09/03/2024
Check out this special promotion....
Buying a new home should be an exciting step forward, but for one homebuyer, it quickly turned into a nightmare. Eager to upgrade from his current house, he decided to check out some new construction homes—alone, without his spouse or a buyer’s agent to guide him.
At the sales office, the builder’s representative was friendly and reassuring. He made the process seem easy, even offering discounts that sounded too good to pass up. “No need for a buyer’s agent,” the rep said, “I can handle everything for you.” The buyer, thinking he was saving money, agreed. The rep then showed him some premium lots and hinted that there was a special promotion, but only if he signed the documents quickly. When the buyer hesitated, saying he wasn’t ready, the rep brushed it off, saying the contract could always be canceled.
Reluctantly, the buyer signed the papers. But things moved fast after that. He was pressured to put down a $20k Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) and another $10k for home design upgrades. That’s when the buyer started to feel uneasy. Checking out other nearby developments, he realized he was paying $30k more than he should have. Worried, he contacted our realtor partner. The buyer thought he hadn’t committed to anything serious, but after a quick review, the realtor confirmed that the buyer had indeed signed a binding contract. If he backed out, he’d lose the $20k deposit.
And it got worse. Normally, before signing any real estate contract, sellers or builders require a pre-approval letter to make sure the buyer can afford the home. This helps avoid problems down the road. The “great news” (yes, I’m being sarcastic) was that the buyer had been pre-approved after a quick phone call with the builder’s preferred loan officer—without even submitting any documents. Our realtor partner saw red flags and referred the buyer to us.
When we reviewed everything, we found out the buyer would need to put down 40% and pay off a large amount of debt—something he couldn’t afford, even if he sold his current home and used all the money from that sale.
Now, with everything hanging in the balance, what do you suggest the buyer do at this point? 👇🙃