Once a purchase agreement is signed, the transaction enters the due diligence period. This is a critical phase where the buyer conducts their formal inspections and the lender finalizes their approvals.

Navigating Post-Inspection Negotiations

The period following the buyer's home inspection is one of the most common points where a deal can falter. The buyer will typically present a list of requested repairs based on the inspector's report.

• The Viera East Hurdle: In older villages, this often revolves to the "15-Year Roof Rule" or polybutylene piping issues that affect insurability.
• The Viera West Hurdle: Buyers may compare your resale home to a brand-new builder home and demand "perfection."

An agent provides invaluable counsel on how to respond, advising on which requests are reasonable and which are not. The possible responses include:

• Agreeing to complete some or all of the requested repairs.
• Offering a financial credit to the buyer at closing in lieu of making repairs.
• Rejecting unreasonable requests and holding firm on the contract terms.

Note: This is where a pre-listing inspection (as discussed in Chapter 3) provides immense leverage. A seller who is already aware of the home's condition (e.g., knowing the roof has 3 years of life left) is in a much stronger position to negotiate from a place of knowledge and confidence.

Handling a Low Appraisal

If the lender's appraisal comes in below the agreed-upon contract price, it can jeopardize the buyer's financing. In this scenario, an agent will deploy several strategies to save the deal.

They can prepare a formal challenge to the appraisal with supporting data from their CMA, attempt to renegotiate the sale price with the buyer, or explore other solutions to bridge the financial gap.

This expert intervention is often the difference between a deal collapsing and moving forward to a successful closing.