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Gazumped on a Repossession

Hi

We recently put an offer on a Repossessed House, which was accepted. We are fisrt time buyers and have a good sized deposit and have taken out a mortgage.

We are now at the stage where the mortgage had been finalised and the valuation by the lender done. It was posted to our solicitor today. However, the Estate agent has advised that an offer has just been made for £1000 more than our offer. The new offer has been made through a different EA to us as the vendor used multiple EA's.

So the contracts should be exchanged next week some time and now this has happened. Any advice on what to expect over the next few days, should we be worried?


Any help please.
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Comments

  • from what ive been told, someone can come in and offer more up until the time you sign, and unless you can beat that offer then they will have the house. A pain in the back side i know but the bank only cares about how much money it has back
  • You should be worried, yes. With a repossession, the seller has a duty to get the highest price possible under all the circumstances, and it's usual for the place to be marketed until exchange.
    ...much enquiry having been made concerning a gentleman, who had quitted a company where Johnson was, and no information being obtained; at last Johnson observed, that 'he did not care to speak ill of any man behind his back, but he believed the gentleman was an attorney'.
  • Person_one
    Person_one Posts: 28,884 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    sp_123 wrote: »
    from what ive been told, someone can come in and offer more up until the time you sign, and unless you can beat that offer then they will have the house. A pain in the back side i know but the bank only cares about how much money it has back


    Not necessarily. If the offer is only £1000 higher, the sellers might decide that it is in the best interests of everybody to continue with your safe sale rather than take a gamble on a buyer who may not get a mortgage or might not be as serious.

    They have to get the 'best price' but they're allowed to make a judgement on how. Just keep emphasising that you are ready to exchange very soon.

    A bird in the hand etc...
  • With our case we bought a repo and because we had sold and exchanged and was going to go into parents house this made more sense to the bank than to wait for another person to exchange. These people offered £5000 more because it was advertised in our local paper and the world and his wife went to look at the house. But has luck would have it they hadn't exchanged although they had sold the house verbally.
  • G_M
    G_M Posts: 51,977 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    The only advice is to Exchange contracts as quickly as possible. Until you do you have no guarantee.

    And if the bank/vendor telss you they are accepting the higher offer, you need to make a snap decision whether to match it or walk away. If you are prepared to match it, get your solicitor to contact the vendors saying a) you will match the offer and pay £xK and b) you will Exchange contracts on Tueasday (or whatever). Speed matters.
  • geoffky
    geoffky Posts: 6,835 Forumite
    do not offer more yet...just try and tell them you are set and ready to exchange as soon as possible....good luck...they do not always go with the highest bidder...
    It is nice to see the value of your house going up'' Why ?
    Unless you are planning to sell up and not live anywhere, I can;t see the advantage.
    If you are planning to upsize the new house will cost more.
    If you are planning to downsize your new house will cost more than it should
    If you are trying to buy your first house its almost impossible.
  • nollag2006
    nollag2006 Posts: 2,638 Forumite
    Bad karma to offer below the asking price of a repo. Just think of how you are feasting on some distressed vendor's misery. I would never low ball on a repo, as to me it is really just profiting at some one else's misery. Glad to hear that some one else has outbid you
  • Some reassuring messages guys thanks for the advice. And nollag2006, we offered the asking price. I dont think the bank that repossessed it are feeling any misery over a small terraced house.
  • nollag2006
    nollag2006 Posts: 2,638 Forumite
    I am sure the bank don't feel any emotion towards you either. However, they do have an obligation to get the best price possible for the distressed vendor, and in this instance they are doing just that. I feel not a jot of sympathy for you. If you feel the property is worth more than your original bid, then you know what to do.

    Otherwise, move on and try to find another bankrupt family whose misery you can gloat over...
  • Person_one
    Person_one Posts: 28,884 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    nollag2006 wrote: »
    Bad karma to offer below the asking price of a repo. Just think of how you are feasting on some distressed vendor's misery. I would never low ball on a repo, as to me it is really just profiting at some one else's misery. Glad to hear that some one else has outbid you


    Overly harsh I think.

    The OP didn't cause prices to crash, neither did they evict the previous owners.
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