Special offer

The 64 Million Dollar Question...

By
Real Estate Agent with Area Pro Realty - People's Choice

In response to blog comments plus most every friend and client I come in contact with I want to give you my OPINION on where the prices are going in Discovery Bay as well a regionally. When to buy, how long to wait. That is the real question. Heres the deal. Right now, today, as we move into late winter I believe that the MARKET (as oppossed to the asking prices) is as soft as it going to get. What is happening is that the best houses are either selling now (at prices well below asking per the MLS data) or the sellers are simply taking them off the market and leaving them vacant or leasing them out for a year or two in order to minimize their negative cash flow while waiting for the market to "come back".

What I am trying to say is that NOW is the best time to OFFER what you believe is a fair price for the exact home you want. Use the tools I have given you on DiscoveryBayGuide, talk to your agent or call me (yes I do this for a living) and make your OFFER. If it is not accepted, your offer will be countered or simply rejected. But the offer was REAL, it was made in good faith with justifiable comps and placed in the Sellers hand. If the Seller counters your offer and YOU (Buyer) rejects their (Seller) counter offer, the offer was still made and the Seller knows that THEY rejected a real offer based on real information. Perhaps in a several weeks they will be awake in the middle of the night wondering if your offer is still available and call back (hopefully in the morning). In other words, by OFFERING now you are forcing the Seller to make a decision. Any good Realtor will justify their clients written offer with actual comps and current and foreseable market conditions, therefore the seller will not be "insulted".

They may even wonder why their agent didn't tell them this before....

Comments (2)

Renee Stengel
Houlihan Lawrence, Associate Broker - Katonah, NY
Westchester County

But sellers still may not listen.  So, then there next offer may be lower.

Jan 28, 2008 10:22 AM
Marston Myers
Area Pro Realty - People's Choice - Discovery Bay, CA

Yes, I find that the hardest offer to get accepted by the Seller is the first offer made unless it is very close to asking. I had a home listed at $1,150M. After a couple of weeks, we got a CASH offer, quick close for $1 Million even. No matter what I said or how hard I tried, the Seller refused the offer. Even after I told them I would not accept their "rejection" until the next day (forcing them into a sleepless night - I hoped). Well the seller rejected the offer with "I am not going to let anyone steal my house" and I was at that place if I pushed any harder of - "are you representing me (seller) or just trying to close a commission?" Ok - Fine but please file all these comps and analysis that I did for you where you can refer to it in the future, I will.

The house came off the market and today MIGHT sell around $825K.....

Jan 28, 2008 10:43 AM