The following question was posed by a buyer:

I’ve found a nice, well built home on 10 acres that the wife and I really like.  It was built a few years ago by the Realtor/Owner/Full Time Resident.  The quandry is this: She is the Realtor AND the Owner.  Theoretically, because I’m dealing directly with her (without a Buyer’s Agent), she will not be losing the typical commission on the sale.  I feel the commission should be sacrificed by her, to be additional to the low-ball offer that I would have made in the usual circumstances.  Combined together, that is a substantial reduction in the asking price.  Am I logical to pursue this tack?

Ultimately that will depend on your motivation.  I would say that the first thing you need to decide for yourself is whether you are looking for “the house” or “the deal” because very very rarely will you ever get both (even in this market).

If you are looking for “the deal” then absolutely, offer away!  A home is only worth what you are willing to pay for it, regardless of what a seller will accept - and after all…the worst they can say is “no”…and if that’s the case you just move on to the next one without a second thought.

However - if you truly love the home, and it would bother you if you weren’t able to have it for your own - that could very well change your direction.  In that case, I would offer what you feel the property is worth to you and not try quite so hard to “play the game”.

Keep in mind - when you write low-ball offers, you will get maybe 1 in 20 to work with you amicably.  If you only have 1 house (THE house) - do you really want a 95% chance of not getting it?

I would suggest that you contact a local Realtor to put some comparables together for you and help you to get a grasp of what the home might actually be worth in today’s market (which is very often not what it’s listed for, and also not very often what a buyer would like to initially offer).  Then again - at that point the agent should be compensated for their efforts.  Keep in mind, the listing agent/owner certainly isn’t looking out for your interests.

Ultimately - it’s not a decision that I can make for you - but hopefully my comments have helped to give some clarity to the decision you truly need to make, which is not “should I low-ball this house?” but rather “how much do I like this house when compared to the others that are available to me?”  The answer to that question should help to dictate your actions moving forward.

I hope this was helpful, and If there’s anything else I can do for you, please don’t hesitate to contact me on my cell phone at 352-397-5182 or email me at Josh@HernandoLuxuryHomes.com.