Info Needed to Make an Offer
What Information Do You Need to Make an Offer on a House?
Found a home you love and ready to make an offer? Your Castle Gate Realty agent will prepare the Agreement of Sale and guide you through each decision.
Ready to make an offer? Complete our fillable Offer Information Form and email it to your Castle Gate Realty agent.
CLICK HERE FOR FILLABLE OFFER INFORMATION FORM
You do not need to have all the answers before contacting us. We will help you work through them.
What information does my Realtor need to write an offer?
We will need the correct legal names of the buyers, your current address, the amount you would like to offer, your proposed deposit amount, your desired settlement date, financing information, inspection choices, and any items you want specifically included with the property.
How do I decide how much to offer on a house?
Your Castle Gate Realty agent will prepare a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) and advise you on the property's current market value before you decide how much to offer.
We will review recent comparable sales, current competition, how long the property has been on the market, current market conditions, and other factors that may affect the property's value and your offer strategy.
The asking price and the property's current market value are not necessarily the same thing.
How much deposit money do I need when making an offer?
Your offer will specify the amount of deposit money, sometimes called earnest money, you will provide after your offer is accepted.
There is no one amount that is right for every transaction. Your Castle Gate Realty agent will help you determine an appropriate deposit based on the purchase price, property, market conditions, and your offer strategy.
How long should I give a seller to respond to my offer?
Your offer will include a date and time by which the seller must respond.
In our current market, 5–7 days is not unusual, particularly when sellers want to allow time for showings, receive multiple offers, or establish a highest and best deadline.
In a slower buyer's market, 2–3 days may be more appropriate.
Your Castle Gate Realty agent will help you determine the best strategy for the particular property.
What closing date should I put in my offer?
The appropriate settlement date depends on whether you are paying cash or financing the purchase, your lender's requirements, and the circumstances of the transaction.
For financed purchases, approximately 45–60 days has traditionally been common.
However, new appraisal standards take effect November 1, 2026, and may initially cause appraisal and mortgage processing delays. Because of this change, buyers financing a home should be prepared for approximately 60–75 days to settlement from mid-October 2026 through approximately May 2027.
Your Castle Gate Realty agent will help you choose a realistic settlement date, and we can coordinate with your lender when a faster closing is important.
Cash purchases can often close much sooner.
Which home inspections can I include in my offer?
Depending on the property, your offer may include contingencies for:
- Home/environmental inspection
- Wood-destroying insects
- Water testing
- Septic inspection
- Radon
- Lead-based paint
- Deeds, restrictions and zoning
- Property boundaries
- Other property-specific inspections
Buyers may choose some, all, or none of the available inspections.
This is an important part of your offer strategy. Your inspection choices can affect both your rights under the Agreement of Sale and the probability of your offer being accepted, particularly in a multiple-offer situation.
Your Castle Gate Realty agent will explain your options so you can make an informed decision about which inspections and contingencies are appropriate for you.
Buyers generally pay for their inspections at the time the inspections are performed.
What mortgage information is needed to make an offer?
If your purchase is contingent upon financing, we will need information about your proposed mortgage, including:
- Loan amount
- Type of financing, such as Conventional, FHA, VA or USDA
- Lender or mortgage company
- Length of the loan
- Acceptable interest rate terms
- Points or other applicable financing terms
Your lender and Castle Gate Realty agent can help you determine the appropriate information to include in the Agreement of Sale.
Do I need to be preapproved before making an offer?
If you are financing your purchase, you should generally have your financing in place before submitting an offer. Sellers commonly want evidence that a buyer has spoken with a lender and is financially qualified to purchase the property.
Need a lender? Visit our Trusted Pros page for professionals who can help you get prequalified.
Are appliances automatically included when I buy a house?
Not necessarily. If there are appliances, fixtures, equipment, furniture, or other items you want included with the property, tell your agent before the offer is prepared.
We will make sure the Agreement of Sale clearly addresses the items that are important to you.
What happens after I give my agent the information for my offer?
Your Castle Gate Realty agent will prepare the Agreement of Sale and send it to you for review.
Before you sign, we will review the offer with you, explain the terms, answer your questions, and make sure you understand what you are agreeing to.
Once you sign the offer, your agent can submit it to the seller's agent for consideration.
What if I don't know all the answers yet?
Call us anyway.
You may only buy a handful of homes during your lifetime. We do this every day. You are not expected to know every decision that needs to be made before writing an offer.
That is our job.
Ready to Make an Offer?
Use our fillable form to provide the information your Castle Gate Realty agent needs to begin preparing your offer.
Castle Gate Realty
Serving home buyers throughout Carbon County and surrounding areas of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Honor. Strength. Proven Results.