Make an Offer

Preparing Your Offer: Key Details We Need from You

Congratulations! You’ve found the perfect home and are ready to take the next step—submitting an offer. Before we can draft and present your offer, we need you to provide the following details. Having this information upfront will allow us to prepare a strong, well-structured offer for your review and signature. Feel free to email the info to us or complete this form.

Essential Offer Details

✅ Full Legal Name(s)
Please provide the full legal name of everyone who will be on the contract, as well as their email addresses (including your own). The name on the contract must match the name on your driver’s license or passport, as you will need to present identification at closing.

✅ Initial Offer Price
What price do you want to offer for the home? I will provide you with comparable sales (comps) and my professional recommendation, but ultimately, the offer price is your decision.

✅ Your Walk-Away Price
Negotiation is expected, especially if the home is newly listed or priced competitively. Before emotions come into play, determine the maximum amount you’re willing to pay for the property. While we won’t disclose this figure to the seller, it will help us guide you through negotiations strategically.

✅ Closing Date Preference

• Standard closing timelines range from 30 to 60 days after contract acceptance, with 45 days being the average.

• If you are obtaining a mortgage, the fastest closings are typically 21 days, but this depends on your lender’s capability. If you need a faster closing, let us know, and we can direct you to lenders who specialize in expedited transactions.

• Cash buyers can close in as little as 14 days.

• Closings must take place Monday–Friday during business hours (not on weekends or bank holidays).

• Monday closings are not recommended due to increased risks of wire fraud.

Important: We won’t have an exact closing time until 2-3 days before closing, so plan to take the full day off work. If you are unable to attend closing, we must arrange a Power of Attorney at least 2-3 weeks in advance for someone to sign on your behalf.

✅ Earnest Money Deposit (EMD)
How much earnest money are you comfortable putting down?

• In our area, contracts typically require at least $2,500+ in earnest money for homes over $200K. Be prepared for a Seller to counter and request a % of your downpayment to be put down as an earnest deposit. 

• Your earnest money goes toward your down payment. For example, if you’re putting $40,000 down and you’ve paid $15,000 in earnest money, you’ll owe $25,000 at closing.

✅ Down Payment Amount
For the contract, we need to know what percentage of the purchase price you plan to put down (e.g., 3.5%, 5%, 10%, 20%, or more).

✅ Closing Cost Credits
Would you like to request that the seller contribute to your closing costs? Typically, each party pays their own closing costs, but in some cases, buyers can negotiate for the seller to cover a portion of theirs. This is most useful if you need assistance with cash at closing, but it may weaken your offer in a competitive situation. And most often, the assistance is ‘put on top’ of the sales price. For example, you are requesting $5,000 in seller assist, Seller may counter with a $505,000 sales price vs the $500,000 list price.

✅ Home Warranty Request
Would you like to request a one-year home warranty from the seller? If the home does not have multiple offers, we recommend asking for one. A home warranty typically costs the seller $600–$800, depending on the coverage. If the home is in a competitive bidding situation, we do not recommend making this request. Understand what a home warranty is by clicking here.

✅ Contingencies & Special Considerations
Do you have any special contingencies that must be included in the offer? Examples include:

• Home Sale Contingency – If you need to sell your current home before purchasing this one.

• Inspection & Financing Contingencies – Standard for most contracts but can sometimes be waived to strengthen an offer.

What Happens After an Offer Is Accepted?

Some buyers wonder what happens if they have a change of heart or the inspection reveals a significant issue after the contract is signed. Click here to learn more about your options for exiting a signed contract.

Want to review the contract in advance?

• Click here to read the New Jersey contract.

• Click here to read the Pennsylvania contract.

Submitting the Offer

Once you've considered and finalized your responses to the above questions, email or text us your answers. We will then:

1️⃣ Draft the contract for your review.
2️⃣ Send it to you for electronic signature. 

3️⃣ Submit the offer to the seller’s agent.

Negotiations can take anywhere from a few hours to 2-4 days, depending on the seller’s decision-making process. Some sellers act quickly, while others take time to deliberate. Patience is key, as appearing too eager can weaken our negotiating position.

Once everything is in motion, we’ll keep you updated every step of the way. Let’s get your dream home under contract!