08/10/2026
One of my favorite closings this year: my buyer walked away from the closing table with a check.
Not a bill. A check.
Here is how. Homes are sitting on the market a little longer right now, which means buyers have negotiating room they have not had in years. During the inspection period we identified the repairs that genuinely needed attention, and instead of asking the seller to do the work, we negotiated credits. By the time we structured everything, my client covered what they owed at closing and received a check on top of it.
Another buyer this year received nineteen thousand dollars in credits, which we used to buy down their interest rate and cover their closing costs. That structuring took a lender who knew what he was doing. Jesse Gilbert at RatePro () built that buydown with me, and it changed what my client pays every single month.
I am not sharing this because every deal ends with a check. Most do not. I am sharing it because most buyers have no idea this kind of structuring is even possible, and in this market, creative negotiation is the difference between overpaying and winning.
If you are thinking about buying in Central Virginia and want someone who treats your monthly payment like the real target, let's talk.
