It’s important that you sit down with your agent to prepare your offer.  Real estate laws vary widely from region to region, and it’s essential that you protect your legal interests and account for any specific contractual contingencies that are unique to your area and desired property. Some general considerations include:

Legal and Contractual Obligations

In Kentucky, an offer commits you to legal and contractual obligations as soon as the other party has accepted it. Prior to submitting an offer, ensure you are clear on the legal obligations you are undertaking, should the offer be accepted. 

Valuation

Prior to writing your offer, your Lenihan Sotheby’s International Realty associate can provide you with information on recent area sales, local market information and background on whether there are competitive bids, which will help you determine your initial offer as well as your target price for this specific home.

Offer Details

The details of an offer typically include: your legal name and that of the vendor, the legal civic address of the property, the price you are offering to pay, inclusions (items in or around the home that you think are included in the sale should be specifically stated in your offer, such as appliances, lighting fixtures or window coverings), amount of your deposit, dates you take legal and physical possession of the home, legal “subjects” or “conditions” upon which the contract becomes final (such as satisfactory home inspection report or financing approval), and the date the offer expires. 

Your offer is a legally binding document and should be prepared by a real estate professional.

Professional Inspection

Your REALTOR® can advise you as to whether a professional inspection should be conducted prior to or after submitting your offer. This will depend on the property age and type, and whether competitive bids are anticipated.

Time Frame

Ensure that any time frames indicated in your contract are realistic, particularly if your offer is still subject to securing a mortgage loan, a situation we advise against by ensuring you secure pre-approval in advance. Increases in market activity as well as increased vigilance by lenders may mean that mortgage approval requires more time. Consult your Lenihan Sotheby’s International Realty associate and lender
for more information.