Home Buying 101: Buyer Letter
Figure out your needs
Monthly cost of owning a home
Ideal Neighborhood
Financing Your Purchase
The FHA Mortgage
The Conventional Mortgage
The Adjustable Rate Mortgage
Department Of Veterans Affairs Mortgage
Pre-Qualified vs Pre-ApprovalPhase 2: Looking
Looking at homes
Types of homes
Single Family Homes
Town Homes
Condominium
Twin Homes
Multi-Family Homes
Types of sellers
Traditional
Short Sale
Foreclosed
Researching A Home’s Public Information
Phase 3: Buying
Making an offer that counts
The Purchase Agreement
Inspections: Why get one?
Radon Testing
Sewer Line Scope Inspection
Fireplace Chimney Inspection
Mechanicals
Phase 4: Closing
Closing Costs Explained
Title Work
Appraisals
Underwriting
Utility Bills
Preparing for the Closing
The Closing
Buying a home is more than just a business transaction. Sure, there are large numbers involved in purchasing a home, but there are also many emotions involved.
Here are a few pointers that I tell my clients:
1. Introduce yourself and your situation and mention how long you have been looking.
2. Mention that “the moment we walked in, we fell in love with this house”, etc.
3. If you are getting married and are planning a backyard wedding, mention that and how this home would help you with that goal.
4. Use descriptive language to paint a picture of how you see yourself in this house or neighborhood.
5. Tell the sellers which features really stand out to you.
6. While in the house, be sure to look around at photos and things around the house. Make note of this and if there are similarities in your life, be sure to point that out. “We noticed that you have a great collection of guitars. I am an aspiring musician”, for example.
7. Tell them how you’ll take care of the house and remark on how they’ve taken great care of it so far.
8. Conclude with an appreciation of them and ask for their thoughtful consideration.
Be creative!
The sample letter shown here is written by one of my buyers. They gave me permission to post this with the identifiable information taken out. This letter touches on various aspects of emotion for the seller.
Additional Resources:
‘Dear Seller’ Letters work for home buyers. This site has some excellent examples.
10 Tips for writing a letter to the seller