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On bank owned properties can the buyer's agent ask how many offers have been made or received by the bank?

I am looking to buy in Chula Vista California. There is a property that I am interested in but it seems to be bank owned like manyothers. I asked my realtor if he could find out how many offers were submitted, whether they were below or above asking price and if they were entertaining other additional submittals at the moment. The realtor told me that he knew they would not provide that information. Is this correct? This is not a short sale but it is bank owned. Please help.

Public Comments

1. Your realtor is correct. That information does not have to be given out and normally never is. Go in low. Never fall in love with a property. There is always another one out there that you'll love if this deals falls through. Good Luck.
2. The Realtor is correct. Such information is never divulged. No seller in his/her right mind would release that information. Were they to give you that information, it would guide you, perhaps, to make an offer lower than you normally might. The name of the game is 'keep the buyer guessing'.
3. The selling agent will usually provide this information to prospective buyers' agents. Your agent should get on the phone to the listing agent and get all chummy, then ask if there have been offers made on the property. If the property has no offers, this is something the selling agent will want you to know, so you get anxious to get an offer in before anyone else. If there are offers in, the selling agent will probably say that there are a few and if some are higher than the listing price. This then gets you anxious to put in an offer that you think may be higher than any of the others. The agent will also tell you if there are any cash offers. These are more readily accepted for foreclosure and short sale properties, even if they aren't the top offer, because there's no chance the deal falls out of escrow for financing problems. I looked at and put offers on 6 properties last summer and finally got a 2BR townhouse in Clairemont. But, each time we put in offers, my agent would call up the selling agent and get whatever info he could on whether offers had been submitted. And, the selling agents were upfront with that info every time.
4. He can ask but bank is not likely to say anything.