Buyers in cash-offer-heavy areas, take heart. There are ways to compete with those all-cash folks and come out ahead — with the keys to the home of your dreams.
1. Make sure you’re preapproved
A pre-qualification to buy a house is just not enough when an all-cash offer could be on the table.
2. Consider pre-underwriting
There's another possible way to show sellers that you are eminently qualified to buy their home: Get a loan review from an underwriter.
3. Offer more than asking price
All-cash buyers don't always offer the full asking price for a home. You can make your own offer look extra enticing by offering more than the seller's asking price.
4. Beef up your down payment
It's not always easy for buyers to come up with a full 20% down payment, but if it's possible for you to do so, think about putting even more than 20% down on the home.
5. Submit your best offer upfront
The time to haggle over price is not when you're up against an all-cash buyer.
6. Fork over more earnest money
Earnest money is money that the buyer pays to the seller when the contract is signed to show that they are "earnest" about buying the home.
7. Meet the seller on their terms
Ask your agent to call up the seller's listing agent and ask if there are any terms or conditions that the seller would prefer to write into the offer.
8. Be flexible
Who doesn't like working with a flexible, easygoing person or household over someone who nitpicks and wants to argue every single point in a negotiation?
9. Submit a pristine offer
When you do submit that offer, make sure every detail is addressed and there's nothing that will require any back-and-forth between you and the seller.
10. Expedite the appraisal and inspection
There's a way you can put yourself on almost-equal footing with cash buyers when it comes to the appraisal and inspection: It might be possible for you to get those tasks completed early.
11. Write the seller a letter
Sellers are going to have some emotional attachment to their home. Tap into this by writing a personal letter.
12. Waive negotiations over repairs
Agree to handle any repairs yourself after the inspection and write it into the offer.
13. Bend over backward
If there's any way you can ease the seller's path to the closing table, do your best to meet it.
14. Shop government foreclosures
Sometimes the beacon of the all-cash buyer is too powerful to ignore in certain markets; look at purchasing a government foreclosure in your area if you can.
15. Buy new construction
New construction can be another good option for buyers stymied by all-cash investors. A developer isn't going to be interested in lowball cash offers.
Competing with all-cash offers can be discouraging for buyers, but take heart: Not every seller will prioritize an all-cash offer over your offer.