Seller's Want to Back Out

[mruss]

I found the perfect house, made an offer and it was accepted. We have a valid purchase agreement contract signed by both of us which states the house becomes mine when escrow closes on November 5. We opened escrow, and had finished all of our inspections. We were seven days into a 30 day escrow period when the seller's agent calls my agent and asks that we walk away from the deal because the seller's wife has just been diagnosed with cancer.

Can anyone tell me what my rights are in this situation? Are they able to walk away like this? Is it rude of me to ask them to prove it so that I am comfortable that they're not just trying to get out of the deal. What makes this more interesting is that a home just like this one came on the market one day before they called me for $25,000 above our purchase price.

 

[Michael Wechsler]

I think that the seller's agent may have called your agent to ask you to willingly walk away from an enforceable deal. What does the seller's wife having cancer have anything to do with selling their house? If they were the buyer there might be a better reason, e.g. expected future expenses. An identical house being sold for $25,000 more... your time and expenses lost by your just walking away from the deal.... I think your read might be correct... attempted sympathy ploy.

If you have a signed contract of sale then you don't need to prove anything. It's all there.