To pull out from purchase because of vendor's wastage agent?

[reliahag]

We've found our dream house. We're well into the conveyancing process. Our bank is yet to offer us a firm mortgage decision because of them taking on too many applications and my husband being a contractor. We've jumped through all the hoops and our waiting for a mortgage offer. Vendors estate agent has been chasing us relentlessly- two emails a week chasing updates and recently threading to withdraw the property from sale to us and offering it onto the next buyer. I know he can't do this but I'm wondering what he's feeding back to the vendors re: what's happening. Our mortgage advisor and solicitor are fed up of him but give him regular updates too and last week I sent out a strongly worded email saying they weren't to reply to him and leave everything for the solicitors to deal with.

I am fed up of the constant harassment and the threatening tone in the estate agents emails. So much so that we're thinking fuck it, we're done. We've posted a letter to the seller too to contact us directly for updates instead of their estate agent. Are we being dickheads? Should we shut up and put up or go elsewhere?

Wow - with your attitude, I would definitely go to the next in line. You offered in MARCH! It is now end of June and you have still not moved forward. It may not be your fault, but it is definitely not the fault of the agent who is acting for the seller. It is at least three months (or longer) since you offered. For comparison, my son (aged 20) spoke to a bank a week ago, after three phone calls they offered him the mortgage, and the valuation is being done next week. Entire process 3 weeks from start of application to valuation. But then they think 6-8 weeks before the money comes through. So you are not even at the stage of having it agreed and the valuation being done. So in theory, it is at the earliest going to be another two months before you can complete. That is 5-6 months at BEST from the date of the offer. No. The agent "hassling" you twice a week is far less than I would expect at this stage. He is not threatening you that they will move to the next in line - it is probably going to happen.

Two emails a week, i thought you would say a day! In this Seller’s market I’m not surprised they’re annoyed re your mortgage being slow as it’s due to your husband’s job, which isn’t their fault,

The EA is doing their job, and doing it well. They’re acting on behalf of the vendor, expressing the vendor’s instructions.

I think you’ve really shot yourself in the foot here. You should be doing your best to keep them updated and on-side while you chase your lender!

if I were the vendor I would have given up on you a while back, tbh.

I am surprised they have waited so long for you especially as you don’t have a mortgage offer yet. Out of interest, how long do you think is an acceptable time to wait? It is not the EA or sellers issue, it is on your side. You are taking your frustrations out on the wrong people here.

I wonder if you have already lost the house, and the OP on the "house sold and nowhere to buy" thread has ended up with the house you wanted?

YABU. We were in exactly the same position as you. EA chasing every other day and delays because of mortgage underwriters overwhelmed.

It takes literally 30 seconds to just reply “we are chasing too” or cc-ing agent on broker emails.

Really hope you didn’t bad mouth the EA in the letter you sent. That could backfire.

We waited 7 weeks for a mortgage offer after applying through the estate agent broker (husband self employed so not straight forward). We were all getting twitchy but there wasn't too much pressure from the vendor's estate agent.

We took a risk and paid an independent mortgage broker and got an offer in a week with a different lender. We still hadn't received the offer from the first application, so just cancelled that.

Just in case you need other options! It was awful waiting so long for the mortgage!

@Doubleraspberry try not to worry, i don't think the OP is typical.
We offered at the end of March and have been in our new house for 3 weeks now! The mortgage offer took literally days.

Every time the agent has called or emailed, I've replied promptly with an update. In the background, I've been chasing up the mortgage broker for updates who's then chased up the lender, etc. I've been replying back to enquiries and updating the agent as soon as I've had an update. I don't know why the bank is taking their merry time but they are. I'm in a very stressful job and can only chase up everyone in between jobs. Our buyer, as mentioned previously, has only recently had her mortgage offer through and she offered on our property at the end of January. I just don't know what else to do. All searches are completed, our solicitor has raised enquiries and their solicitor is in the process of looking through these. Once the mortgage is approved, a valuation can be booked and we're done. We've already had the survey done. So we're well committed to the purchase. I have no control over the bank and their underwriter and neither, it seems, has our mortgage advisor.

We wouldn't have been able to view anywhere without a fully valid AIP/MIP, etc. we clearly had one for us to be able to make an offer on the house. It's the application that's taking a bloody age and then some. We've sent in everything the bank has asked for and more but are still to hear from them.

I waited about 10 weeks from AIP and mortgage offer due to me being a contractor. We were able to get the valuation survey done though.

With an AIP, Halifax turned around our actual offer in a week, including survey. I’d be livid if our buyers took so long to get their mortgage sorted!

If you don't even have a mortgage then you are lucky they are even speaking to you. I wouldn't be.

If you really cannot bear the emails then set up a rule that will direct them to a sub-folder and send an auto-reply directing him to your solicitor.

Bloody hell, you need to sort your attitude out!

you're the one causing the problem. The EA works FOR the Vendor, who do you think you are going directly to the Vendor telling them not to go via THEIR AGENT??

'you might email them this week'. Well, don't break a sweat over it will you.

You offered in March and don’t even have a mortgage yet?! 😬 It’s nearly July! We had a mortgage (Dh also self employed), had exchanged and were completing in that time. They’ve been very patient.

Dunno about that our agent was totally useless so we dealt with our buyer directly throughout

My buyer offered in March and I did send weekly emails at first but by end of May felt they were taking the piss by 1st June they were given 10 days and then I was going to bung it on the market Agsin - you are at fault

Don’t worry, I’ve done this a few times before! I was just empathising with the vendor.

We offered at the end of March and have been in our new house for 3 weeks now! The mortgage offer took literally days

That's amazing, was it chain free?