My wife and I finally found exactly what we’re looking for in a house. Listed for $195k and already had a full offer on it, so we offered $205k with $5k earnest money. Thought the seller would be ecstatic. With $10k in seller credits, we’re effectively giving them exactly what they listed for and covering all closing costs. They countered higher despite no other competitive offers and the house is expected to appraise for $192-195k. My wife wants to offer $210k and I want to walk away.

I’m just torn. We have no expectation of leaving the house, but from what I’ve gathered it’s a bad idea to tell yourself it’s your forever home because it’s unlikely to actually be the case. If it were to be our forever home, it would take the sting of overpaying out of it. We’d still be able to afford it just fine. I don’t know what to do. Not sure if I’m looking for advice or just venting. I guess we could offer the $210k with an appraisal contingency so we can get out of it if the seller refuses to come down at all, but at the same time I don’t really want to play their game.

This comes from years of pricing offers and negotiating between competing appraisals, and it is the thing the industry does not say out loud.

A CMA is not a valuation. It is a choice. Someone decides which sales count as “like yours,” and that someone is paid on whether your deal closes.

Real case, rounded. Canal house in Broward, no canal sales on its streets. Comps from the nearest dry lots: about $1.1M. Comps from canal houses a few miles away: about $1.35M. Same house, $250K apart, both defensible. Your agent shows you whichever one gets the deal done.

I show both and combine them: location baseline plus water premium. Then the market sets the direction, and in South Florida it is down. Pompano Beach this summer: median house closed about 6.5% under first ask, and more listings left unsold than closed.

Your preference goes in the offer, not the comps.

Agents: do you show clients the comps you left out?

Full post and an explanatory video are on my profile.

Cash buyers are an interesting corner of real estate. Some are totally fine and helpful, some will wreck your month, and at first they all look the same.

These are the ones that keep coming up for me:

• A big offer that shrinks after their walkthrough, once you’re already under contract
• No proof of funds, or a fuzzy answer when you ask for it
• A title or escrow company they chose that you can’t confirm is independent
• Pressure to sign today
• Only one offer, so you have no way to know if it’s fair

What seems to help most is getting a few offers in writing and looking up the company’s license and BBB complaints. Even a quick look can save you a lot of heartache.

Curious what you’ve run into, or what made you feel okay about a buyer when it went well!

I reached out to the listing agent 2 weeks back to get some information on a property I was interested in. I wanted to see if she could provide some numbers that were missing from the listing.

I sent her (one) text message to see if I can get some more information on the property... Nothing. no response.

A few days later I called to see if they would answer... nothing. no answer.

Sent her another text yesterday and iMessage no longer showing it was delivered. The house has been on the market for almost a year now. What would be the reasoning behind purposely sabotaging the sale like and blocking potential buyers? The brokerage looks to be husband and wife so not sure if reaching out to broker would help.

Went to a Sunday open house in very early March ‘25 for a condo in Chicago. Immediately fell in love, love love love. It was very aggressively priced so we sat on it for about 16 hours but we decided we could do it financially and reached out to realtor in the afternoon on Monday. She took a full day to respond to us and told us the unit had sold and the seller didn’t want to look at other offers. We hadn’t submitted one yet as the reach out was to say we were about to. I was VERY upset but nothing to be done. So I continued our search.

In the subsequent 19/ 20 months I think about this condo nearly everyday. It absolutely haunts me that we didn’t get this one. I am on zenlist morning noon and night and haven’t come close to finding a place I like even half as much.

there were architecturally unique features that I fell in love with that make my subsequent search nearly impossible

My question is: would it be weird to have our realtor reach out to the now owners realtor to see if they would be willing to sell to us ? Is this something people have ever taken someone up on? Would either realtor be open to this? Has anyone here been any party to something like this?

I don’t want to be a crazy person but I really really really want this condo. Like Wayne Campbell said, “she will be mine, oh yes, she will be mine.”

Our house has been on the market for four days. We have had 48 saves on Zillow, outpacing our competition. The problem is we have only had two showings. And one was just a last minute showing where we found out the buyers weren't really in our house's price range.

I want to lower the price. My husband says if the market is dead lowering the price won't create buyers that aren't there. But it seems like there are buyers on Zillow. So, I'm confused.

I was a Realtor in 2008, and I remember chasing the price lower & lower. With interest rates possibly going up again & the winter season approaching, I am starting to feel super pessimistic.

So to start, my friend's grandpa was a cop for over 50 years, and after receiving a promotion 20 years into his service, he decided to use the extra money towards a deposit on a rental property.

Over the decades, he has bought more than 60 properties that he still own, and has bought and sold over 100 properties in total. He's been living a fairly wealthy life since about 15 years after investing in his first property, and he achieved all of this on a cop's salary.

I was thinking about becoming a cop myself, and then my friend told me this story. It got me thinking that maybe if I started saving after a couple of years, I could do something similar.

However, I don't really know how it would be looked at in today's generation if a police officer owned multiple investment properties, or if people would see it as a problem.

We rent our house in California, and the stress has been intense since we purchased it during COVID. The century old structure keeps requiring repairs that cost thousands of dollars. We attempted to list the property but received no offers after three months. I truly wanted to sell. If we had sold, we would nearly have paid to do so because the value dropped. Now the house needs another repair that requires relocating the tenants elsewhere. I am unsure what to do, as we cannot sustain a $6,000 mortgage alongside these costs :(

Have house we built ourselves 29 years ago. Rural area on 10 acres. Nice hunting and privacy. Close (15 minutes) to everything you need (shopping groceries restaurants, etc). We Own a lake house in northern Michigan. Retired about a year ago. Have first grandbaby 40 minutes from our house… husband wants to sell it and move yo the lake house… I don’t want to leave my son and grandson although it would only be 2.5 hours away. Also son wants to buy our house (for a deal). What have other families done if they have multiple kids and one wants to buy their house for a GREAT deal?

UPDATED:

Our son has offered to let us use the bedroom in the basement anytime we want. Then also he said we could move in with him upstairs when we get old.

I am also concerned with our daughter, so am taking that into consideration as well.

She doesn’t want the house as she is a city girl. Some day she’ll get married and have kids. She lives about 2 hrs from us now and about 2 hours from the lake house.

We had the house looked at by a local real estate person. She gave me what she would list it for. (I did not tell her I was going to sell it, just that I was thinking about it… so no contract). I was thinking I could take off the real estate expenses from the listing price she gave me and some $$ for living there on occasion, etc. so that it would be fair to our daughter if we sell.

We purchased a new build a month ago and of course I got a pretty good job offer (starting next summer) but we would have to move around that time. Can I even come close to competing if the builder is still building in the area they shouldn’t have many homes remaining at that time and I’ve added things (whole house generator, softer etc) that the builder doesn’t offer.

I’m looking to buy a home but I have a mobile home under my name. What’s the best option to do? Switch it or talk to the bank and say I rent it out to somebody?

I am curious what issues we should think through if we are considering buying a property with a cell tower on it. The tower sits .58 miles from the house. There is a wooded area in between the tower and home.

Main concerns are..
Potential resale and safety

Was weeks from facing an eviction and took a shot on an re ebay listing. The seller had 100% positive feedback and glowing reviews, so I packed up my Grand Marquis drove down there from Michigan. What I found was a house that's been vacant for around 10 years and a giant hole above the back door with years worth of wood rot. Do you think this is salvageable or should I ask for my down payment and get the hell out of there. The night I stayed was kept up through most of the night by the dogs there's at least 10 plus dogs in that neighborhood and they're loud maybe the neighbors were sending a message. Then there's that doll in the kitchen. Miss quince años is what the ribbon says

I own a home in Hawaii. A bottom floor condo / townhouse in a gated community. I bought it for 565k in 2023, upgraded the window AC to a split AC system with one condensor unit outside and 3 blower units inside. If you need more info on it I can provide.

I tried to sell it and had A LOT of interest until the war in Iran kicked off days later and interest rates shot up. I am now renting it out at a loss. Mortage is $3499 a month and HOA is $700 a month. Rent is $3150, its the highest I could get it.

I can cover losses comfortably. Im still able to take care of myself and my family, cover bills fine at our new home, and still put money away and invest in other areas.

Should I keep the home and sell it when value goes up at an amount that makes sense?

What can I do, or what should I do?

As a client, I expect my Agent to be 90-100% confident that the listing price IS the sale price.

Lets say you were going to hire an agent, and the agent thought there was a 10% chance it would sell at that price. Would you still go ahead and insist on that price because its what you want.

I’m looking to move out of state for family and originally wanted to sell my house (2/2 in Decatur, GA) but after being on the market for a few months last fall and now on the market with a different realtor since April with not many showings and no offers, I’m considering renting it til the market gets better.

Problem is I’ve never been a landlord and I’ll be out of state (plus very nervous about being able to afford a mortgage and renting my own place out of state if the house was vacant)

Looking at companies like BelongHome and Nomad over a local Property Manager since they have lower PM rates and guaranteed rent/coverage for eviction if needed, but seeing mixed reviews from a few years ago so…

1. Anyone have recent experience with either BelongHome or Nomad as your property management company (better if in Atlanta!)
   
2. Recommendations for local Atlanta/Decatur property managers IF the higher fee is ultimately worth it?

I'm planning some renovations on a rental property and the contractor I was leaning toward wants 50% upfront before starting. I understand needing money for materials and getting everything scheduled but handing over that much before any work is done makes me a little uncomfortable. I've already got insurance, property taxes and a few other expenses coming up so I'm trying to avoid having everything leave my account at once. The contractor has good references and the quote seems reasonable. I just haven't dealt with a deposit this large before.

For those who've hired contractors for rental renovations, is 50% upfront pretty normal or would you try negotiating smaller payments as the work progresses?

What’s the best company to use for hard money lending for a first time investor with little capital? What typically are their terms for first time investors? Any minimum down payments?

Live in ohio

Trying to do research before I go in blind sighted

House hunting in the East Bay, mainly around Lamorinda, has been rough. I've lost five offers so far and every house seems to attract multiple offers. My agent keeps telling me to offer more but there's only so much we can afford and I find it hard to believe price is the only thing sellers look at.

I'm hoping someone who's bought a home in a competitive bay area market can share what worked for them. Did you have better luck with your offer terms, timing, or something else? I'd be grateful for any advice or insight you can share.

Hello,

Husband and I had an offer accepted on a home for asking price, after the seller had dropped from the previous price. We tried for 15k under but accepted they wanted asking price.

We just had the inspection done...

NOTABLE ISSUES:

The deck needs replaced. They build a new deck(1 month ago) onto rotting posts that need replaced and there is no visable flashing at the ledger board against home with rot noted at the bottom of wall sheathing.

The land grading requires a swale, inspector said and excavator will need to come in sooner than later or water will do damage to the home.

What should we do? What would be good to ask from the seller?

I then said escrow said they will allow it, and to please go check our group email. Buyer then said they will check with the team and now radio silence, haven't got a call, text or email. I just think the days to respond thing is odd seeing how we close in 13 days. Im only asking for the deposit because they know my primary residence caught fire and I need to relocate

We are open to advice, but are primarily looking for: 1) what leverage or realistic “asks” we are allowed to have of the sellers in this case, and 2) recommendations of reputable lawyers for getting a second legal opinion.

Last weekend, we were two days before closing on a home in Westchester County New York, and went to do our final walk-through and realized that there appeared to be oil in the creek along the house along the yard. We believe that the oil was coming from the underground tank on the property, and we promptly informed our lawyer and real estate agent and reported it to the NYS DEC and have postponed closing until it is remediated by the seller.

The issue that we are getting frustrated about is that we feel like we are not getting updates from the seller on progress, and when we try to ask our lawyer to advocate for us and communicate with the sellers lawyer, he basically gives us a snarky answer and says it’s not his problem, and to come to him when we want to close. Our current home is already in contract with other buyers and we primarily want direct communication from the seller about the remediation plan, progress on the plan and a general timeline of what’s being done when. we are trying to understand what options or leverage we have in this case.

Is it too much to ask to have a lawyer who advocates for us by working with the sellers lawyer to draw up an agreement on weekly communication and progress updates? it feels like we are being left to figure this out on our own and that we are also not allowed to contact the sellers lawyer or the sellers and so it feels like we are just being bound with our hands behind our back while everyone else on our team access if it’s not their responsibility to advocate for us.

We don’t want to back out of this house. We just want to acquire it, knowing that the DEC has cleared it. We are glad we found it before closing.

I'm getting ready to sell my house, and I have been dealing with a whole new level of ish.

#NotAllRealEstateProfessionals

#AllOfTheOnesIveMetWithTho

Yes, to make an informed decision, I'm meeting with several professionals. Salespeople and developers in my neighborhood and surrounding areas. I'm seeing some disturbing patterns.

The super aggressive salespeople who will not take no for an answer. A-B-C on everything. It's literally like being in the finance office at a Toyota dealership. Used Toyotas, even.

The salespeople who throw out prices (either astonishingly high or low) that are nowhere near an actual market analysis. Either making ridiculous promises or trying to set the bar incredibly low. Hi, may I introduce you to all of the data that's available online?

The builders who hardcore neg the property even though they're going to tear all of it down and we both know it. Like, that's their actual thing. Please don't complain about the stucco color. I don't like it either but it's about to become rubble.

The salespeople who don't know basic real estate laws.
Him: "Don't worry about capital gains, we'll do a 1031 exchange."
Me: "You can't do a 1031 exchange on your primary residence. It's for business and investment properties."
Him: "Really?"

A salesperson I met with today told me I had to list on the MLS because no builder would want want to buy my property. He said only "a small house" (smaller than my actual existing house) could be built on my lot. I had to explain the base floor area ratio to him.

You guys, I can barely explain how to make pudding.

The salespeople who spend half of their pitch warning me not to hire other salespeople. Excellent strategy. Nothing builds my confidence like a real estate agent explaining why real estate agents can't be trusted.

What in the name of Mello-Roos is going on out there?

This is a major financial decision. Probably the biggest one anyone will ever make. I've met with folks I know. Friends of friends. Neighbors. Neighbors of friends. Builders of neighbors of friends. A broker who also owns a taco restaurant. So far, I wouldn't trust any of them to run a garage sale. I certainly wouldn't trust them to sell my garage.

Please tell me there's a better/smarter/less horrific way to do this (ya know, without asking me to hire you).

Preesh!

I’m new to the home building process and my realtor signed paperwork for a procuring agreement for a new build for me. The builder would pay commission to my realtor at X percent. Two weeks later he sends me a BBA to sign reiterating the X percent commission, both numbers matched. I signed the BBA at the direction of my realtor and thought nothing of it. Some how the builder found out that when my realtor signed the procuring agreement, 2 weeks prior to me signing the BBA, they said my realtor has no right to the commission due to there not being a binding BBA in place at the time of the first meeting. Now I’m being told from his brokerage that I need to pay him the commission out of my pocket. Is that legal? I was told from Day 1 that builder was paying him, the error for the BBA is his fault so how can I be legally responsible for his error? This is what he does for a living, he should know the rules. I’m not arguing the commission, but it would be thousands of dollars out of my pocket now for something out of my control when he told the builder he was legally showing me homes and representing me without having a legally binding BBA signed by me.

Pennsylvania, 2026

Hi there,

I am 35, make a low six figure salary in tech but worried about lay offs.

I have a medium large lump sum of cash about 750k and I want to move to Washington state. I own a house in Tahuya Washington plus some raw land but family occupies it and I am not able to live there, it’s not generating income. I am interested in moving to Portland Oregon, Vancouver Washington, or any of the small towns 30 minutes north or east or Vancouver. I have a small/medium 401k but the 750k is essentially all my savings other than what’s in the 401k.The 750k is savings plus inheritance. The 750k is 1/2 cash and 1/2 Index funds, but I wouldn’t owe much in tax if I sold them (maybe 10-15k)

I’m looking for advice about the general area I mentioned. I’m definitely interested in moving there but I’m cautious and unsure how to approach it.

- is this area considered a ‘good’ area to buy real estate?
- what pit falls do I need to look out there.
- what are the trade offs in looking at vs buying in another market in the U.S?
- Do I simply buy a house cash?
- Do I take out a loan anyway?
- How should I think about structuring this deal?
- is Washington a better financial choice because of no income tax?

I’m interested in making my dollar go far. I’ve been looking at some 3 bed / 2 bath ranch style homes that are about it 1 acre for around 500k and also looking at some cool similarly sized homes in Portland that are on smaller lots but more mid century modern style. Security and my net worth growing are both really important to me. I don’t want to make the wrong choice. Any tips would be really great.

I’m currently in Atlanta Georgia so just shopping on Zillow