Buying a house right now is an unusually stressful experience for buyers across Canada. Between the low inventory and the high demand, people have to make quick decisions and pay more than they may have been prepared to get the right house.
Buyers may also be considering alternative ways to make their offer more attractive, such as including a letter to the sellers.
Love letters to sellers
Including a letter about how much you love a house can emotionally connect buyers and sellers. Depending on what you say, the seller may like what you have planned for the house, or they may feel good that you will not make any significant changes.
That said, a letter could wind up working against a would-be buyer. For instance, sellers can get more information out of a love letter than the author intended to provide.
Writing that you can picture yourself hosting Christmas dinners or having enough space for your family to stay when they come to Canada can tell the buyer about your religion and culture; including a picture of yourself can also be a disclosure of your race. The unfortunate reality is that some sellers use this information as a reason not to choose one offer over a similar one.
Should I include a letter?
Whether you want to include a letter with your offer is a personal decision. If you write a letter, you might decide to leave out information that could be more telling than you intend it to be. Focus instead on what you love and value about the home.
Another thing to consider is how you might set your offer apart using other options, from removing contingencies to making financial assurances. Whatever you decide to do, be sure to review your offer and purchase agreement carefully and with legal counsel to be sure you know what you are agreeing to.
Buying a house is stressful, but knowing what you can do to make yours the offer that a seller accepts can make it easier to find the next place you call home.
