Each and every buyer hopes that any home they pursue will be in perfect condition, the seller highly motivated, and the road to closing painless, but that’s rarely the case. To get the most out of your next home purchase, let’s go over what you should know about buyer credits when buying a house in Atlanta.
What Are Buyer Credits?
Once you have your offer accepted and are well on your way toward closing, looking forward to the costs you will incur at closing becomes paramount to making your home purchase a success.
In order to reduce some of your closing costs by having the seller cover them, buyer credits can be written into the closing contract. The idea here is that the seller makes some concessions to help make the deal more enticing to the buyer, or even possibly save the entire deal if the buyer’s financing is truly on shaky ground.
It is in no way the responsibility of the seller to make sure the buyer’s finances work out, but they do have the ability to secure the buyer’s position ever so slightly with the help of buyer credits.
Repairs
Out of all of the most practical uses of buyer credits, repairs are the easiest angle.
As you’re going to walkthroughs and open houses, it’s incredibly important to take notes of anything positive or negative about the property as well as the serious concerns that arise. Anything from absolutely critical repairs to code violations can be used to pull things in your direction during negotiation.
While getting these notes put together is a spectacular first step, the real nasty details will be revealed during any inspections. Inspections exist to look for any serious issues that are in need of addressing, along with teaching you about the property’s mechanics and idiosyncrasies. The ultimate purpose of any home inspection is to verify the home is in a satisfactory, livable condition and help create an informed buyer.
Updates
Second to repairs in terms of effectiveness in negotiation is pushing for buyer credits due to the home’s clear need for updating. Chances are you will see some homes where specific rooms or areas are way out of place and time, and dearly need more than a deep clean to bring them into the current century.
Where repairs are easier to leverage in negotiation, updates can still be effective at bringing the deal a bit more in your favor. This tends to work well for homes that are being sold after an elderly owner vacates the property and the owner’s family is looking to offload the home with little hassle. If the owner hasn’t kept up with the times, the family is likely to understand that cutting the buyer some slack on closing is a major boon to closing the deal.
Regarding a very out-of-date home, some sellers will advertise the need for updates in their listing and include details on any credits they plan to provide upfront.
Have Realistic Expectations
Looking at everything we have covered, it’s imperative that you tread lightly when pressing for these buyer credits. Stepping into negotiations and immediately picking apart the home thinking that will garner significant leverage is rarely a recipe for success.
Take time to feel out the seller, and be sure to keep in mind the circumstances of your local market in order to see where it’s appropriate to push forward to achieve buyer credits. In the case of an owner already offering credits in their listing, do not expect any further concessions from them. Chances are likely they feel they have intentionally laid their cards out on the table and want you to do the same.
Help Understanding Buyer Credits in Atlanta
Whether you’re a buyer or a seller, let our professional team guide you. For assistance with buyer credits for buying a house in Atlanta, contact us today at (404) 977-5054!