Everything is negotiable, except the appraised value of the house. One of the things you have to realize about a seller's concession is that the house has to appraise for the higher value, and the appraiser knows that there is a seller's concessin because it is written into the contract. The seller will look at how much they are gettng in their pocket after paying your closing costs, and realtor commissions, and other costs. They will choose to either accept your offer with paying your closing costs, or not.
In NY, closng costs are higher than they are anywhere else, especially in the boros where mortgage tax is higher. It is more likely that you will not be able to get the property to appraise for enough to cover all your closing costs, whch are most likely to be more than 3%. dependng on your down payment, if you are buying an under-valued house, you could get up to a 6% seller's concession.

It's totally OK! Generally when buying a house, it is something that is negotiated between seller and buyer, usually via the Realtors involved. But when buying a foreclosure or a short sale property, the bank (seller's) comes in and determines how much they will gift you (the buyer) for closing costs, almost always they approve no more than 3% of the purchase price to be gifted to the buyer's closing costs. This is generally how it goes!
It always helps to speak to the Realtor you're dealing with, attorney and/or mortgage banker. Helps to go through these details with the Real Estate professionals you're working with.

Should you need a mortgage banker, I'm always availabe!

Javier Meneses
Sterling National Bank
jmeneses@snb.com
631-659-2011

Everything is negotiable! (at least in the real estate business) Consult with your buyer's agent broker about presenting your offer to the listing agent and if acceptable to the seller (in writing), have your attorney iron out the details with the seller's attorney at contract.
Jolie Muss
Licensed Real Estate Broker & Brokerage
"The Upper West Side's Buyer Broker"
Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 10023
Office: 212 721-3301 Email: joliemuss@joliemuss.com
Website: http://joliemuss.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jojomuss

Yes, you can ask but you may not get! It depends on the flexibility of the seller.

Yes you can ask for closing costs, however keep in mind that the property needs to appraise at the higher number; be aware that a mortgage pre-approval letter is required in order to determine your price range and for any offers to be taken seriously; therefore if you haven't done so yet, visit with any licensed loan officer...

Dear Cary:

Yes, you can always ask, the worst thing that can happen is that the seller will refuse to do so. The only reasons why a seller may refuse to do so would be if a) the amount you are offering is not enough for them or b) they are concerned about the house appraising for the sales price (below I will explain why this is a concern).

Basically what you would be asking for is referred to as a "seller's concession." When this is done the seller gives the buyer back money at the closing (up to 6% if you are qualified). The buyer cannot take this money home with them, it is used at the closing table to pay the closing costs.

The seller's concession is helpful to buyers who are low on capital and only have enough money for the down payment. Ultimately a seller's concession is a means by which a buyer can finances the majority of their closing costs. The reason why a home seller may shy away from the seller's concession idea is because of bank appraisal concerns. Anytime a buyer goes for a mortgage, the bank sends an appraiser into the house to make sure the home is worth the price the purchaser is paying. If the appraised value comes in short of the sales price, the bank will deny the mortgage. Hence the seller may worry that this could become a problem due to the inflated sales price which add no monetary value to the seller.

If you give a good enough offer, the sellers usually WILL give the concession and take the risk. It never hurts to ask, especially if you need it to be able to buy the home in the first place. If you do not absolutely need the seller's concession, it would be better for you not to do it because in the end you will be borrowing less and saving money on a monthly basis.

If you want to discuss this further or have additional questions, feel free to call me any time. Good luck!

Sincerely,
Mitchell S. Feldman
Associate Broker/ Director of Sales
Madison Estates & Properties, Inc.
Office: (718) 645-1665/ Cell: (917) 805-0783
Email: MitchellSFeldman@aol.com

You have every right to ask for this however just know that you might not get it all! I am seeing buyers generally ask for up to 3% of the purchase price from the seller in order to contribute towards their closing costs.

As far as short sales go (if you see a lot of these in your local market place), I have seen the banks lean towards only wanting to give 1% to the buyer, however I did just have one close where the buyers got the full 3%.

Just be sure you have a back-up plan in case the seller does not approve of giving you all of your closing costs.

Best of luck to you!

Thanks,
Brooke Hengst
REALTOR, CDPE
Your Castle Real Estate
p: (720) 988-5952
bhengst1@gmail.com http://www.brookehengst.com

Sure.

But remember, the seller wants to walk away with XX dollars which means that you may have to pay a higher sales price.

have a professional real estate agent and mortgage broker work the numbers and the contracts for you.

If you need recommendations, I will be happy to help.

Good luck!

Fred