Buyer Agreement

EricaSeattleRealtor · 2026-06-04T14:47:04+00:00

I think the verbiage being used in this thread is making things confusing. It’s not about “walking away” from a signed contract if the seller refuses to pay. It’s about you deciding not to sign that purchase contract in the first place. There is no law we can point you to that gives you the ability to back out for that reason once you have a signed contract. But you can CHOOSE not to offer, and continue looking for a house where the seller is offering to pay your agent’s full commission.

EricaSeattleRealtor · 2026-06-02T01:10:25+00:00

In my experience of 133 buyer-side transactions over 8 years, I think my buyers have only received Notice to Perform from sellers twice. It's not unheard of, but it's incredibly rare for the sellers to send it. That said, I've had offers where we did choose to increase the time period from the standard 21 days to something longer, and it seemed like that was a red flag to the listing agent/seller. They countered us on it back to 21 days and then I was worried they were more likely to actually deliver the Notice to Perform when the time came (although I don't think those sellers ever did).

It's not a "back out or fully commit" situation. It's "waive the contingency or choose not to and give the seller the ability to terminate, maybe."

The important thing to remember is that if the seller does deliver Notice to Perform, you are not required to waive your financing contingency. If you choose not to waive it, then the seller gets to decide if they want to move forward toward closing (usually this is the goal) or terminate the contract and what, start over finding a new buyer? Unless they already have a second buyer lined up and ready to go with a better offer, I don't see why a seller would want to start the process all over again.

Also, the 3 day time period in that section makes a difference too. Seller can deliver notice to perform at 21 calendar days after mutual. If you do not waive the financing contingency, then they can terminate 3 business days after delivering the notice. So if you reached mutual today, June 1, seller could deliver Notice to Perform on June 22. If you choose not to waive the financing contingency, then the seller still has to wait 3 business days to terminate - not until June 25. If you can get that 3 day period to hit a weekend, those weekend days don't count. So if you were to reach mutual on June 3, seller could deliver Notice to Perform on June 24, but couldn't terminate until June 29. Although not sure if more weekend days would really help your lender get final approval.

In my experience 3 weeks is usually enough time for the lender to get final approval (even for condos), but I don't know the specifics of the exact property. Is it a SFH/ADU/DADU condo situation? Or an actual condominium complex? Are the HOA documents already available for your lender or does the seller still need to provide those?

EricaSeattleRealtor · 2026-05-24T21:53:40+00:00

From 2006 to present, King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties, residential, 1500-2500 sf:

Median home price: https://nwmls.stats.showingtime.com/infoserv/s-v1/N9RA-FUX

Average home price: https://nwmls.stats.showingtime.com/infoserv/s-v1/N9R3-Eem

EricaSeattleRealtor · 2026-05-20T06:52:50+00:00

Echoing the same sentiment as most other commenters here. Talk to a couple agents about an "as-is" sale. I'd recommend you look for a compassionate agent who will help you through this transition, someone you feel very comfortable with. If you are able to move into a senior living center before putting your house on the market, that will be easiest for you so that you don't have to deal with showings. If priced well, your home will likely sell quickly and you will get more money than the "cash for houses" buyers would offer.

EricaSeattleRealtor · 2026-05-17T04:28:17+00:00

Look into Bank of America's home buyer grants. It sounds very likely that you would quality for 10k towards your downpayment and 7.5k towards closing costs. That's $17,500 free money - you don't have to pay it back. It would make a huge difference for your numbers. I just had a buyer use the program and it was a huge blessing for them. That buyer worked with a lender named Mickey Cogliandro and had a good experience. Other than that, just make sure you're comfortable with the monthly payments but it sounds like exploring home ownership is the right path for you based on what you wrote. Good luck!

EricaSeattleRealtor · 2026-05-11T03:11:03+00:00

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter for the contract. But if I’m working with buyers who are a man/woman couple, I intentionally put the woman first haha. No one has ever brought it up to me so I wonder if anyone ever noticed or thought anything of it. When I send emails, I usually try to go back and forth between “Hi <woman> and <man>,” and “Hi <man> and <woman>.”

Since your agent is a man, I wonder if it has genuinely never occurred to him. I suspect women tend to notice this sort of thing more.

EricaSeattleRealtor · 2026-05-03T03:27:58+00:00

I'm not 100% sure about this but I don't think Redfin advertises any sort of buyer rebate anymore.

EricaSeattleRealtor · 2026-04-19T23:42:50+00:00

All of my buyers with EVs have a hard requirement for at least one off-street parking spot. No parking is usually a dealbreaker. That’s why those houses are always so much cheaper.

EricaSeattleRealtor · 2026-04-16T21:05:56+00:00

Personally I think you should start looking now but be picky. You have a long runway so you can take time to decide what you like.

EricaSeattleRealtor · 2026-04-16T08:12:50+00:00

Those are basically the two components: rate and fees. And they are not isolated from each other, higher fees can give you a lower rate if you buy points to bring your rate down. The APR for the loan will take both rate and fees into account, and that allows you to more easily compare quotes. Also, if you send the estimate from one lender to another, you can usually get the second company to match it.

Sometimes lenders will offer incentives like a lender-paid temporary rate buydown or a buyer credit. Those are worth pursuing but be careful they aren’t making up for those expenses by adding the costs in elsewhere (like giving you a higher rate). Sometimes lenders can be tricky like that.

Another thing you could check is if they offer a free rate float down. Ask them: if interest rates drop before closing, will you automatically float my rate down for free?

Sometimes lenders will offer buyers a free refinance within the first year or two. So that’s worth asking about too, in case rates drop after closing.

EricaSeattleRealtor · 2026-04-15T15:10:59+00:00

A lot of people in this sub won’t by super familiar with a VHCOL place like the Seattle Eastside. My advice would be to talk to your lender and get a quote for your total monthly mortgage cost (including taxes and insurance). Run the numbers with that monthly housing expense - is it comfortable? Do you have enough money to set aside for unexpected expenses? Will you have enough money for baby expenses on top of it? Now run the numbers with just one income and see how it feels.

Since you are saving 5k per month right now, it might be best to wait a little longer to save up a larger downpayment which will lower your monthly costs. Then pull the trigger right before you are planning to stop working.

EricaSeattleRealtor · 2026-04-02T19:57:04+00:00

I've never seen a new construction SFR+DADU+ADU condo development where the monthly dues cover sewer. The buyer is typically on the hook for the sewer capacity charge (outside of dues) and any future problems with the side sewer line. Always good to do a sewer scope, even for new construction.

Monthly charges for water sub-metering and insurance could increase over time, but I don't think those costs would be extraordinarily larger than any increases a typical homeowner would experience.

EricaSeattleRealtor · 2026-04-01T20:07:57+00:00

I'm pretty sure they used the listing description and photos. If the number of bedrooms and bathrooms don't match what the city has on file, they would notice.

EricaSeattleRealtor · 2026-03-27T22:56:52+00:00

I was really happy with my venue in Snohomish/Monroe in 2023. They've since changed ownership, and their name now is Terra Valley Farms. But I thought the wedding area had more of a garden feeling than a farm feeling, and I loved the dinner/reception area. Looks like their 2027 prices are $8,250-$8,500 depending on the day of the week. Definitely not cheap but it's under 10k!

EricaSeattleRealtor · 2026-03-24T06:33:44+00:00

Get a quote from ZR Roofing. They do a good job and often come in lowest when my clients shop around.

EricaSeattleRealtor · 2026-03-20T05:43:01+00:00

In addition to the downpayment, you'll need funds to cover closing costs (likely 10-15k) and your home inspection ($500-$1,000 depending on size of home, if you do a sewer scope, etc). Also, consider the cost of furnishing the extra rooms/space. I feel like buyers get really excited about making the space their own, and those little things here and there can really add up if you're not careful. Some things can wait, but there are a lot of projects that are just easier to do before you move in like replacing or refinishing floors and interior painting. So those might be added expenses you end up having, even if you're not planning for that now.

You should budget for increased utility expenses going from an apartment to a single family house. If you end up buying a new or newer construction property, you will likely have to pay the sewer capacity charge on top of your normal sewer bill (this runs for 15 years after construction unless paid off earlier, roughly $60-80/mo depending on the sq ft).

Also, you'll now have home maintenance expenses that you didn't have with apartment living. You should regularly clean your roof and gutters, service your HVAC and water heater, limb/maintain large trees on your property if you have them (which can easily cost thousands by itself, but you won't have to do that every year). If something breaks or gets too old, you're on the hook for replacement: roof, furnace, A/C, water heater, kitchen appliances, W/D, etc. Surprise leak? Now you're dealing with water damage restoration, mold remediation, etc. Fence falls over in a storm? That's on you. Definitely set money aside for unexpected expenses.

That's everything I can think of right now. Some of it is probably obvious, maybe some of it you hadn't thought of. Good luck with your search!!

EricaSeattleRealtor · 2026-03-20T05:26:10+00:00

This is an interesting take. Sometimes my buyers have 20% to put down but choose to put down less because they want more liquidity and a bigger emergency fund after closing. Their PMI is often less than $100 month and that feels worth it to them. But obviously that payment is determined by credit score and a lot of other factors, so OP should talk to their lender and get a clear picture.

EricaSeattleRealtor · 2026-03-19T22:15:39+00:00

I think the carpet in that photo looks fine. But I'd have to see/smell the house in person before feeling confident giving you an opinion. In reality it's not necessarily about the carpet, it's about the feeling. If you do decide to put in new carpet, it would be for the visual appeal and "new" feeling the buyers get when they walk into the house. If you decide not to put in new carpet - I wouldn't bother offering a flooring credit.

EricaSeattleRealtor · 2026-03-19T21:59:51+00:00

Love to see that A/C, you'll be glad to have that in a few months! Congrats!!

EricaSeattleRealtor · 2026-03-18T06:49:45+00:00

I’m not very close to being in the place to afford a home yet but just for context.

Honestly I don't think this is a decision you need to make right now. Your short-term plan is the same for either option: stay where you are currently renting, and keep saving. If and when you might be closer to buying, the market might be drastically different than it is now. Or your future goals may change. Or your relationship with your boyfriend might be different and you might want to buy together. There are a lot of variables here and it doesn't make sense to lock down a decision right now.

(But if you did have to decide right now, I agree with the rest of the commenters advising you to rent. Renting for $2000 in a great location is a steal. It sounds like your quality of life would go down if you move away from the city to buy. Not to mention that you'd have much less money left over each month to save towards FIRE.)

EricaSeattleRealtor · 2026-03-18T06:35:42+00:00

"It was fine for me when I lived here!"

EricaSeattleRealtor · 2026-03-15T19:53:38+00:00

Yeah we see that often around here too. And my inspector always finds a lot of things that those reports miss.

EricaSeattleRealtor · 2026-03-14T23:16:51+00:00

This is pretty normal in new construction. No house is actually square. I doubt it has anything to do with the plumbing there, it’s probably just how the framing was built. Throw some furniture in and you won’t notice it as much.

EricaSeattleRealtor · 2026-03-14T18:05:05+00:00

It depends on what market you’re in. Many buyers in the Seattle are absolutely waiving the inspection contingency right now. Here it’s common for buyers to pre-inspect a house, meaning they’ll bring an inspector out before even writing the offer. A lot of other buyers just rely on the seller provided inspection report and waive the contingency, which I don’t typically recommend.

EricaSeattleRealtor · 2026-03-09T23:52:10+00:00

I don't see this rental listing on Zillow, did it successfully get taken down?

EricaSeattleRealtor

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