The West Michigan real estate market has been relatively competitive for the better part of a decade. Many homes have multiple offers and maybe under contract within days of a public listing.
Buyers often feel the need to bid competitively on houses or limit the contingencies they include in offers to stand out from others. They may also consider writing a love letter to the seller. The letter may include information about their feelings about the property and why they might be the right buyer to select. Can those letters make a difference?
Love letters may violate housing laws
People who have owned and lived at a property for years may feel very protective about not just the home itself but also the community in which they live. They may worry about how selling their property might affect the home and their neighbors.
As such, sending a love letter talking about the best qualities of the home and describing the desire to raise a family there could certainly create an emotional connection that makes a seller consider certain buyers more strongly. However, federal fair housing laws prohibit the consideration of family status and other protected characteristics when making decisions about housing.
Therefore, letters that talk about raising children or other personal characteristics, such as cultural practices, could unintentionally lead to credible claims of housing law violation. Sellers and their real estate agents are potentially vulnerable to claims of discrimination in cases where a love letter plays a factor in the decision about who buys the property.
Buyers and sellers who have appropriate legal representation are less likely to make mistakes that could lead to legal complications later. A real estate attorney can help facilitate a smoother process during what may be the largest transaction of a person’s life. While love letters do help in some cases, their usage may be riskier than people initially realize.