 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
: }0 ?8 L- R |( ~falling market, like this one. The danger of doing so is that you buy before the & z, t: s& g6 h. z
bottom arrives, and take a capital gains hit. The advantage is you hold absolutely all
4 X/ J! \4 K6 _& K& Q4 Vthe cards, and can strike a great deal while the victim-seller is writhing in pain and 7 y0 d5 u& U1 g7 C7 e+ D9 S
begging for mercy. That’s the fun part.8 Q/ k6 r1 n, J$ P
. E0 W3 s) p& ^1 C/ J F- @$ `0 HSo, don’t ask me if it’s time to buy yet, because you won’t like the answer. But if 0 Z* I6 N0 t: H
you want some tips on being a vulture, for when the moment’s right, then clip this
( H6 e! G4 N; nand stick it on the fridge. (By the way, this is another preview of my coming book.)& [9 M4 O( P4 v* [2 z/ A
9 |/ \' Q/ o0 G- T+ Q( ~$ C
* Offer what you want to pay, not what the vendor is asking to be paid. With so many
# @2 {$ `* F& d: @/ s nproperties listed, and so little sales activity, every offer has to be taken , w D0 z* P) ]5 \
seriously. Only by writing up an offer on your own terms, at your own price, will you # H" [' {1 w. O% @3 f6 h7 e
get a sign-back showing the true level of desperation you’re dealing with.
8 T$ X# W& K0 \0 y
/ x% j4 n0 l: g& o c H4 b* Always submit the offer with a deposit cheque, which is like putting a shiny lure on
" z" u h* O; X! \( `6 gthe end of your fishing line. However, the offer must stipulate the cheque is not $ _& |/ k! d$ d
cashable until a firm and binding agreement is reached. So, it means nothing, while - W ]: q a. S( M4 S- u. N1 z) A
having a powerful psychological impact.
% I; r. \1 U: ]3 O" e9 u) M! O" T: {& j) l9 q
* Throw in as many conditions as you want. This will create an offer that is 6 I4 @& K7 {$ {5 p" L# W
completely tailored to your needs and wants while providing elements you can remove in
S. g) r5 F4 f6 Q! E" [order to gain things you truly want. So, for example, make the offer conditional on
- r9 ]( g5 T" z4 j2 M4 @/ Tthe vendors paying all your closing costs, including land transfer tax. While you g$ L9 p5 p9 V6 o2 j3 d
never expect that to happen, you can remove it during negotiations in order to get * G% f$ @" r `; |- g* r
what you do want and expect, which is a bargain price.) x5 F( y8 \1 v$ ]
$ p& J9 y' b w' a+ h, r* Ditto for conditions giving you time to arrange financing or even to sell another . l7 L$ G* s4 I7 Q* q
property – they are both traditional deal-breakers, and the vendor’s agent will know + s8 M8 O+ F- E8 ?; N
that immediately. So, by reluctantly removing them you move far closer to getting that 3 p' @+ p; }% [3 j- ]. H$ g' N) }9 S+ s
price.
( u6 D1 R S' E$ }; r! o6 N# N
* p8 B' _0 ~0 U% x9 N7 b* Best, however, to insist on a home inspection. This condition should give you five 4 J2 ^. F; e0 y" i
business days to complete the process, and is normally done at the purchaser’s & D+ x+ N9 x! e( t, O
expense. The reason you want this is because almost all properties need some kind of B' A+ I) {0 ]/ `) Y" N
work done in order to make them perfect, and when you get the inspector’s report you
" B% o5 b5 I1 a3 @$ Q' Mhave leverage to help you drive down the price. Simply get an estimate of the cost of
$ C) `* O; F- J2 H7 i0 a, {the repairs and ask for the deal to be rewritten with a price reduced by that amount.
' z- _; Y6 s6 Z$ \6 h3 R+ H( t! JSince the vendor knows the condition is entirely for your benefit and the deal will 3 T4 n' E$ r, |; a2 @
die unless you sign a waiver, well, guess what? Vulture.7 c9 V8 P5 D4 ]. i' e4 t
; _; z6 Y1 U# z( ~
* And remember that the closing date is also an important poker chip to play. Have
# r% A+ _% x9 u1 ~your agent find out what the vendor wants, and then use that to help leverage the
; d& \" h5 t, L0 W* u! r; x4 I' Mprice down. Additionally, you can throw any assets you see around the property into 0 p& B" n( o5 R3 v1 ]: o- P$ d
your offer – power tools, appliances, lawn tractor, Harley-Davidson, whatever. The
& Y3 i% ~. B# `/ T3 ]more you put in, the more clutter there is for the vendor to wade through, and the , Y1 C9 Q' \% F; s# @& V$ ?' n5 e
better chance you have of securing the best deal.
9 j1 [) }( {2 U" K8 j7 |7 o4 T
0 T" B/ v M; F+ ]# v8 a* Speaking of which, why not make two offers at the same time on two competing
4 l9 I$ j% o5 J' \properties, and then let that fact be known (through your agent) to the vendor? That / P6 {" n: m. }2 R
will add even more pressure to the poor guy, as he tries to figure out what he must do
8 R& K! k( [6 M( }) Y+ {to save the deal, and give you what you want. This may be cruel and unusual, but just ! B: ~$ u0 U- u& ~
consider it payback for all those multiple-offer situations greedy vendors placed # @, a. V8 C/ l
buyers in during the bubble years.
& M6 \% T8 j* }' y. c' M5 C+ P
3 m9 e% N0 Q- o ^' h+ ?" u* And, of course, you can make a low-ball offer, get a sign-back, and then just let it ( v5 Y0 f0 V1 P' I W4 u
die. Wait a week and go back in with another one, for the same low price. Odds are you
# J: q1 Y- j) F3 A3 o& G: t0 j& {will not get the same response this time. The stressed-out vendor may hate you, but
% [, h% y7 H' F+ Y) a$ @) r) she’ll close. |
|