Lowball offer letter: 7 copy-paste templates by seller situation

Which lowball offer letter should you send?

Match the letter to what the county record or listing history shows; a foreclosure letter to a tired landlord reads as careless. For phone and email versions, see the lowball offer scripts.

Template 1: pre-foreclosure lowball offer letter

Use this when a notice of default or lis pendens is on record (see pre-foreclosure lists). Keep it calm; the owner is getting a lot of alarming mail.

Dear [Owner name],

I buy houses in [City] for cash, and I am writing about [Property address]. Public records show a notice was filed on the mortgage. I am not your lender, and this is not a legal notice. It is an offer to buy.

If selling would help, I can pay [Offer or range] in cash, buy the house as-is and close on the date you choose. The sale would pay off your loan at closing through [Title company or attorney], before the sale date, which ends the foreclosure, and any money left over goes to you.

Please get advice before you decide. A HUD-approved housing counselor or a local attorney can explain all of your options, including ways to keep the house. If selling is the right one, you can reach me at [Phone] or [Email].

If you would rather not hear from me again, tell me and I will take you off my list.

[Your name], [Company], [Mailing address]

Template 2: tax delinquent property letter

Use this when the county shows unpaid property taxes. The county may eventually sell a lien or the property itself; see tax lien vs tax deed states.

Dear [Owner name],

I am a local cash buyer interested in [Property address]. County records show the property taxes are past due. If you have been thinking about selling, I can pay [Offer or range], and the back taxes, penalties and interest would be paid out of the sale at closing, so you never write that check yourself.

I buy as-is, so you would not fix, clean or show anything, and you pick the closing date. After a short call I can send you a written offer within [24 hours].

You can reach me at [Phone] or [Email]. If the timing is wrong, tell me and I will not write again.

[Your name], [Company], [Mailing address]

Template 3: inherited house letter

Use this when a probate case is open or the deed has passed to an estate or heirs. Address the personal representative or executor when the record names one. Who can sign, and when, depends on state probate rules.

Dear [Name],

I am sorry for your family's loss. I am writing because I buy inherited houses in [City] for cash, and I would be glad to make an offer on [Property address].

Estates are often shared by family members who live in different places. A cash sale can keep it simple: one offer, one closing, no repairs, and you can leave behind anything you do not want to keep. I can pay [Offer or range] and work around the probate timeline.

There is no rush on my side. When the family is ready, you can reach me at [Phone] or [Email]. If you would prefer I not write again, just say so.

[Your name], [Company], [Mailing address]

Template 4: vacant house letter

Use this when the record suggests nobody lives there: the owner's mail goes elsewhere, the utilities are off, or the house has sat empty for months.

Dear [Owner name],

I buy houses in [Neighborhood], and I am interested in [Property address]. It looks like no one is living there right now. An empty house still costs money every month: taxes, insurance, utilities and upkeep.

If you would like those costs to stop, I can pay [Offer or range] in cash for the house as-is. I handle any cleanout, you choose the closing date, and you never need to visit the property.

You can reach me at [Phone] or [Email]. If you plan to keep it, tell me and I will not write again.

[Your name], [Company], [Mailing address]

Template 5: tired landlord letter

Use this for absentee or out-of-state rental owners. A long-held rental can carry a large tax bill on sale, so suggest a tax adviser.

Dear [Owner name],

I am a cash buyer in [City], and I would like to make you an offer on [Property address].

Owning a rental from a distance means tenant calls, repairs and turnover on someone else's schedule. I buy rentals as-is, with tenants in place, and I can pay [Offer or range] with a closing date you choose. You would not make repairs or arrange showings.

If you have thought about selling, you can reach me at [Phone] or [Email]. If not, tell me and I will take you off my list.

[Your name], [Company], [Mailing address]

Template 6: FSBO lowball offer letter

Use this for a for-sale-by-owner listing. The owner invited buyers, so you can also call or email their listed contact; a letter puts your reasoning in writing.

Dear [Owner name],

Thank you for listing [Property address]. I am a cash buyer, and I would like to make an offer.

Your asking price of [Asking price] reflects a retail sale. I am offering [Offer] because I buy as-is, with no financing or appraisal, a [5]-day inspection and a closing on your schedule. There is no buyer's agent on my side, so there is no buyer commission to pay.

If my number does not work, I understand, and I would still like to hear what would. You can reach me at [Phone] or [Email].

[Your name], [Company], [Mailing address]

Template 7: stale listing offer letter (sent through the agent)

Use this for a home listed 60 days or more with price cuts. Your signed offer on your state's form goes to the listing agent, and this letter is the cover note. More in lowball offers on a house that won't sell.

Dear [Listing agent name],

Please present the attached cash offer on [Property address] to your sellers.

The home has been on the market [Days] days with [Number] price reductions. My offer of [Offer] reflects that listing history and [the roof, the kitchen, the foundation report], and it is built for certainty: cash with proof of funds attached, no financing or appraisal contingency, a [7]-day inspection and closing on the sellers' preferred date.

I am open to a counter. Thank you for presenting it.

[Your name], [Phone], [Email]

How to send a lowball offer letter

Mail is the right first touch. It reaches owners you cannot legally or practically call and gives the seller time to think. In one hard-distress list LowBaller measured in July 2026, about 66 percent of properties were owned by companies, trusts or estates, which skip tracing is not built to reach.

Unlocking a seller in LowBaller pulls the county record (filing, amount in default, loans, taxes), so your letter names the right situation.

1. 1

   Get the owner and mailing address from the county record

   Use the tax-roll mailing address, not the property address. For a company or trust, also write to the registered agent in the state business registry.

2. 2

   Pick the template that matches the record

   Use the picker table at the top. If two signals apply, lead with the stronger one.

3. 3

   Decide on a number or a range

   Give a firm number only after checking the payoff and liens; otherwise give a range. Test it in the lowball offer calculator.

4. 4

   Print it plainly and sign it

   One page, real name and contact details. Never a design that looks like a bill, court notice or government form.

5. 5

   Mail it, then follow up on a schedule

   Send a second letter in about two weeks and a third a month later, unless the owner asks you to stop. Log every opt-out. See follow-up sequences that close.

6. 6

   Call only where it is allowed

   If the owner is an individual with a phone that passed Do-Not-Call filtering, a manual call between 8am and 9pm their local time is fine. Never cold text.