CHAPTER 22 The 60-Day Vanishing A anishing Act (and Wh ct (and Why You Shouldn't Fall for It) Let’s play a game. Imagine this: You take your home off the market because a buyer—let’s call him Steve—says he definitely wants it. You sign the contract. Cue the happy dance. But then... Steve pulls a disappearing act. He can’t get a loan. Poof. Sixty days. Gone. Even worse? While you were waiting for Steve to get his financial ducks in a row (which, spoiler alert, never happened), another buyer came along. A serious one. A ready-to-go one. A unicorn. But you were under contract with Steve, so you had to say, “Sorry, we’re taken.” Now that unicorn buyer has bought someone else’s house (and probably their outdated window treatments too), and you’re stuck relisting your place with a slightly panicked headline like: “Back on Market! Through No Fault of Its Own!” Yikes. Here’s How You Avoid the 60-Day Facepalm Step One: Prequalify the Buyer. Like, before you sign anything. Before you start browsing Zillow for your next home. Before you bust out the champagne. Not all pre-approvals are created equal. Some buyers think a quick online quiz means they’re golden. Newsflash: “You might qualify for $1M!” is not the same as “You’re approved.” Luckily, I can help with that. I’ll prequalify your buyer for free . That’s right. Zero dollars. Zero drama. I’ll tell you whether they actually stand a chance of getting a loan—or if their financial situation is more fiction than fact. 85
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