Bids by e-mail

Just checking - has anyone every put a bid/heard of anyone putting a bid by e-mail??? I've never come across it before.

Have been told by an EA that we've been overbid by €1,000 by e-mail when we were looking to perhaps go sale agreed today. It sounds dodgy, but I really really don't want to take a chance on it.

FYI, I've already:

Called back and said that we're prepared to go Sale Agreed today at our previous bid
Mentioned that I would always contact by telephone
Asked her to keep us informed
Mentioned that I am keeping my appointment (with this EA) to see another house tonight

HELP!!!!

Hi Sun Sparks,

Difficult situation you are in but I don't really see the issue about email. If the agent is telling the truth (and I am sure they are ) then the fact that the offer is via mail just means that your competitor has put it in writing which is at least as genuine as making a quick call.

If I was you and I really wanted the house i would ask the agent if the intend concluding the sale today and if they said yes I would offer an extra 1k. The important thing is that you have a price which a) you believe the house is worth and b) more importantly that you can afford and be happy to bid to that level.

Roy

short answer is no.
But the media uses for bidding (email, phone, courrier, smoke, post, drums) is irrelevant. The EA is simply trying to confuse you and should have simply said "you have been outbid by €1000".
Is it still the same EA has the one you dealt with last week when yo put of offer €12k or so above asking price? still same house?

Umm bacchus - yes it is.

They 'advised' on Monday that the vendor is really looking for €350,000. (We had bid €347,500 but had always had a higher max in our head.)

She said that they would consider closing at €350,000. So, with shame at being led along, we said we'd go for €350,000.

Now after two days of waiting for the sellers (brother and sister) to communicate, they were supposed to be letting us know today. And now, first thing this morning, the EA says she got this e-mail.

I don't know what to do. And I think I p*ssed of the EA something rotten by questioning the bid!!!!



So fed up with this...

One thing, never mind about p*ssing off an EA, your only interest is in getting the house you want. I dont really have any experience in bidding like this so I couldnt advise you on what to do but forget about the EA and his\her feelings, they are not concerned about you, just your money

So I suppose just decide on your budget and if you want the house at the extra 1000 then go for it. I know you have to draw the line somewhere but an extra 1000 or so over the term of a mortgage isnt that much if you like the place and want to live there.

Hope it works out for you! Stick in there!

Sounds like you've got a greedy seller. I wouldn't trust them not to take your offer and keep marketing.

Let's step back a bit

Last week = house for sale at somethign like €335
Last week = you put bid for €347k valid until Thursday
Last week = seller said they prefer to leave house for longer on the market and rejected your offer. You walked away, and rightly so..
Last Week = EA says open day on Saturday for visiting house
Today = there are coming back on their decision of last week and are considering your bid again.
The mistake you made (if i may) is to offer €350k now while you said last week €347.5k no more.... so EA is testing you to grab few extra 1000s and he/she knows now yo can go higher

The statements/events/timeframes may me really believe you are the only party bidding on this house..

Call EA and say: my bid is €347.5k as last week. No more...

As an other poster said last week on Thursday "do not be surprise if EA contact you again" after you had withdrawn your bid. And what's happening this week: you are still in the race, and it looks like a single horse race...

Note: easy to write all this things on AAM... at the end of the day not much difference between €347.5 anbd say €352 if it is really the house you want to live in.

What is the max you are prepared to go? I know it's hard but getting drawn into upping bids by a grand here and there until the end of the day could easily see the price up by 10,000. Similar thing happened to me, we had been bidding for a while- taking ages, suddenly the EA says they are wrapping it up by close that day. Next thing we know we're past our limit by about 9,000. Thank god we pulled out when we did- didn't get the house but I'm glad looking back. I know you can say sure whats another 1,000 but you have to stop somewhere!
Good luck though, i know exactly how you're feeling!

No you're all right. But it is easier to write or talk about the theory than do it!!

Our max is €355.

I'd actually probably feel better right now if it went above our budget than this messing around.

Ok - I was talking to another lady (really really nice woman) in the estate agents while our EA was on lunch. Just to be cheeky I asked could she confirm the latest bid on the house because I "wanted to check my figures before I spoke to my boyfriend". She came back a minute later and said €351k. So it looks genuine?? Or would they mock up bids on their computer systems too??

Bidding by email seems quite unusual. Another issue is that emails (particularly in Outlook) can be changed without leaving a trace. Are you sure that it isn't an old bid that has been amended to a higher amount??Why would someone bid by mail when the EA probably contacted them by phone. Does not seem logical to me.

sun_sparks said:

Or would they mock up bids on their computer systems too??

Click to expand...

sure they would... the right tools are needed for lies to be "true", and they could be very basics.
Have you never seen a white board on the wall in the EA with 2 columns: property location & price.
The one i have seen was "clean" for the first column and very dirty (i.e. wipe with fingers and rewritten 10 times per day) for the second one...

I DO NOT TRUST THEN....HOW COULD I? THE PROCESSES FOR BUYING/BIDDING ARE SO UNREGULATED..

I would love to see on AAM the "tricks of the trade" explained by ex-EA.

that would be worth seeing alright!!!!

sun_sparks said:

They 'advised' on Monday that the vendor is really looking for €350,000....

Click to expand...

Hi Sun_Sparks, do you mind me asking what you are buying, I remember from previous posts you were thinking about a 3 bed semi in Lucan I think.

Is this what you are going for? I didnt think the 3 bed semis had reached 350 already, does it have any extras like a sun room, decking, converted attic or anything like that?

Hi SteelBlue - in most estates now (bar some cheaper areas that have previously been discussed in other posts), 3 beds are getting €350K upward. Without the extras. With extras, probably €360 for any we've seen.

For instance (based on my experience alone):
Guide - Actual
€317,500 - €330+ (I have seen some go to €350 from this level)
€330/€335 - €350
€340 - €360+

Anything else, God only knows...

Hi SunSparks,

I really don't mean to cause you any offence but it really does sound to me like the EA is taking you for a sucker. They know they can turn back round to your 350k if they dont get more, and sure you will probably stump up a few more Gs anyways.

I wouldnt take the fact the lady in the office supposedly verified the bid (especially if she did this while on the phone - EA might have actually been in the room) as any form of real verification of its authenticity.

If this is a 3 bed in Lucan then there are plenty of alternatives. You need to get this into your head and let it guide your attitude with the EA. Until you get the keys it is a lump of bricks and mortar so forget the emotional attachment. This will come across to the EA and they will be less likely to play risky games to get more cash out of you.

Again, no offence, but it doesn't sound like you are being very effective in your dealings with the EA and therefore you should consider getting someone to act on your behalf. Either ring up and revoke all interest and then get your replacement to pretend to be a new bidder, or else get your replacement (boyfriend?) to ring up and say "This is Sun Sparks boyfriend. We have found another house we are interested in and will be bidding on it tomorrow. Our final offer of 350k stands until 4pm tomorrow. If I do not hear from you by then I will assume this has not been accepted and you will not hear from me again. Thanks".

Either some bizarre story involving the other bidders disappearing will be produced, or they will say fair enough and go with another bidder. You will walk away with more experienced which will harden you for the next dealings with an EA. There are plenty more 3 beds in Lucan, is there anything which makes this preferable or cheaper to the others?

I mean no offence but really think you need to toughen up and be prepared to let this one slip & I really feel it will help you in the long run as EA will either accept your current bid, or future EAs will realise you cannot be messed with and this will be of benefit somewhere along the line.

Good luck