Smith in Cary saw that Oregon is no longer allowing buyers to write a personal letter to the sellers. Will that rule spread to other parts of the country? Angie says it is becoming more common to not do a letter due to fair housing rules. Someone cannot choose an offer based on certain fair housing protected classes. This is a shift from not too long ago when it was a more typical part of the process.  

You cannot share anything about yourself as the buyer. If you write a letter, all you can really write is what you like and appreciate about the home you’re hoping to buy. 

Johnny in Chapel Hill sees a lot of houses that say “sale pending” but isn’t sure what that means. Can he still look at them or is there no chance at that point? If there is a pending status in MLS then that means no more showings. Angie says she wouldn’t waste time with pending and contingent sales unless the listing agent says they don’t think the offer will stick. Right now, people are putting so much down in due diligence that they are typically going to the closing table. 

Listen to the entire episode or skip ahead using the timestamps below. 

0:38 - Mailbag: Can you write a personal letter to the seller? 

6:34 - What can you put in a letter? 

7:23 - Mailbag: Can I still see houses that are listed as pending? 

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