Negotiating Isn't Only About Price

We all know that negotiating price is important to the home buying process, however most buyers forget that it’s not the only thing that needs negotiating. Price is just the first thing that is negotiated – once your under contract the real deliberations begin.

There are hundreds of things to negotiate in a home sale once you’ve signed the purchase contract such as inspections, repairs, home warranty, and closing costs so it’s important to be prepared.

You Will Want A Buyer’s Agent

With so many things to negotiate in a home sale, it literally pays to have an agent on your side. So what do you need to look for in an agent? Ken Fernandez professional negotiator Broker ABR Old Cashiers Realty says, “One of the biggest things an agent needs to show is their ability to negotiate on your behalf. Buyers need to ask their agent – What negotiating tools do you have available to help me accomplish my goal?” 

It takes years of practice, market knowledge and some learning to be an great negotiator. That’s why the first thing you should look into before you start making offers on homes and trying to negotiate sales is finding an agent to help you out. Negotiating skills your agent should have include prior knowledge of your local area, professional training in negotiation strategies and most importantly unyielding determination.

As a buyer, you don’t have to pay for your agent out of pocket. Their commission comes out of the home sale so don’t let fees stop you from finding a professional to do some strong negotiating on your behalf.

Sellers are Asking for More Than They Expect to get

 If you look at listing prices and sold prices, you will notice that sold prices are always lower. That’s because sellers are already highballing when they put their home on the market, anticipating a negotiation with buyers looking for a deal. Sellers ask for more than they expect to get so it’s ok to make an offer that is below their listed selling price.

Beware: Know the market you’re up against. In a seller’s market with low inventory and bidding wars, you don’t have the luxury of making a lowball offer. In a buyer’s market however you can offer as much as 10% below a seller’s price without worry.

Be Ready to get Inside the Seller’s Mind

You have to look at what’s being said by the other side and decipher their goals or self interest in order to be a good communicator and negotiator says Fernandez Understanding the seller means understanding why they are selling their home in the first place. By understanding their standpoint and motivations, you will learn how to approach your negotiating. Are they looking forward to retirement? Are they in a rush to move out because they’re relocating for work? Knowing the seller’s motivation is the key to engaging them in negotiations and getting what you want.

List of Common Negotiations

There are hundreds of negotiations that are a part of a home sale. Here is a quick list of just a couple major points you and your agent with be negotiating on for your new home:

• Price – Negotiating the initial price of the home is just the tip of the iceberg. Once that’s over, the bulk of your back and forth with sellers begins.
• Timeline or length of escrow – Be prepared, the sellers will want a quick and speedy escrow because they are on their way out.  However, as a buyer you will benefit from a longer escrow period to ensure any problems with the home are resolved and your loan is handled correctly.
• Inspections – It is crucial to have an inspection done on a home before you buy – it is standard in all home sales today. You and your agent should work on a list of contingencies to put into your purchase contract based on the findings of an inspection.
• Home Warranty – The home warranty can be paid for by seller or buyer. While the warranty is to your benefit, some sellers are willing to pay for it as a way of preempting any further responsibility on their own part in the event that there are problems with the home post-closing.
• Closing Costs – These costs can be paid by either party but in a seller’s market, you might offer to pay these in order to sweeten your offer.
• Repairs – Based on the home inspection you will come up with a list of repairs. What it comes down to is asking the sellers to fix any problems that arise or negotiating a lower price.

If you’re searching for a new home and want to save yourself hassle and money, contact Ken Fernandez Not only is he here to help you find a home, Ken is dedicated to guiding you through the home buying process while keeping your personal needs first. 

3 Negotiating Tips For Mountain Home Buyers

I've been negotiating home purchases for Buyers in the greater Cashiers, NC area for over 10 years now, and as we continue to pull out of the housing market slump, understanding the history of the local market statistics have become invaluable.  Here are 3 tips to remember during the deal-making process of your home purchase:

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#1: BE QUICK ON THE UPTAKE
It is critical to respond to counteroffers as soon as possible and to avoid making a counteroffer with any term that is not truly a deal breaker. Delays in responding leave the door open for another buyer to step in and create a bidding war, or even more likely, for the seller to perceive that other serious buyers might be out there. A seller's mere perception of a potential bidding war is a homebuyer's number one nemesis, ratcheting up the possible sales price in the seller's head on an exponential basis.

#2: CUT IN THE MIDDLE (WO)MAN
When you want to ask or tell the seller something, always go through your real estate agent, who will communicate your request or concern to the seller's agent. I know it seems inefficient, but it is truly a rookie move to contact the seller directly. Mostly because the terminology is tough to master and legally sensitive. Also, some seemingly minor changes to your agreement with the seller might create problems with your lender; your Realtor is better equipped than you to see these problems ahead of time. You hired your agent, so use him/her! It will prevent the catastrophic misunderstandings that can result when you or the seller says something even slightly different than what you each actually mean!

#3: GET THE SKINNY ON PENDINGS
When the sold comps aren't that similar as in the Cashiers- Highlands area or sold a long time ago, a buyer can go crazy wondering what price the buyer of that pending comp agreed to pay for the place. Sometimes the listing agents of pending comps can be sweet-talked into giving up the dirt. Your real estate agent can call them up, explain the situation, and ask obliquely for contract price hints, like "Did it sell for over (or under) asking? About how far over (or under)? What was the list price to sales price ratio? Did you have multiple offers?" And you can also make some educated guesses; the longer it was on the market, the less likely it sold for the asking price. The opposite is true, too. If it went off the market really quickly, it probably sold at or over the asking price.