In the United States, we’re not used to negotiating a price for our every day purchases. But when you’re buying a home, not negotiating the sellers’ asking price may mean paying more than the home’s fair market value. To avoid feeling that you paid too much, you must learn the art of give and take for a successful purchase price.

Keep in mind that sellers will sometimes leave some negotiating room on their asking price. They may actually ask for more than they want and you may be suprised at how flexible a seller is. The seller may even meet you in the middle of their asking price and your offer.

The Best way to negotiate in any transaction is to have as many options available to you as possible. Have you eye on 3 homes and make low offers on one at a time with short acceptance times.

Asking your Realtor for a Comparative Market Analysis for the property can tell you if it is priced correctly.

If you don't have cash to pay your closing cost and pre-paids, make sure to ask for a seller concession at closing. This concession will come out of the purchase price from the seller to pay your closing cost and prepaids.

It is always wise to monitor the For Sale By Owner (FSBO) market in addition to the standard multi-listing service. FSBOs are usually much more open to negotiation on sales price if there is no realtor in the picture, with their high commission requirement.

A buyers agent can guide you through the negotiation process. Ask your mortgage professional to recommend a buyers agent to you. A good buyers agent, combined with a strong pre-approval certificate from your lender will give you much needed leverage in negotiating an offer on a home.

 

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