10 Steps to Buying Your Home  Needs Analysis  Preapproval vs. Prequalification  Neighborhood Information  Home Search  Making an Offer  Negotiating to Buy  Vendor Coordination  Pre-close Preparation  Closing  Post-Closing

<<Previous  Next  >>

Once your offer is made there may need to be some negotiating in order to reach an agreement. Keep in mind that almost everything is negotiable when you are buying a house. This can give you a great deal of leverage in the buying process, that is, if you have adequate information and you use it in an appropriate manner. Some of the things that you may have to negotiate on are:

• The priceFinancingClosing costsRepairs that need to be doneAppliances and fixturesLandscapingPainting
• Occupancy time frame

The key to successful negotiating is keeping in mind that the end result must make both you, the buyer, and the seller happy. Otherwise, negative feelings will persist throughout the remainder of the process and someone may walk away feeling that they were not treated fairly.

Your agent can save you time and money by representing your best interests and negotiating on your behalf. Your agent should have the knowledge and expertise necessary to make sure that your offer is accepted at the best price and terms possible for you.