The Catskills Buying Process — What to Expect from First Offer to Closing Day

Most buyers come in with a version of the same question: how does this actually work? Not the brochure version. The real version — including what happens when things get complicated.

Before You Write an Offer — The Preparation Phase

The work that happens before you write your first offer is often what determines how the rest of the process goes. Buyers who are financially prepared, have a clear picture of what they want, and have their attorney identified in advance are buyers who can move decisively — and decisiveness matters in a market where good properties don't wait.

Financial preparation

Know your numbers before you begin touring seriously. That means an up-to-date pre-approval from a lender who is familiar with Catskills properties, a clear picture of your available down payment and closing cost funds (budget 3 to 6 percent of purchase price in addition to your down payment), and a realistic sense of what price range you're working in.

Retaining an attorney

New York is an attorney state. An attorney must review your purchase contract and handle your closing. We strongly recommend retaining a local real estate attorney before you write your first offer — so that when you find the right property, you can move without delay. We're happy to share a list of experienced attorneys we work with regularly.

Defining your priorities

Having a clear, honest wish list — and a clear sense of your deal-breakers — helps us help you. The buyers who get to the right property most efficiently are the ones who can say quickly whether a showing is worth the drive and make a decision without second-guessing themselves once they find what they're looking for.

Writing and Negotiating Your Offer

In most of the western Catskills, offers are prepared by the buyer's agent using a bar-approved contract template. Every element of the offer is a negotiation point — and understanding what matters most to the seller, and to you, is where a skilled local agent earns their place in the transaction.

Price

What you offer depends on the property's condition, days on market, current buyer activity, and the urgency of the seller's situation. We will give you a data-driven analysis of what comparable properties have actually sold for — not a Zestimate, not a guess — and a clear recommendation for how to position your offer.

Down payment and contingencies

In Delaware County, 10 percent is the generally accepted contract deposit. Contingencies — for mortgage commitment, inspection, and sometimes appraisal — are the standard protections that keep you from being locked into a deal that falls apart for reasons beyond your control. In a strong market, some buyers waive or modify contingencies to make their offer more competitive. We'll help you understand the risk profile of those decisions before you make them.

Attorney review

In New York State, real estate contracts go through attorney review — typically a three- to five-business-day window in which each side's attorney can amend or, in limited circumstances, cancel the contract. This is standard practice. It's worth understanding before you're in it, because the period can feel unsettling if you're not expecting it. We prepare our buyers for this phase and stay closely involved while attorneys do their work.

The Inspection Phase

Once you're under contract, inspections are typically scheduled and completed within ten days. Plan to attend. Bring questions. The inspection is your single best opportunity to understand the property you're buying — and to identify any issues that warrant negotiation or, in rare cases, reconsideration.

Standard inspections in a Catskills transaction typically include a general home inspection, septic inspection, and water test. Radon, pest, and oil tank inspections are also common. Your buyer agent will help you understand what's typical for the specific property you're buying and what each inspector's findings actually mean for you as a buyer and as a future owner.

Negotiating repairs and credits

Sellers are not required to repair everything an inspection reveals — but inspection findings create room for negotiation. Our preferred approach is to focus on material issues and, where possible, request credits at closing rather than direct repairs. Credits are cleaner: they give you control over the work, the contractor, and the timing, while keeping the transaction moving. We've found this approach tends to produce better outcomes for buyers than a lengthy repair negotiation that strains the seller relationship and slows the deal.

Mortgage and Appraisal

If you're financing, your lender will order an appraisal once you're under contract. In the Catskills — where comparable sales can be thin and lifestyle attributes are difficult to quantify in a traditional appraisal format — appraisals sometimes come in below the contract price. This is a scenario we prepare buyers for, not one we leave them to discover.

If the appraised value is below your contract price, you have options: bring additional cash to close the gap, renegotiate the purchase price with the seller, challenge the appraisal with additional comparable data, or in some cases, exercise your appraisal contingency and step away from the deal. We'll help you think through the options and respond strategically.