Using the shotgun approach to house buying

By Joel Persinger
YourRealEstateDude.com

You may not have been aware of it, but September 1st marked the start of the hunting season for dove in California. Each year, hundreds of dads with young boys interested in hunting, take their sons to the range for a little warm up. Then, having had a little practice and a lecture of two on hunting safety, Dads around the state trot their lads off to the countryside to take a crack at what is for many boys their first hunting experience. Doves, like ducks are hunted while they fly. They are a fast, moving target. For all practical purposes, this makes them impossible to hit with anything but a shotgun.

If you have ever watched an old western, you may recall that shotguns at one time, were affectionately called, “scatter guns”. Unlike a rifle which fires a single projectile, shotguns fire a pattern of hundreds of small round balls called shot. The pattern spreads out and gives the hunter a better chance of hitting what he’s shooting at and, therefore, a better chance of having something to cook up for dinner at the end of the day.

It might surprise you to know that this “scatter gun” approach can also work well when buying a home. Just as the bird hunter fires several projectiles at once in an attempt to get dinner, a home buyer can make offers on several houses at once in an attempt to purchase a home.

This past week I was showing property to a client in Vista. She had looked at five or six homes up to that point, but had not found anything that really got her attention. However, she did find a little neighborhood that she felt was perfect for her needs. I rounded up some homes that were for sale there and that afternoon we went looking. Within an hour we found not one, but two homes she really liked. Both were in her price range and she told me she would be happy with either one. Following my advice, she wrote similar offers on both properties at the same time.

It only took one day for the reason I advised taking this approach to become apparent. I was on my way to show the homes in question to my client’s family when I received a call from the agent representing one of the sellers. My client had written low offers on both properties in an attempt to get the best price. This agent spent several minutes with me on the phone detailing her client’s rigidity regarding price and his insistence that the property sell for more. Not long after that call, I received a call from the other agent expressing her client’s feelings of urgency regarding the sale and a willingness to take steps to make the deal work. Had my client made an offer on only one property, she may well have been stuck with a rigid, hard dealing seller and have missed a golden opportunity all together.

If you’re thinking about buying a home, remember that you have the option of writing offers on more than one property at a time. Just like the hunter who improves his odds of getting dinner by firing more than one projectile, you might well improve your odds of negotiating the best price and terms by firing off more than offer. So, call your agent, get out your pen and don’t be afraid to write.