With these four tips in mind you will can better prepare yourself to make a successful offer.

Understand How Much You Can Afford
While it’s not nearly as fun as house hunting, fully understanding your finances is critical in making an offer.

This ‘tip’ or ‘step’ should really take place before you start your home search process.

Getting pre-approved is one of many steps that will show home sellers that you are serious about buying, and will allow you to make your offer with the confidence of knowing that you have already been approved for a mortgage for that amount.

Act Fast

Even though there are fewer investors, the inventory of homes for sale is also low and competition for housing continues to heat up in many parts of the country.

The inventory of homes listed for sale has remained well below the 6-month supply that is needed for a ‘normal’ market. Buyer demand has continued to outpace the supply of homes for sale, causing buyers to compete with each other for their dream homes.

Make a Solid Offer

Your strongest offer will be comparable with other sales and listings in the neighborhood. A licensed real estate agent active in the neighborhoods you are considering will be instrumental in helping you put in a solid offer based on their experience and other key considerations such as recent sales of similar homes, the condition of the house and what you can afford.

Prepare to Negotiate

Prepare to get at least one counteroffer from the sellers. The two things sellers most likely negotiate are the selling price and closing date. Given that, you’ll be glad you did your homework first to understand how much you can afford.

Your agent will also be key in the negotiation process. They give you guidance on the counteroffer and make sure you can meet the contract terms.

Happy House Hunting!

Source: Freddie Mac