This is where the information you learned from questioning the
seller can be quite useful. For example, if the seller has been transferred
to another city, they may be very motivated to sell.
There are many different strategies for negotiating, but the
one that I have seen produce the best results is not all that difficult. It
starts by studying the market data to determine what the fair market value is
for the house.
Your objective is to make your offer at a price that is lower
than what the seller has in their mind as their "bottom line", but is close
enough that they say, "Oh, I guess we will go ahead and take it".
Keep in mind the three basic options that a seller has when
presented with an offer:
-
Accept the offer
-
Reject the offer
-
Make a counter offer
The seller will always want to accept the offer if possible,
because if they sign it, they will have a deal that the buyer is bound to. If
they make a counter offer, the buyer is "off the hook", and is no longer obligated
contractually.
The price is always the focal point of the offer, but there
are lots of additional areas that you need to address and pay close attention
to also. In your offer, be as specific as possible about every aspect of the
transaction. Details that are not clear or are left out can lead to big problems
down the road.
Some of the items that you want to be sure to spell out in detail
when putting together your offer include:
-
PRICE
-
DOWN PAYMENT
-
EARNEST MONEY DEPOSIT
-
INTEREST RATE
-
CLOSING/POSSESSION DATES
-
LOAN COSTS - WHO PAYS
-
CLOSING COSTS - WHO PAYS WHAT
-
PRORATIONS
-
APPRAISAL - WHO PAYS
-
HOME PROTECTION PLAN
-
INSPECTIONS - WHAT TYPE AND WHO PAYS
-
ITEMS INCLUDED (WASHER/DRYER, ETC)
-
TITLE/ESCROW COMPANY/ATTORNEY
-
CONTINGENCIES - WHAT AND HOW LONG
Spelling out every detail can save lots of confusion and misunderstandings,
and keep you out of a costly court battle!
One area where you need to be especially careful is contingencies.
These are things that must or must not happen in order for the transaction to
be valid.
For example, the purchase may be contingent upon you getting
approved for your financing, on getting a favorable inspection report, or many
other things. Make sure to spell out the contingency clearly, as well as what
specifically will happen if the contingency is or isn't met.
The important thing is to keep your goals in mind throughout
your negotiations. This will guide you, and help keep you from making bad decisions
based on emotion.
Keep one important fact in mind: There is always another
house! The marketing in Ann Arbor Michigan is never stagnant.
If you start to feel pressured or uncomfortable, step back and
review your goals. Don’t let yourself be bullied around. Remember that the
seller usually needs to sell that house a lot more than you need to buy it!