Just figured out why my first offer got turned down

So about a month ago, I put in an offer on a cute little ranch in Columbus. It was listed at $275k and I went in at asking price, thinking that was solid. My realtor told me to write a letter to the sellers, but I just sent a basic offer form. Found out they picked another buyer who offered the same money but included a personal note about how much they loved the garden. It hit me then that in a tight market, the little human stuff matters just as much as the numbers. I was so focused on the loan and inspection stuff that I missed the simple way to connect. Now I get that buying a house isn't just a business deal. Has anyone else won a bid because of something small like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

murray.pat19d ago

Letters just let sellers play favorites with sob stories over solid buyers.

the_rose19d ago

Yeah, the "sob stories" thing... my coworker got beat out by a letter talking about how the sunlight hit the kitchen just right for the seller's grandma's memory. His offer was way cleaner too. Just feels random sometimes.

craig.piper19d ago

My buddy Jake lost a house last year to a letter writer. His offer was 15k over asking, all cash, quick close. The sellers picked a family who wrote about their kid's asthma and needing the big backyard. Jake was furious. It happens, murray.pat, and it feels pretty unfair when money isn't the deciding factor.