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[Back to the future] Multiple offers and bidding wars

Charleston real estateA foreclosure that just came on the market is getting quite a bit of interest from lots of potential buyers. Apparently, over 40 agents and their clients have already viewed the property and there are already multiple offers submitted.

The bank has set a deadline of 5:00PM on Monday July 27 for best and highest offers to be submitted. So it's really not a bidding war, rather, if you want to buy this home, you have to submit the offer the bank considers to be the strongest.

But it does bring back memories of days past in the Charleston real estate market.

But let's take a further look at multiple offers and what happens in that situation.

A client interested in this property asked me if I am aware of other bidders in the mix and price talk.

My reply:

There have to be at least 2 offers currently for it to be placed in a multiple offer situation and there are rules regarding multiple offers. But info on who is bidding and price is kept absolutely quiet because it's the whole point of a multiple offer situation which is to get the highest possible price. Nobody is going to tell anybody anything about offers, number of bidders, nothing.

What you simply have to do is value the property and make your best possible offer. There is no negotiation, the strongest offer will get it. Cash makes a strong offer, very few if any contingencies makes a strong offer, the ability to close quickly makes a strong offer and of course, the price offered will certainly be a consideration.

What you have to understand is that this property came on the market just 4 days ago and the bank wasn't going to accept less than a full price offer in the first 2 to 3 weeks of a foreclosure listing anyway. Anyone who offered less and anyone who offered a lowball price is simply dreaming and doesn't necessarily understand how to buy distressed property. If a foreclosure doesn't sell in the first month, then all bets are off, the price will be reduced and you can go less from there. But that isn't the case here, there are already multiple offers and you (and possibly others) are thinking about making an offer as well.

The house can and will be purchased below market but not lower than list and probably a little more. If it become a crazy bidding war, it will sell for even higher.

Published Saturday, July 25, 2009 6:23 AM by Howard Arnoff

Comments

# re: [Back to the future] Multiple offers and bidding wars

The bank is looking for the BEST offer which doesn't mean have to be the highest price offer.  Even with multiple offers, only two types were accepted these days in California as far as I know:  All cash (for almost all higher price REO 500+), or government backed ones (FHA etc for lower priced home).

Patience is the key for home purchasers especially if you want a good deal (6 to 9 month horizon).  There actually isn't that many good house at right price, and no, you won't be able to steal from a bank.

Saturday, July 25, 2009 1:09 PM by Jimmy

# re: [Back to the future] Multiple offers and bidding wars

Jimmy, that's exactly right, the price is only part of what makes an offer strong, solid financing (cash is king), contingencies (few to none) and the ability to close quickly are just as important as the price, with all of the above, the bank will go with the stronger offer for a few dollars less. We'll be viewing tomorrow and putting an offer in on Monday so I'm sure it will make an interesting future post (especially if we get it - over 5, cash).

Saturday, July 25, 2009 3:23 PM by Howard Arnoff
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