In any real estate transaction there are many occasions where one person or the other can be confused or uncertain about what is needed.  There is lots and lots of stuff going on – home inspections, appraisals, loan applications, underwriting, title search – and if there is a mistake in any one of those areas it can cause the whole train to come to a screeching halt.

During the “plain vanilla” type real estate sales the inspection is a place for things to get bollixed up.  The Seller and the Listing Agent are rarely at the home inspection since the idea is to give the Buyer and his home inspector free reign to do a thorough inspection.  So it is really up to the Buyer’s Agent to be very clear when writing out the Inspection Addendum which will list the items the Buyer is requesting be fixed.  That way when the Seller and the Listing Agent sit down together to go over the repair items there is no question about what the Buyer wants completed.

When Communication Breaks Down

If the written word isn’t clear and the Buyer’s Agent is unsure of how to describe one item or another it is left to the imagination of the Seller and Listing Agent as to what needs to happen. Of course, this can be clarified by the Buyer directly during the pre-settlement walk-through.  By then, it’s almost too late to do anything so there is lots of running around, perhaps a repair escrow, perhaps an additional credit to the Buyer.  None of it is any good.

So it’s important to get the information needed in a clear and unmistakable way so things happen when they’re supposed to happen and everyone is happy when they sit at the settlement table together.

A good Realtor with experience and knowledge of the Contract of Sale can really help by making things clear and communicating them well to other relevant parties to the process.  If you want to know more about the real estate process, shoot me an e-mail or give me a call.