price when there’s a high market demand, you risk losing the property to another buyer who’s willing to pay more. This is why it’s important to know your limits and to stick to them, as well as to know how badly you want a particular home. Another tip for negotiating is to set your emotions aside, no matter how tricky that could be. The process of buying a home, which includes negotiating, is a professional business transaction, so there is no room for personal sentiments. If the price that the seller demands is too high relative to the comparable value of the property, then you need to know when to walk out of the deal, regardless of how painful it might be. In Chapter 12, we will talk more about this scenario, which you need to be prepared to do in some cases. And this requires a detachment of emotions.
Step 11: Begin the Closing Process
After the negotiating is over, and after an offer has been made and accepted, comes the closing process. We will break this down into two steps, starting with beginning the closing process. First, what is the closing process? Essentially, it involves everything that’s needed to make the home sale and home purchase complete, legal, and finalized. It’s also referred to as settlement or escrow, and is highly automated and computerized. Although nearly pro forma (“done as a matter of form” or “standard”), the closing process is meant to bring all the parties involved to the same platform. Before the process of closing can begin, the buyer must inspect the property personally. Why? You have to check to make sure that absolutely nothing has changed regarding the property’s condition following the signing of the contract (purchase agreement). If something has changed, then you must notify your agent and go back to the drawing board.
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