Why 15% of Home Sales Are Collapsing & How to Protect Yours

Here's a statistic that should stop every home seller in their tracks: 15% of home sales recently fell apart right before closing.

Think about that for a moment. Imagine you've accepted an offer, you've been through weeks of the transaction process, you've mentally moved on, maybe you've even started packing... and then boom - the deal dies.

You're back to square one. All that time wasted. All that emotional energy spent. And now you have to relist your home with a stigma attached to it.

The #1 Reason Deals Fall Apart: Inspections

The number one culprit for these failed transactions? Home inspections.

Here's what's happening: With home prices still elevated and mortgage rates stretching buyers' budgets to the max, buyers simply cannot and will not absorb surprise repair costs. When an inspection reveals unexpected issues, buyers either walk away entirely or demand significant concessions that kill the deal.

In today's market, buyers are financially tapped out. They've stretched their down payment, they're qualifying at higher interest rates, and they have zero cushion for surprise $10,000, $15,000, or $20,000 repair bills.

The Game-Changing Solution: Pre-Listing Inspections

This is where a pre-listing inspection becomes an absolute game-changer for sellers.

Here's how it works and why it matters:

1. Fix Issues Upfront Get your own inspection BEFORE listing. Discover problems on your timeline, not when you're under contract and at your weakest negotiating position. Fix what needs fixing when you control the timeline and contractor selection.

2. Avoid Last-Minute Renegotiations When buyers' inspections reveal major issues, you're negotiating from weakness. They know you're committed to selling. You've already accepted their offer. Now they have leverage. Pre-listing inspections eliminate this dynamic entirely.

3. Build Trust Providing inspection reports upfront shows transparency and confidence in your property. Buyers feel more secure making offers because they already know what they're getting. This trust accelerates decisions and strengthens offers.

4. Sell Faster Homes with pre-listing inspections typically spend less time on market because buyers have fewer concerns and move faster through their due diligence.

5. Get More Money When buyers aren't worried about hidden problems, they're willing to pay more. You've eliminated their biggest fear - the unknown.

The Real Cost of Skipping This Step

If you skip the pre-listing inspection and your deal falls apart at inspection:

You lose weeks or months of market time
Your listing gets stale
Buyers wonder what's wrong with your home
You end up fixing the problems anyway, but now under pressure
You likely accept a lower price after the failed transaction
The Smart Play

In today's market where every advantage matters, a pre-listing inspection isn't optional - it's strategic.

Don't risk losing thousands of dollars or watching your deal collapse right before closing. Get ahead of problems before they become deal-killers.

Want to know exactly how to implement this strategy for your home sale?

DM me the word "INSPECTION" and I'll show you the complete process to protect your sale and stay ahead of the competition.

I'm Steve Hise, and I'm your Realtor - here to help you sell smarter, not harder.

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