Every time I sit down with buyers to write an offer to purchase a home, the first question I am asked is “What price should we offer?” The answer to that question is determined by many factors, all of which need to be carefully considered before making a final decision on price. There is no “formula” for choosing the magic number that will get you an accepted offer – the circumstances surrounding each home are different and you’ll find that your offer strategies will change with each offer you write. Continue reading →

Let’s face it – HGTV makes buying a house look really easy. We’ve all seen those shows where the buyers have a little chat with their agent and she runs off to make a phone call with a verbal offer for the seller. When she comes back, she says, “you just bought a house!” Piece of cake, right? Well in reality, buying a house is usually a long process that has many stages. Writing your initial offer – as nerve-wracking as it may be – is usually just the first step in the dialogue between you and the seller. Continue reading →

Most buyers entering the Los Angeles real estate market understand that we are experiencing a seller’s market right now – there are significantly more qualified buyers out there than there are homes to buy, so prices are going up and bidding wars are commonplace. However, recently I have noticed a new phenomenon that even the savviest of buyers might not be prepared for: something I call the “extreme bidding war”. Continue reading →

On June 10^th, the LA Times ran a story on the front page of paper that detailed the fierce competition that buyers are experiencing during the home buying process. It’s official – it’s not gossip, and it’s not speculation: this is happening, people! Bidding wars are back, so buyers need to understand the process and have some strategies in place. Continue reading →