Mother & Daughter Blog: Buyers: Check and compare, then make your offer.

Buyers: Check and compare, then make your offer.

 

 Tips on how to determine Your Offer Price:  When you prepare an offer to purchase a home, you already know the seller's asking price. But what price are you going to offer and how do you come up with that figure?

 

 

 

Determining your offer price is a three-step process.

  1. First, you look at recent sales of similar properties to come up with a price range.
  2. Then, you analyze additional data, such as the condition of the home, improvements made to the property, current market conditions, and the circumstances of the seller. This will help you settle on a price you think would be fair to pay for the home.
  3. Finally, depending on your negotiating style, you adjust your "fair" price and come up with what you want to put in your offer.

Comparable Sales

The first step in determining the price you are willing to offer is to look at the recent sales of similar homes. These are called "comparable sales." Comparable sales are recent sales of homes that compare closely to the one you are looking to purchase.

Specifically, you want to compare prices of homes that are similar in

  • square footage
  • number of bedrooms and bathrooms
  • garage space
  • lot size
  • and type of construction

If the home you are interested in is part of a tract of homes, then you will most likely find some exact model matches to compare against one another.

There are three main sources of information on comparable sales, all of which are easily accessed by a real estate agent. It is somewhat more difficult for the general public to access this data, and in some cases impossible.

Two of the most obvious information sources are:

  • public record and the
  • Multiple Listing Service

 

the Mother and Daughter Realty Team @ Perfect Financial Solutions 866-750-8282

 

Rosemary Brooks

Patrick Williams & Associates

Mother and Daughter Realty Team

PH:         866-543-0461

FAX:        866-815-1649

EMAIL:     info@motheranddaughterrealtyteam.net

WEBSITE: www.motheranddaughterrealtyteam.com

Comments

I'm sure buyers will benefit from this information. There is no magic to pricing property. It is simply a matter of market analysis.
Posted by Rosario Lewis, GRI ~ DDR Realty, Orange County, NY (DDR Realty) over 2 years ago
Rosario - so true! The market is confused right now with all the meltdowns and the solutions to the meltdown and the short sales and the desperate sellers and the stall in loans and the etc.  I'd advise a seller to use a real estate agent to get a better picture of what their property is really worth.
Posted by Rosemary Brooks -Mother & Daughter (866)-750-8282 (Patrick Williams & Associates - 866-750-8282) over 2 years ago
Rosemary, this is an excellent article for buyers who want to make an offer on a house as well as sellers who want to price their home to sell.
Posted by GITA BANTWAL, REALTOR BUCKS COUNTY, PA HOMES (ReMax Centre Realtors) over 2 years ago
Rosemary, Very good information.  Thank you for putting it together in such a nice article.
Posted by Barbara Mulcahy, ABR, CRS - Your Berkeley Heights Real Estate Source (Re/Max Classic Group) over 2 years ago
Gita, hopefully it will be useful to both side of the transaction.  Thanks for stopping by.
Posted by Rosemary Brooks -Mother & Daughter (866)-750-8282 (Patrick Williams & Associates - 866-750-8282) over 2 years ago
Barbara, you're welcome and I appreciate your comment.  Thanks for stopping by.
Posted by Rosemary Brooks -Mother & Daughter (866)-750-8282 (Patrick Williams & Associates - 866-750-8282) over 2 years ago
Thank you for the helpful information.
Posted by Adele Irving - Easton Area Homes (Prudential Patt, White Real Estate) over 2 years ago
Adele - you're welcome and I appreciate you stopping by.  I hope that this information will be passed to others that might need it.
Posted by Rosemary Brooks -Mother & Daughter (866)-750-8282 (Patrick Williams & Associates - 866-750-8282) over 2 years ago

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