Clean Contracts

“Clean” is a term that is often used to describe an offer on a house. A “clean” offer does not refer to the price of the house, but to the terms of the agreement. If you really want a particular house, the “cleaner” you can make your offer, the better.

What are the characteristics of a clean contract? A contract is considered “clean” when the buyers are paying cash or are clearly qualified for a mortgage, the sale isn’t contingent on the sale of another home, the buyers don’t ask the sellers to carry any of the financing, and if the closing date coincides with the sellers’ needs. A clean contract doesn’t have any unusual requests for repairs or insistence that certain articles convey that would not ordinarily stay in the house. A clean offer has an important competitive edge if you are offering less than full price or if you are in a situation where there is more than one offer on the property.