In a buyers market, sellers to understanding that offers don't come in every day. When a buyer decides to make an offer this is not the time to get all emotional and introverted, or to feel bad that it isn't a full price offer. Everything (almost) in life is negotialbe. However, an offer to purchase real estate cannot be negotiated in silence, it requires communication. By definition a negotiation is a process by which two sides with oposing objectives arrive at a common point of agreement. A negotiation is not what is happening when your boss fires you or when your husband leave town with his secretary. It is a process that both sides can walk away from with some sense that they accomplished at least part of their original objective. As a seller of real estate, understand that a buyer making an offer needs a response in a relatively short period of time (I have what I call my 24 hour rule. That is if a reply cannot be made within a 24 hour period, there should be a darn good reason why not.) Try to find points of agreement, like a good closing date or the fact that they haven't asked for the brand new high efficiency washer and dryer set that was tempting them as the walked past the laundry room. If the offer was low, which it almost always is in this kind of market, be happy that this buyer made an offer at all. You cannot negotiate with someone who is not writing, and think of all the people who didn't like the house enough to even write a low offer. Now is not the time to sit on your hands. Now is the time to act. Make a counter offer even if you are so offended that you can't see through your tears to sign it. If you sit there crying long enough you may find yourself once again hoping for an offer. |
