Cash Offer. Means C A S H...

There has been a large number of cash offers being made over the last few years. I have definitely felt an uptick in my business and other Realtors® have expressed a similar vibe as well. But buyers making cash offers need to be very clear about what a CASH offer is. I ask my buyers that want to offer cash on a house, right up front. Do you have the cash on hand right now? That is, is the cash in the bank and accessible immediately. That my friends is the DEFINITION of cash. It is immediately accessible money. Some buyers are planning on drawing an equity line, or taking a loan on another property, or selling another asset. This is not cash until those transactions are complete.

A buyer making a cash offer that does not have the cash already liquid is in jeopardy of default should the source of the "cash" be delayed or for some reason made unavailable. Even more dangerous is the fact that a cash offer made without liquid cash on hand could be litigated by the seller as civil fraud should the deal fall apart. Cash is C A S H, not "I'm taking a line of credit," or "my uncle is lending me the cash." Buyers need to disclose to the seller the source of the cash if it is not already liquid and sitting in the bank. It is fine and well to make an all cash offer predicated on the arrival of cash from another transaction, be it a sale of another property, or loan, or gift, whatever the case is; but when that cash is on the way rather than in the bank, disclose, disclose, disclose.

Buyers in a tight market are often trying to make their offer stand out in front of other offers, but they must be cautious not to put themselves in legal trouble when making a soft cash offer. Buyers that want to play with the "big fish" in the hard cash arena, need to take the loan, sell the asset, or grab the gift, etc. BEFORE making the offer.