View Full Version : Writing a letter to "win" a house
I have been advised by our realtor that we stand a better chance of winning the house we are considering by writing a letter to woo the sellers. Along with offering $50K over asking. It feels scuzzy to me to participate in the real estate greedfest. Buying shelter for we plebeians has turned into a grueling process that's for sure.
These can be problematic:
https://www.nar.realtor/fair-housing-corner/love-letters-or-liability-letters
https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/19/homes/love-letters-from-home-buyers/index.html
There are a few sellers that are so emotionally attached to their house that a letter "might" have some impact. A good realtor will steer the client to the more important things like price, speed, and ease of transaction.
Anyone considering a house should be prequalified with as many $$ as they can have for the down payment. Be aware that if you offer more than what the mortgage appraisal determines is the value, you will have to either make up the difference or possibly the bank will walk away.
I did that, but it was sincere, and I wasn't in a bidding war. When we originally looked at this house, we knew the owners were looking to either rent or sell. We made an offer and they actually accepted the offer, but the next day we learned that they had actually found renters that they were supposedly locked into. We were so disappointed!
I had actually met the sellers, so I felt I had kind of a personal connection anyway, so I wrote the woman an email telling her how much we loved the house, that we wouldn't change a thing, it just spoke to us, etc etc. And if they ever decided to sell once the renter's lease was up, they should get in touch.
A month later they got back to us saying the renters "didn't work out" and would we still be interested. My personal feeling is, they had to leave this house for financial and other reasons and I think they wanted to rent it just in case they could return to it once they were on their feet. Anyway, the rest is history. We closed 3 months later.
As for your situation, I don't think it's scuzzy at all. If you truly like the home and would hate to see it go to someone else, I would definitely try to make a personal connection with the sellers. If you love your house, you want the next person to get it to love it, too. I'd feel relieved to hear from someone who seems like the right fit.
happystuff
1-28-22, 2:59pm
I hold no delusions about my house. I truly believe whoever buys if from us will totally change pretty much everything. I wouldn't be surprised if they gutted the whole thing to start fresh. It is a home to us now, but when we go to sell, it will just be a house we are ready to move on from.
The 60yo owner's kids are selling the house most likely to pay for their mother's assisted living bills. No doubt they will want the most they can get. We are prequalified for a 30 yr mortgage with 50% down. The hope is we sell this house within six months and pay off the mortgage. I fault the realtors though as much as owners for much of the current state of things. They will sell to the devil if it brings them more money. I am not giving up though...
iris lilies
1-28-22, 3:15pm
I can hardly wait until somebody offers money on my house with a promise that they will keep my flower garden the way it is. Because that must be important to me. And etc.
Little do they know that I really don’t give a crap once I’m out of here what happens to that flower garden. Realistically, I would like to see houses built on that space.
iris lilies
1-28-22, 3:16pm
These can be problematic:
https://www.nar.realtor/fair-housing-corner/love-letters-or-liability-letters
https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/19/homes/love-letters-from-home-buyers/index.html
Yes I’ve heard of the liability problems with these letters. I’ll be glad when the trend is completely over.
I suppose there are some people who might be swayed by such a thing but I wouldn't. I don't really care who lives here after us, just who makes the best overall offer. And we didn't write such a letter to get this place. Our offer was accepted because our financing had been approved by the time we made the offer and because we didn't have a sale of our old house contingency (we didn't own before). The other offer the buyers were considering was higher then ours but they still had to sell their current house so we got accepted.
I think I'll skip the letter. Our reasons for buying there are completely emotional - seeing my grandkids grow up and helping SIL with MIL's care, ie family. It would be too mushy though I also have a very soft spot for the locale too.
The last three houses, I have gotten the letters, and in none of those situations did that person get the house. I just go with the strongest offer--our last offer was lower than the others, but cash and a two week closing.
rosarugosa
1-28-22, 5:48pm
A letter would sway me if we were selling this house. I expect when the day comes it will most likely be bought by a contractor and treated as a semi-teardown, and a great big grey and white box would be built in the same footprint.
I am way too attached to houses. When we sold our last house after 17 years there, I accepted an offer for slightly less than market because I wanted it to go to a young family - for the good of the neighborhood. They sold it six months later. Reminds me too of a house situation down the street from us in Austin. The owner was an old, old woman who spent hours in her flower beds every day and provided much beauty to the street. When she passed away, a professional couple purchased it, bulldozed the house and gardens and erected a modern two story glass and metal house.
I am way too attached to houses. When we sold our last house after 17 years there, I accepted an offer for slightly less than market because I wanted it to go to a young family - for the good of the neighborhood. They sold it six months later. Reminds me too of a house situation down the street from us in Austin. The owner was an old, old woman who spent hours in her flower beds every day and provided much beauty to the street. When she passed away, a professional couple purchased it, bulldozed the house and gardens and erected a modern two story glass and metal house.
Yeah, I'm attached to houses, too--but only the ones that "house" good memories.
iris lilies
1-28-22, 8:03pm
I am very attached to houses, but that doesn’t mean I expect to control what happens to them when I no longer own them.
Right now I am hearing that my childhood home is under review for purchase by the town’s historical society for their headquarters. I have mixed thoughts about that. In some ways I am snarky because I dislike that town and mentally make fun of it for having a non existent “history” prior to 1960. Haha. Of course it has a history, they all do, but my childhood house it about the only “historical” thing of interest there. The town is basically a cheap, new, suburb of Des Moines.
on one hand I would like this house in private ownership hands by someone who has great interest and money to renovate it because I’m sure it needs it after the former owners who live there for 48 years pretty much failed to do maintenance. They had to tear down the barn last year because the owners had not maintained it. It had a god-awful halfway completed paint scheme until last year as well. Last year the old owners died and their children came in and started to clean the place up.
On the other hand, having a historical society own it *IF* they actually have enough money to do a decent job on restoration and maintenance would be nice because then the general public could visit it. It was a house that was put together in three parts with parts of it shipped in from other places. It’s not architecturally whole. The house where I spent earlier years is actually more architecturally pristine.
Here you see the house I’m talking about, the first one. That wrought iron fence you see Was last painted in 1969. I know because I painted it and I know it hasn’t been painted since.
4186
If letters work one has to wonder if some people write ‘fake’ letters based on what they think would appeal to the seller. Unless the seller’s agent was there at the time of showing how would they know.
I was curious about these love letters so did some googling. The internet is full of templates and examples - enough to make one wonder how could many not be fake. As an exercise, I wrote a draft for the house we are considering. But it just feels disingenuous to me to be so smarmy. I also read that they are no longer allowed in Oregon.
Teacher Terry
1-29-22, 12:35am
When I sell it’s 100% business for me. I looked for the best offer that’s most likely to close.
Iris Lily, I think your old homestead would make a perfect municipal building!
Iris Lily, I think your old homestead would make a perfect municipal building!
It would need to hire a large number just to do basic maintenance. Those grand wooden buildings were beautiful but the work involved!
catherine
1-29-22, 10:54am
Beautiful house, IL! That would be so cool to have it designated as the site for the historical society! So fitting for you!
happystuff
1-29-22, 11:44am
For some reason I was thinking Bed & Breakfast. Don't know why - maybe the fence?
iris lilies
1-29-22, 1:06pm
It would need to hire a large number just to do basic maintenance. Those grand wooden buildings were beautiful but the work involved!
Yes. Discounting the paint job that took place last year, the last time this house was completely painted from top to bottom was also the year 1969. I remember that was the year we did not go on vacation, we stayed home to complete all the painting projects. An unfun summer.
These old houses are where I develop love of Victorian architecture, but my own houses have always been quite a bit smaller.
Although I will say that my houses have always been giant wrecks, and this big white house was never a giant wreck although I don’t know what it looks like now. The people Who owned it for 48 years were very nice, very involved in the community, but took a very casual approach to house and yard maintenance. It looked like total crap for decades, and only at this moment does it look like the way my father left it in 1973.
I can hardly wait until somebody offers money on my house with a promise that they will keep my flower garden the way it is. Because that must be important to me. And etc.
Little do they know that I really don’t give a crap once I’m out of here what happens to that flower garden. Realistically, I would like to see houses built on that space.
Oh gardens we love and care and time into. The biggest most loved gardens I have ever had, Became the biggest nightmare for the new owners as nature reclaimed quickly. All gone now and they had the front plowed under and the entire surrounding of home redone with {{{rock}}} I try not to look at the home as I go visit the old neighbor.
Well, we put in a contract for 20% over list with 50% down. No one will take a contingent on sale of house anymore. Finally, two days later a condolence email went out to the 34 of us who did not "win" the house. Over half of those were all cash offers too so can only imagine what the winner had to pay to get it.
Teacher Terry
2-1-22, 7:02pm
That sucks PT.
iris lilies
2-1-22, 7:25pm
Well, we put in a contract for 20% over list with 50% down. No one will take a contingent on sale of house anymore. Finally, two days later a condolence email went out to the 34 of us who did not "win" the house. Over half of those were all cash offers too so can only imagine what the winner had to pay to get it.
Yikes!
34 offers not accepted!!!!!! That is insane. Because this housing situation is presently insane does not mean that it will continue to be so.
Pinkytoe, you have a comfortable home that meets most of your needs and many wants today. You are so fortunate in that regard. I say this only to reduce the emotional stress that you are experiencing.
I understand that you would like to be closer to the grandchildren, nearer Texas, but the high property taxes were a major concern before if I remember correctly. Taxes don't usually go down. The major aquifer under Texas is being drained rapidly leading to water shortages and increasing costs limiting the gardening that you want to do.
Be kind to yourself. When the world goes mad as it is doing right now in the housing market, it is time to step off the speeding roller coaster. Skip the frenzy for a while. I see this real estate frenzy going on around me with people getting way beyond their ability to pay and regretting their emotional decisions. To have a mortgage in one's 70's really limits. When one partner goes into care or dies, the remaining one is struggling to pay for basic services.
Unbelievable. Crazy times. I hope you "win" a house soon, pinkytoe.
What if you were to rent a house out in Texas for a year and go ahead and sell colorado and be on the scene to look for a new place? Would that help, do you think?
We have considered renting but rents are nuts too. My realtor told me that some are even bidding on rental houses, ie offering more rent money. I am very grateful to own this house free and clear for sure. Whatever is going on out there is not sustainable IMO; in fact, it's just weird. It was fun to imagine though being there and fixing up that particular house.
Dang. That's craziness. And I thought it was crazy when we bought 17 months ago. But we were only up against one other offer and we actually "won" because we didn't have a "sale of house" contingency, despite having a lower bid. About a year ago a significantly more updated version of our townhouse sold for $73k (roughly 10%) more than we paid. Last summer a couple other smaller/less updated than ours, units sold for about the same as we paid. After that nothing in our development has been on the market, so I have no idea where things stand here at this moment in time.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2025 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.