price and/or concessions—such as shorter closing dates, terms, modifications of contingencies, or incentives—will enter the negotiations. When reviewing the offer, be sure to consider items that would be unacceptable to you. A counteroffer is used to, in effect, accept some (or most) of the terms of the buyer’s latest offer, while modifying other items. Since there is no limit to the amount of times counteroffers can be made, make sure the buyer will have to wait for your response. Your eagerness to respond may be interpreted as desperation on your part, which, in turn, may give the buyer more leverage.
DO MAINTAIN A BUSINESSLIKE DEMEANOR
Remind yourself that you want to sell your home for the best price and in the shortest time. Seller/buyer relationships come in all shapes and sizes, but no matter what ensues, selling your home is a legal, documented, court-recorded, I’s-dotted-and-T’s- crossed business transaction. People do not get emotionally involved when buying a bag of oranges, but home selling does have a way of sneaking into one’s emotions and triggering negative responses. If the buyer has an inflated ego and acts like a know-it-all, you need to make sure it does not affect you. On the flip side, if the buyer comes off as the sweetest, kindest, but perhaps most financially troubled person you’ve ever met, don’t let your internal empath dissuade you from pursuing your goal of getting the best price for your home. Stay on your toes, even if the sale is going along quickly and painlessly. Sometimes, it’s an indication that the buyers might back out of the deal. There needs to be a certain amount of discussion by both parties to keep the buyer from jumping ship or, on your part, feeling seller’s remorse. You might sense afterward that the buyer was truly planning to pay more, if
96
Powered by FlippingBook