The Once in a Lifetime Home...If You Find It, Don't Waste Time Haggling
The Northern Virginia real estate market moves faster than most real estate markets. And while we do tend to see the majority of our buyers go for homes that are cookie cutter repeats in big subdivisions, we don't 
often see the buyer that wants a truly unique home.
A buyer in the market for a unique property knows it when they find it. They can't stop thinking about it. They have never seen anything like it. And they probably never will see anything like it again. The home is keeping them up at nights. They desperately want the home. Here's where it can go wrong:
They want to haggle over price.
If you have found your once in a lifetime, can't live without it home, and your agent tells you the asking price is more than reasonable, don't waste time haggling. You may think you are the only one interested in this truly unique property you've found, but I can assure you, you're not. If you like it enough to want to it, chances are, someone else does.
Don't haggle over a relatively small dollar amount unless you truly can't afford the home otherwise. Because while you are pounding your head against the wall waiting for the seller to understand and sympathize with your need for a lower monthly mortgage payment, there is another buyer who will throw a full price offer in their lap. And then, by the time you have realized you need to come up to full price and pull the trigger, the seller will have already accepted that buyer who knew immediately what they had to do to win the home. Go all in.
Haggling over a home that you can find a very similar one to the next day you house hunt is one thing. When you start haggling over a well priced once in a lifetime opportunity, well, be prepared to lose that home of your dreams.
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