Bob Adelfson - Divorce Book

of contingencies, incentives, etc., will enter into the picture. When reviewing the offer, carefully note any items that are unacceptable to you. A counteroffer is used, in effect, to accept some (or most) of the terms of the buyer’s latest offer, while modifying other items. Since there is no limit to the number of counteroffers that can be made, make the buyer wait for your response. Your eagerness to respond may be interpreted as desperation on your part, which may in turn 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 follows, selling your home is a legal, documented, court-recorded business transaction. You don’t get emotionally involved when buying a bag of oranges, but selling a home has a way of becoming emotional and triggering irrationally negative responses. If the buyer has an inflated ego and acts like a know-it-all, don’t let it affect you. Likewise, if the buyer comes off as the sweetest, kindest, but perhaps somewhat financially troubled person you’ve ever met, don’t let your internal “mister nice guy” 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 seamlessly. Sometimes no news isn’t good news. It can just as easily be an indication that the buyer might back out of the deal. There has to be a certain amount of discussion on the part of both parties to keep the buyer from jumping ship or the seller feeling seller’s remorse.

DON'T LET YOUR EGO GET THE BEST OF YOU

There may come a time when you think about all the money, labor, and time you’ve invested in getting your home sold. You reflect upon all of the hours spent cleaning, maintaining, staging, and

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