You just never know what’s going to happen.  Maybe the buyer finds out there are chickens that wander through the yard and that’s a deal breaker. Maybe finances cause a problem.  Flood insurance costs are high enough to prevent a buyer from affording the house.  Perhaps the paint is the wrong color.  You could go on and on. People have their preferences and sometimes they find out that the house they wanted isn’t for them.

Just say that you absolutely loved a house but you were the runner up in the price or terms department.  Your dreams are dashed.  But wait a minute, something has come up and the buyers who made the winning offer, for whatever reason, back out. The house goes back on the market but you’re not aware of that until someone else has submitted an offer.  Get it?  Had you asked if you could make a backup offer you’d be right there at the front of the pack with an accepted offer on the house you love. Don’t let hurt pride stop you from doing the smart thing…especially in a tough buyers market.