We put an offer in a house this evening, but we didn't get it. We kind of knew going in that it would be a longshot because we had to include the conditional offer of selling the condo. It's a seller's market these days, but on the advice of Pez I included a letter to the homeowners with our offer. I figured that I had nothing to lose.
Ready? Ok...don't laugh.
"Dear Homeowner,
I am writing this letter to you in the hope that you might consider my husband and myself as buyers for your house. We are presently living in a condominium downtown, and it is also for sale. We do not anticipate that it will be on the market for long, as there has been quite a lot of interest in it. In the meantime, we had the pleasure of attending an open house for your home this past weekend. It is a lovely house and the perfect size for us. We loved the layout, the hardwood floors and the sizeable kitchen.
I am a nurse, looking forward to some peace and quiet in a beautiful garden. It is one of the reasons we have decided to leave our condominium lifestyle. As newlyweds, we are looking forward to building a home, together.
I understand that it is likely not usual to recieve a letter along with an offer of purchase, but the reason I have decided to write one is to explain the condition of offer at this moment is contingent with the sale of our condominium. We are confident that it will not be on the market for very long, but do not want to miss out on the opportunity of possibly purchasing your home.
We were very impressed with the house and excited at the prospect of living in this community. We would love the opportunity to make your house, our home.
Thank you for considering us."
Our real estate agent was a little taken aback initially, but he felt that the woman really appreciated the letter. I'm pretty sure that the offer they accepted had no conditions.
What do you think? Do letters like this possibly sway the seller's emotions to thinking you are the ideal buyer?