Once we find your Atlanta luxury dream estate or golf home, and you write a contract, then you’ll enter into negotiations with the seller. Jim and I will assist you when you make an offer to buy the house, and the owner will likely respond with a counteroffer. The counter offer can consist of many elements, not just price. Factors such as possession, financing and requested repairs may also be present. Will the seller pay the closing costs? How much?  Is the seller willing to make repairs that you requested? Will they leave the refrigerator, or take the dining room chandelier? What about the custom curtains and drapes? To negotiate and structure an effective contract, you need professional advice from seasoned agents that are skilled in negotiations from doing many deals.  There is a lot more to it, than just having a license. Ellen and I have those skills.

Any portion of a written contract is negotiable. It's important to determine what's important to the seller, and what isn't a priority item for you. Once you decided what you can live with, and what is a deal killer, it is time to act. Once you have determined the major issues, then we can use that information to bargain to get you what you want. A key to successful negations is to discover the common ground between the seller and buyer's needs. Negotiations are not a one way street, so prepared for give and take, and be flexible  in your approach when buying a home.  Success in negotiations is not always measured by winning all, but more often as a business compromise where buyer and seller are comfortable enough to proceed with the deal.

If the property or home you are looking at has been on the market for awhile, or has come back on the market after the previous deal failed, then you need to do some research and find out why. Was it really that the buyer could not qualify for the financing? Perhaps it was an inspection issue that could not be resolved. Perhaps a structural issue arose, without a remedy!  Were the issues cosmetic in nature, or one that was structural in nature that could not be easily fixed or cost prohibitive to repair? If you suspect the sellers are unyielding in their demands and not inclined to negotiate, it might be smarter to move on and find another property. The negotiation process takes a great deal of time, stress, emotion, and patience. If you believe a seller is unreasonable, don’t waste your time.  Move on to the next deal.  Learn to separate your emotions from common sense.

As you progress in a negotiation process, have all the terms of each counter in writing. It’s not smart to simply strike one set of demands or a proposal, and just pencil in new terms. Counteroffers should be written in plain language to insure all parties to the purchase contract understand it. This is important that the terms of the contract can be fulfilled in accordance with the spirit and intent of the signed agreement.

Under a signed buyer agency agreement, Ellen and I as your Buyer Agent will advise you throughout negotiations. So it is wise be clear as to what you want, and determine what you’re willing to do achieve those results. Above all, it is time to be patient.