Step 2: Offer to Purchase
You may be wondering what the next step is to buy a property abroad once I have chosen an agent. Well, once you have an agent, the next step is to have a conversation or fill in the questionnaire and communicate all the details possible of your dream home in Mexico. Having chosen it you may place an offer to purchase.
Narrow down your options and choose a property
Share with your agent all the information necessary. Therefore the agent will find all the best property options and send them to you. It is not common that you’re able to choose the property from a long distance and make an offer. It’s always better to go down and visit the neighborhood. You should make sure that’s what you are expecting.
Look at one property and compare it to the next, to the 3rd, to the 4th. It’s good to narrow it down to maybe five properties with your agent from home. When you come to see homes for sale in Mexico, visit those properties, and you will have more information. You will know your feelings about the property, and then you can decide.
When you’re back in your home country and you’ve decided on a house, the next step you would have to do is put in the offer to purchase, and your agent will help you.
What is an Offer to Purchase
An offer to purchase is a written contract setting out the buyer’s terms to buy the home. The formats that our agents at Top Mexico Real Estate manage are much more detailed than most formats in the market.
We like to have a very detailed offer to purchase to ensure it’s efficient and productive. More importantly, an efficient process because the more the seller understands what you’re offering, the more you will avoid surprises two months down the road.
We’d rather put everything down on paper at the beginning. Therefore, the seller will know precisely what you’re offering for the purchase of their house for sale.
Hence, that is the second step, work with your agent to prepare an excellent offer to purchase. The agent knows exactly the questions he needs from you. When reviewing the offer, make sure that all the details are well defined.
What does an Offer to Purchase include?
The offer to purchase must include the price offered, the duration of the offer with a deadline, the proposed payment terms and execution period, the elements that the sale must include, and whether it is subject to any special conditions or contingency.
With this offer to purchase, you secure your purchase. It is legally binding between the buyer and the seller. First, your agent will make a written offer. Usually, there is a deposit of around 20% backing this offer to show the owner that you are a serious buyer.
First Things First
Typically, your real estate agency takes this deposit in escrow. Otherwise, you may choose an escrow agent who will keep it in a special customer account for some time.
It could take a couple of weeks until the signing of the private contract. If the offer is not accepted and the negotiation concludes, the deposit will be returned to you.
What is a contingency?
A contingency is a condition or requirement, and the agreement will only take place if the condition is met.
Some of these conditions are, for instance, that the purchase is subject to repairs needed, the approval of your mortgage application, or the inclusion of some furniture, etc. The seller may decide to accept your offer, give you a counteroffer, or reject it.
Get in touch with one of our representatives at Top Mexico Real Estate to discuss the details of your desired dream home.