Buying Land

When Negotiating Land Price, Keep the Deal Moving

When Negotiating Land Price, Keep the Deal Moving

The land market is vibrant right now, and multiple offer situations and bidding wars are becoming much more common. Buyers have to be ready to move fast. I have represented several land owners whose properties had been on the market for months with little to no activity, and out of nowhere, multiple buyers are interested at the same time. It is a positive trend that I hope continues for the foreseeable future.

When you are in a hot land market with a good property, it is in your best interest to keep negotiations moving forward. Here are a few tips you can follow to help make a deal or move on to the next prospect more quickly. These tips are not legal advice and you should always consult your attorney for advice on your particular situation.

  1. Be sure to put offers in writing. Once you find land for sale that you want to buy, the next step is to write an offer. Making an offer by phone or text is convenient, but oftentimes this method can result in misunderstandings or miscommunication. Have your agent prepare your offer on paper, or draft a Letter of Intent (LOI) that outlines the terms of what you want to offer. Putting your offer in writing is the best way to not be misunderstood.
  2. Don’t make open-ended offers. Putting a shot clock on your offer or counter-offer is one way to keep the negotiation moving along effectively. This is the amount of time the seller has to consider your offer before it expires. Generally, 24-72 hours is a sufficient amount of time to allow for a response to an offer or counter-offer. When written into a contract, this clause will typically read like: “Buyer requests a response to this offer from the Seller by Friday, October 1, 2021 at 5:00 pm EST. This offer will expire at such time.” This wording makes it very clear how long this offer is good for, as it is not wise to leave an offer “hanging out there” indefinitely.
  3. Manage from Contract to Close. The most crucial part of the whole real estate transaction is what happens from the time a contract is executed until the parties sit down at the closing table. There are often contingencies such as surveys, percolation tests, home inspections, or loan approval deadlines. A real estate broker earns their money by keeping everything moving forward in the contract period. It is imperative to have close communication between buyer and seller (or their agents), along with lenders and lawyers. Everyone has a role to play, and the agent is the one keeping everyone on task.
  4. Avoid contract extensions. Many obstacles can come up during a land transaction causing the buyer or seller to request a contract extension. Whether or not it should be granted depends on what’s causing the delay. Can the situation be rectified easily or is it something complicated that may never be rectified? It is my opinion that contract extensions should be avoided if at all possible. Although I could give many examples that illustrate the importance of that last sentence, I will simply state that I feel extensions are generally not a good idea.

A “time is of the essence” clause is found in real estate contracts and provides that all parties to the agreement must be ready, willing, and able to close by a specified date and time. It conveys the importance of making and/or responding to an offer in a timely manner. Keeping a land purchase moving on a positive trajectory involves good communication, observing contract deadlines, and everyone doing what they agreed to do. A good land broker will help facilitate the transaction, identify potential pitfalls, and work with lenders and attorneys to remove any impediments to a successful close.

This content may not be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, in part or in whole, without written permission of LANDTHINK. Use of this content without permission is a violation of federal copyright law. The articles, posts, comments, opinions and information provided by LANDTHINK are for informational and research purposes only and DOES NOT substitute or coincide with the advice of an attorney, accountant, real estate broker or any other licensed real estate professional. LANDTHINK strongly advises visitors and readers to seek their own professional guidance and advice related to buying, investing in or selling real estate.

About the author

Jonathan Goode

Jonathan is passionate about helping people buy and sell land. He is an associate broker with Southeastern Land Group, LLC (SELG) and is the Responsible Broker for the company in Mississippi. Jonathan is an Accredited Land Consultant (ALC), working with Southeastern Land Group (AlaLandCo) since 2008, serving Alabama and Mississippi. He is a member of the Alabama and Mississippi chapters of the Realtor’s Land Institute (RLI), and is currently serving as Vice President of the Alabama Chapter. Jonathan specializes in marketing rural properties online, and is a contributor for LANDTHINK.com, writing articles focused on helping people buying and selling rural land.

Add Comment

Click here to post a comment

Pulse Question

If you had to survive off-grid for 2 weeks with a liter of water, what other item would you want to have?

ANSWER

Subscribe to LANDTHINK

Get the latest land articles and news sent to your inbox. Get land smart!

SUBSCRIBE