Is Everything Negotiable Again?

For a while, buying a house felt pretty simple:

See the house.

Like the house.

Write a strong offer.

And hope you beat everyone else.

Today's market feels different.

Buyers are asking more questions again.

Can we offer less?

Will the seller pay closing costs?

Can we ask for repairs?

The answer?

Maybe.

We're seeing more opportunities to negotiate, but that doesn't mean every seller is suddenly willing to give everything away.

It Depends on the House

A home that just hit the market, is priced well and has multiple interested buyers probably isn't where you're going to have the most leverage.

But a home that's been available for a while?

That's a different conversation.

Price Isn't the Only Thing You Can Negotiate

Sometimes buyers get focused entirely on getting the seller to lower the price.

But there may be other things worth discussing:

• Closing costs
• Repairs
• Closing date
• Personal property
• Home warranties
• Other terms of the offer

Depending on your situation, some of those can be worth more to you than simply getting a few thousand dollars off the purchase price.

Days on Market Can Tell You Something

If a home has been sitting longer than competing properties, there's usually a reason.

Maybe the price started too high.

Maybe the seller hasn't received the right offer.

Or maybe buyers have simply overlooked it.

That's when it may be worth asking some questions.

But Don't Assume

Seeing a home that's been listed for 60 days doesn't automatically mean the seller will take a huge discount.

Every seller has a different motivation and financial situation.

That's where understanding the situation matters.

The opportunity in today's market isn't necessarily making low offers on everything.

It's recognizing which homes give you leverage—and knowing how to use it.

If you're looking at homes and wondering where there might be room to negotiate, I'm always happy to help you think through the offer before you make it.