Start With the Right Form
- SCR 310 — Agreement to Buy and Sell Real Estate (standard resale).
- SCR 311 — Vacant Land contract when there's no home on the lot.
- Confirm buyer-brokerage compensation is addressed in the contract (SCR 310).
- Attach the buyer's pre-approval or proof of funds to every offer.
Price and Terms
- Pull comps for the last 90 days within a tight radius before setting price.
- Discuss earnest money — enough to signal commitment without over-exposing the buyer.
- Set a due diligence amount and period appropriate to the price point and market.
- Match closing date to the buyer's financing and life logistics, not a round number.
- Address seller concessions, closing cost help, and rate buy-downs explicitly.
Contingencies
- Inspection / due diligence period — standard in SC is negotiated up front.
- Financing contingency — align dates with the lender's actual timeline.
- Appraisal contingency — decide whether to waive, cap, or leave standard.
- Home sale contingency — use sparingly; it weakens the offer significantly.
Win Without Overpaying
- Write a clean offer: fewer contingencies, realistic timelines, strong earnest money.
- Include a personal cover note from the buyer when appropriate.
- Escalation clauses can help — but only when the listing agent will honor them.
- Communicate the offer verbally to the listing agent when you send it.
Action Items
- Confirm the buyer is fully pre-approved (not just pre-qualified) before writing.
- Pull fresh comps within 24 hours of writing the offer.
- Verify buyer-brokerage compensation language in the contract.
- Discuss earnest money, due diligence, and closing date with the buyer before drafting.
- Attach pre-approval or proof of funds to the offer.
- Confirm inclusions/exclusions (appliances, curtains, mounts) in writing.
- Deliver the offer and call the listing agent to confirm receipt.
- Debrief with the buyer within 1 hour of the seller's response.