This has been a very difficult time for buyers in the real estate market at least for the last couple of years because the scenario is there’d be one home and there’d be many buyers all trying to purchase the one home, and what are buyers trying to do they want to set themselves apart so instead of always thinking about the offer they also think that maybe they would do a love letter. Well, I’m going to tell you in this video why that could be really problematic even though it sounds like a great idea. what you should do, how it should get handled, and how you go from here to make sure that you win that house! I am Maria Wells. I’m on the Treasure Coast of Florida please hit the subscribe button and the bell so that you can see my videos which are released every Tuesday.

How to stand out in a Seller’s Market

In this tough market I know if you’re a buyer you’re trying to set yourself apart. if you have to finance and you can’t pay cash you already know you’re up against it. So what can you do to plead your case? To get the seller to choose you, sure, you can go “me me me me” that you get the home. I know we have all heard, from friends that have done it years ago, neighbors, on the internet, or even your realtor; that you should write a love letter. Well, I am going to tell you how that could get you and all those involved in a lot of trouble. it sounds innocent enough but truly the biggest thing is you could be violating the fair housing act. 

So you want to write a buyer’s letter?

Let’s just say that you decide you’re going to write a nice love letter. You want to include a picture and it could be of you or your family or whatever. Oh, and you found one that was around a Christmas tree which is always delightful and a fun time for everyone to be together. You decide to put this photo in the letter to the seller. This could get you in a lot of trouble and I want to tell you why and how but first you have to understand what the Fair Housing Act. I’m referring to the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which was created to prevent discrimination concerning the sale or rental, or financing on purchasing a home. The Fair Housing Act of 1968 includes these distinguishers:

  • race color
  • natural origin
  • religion
  • sex including gender identity
  • familiar status
  • disability 

How your letter can cause problems

So let’s go back to that picture of you with the family and the Christmas tree. By sending this photo, you’ve already violated at least two of those distinguishers. Could be even more by familial status and also by religion. The worst part is, you didn’t even know you did it! 

So, let’s say that you submit this letter, you don’t get the home and you’re really upset. It’s pretty easy when somebody’s very upset to possibly file a discrimination suit against the seller. That may not even be the reason you didn’t get the house but that may be the first thing that you think of. The problem is even though you may be in the wrong and your letter wasn’t the reason. A discrimination suit it’s still gonna cost people a lot of money to defend themselves. Don’t put yourself or others at legal risk. 

The whole point is you want to be able to buy a home. When you write these love letters saying how much you want this home and you go on and on and tell the seller all the reasons why you should have their home. This doesn’t put you in a very good stance to be able to negotiate. You have just put all your cards on the table in your love letter! 

Selling a home is a business deal

I will tell you that if someone innocently or their realtor hands a letter to the seller.. and the seller says something along the line of… ‘yeah, we’ll be fine, we can be objective.’ However, will they? Can they really be objective if they see something they don’t like? What if they know one of the neighbors wouldn’t like the potential buyer who would be buying their home? As you can see, this could easily get into a real can of worms. 

So I tell sellers, to just treat this as a business deal; you need to look at:

  • terms
  • price
  • cash inspections
  • closing dates 

All the things are strictly black-and-white items. 

A note to buyers

Make sure that you have done the very best deal you can. If you have to finance, try to possibly put more money down if you have the opportunity. If you can’t change your financing, maybe you can change your closing date or get the inspection dates a little closer. There are things you can do, especially if you work with a really seasoned realtor, to get you that house. Trust me, the love letters as I have just explained can get you in a lot of trouble. 

Do you still feel compelled that a letter is the only way you’re going to plead your case and get your new home? 

Then I am going to really recommend you speak to your attorney. Get legal advice to make sure that you are doing the very right thing. Sellers, if by chance innocently your Realtor hands you a letter, a love letter, I hope you’ve watched this. Then, you can say ‘I don’t think I want to do that unless I call my attorney.’ I want everyone to stay out of trouble. I want everyone to have a great real estate transaction. I want everyone to do the very best they can, sellers get the most money they can, buyers make the best deal, and just do it in a way that’s not going to cause a lot of trouble. 

Fair Housing Act violations are serious and they can easily happen when buyers write a love letter to a seller when buying a house. In this video 🎬 I will tell you what the Fair Housing Act is, how an innocent love letter to a seller on why you want to be selected to purchase their home can cause you a lot of trouble, and what tactical approach you should take in writing an offer on a house. New videos🎤 released every TUESDAY!

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I am Maria Wells, Broker/Owner of Lifestyle Realty Group. With six real estate designations I bring you knowledge and insights beyond the average Realtor. I will listen to what you are asking, read between the lines and provide information you may not know to ask. As the 2017 elected State President of Florida Realtors, the largest state trade organization in the US serving over 180,000 members and, 2019 elected Region 5 Vice President for the National Association of Realtors I convey tremendous experience to handle the complexities of real estate to be your strong advocate. My Concierge philosophy and resources will provide you with personalized attention and service! As a persuasive negotiator, I will get you to the closing table, manage all the details for a worry-free transaction, and be a resource for all your real estate needs for years to come. If you are looking for my “Selling Senior Style” services, I have worked with hundreds of families to solve all of the issues regarding personal and real property for seniors and their families. My designation Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES) will give you tremendous value if you are in this life journey. I live in Jensen Beach Florida with my husband, where we raise Orchids,🌸, polish up our Harley’s 🏍 , enjoy our grown children and one adorable grandson.👶🏻 🍼. Photos 🎥 by Dragonfly Aerials – dragonflyaerials.pics