Before signing, connect each important buyer statement to a document, identify unanswered questions and decide which uncertainties you are willing to accept. A claim of cash financing does not establish inspection, appraisal or repair terms. Review those conditions separately.
This worksheet helps you organize that review. It does not authenticate financial documents or determine a contract's legal effect. Where wording or obligations are unclear, take the actual documents to a qualified professional familiar with the property's jurisdiction.
Build a record for the actual proposal
Keep one worksheet for each proposal. Record the document version so an answer about an earlier draft does not become your basis for signing a different one. Related: Compare Two Home Offers: A Contingency and Deductions Worksheet.
Separate your notes into three categories:
- Documented facts: What a named document actually says, with its date and page or section.
- Seller inputs: Your preferences, available information and limits on uncertainty.
- Unanswered questions: Missing evidence, conflicting statements and wording you do not understand.
A buyer's explanation belongs beside the relevant document, not in place of it. If someone says a condition has been removed, locate the corresponding wording in the version presented for signature.
Copy and complete this reusable review sheet:
| Review item | Documented fact and source | My preference or constraint | Unanswered question | What I need before deciding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buyer identity and signer | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| Funds and financing | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| Inspection and repair terms | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| Appraisal and other conditions | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| Assignment and intended purchaser | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| Deductions and seller costs | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| Changes between drafts | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
Connect the buyer, signer and funds
Begin with the names appearing in the proposal. Record the proposed buyer's name, the signer's name and the name appearing on any financial evidence. A mismatch is a question to resolve, rather than something to explain away yourself.
Ask:
- Who is the buyer named in the agreement?
- Who will sign, and what documentation explains their authority to act for that buyer?
- Whose funds are being presented?
- If another person or entity is providing the money, what documents explain that arrangement?
- How can the relevant identities and documents be checked independently?
For proof of funds, record exactly what you received: the document type, named holder, issuer, date and any stated restrictions. Avoid treating the heading “proof of funds” as the conclusion of your review.
Useful follow-up questions include: Does this document address the proposed purchase? What remains unknown about availability of the funds? What depends on financing, another transaction or another party? What independent verification is possible through contact information obtained separately from the buyer's message? Related: Prepare a House-Sale Document Folder for Your Closing Professional.
Do not publish or casually forward sensitive financial documents. Ask the professional assisting with your review what information is needed and how it should be shared.
How this changes your decision: If you cannot connect the named buyer to the evidence presented, mark funding as unresolved. Decide what further verification you need before relying on the proposal.
Read conditions separately from the cash claim
Use the proposed agreement to examine each condition individually. Do not fill a blank with an assumption because the proposal is described as cash or as-is.
For every relevant clause, record:
- The event or condition being described.
- Who can request a change or take action.
- Any date or notice requirement actually written in the document.
- Any stated consequence if the condition is not satisfied.
- The question you need a professional to answer about its effect.
Ask specifically where the document addresses inspection, appraisal, financing, property access, repairs and requested credits. If you cannot find an answer, write “not located” instead of “none.”
Compare repair-related conversations with the written proposal. For example, ask where the document records an assurance that no repairs will be requested. Do not assume a verbal description resolves unclear contract language.
How this changes your decision: A condition you understand may be acceptable to you. An unexplained condition leaves you unable to assess the tradeoff. Identify whether you need clarification, a proposed revision or professional review before deciding.
Examine assignment and who is expected to purchase
Locate any language addressing assignment, substitution of a buyer or transfer of contractual rights. Copy the relevant passage into your notes without trying to determine its legal effect from a label alone.
Ask the buyer and your reviewing professional:
- Is the named buyer intending to complete the purchase itself?
- Is another purchaser expected to become involved?
- What does this draft say about assignment, consent and notice?
- What would change for me if another party became involved?
- What, if anything, would remain the original buyer's responsibility?
Keep the buyer's stated intention separate from what the proposed agreement permits. If those appear inconsistent, request an explanation tied to the actual wording.
How this changes your decision: Consider whether knowing the eventual purchaser matters to you and what uncertainty you would accept. Have unresolved wording reviewed before treating an explanation as settled.
Compare costs without filling gaps with guesses
For each proposal, list every seller cost or deduction stated in the documents. Beside each entry, record its source and whether it is fixed, conditional or still unanswered. Do not substitute an assumed local charge for missing information.
Use the selling cost calculator to compare net proceeds using costs you enter. It is available without signup, and its results are estimates, not offers or appraisals. Keep unresolved inputs visible alongside the result so an estimate does not appear more certain than its evidence.
Compare conditions alongside proceeds. Your own willingness to handle repairs, accommodate access or accept unresolved terms belongs in the decision even when it cannot be represented by a reliable cost input.
Make the signing decision from the completed sheet
Review the exact version you are being asked to sign. For each unanswered question, choose your next action: obtain evidence, request clarification, seek a revision or get professional advice.
An empty worksheet cell is not automatically a reason to reject a proposal, but it should remain visible. Ask yourself whether the missing answer could change your willingness to proceed. If it could, resolve it before treating your review as complete. Related: Repair or sell as-is: a worksheet for comparing real quotes.
The useful outcome is a clear record of what the documents support, what you want and what remains unknown. That record helps you decide whether to continue discussions, compare another option or proceed after the questions that matter to you have been addressed.