You’ve toured the homes, crunched the numbers, maybe even mentally placed your couch in the living room—and now, you’ve found THE ONE. (Cue happy dance ) It’s time to make an offer, and this is where I come in—your Realtor, offer-writing wingperson, and all-around home-buying hype squad.

Let’s break down what goes into an offer so you feel confident, informed, and ready to win that house.

Offer Price

This is your opening move—the number that gets the seller’s attention. We won’t just throw a number at the wall and hope it sticks. We’ll look at comparable sales, how long the home’s been listed, how hot (or chill) the market is, and your comfort zone. Whether we go bold, cautious, or somewhere in between, I’ll help guide you through what makes sense and what feels right.

Earnest Money

Think of this as your “I’m serious” deposit. It’s usually 1–3% of the purchase price and shows the seller you’re committed. It gets held in escrow and later applied to your closing costs or down payment. (And yes—if things go sideways because of a contingency, you can get it back. More on that next!)

Contingencies

Contingencies are your safety nets. We build them into your offer to protect you, just in case. Here are the big ones:

• Inspection contingency: Let's make sure the house isn’t hiding any big secrets in the crawl space.

• Appraisal contingency: If the bank says the house isn’t worth what you offered, we’ll have room to renegotiate.

• Financing contingency: If something unexpected happens with your loan, you’re not stuck.

These keep you covered—and I’ll help you strike the right balance between protecting your interests and staying competitive.

Down Payment

This is your big upfront investment in the home, and it’s totally separate from the earnest money. Depending on your loan type, this could be as low as 3% or as high as 20%+. I’ll help you connect with a rockstar lender to walk you through all the details (and demystify the numbers).

Closing Cost Credits

Sometimes we can ask the seller to pitch in and cover part of your closing costs—like loan fees, title charges, and taxes. It’s not always possible depending on the market, but when it is? YES, we’ll ask.

Home Warranty

A home warranty is like insurance for your appliances and major systems during that first year in your new place. You can purchase one yourself—or we can ask the seller to include it in the deal. If it makes sense, we’ll go for it.

Let’s Make That Offer SHINE

Every home is different, every seller is different—and every buyer’s needs are unique. My job is to listen, guide, advocate, and help you make an offer that stands out without stretching you too far.

This isn’t just a transaction—it’s your future home. I’ll make sure we treat it that way from start to finish.

Ready to put pen to paper and make this dream real? Let’s chat. I’ll bring the coffee—and the contract.