One Small Deadline. One Expensive Mistake

Are You Still Negotiating Repairs…and Out of Time?

You did the inspection.

Your agent sent over the repair requests.

You’re waiting on a response from the seller.

But then you check the calendar and realize…

Tomorrow is Day 15.

We still haven’t resolved the repairs.

Now what?

This Exact Scenario Happened Last Week

An agent called me, frantic.

Her buyer was under contract on an As-Is deal here in Pembroke Pines.

Inspections were done, and a few issues had come up: minor roof work, an older A/C unit, a funky water heater.

They’d submitted a request for repairs.

They were still “waiting to hear back.”

And they were on Day 14 of a 15-day inspection period.

I asked the first question that always matters in this situation:
“Did you get the inspection period extended in writing?”

Her face said it all.

Here’s What Too Many People Get Wrong About the As-Is contract:

Yes, the buyer can inspect the home.

Yes, they can ask for repairs.

But under the As-Is contract the seller doesn’t have to agree to anything.

They don’t even have to respond.

The inspection period is the buyer’s leverage point.

Why?

Because during that time, the buyer can walk away for any reason and still keep their deposit.

That’s the pressure point.

It’s the only phase where the buyer can say, “Fix it or I’m out,” and actually have the ability to leave the deal cleanly.

It’s the window to ask, negotiate, or walk away.

But if that window closes and nothing is signed?

That leverage disappears.

The buyer now has two options:

• Move forward and accept the home exactly as-is

• Cancel and possibly lose their deposit

This isn’t legal advice it’s just how the standard contract reads.

And it surprises a lot of buyers (and some agents) every time.

So what happened in this case?

The seller stayed quiet.

No repairs were agreed on.

And the deadline passed.

The buyer chose to move forward because they didn’t want to lose the house.

But now they were on the hook for the full cost of those repairs.

And they weren’t thrilled.

The agent told me later:

“I’ll never forget to get that extension signed again.”

What I’d Tell a Friend

If you’re negotiating repairs and the inspection period is ticking down, don’t wait and hope the seller responds.

Get the extension in writing. 

Even if it feels like overkill.

Even if everyone’s “on the same page.”

Because once that deadline passes, you’ve got no leverage, just a tough choice.

Buying Soon? Let’s talk Strategy

I’ll walk you through how to avoid the common traps and set you up to win before you’re under contract.

No pressure. No hard pitch. Just strategy.

Let’s schedule a Strategy Session.