6 A
properties, and then let that fact be known (through your agent) to the vendor? That
% f: C! l' N/ H# t. L" F, b3 F+ mwill add even more pressure to the poor guy, as he tries to figure out what he must do
* m% S8 ?$ t; W$ [1 ^7 Ato save the deal, and give you what you want. This may be cruel and unusual, but just ) i; `, s) i. V7 c% ~! Y. X. ~
consider it payback for all those multiple-offer situations greedy vendors placed
8 e; \- f0 y7 S# f# M7 Z1 D2 jbuyers in during the bubble years.
0 G. P# c8 V$ r& A
( L6 g. f! H1 r0 A5 E; d* And, of course, you can make a low-ball offer, get a sign-back, and then just let it 9 V/ v9 P0 \. e/ ]9 ]' B' ^8 d
die. Wait a week and go back in with another one, for the same low price. Odds are you 0 Z9 n! c4 c9 X- V! _
will not get the same response this time. The stressed-out vendor may hate you, but
' D7 f6 _% b% zhe’ll close. |
|