Sure, price is important when placing or receiving an offer to purchase a home, but it is most definitely not the only factor.

  Our NC Offer to Purchase and Contract is currently eight pages long. Eight pages of attorney drafted, NC Bar Association and NC Association of Realtors® approved language. And that doesn't include any of the available addendums.

  Seems to me, if price were the only factor in an offer, we could probably pare down those eight pages and save some trees. Thing is, price is not the only factor, and the highest offer price is not always the "best" offer for a seller.

 Terms such as:

- length of time to closing

- amount buyer will be financing (more $ down looks better to sellers)

-inclusion of (or failure to provide) an actual pre-approval showing buyers have already applied and are on their way to obtaining financing

- any personal property requested by buyers (think fridge, curtains, anything not attached that buyers want)

  -any seller paid closing costs

 -contingency for sale of buyers house (and the status: is it listed, is it under contract, how solid is the contract?)

-buyer request for home warranty (if one has not already been purchased by seller)

-deadline by which buyer must have financing secure

-deadline for buyer's inspections to be complete

-and of course, the purchase price

  Buyers: understand that price is a crucial part of your offer, but all of the terms as a package will determine how attractive it is to the seller. In other words lowballing and then asking for concessions on personal property, closing costs, date of closing, home warranty, a contingency may not go over well with sellers, when the home is priced fairly.

  Sellers:  Any offer comes from buyers who have their own set of circumstances that they're working with. If the offer price is fair or close to fair, and other terms are workable, you just may have a ready willing and motivated buyer on your hands. Aside from a full price cash offer, there will always be terms in the offer that may or may not work with your needs, so it's important to consider all of the offer terms.

  Negotiating in real estate is not about win/lose. It's about a mutually beneficial agreement that's fair to both buyer and seller. Working out terms that meet both yours and the other party's needs, that's a win/win. Plus you'll be one step closer to moving in or moving on, and isn't that the point?