{"id":22181,"date":"2018-04-11T13:46:53","date_gmt":"2018-04-11T13:46:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/04\/11\/offer-letters-can-your-personal-story-help-land-your-next-home\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T02:04:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T02:04:16","slug":"offer-letters-can-your-personal-story-help-land-your-next-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/home-hq\/2018\/04\/11\/offer-letters-can-your-personal-story-help-land-your-next-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Offer letters: Can your personal story help land your next home?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do offer letters make a dent in a seller\u2019s decision-making process?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A good chunk of anecdotal evidence points to \u201cyes\u201d: The web is full of stories where a family\u2019s personal narrative swayed a seller<\/a>, or where specific words<\/a> tugged at enough heartstrings to leap past an equal (or better) offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A poll of Military Times Home HQ readers<\/a> showed that 8 percent of readers who\u2019d recently sold a home said an offer letter made a difference in their decision. It\u2019s a low number from a small sample, but it does show that some letters had some influence with some sellers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI believe personal letters from the buyer to the sellers are critical, especially in a seller\u2019s market<\/a>,\u201d said Travis Winfield, a retired Navy command senior chief who now runs The Winfield Group<\/a> real estate team in San Diego. \u201cSellers want to know that their home is going to be taken care of. It provides that emotional connection that can be the difference of getting your offer accepted or not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A buyer\u2019s market makes the letter a less-critical part of the package; buyers are less likely to be in a bidding war, and sellers are more likely to be concerned with the financial strength of the offer than with picking a good match from a number of competitive, financially sound bids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe best way to approach an offer is a very strong offer and a very strong approval letter from the mortgage lender,\u201d said Juanita Charles<\/a>, an Army veteran and Realtor in the area near Kentucky\u2019s Fort Campbell. However, Charles said when a bidding war<\/a> is likely, she recommends her clients submit a letter and family photos along with their offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\t