George and I have been buying and selling houses for over twenty years and we have gotten a ton of questions in that time.  One of the recurring ones is “how can I be sure about the person(s) offering to buy my house?”

The best answer I have for you is to ask your own questions. Very often when dealing with someone, we want to talk a lot, in this case I would say to follow the example of a couple of my favorite “questioners”…..Patrick Jane on the Mentalist and Jethro Gibbs on NCIS.  They ask their question and then LISTEN…sometimes that is tough because no one likes silence.

For example….How long have you been doing this?  If your prospective buyer is a “newbie” he might tell you that he and his partner have been in the business for a gazillion years.  Let him continue to talk, if he seems to finish, just be quiet for a moment to see if he offers any more information. Your follow up question might be along the lines of “partner? I thought you wanted to buy my house.”  Again, just listen.  If you fluster someone you have a good clue that he is new.  Many times New want-to-be real estate investors partner with a seminar leader and are following a script. The more you know about this process, the more it can help you pick the best fit for your house sale.

Ask what he is willing to pay for your house and how long it will take to close. If he gives you what you consider a fair offer ask to see the contract and suggest having your attorney look it over.  Sometimes you will not get an immediate offer, he might have to discuss it with his partner and possibly come back to you with “I’m sorry, we can’t pay that much, but can pay X amount.

Depending on how much you want to sell, or how long the house has been on the market you may decide to go forward.  My upcoming blog will give you more tips if you have a contract.  Until then, Keep listening.