Category: Kitchen Home Improvement

By John Ash

One of the most tried and true methods of getting the best possible price on a home is to offer the seller less than the asking price.

Yet, many home buyers are hesitant to use this method of negotiating. They feel as if a low offer will insult the seller. Some real estate agents have acknowledged that many home buyers have also expressed a sense of shame or embarrassment by not offering the asking price.

True, you may in fact encounter many sellers who are offended by your low offer, but there are ways to prevent this from happening. It’s just a matter of assuring the seller that the price you are offering is what works best for your purposes and taking the time to explain your reasoning.

Is it not worth the gamble if there is potential to save anywhere from $10,000 or $40,000 on the deal? Think about it. That’s more money to allocate towards any renovations or furniture for the house.

Sellers definitely have an emotional attachment to their house but this doesn’t necessarily mean they will be insulted by a low offer. Many sellers and their realtors recognize that a buyer’s initial offer is nothing more than an opening negotiating ploy where the buyer is feeling out exactly how desperate the seller is to part with the property.

But, to cover your bases, you should accompany any low offer with an explanation as to why you feel the price cut is fair. For instance, if the property is in need of updating, particularly potentially expensive items like a roof, wiring, appliances and the furnace, you could specifically state this to help offset the possibility of insulting the seller.

If you have a friend or family member who is a contractor, take them with you to view the house, and have them work up an estimate of the potential cost of any renovations to include with the offer. If the bathroom doesn’t meet your criteria – how much will it cost to renovate the bathroom to suit your needs? By breaking things down like this, you are showing the seller that your offer isn’t intended as a slap in the face but more or less a means to show them the perspective from your side.

Hopefully, you are reducing the risk that the seller will be so insulted by your low offer that they refuse to counter and cut off negotiations completely. With any luck, particularly if the location isn’t necessarily a seller’s market, the seller might even question whether or not they’ve overpriced the house upon reviewing your offer and comments. Explaining your reasoning will also give the seller the opportunity to correct any misjudgment on your part. For instance, maybe the roof isn’t as old as you thought and they can make you aware of that fact.

Check out the market locally to determine if you have any leverage in making a low initial offer. It’s conceivable that the seller may have the home listed on the higher end of what comparable properties in the area are actually selling for. This gives you negotiating room. Also, if the house has been on the market for some time and has already been reduced several times, the owner may have already gone as low as they can possibly go and may not be so inclined to hear out your low offer. Some research on the part of you and your real estate agent is a means to ensure that you aren’t in any way insulting the seller.

It’s also not a bad strategy to offer the seller something in return to get them to look past the low offer or come back to you with a reasonable counter offer. It may help your case if you show the seller that you have mortgage pre-approval, can close within 30 days, are willing to pay a portion of the closing costs or can provide them with a larger earnest money deposit.

The main purpose of a low end offer is to alter seller expectations. There is an art to the whole process. Some experts state that you should never offer less than 20% – 25% of the asking price but many successful real estate investors will argue this. Their belief is that this method of negotiating for real estate is worthwhile if there is one seller who accepts a low offer after a dozen or more rejections from other sellers. The bottom line is you can never predict which owners may be open to a low offer so why not explore it? Some sellers are dealing with hardships like divorce or death. Other sellers may be in a hurry to sell in order to relocate.

Plus, let’s not forget how counter offers play into the process. Let’s say that the seller has their house listed on the market at $300,000 and your initial offer is $250,000. It’s fair to speculate that the seller will reject your low offer but they may also counter it at $280,000. So, by offering less initially, you’ve still managed to knock off $20,000 from their original asking price. The sellers may even claim this as a victory themselves because they’ve managed to get you to agree to $30,000 more than your initial offer. Everyone thinks they’ve won!

About the Author: John is a contributor to a Connecticut Real Estate, Connecticut Mortgage, and Connecticut Real Estate Guide.

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Submitted by: Marilyn Bohn

Are you discouraged by magazine articles that set the expectation for organizing too high? Here are 5 proven and powerful tips for getting rid of clutter in just a few minutes.

My daughter had eye surgery a few years ago and when she was released from the clinic she was given a pair of snazzy sunglasses–you know the ones I mean–they wrap around on the sides and you don’t want to be seen in public wearing them. She calls them her $1,500 sun glasses and wears them more than she wears her nice ones that are stylish. The reason for this is she can’t find her nice sunglasses when she needs them because she puts them where ever she takes them off. They might be in her purse, on the piano, on the seat of her car or on the desk. The $1,500 pair she always puts back in the glove compartment (aka: jockey box) in the car so she finds them every time.

I was thinking about this when I read an article that listed a few projects that can be completed in about 2 minutes. This disturbed me because I think people really believe these articles and then get discouraged or think something is wrong with them when they can’t get organized in 2 minutes.

Instead of having this mindset that it should only take 2 minutes I think it is more productive to start with some small area and see how long it will take rather than setting yourself up for failure. Here are some of the things suggested to get rid of clutter in 2 minutes or less:

1. The fridge: My friend used to tell me I had the most disgusting fridge ever. I think that is because she was OCD. Never-the-less it was full of left over’s that I had good intentions would become planned over’s, but they never did so they grew mold and then I could throw them away. Do you have the same problem; you have to save it and can’t throw it away until it is disgusting? We might as well toss it before cluttering the fridge.

I recommend getting rid of clutter in the fridge by taking about 5 minutes and taking out all of the mystery food and disposing of it, rinsing the container and loading them in the dishwasher. When you have more time come back and organize and clean the fridge.

2. Designate a home for things you use all the time but can’t find when you want them. Things like sunglasses, keys, purse and daily planner. These is not brain surgery, think of a place and call it home for that item from now and forever and get in the habit of putting it in its home when not being used.

3. Sock drawer: You can get rid of clutter and the socks can be straightened in under 5 minutes–IF it has already been organized. I recommend drawer dividers to separate exercise, daily and dress socks.

4. Nightstand: is yours piled with books, magazines, and hand lotion, lose change, food dishes, and unused tissues? Take about 5 minutes and get rid of those piles. Anything there that belongs somewhere else in the house put in your BE basket (belongs elsewhere) to be put away when you’re done here. Contain the loose change somewhere else as there usually isn’t room on a night stand and it isn’t a convenient place to come for change. Keep only items you use on a daily basis on the flat surface. Things like a lamp, 1 bottle of lotion (your whole collection doesn’t have to be here), tissues, radio, eyeglasses and a book are some examples. After it is organized then it will only take a few minutes to reorganize if the piles start happening again.

5. Night time routine: Are mornings a bit hectic for you? Is it because there is a lack of order in your home? Before going to bed (train your children to do this too) take 5 minutes or less getting rid of clutter. Put toys away, newspapers put in the recycle bin, dishes that aren’t in the kitchen put in the sink or dishwasher. How sweet it is to get up to an orderly home and a bit of tidying up the night before goes a long way in making mornings less hectic.

Don’t be discouraged when you don’t meet the expectations of a magazine article. Start–that is the key word, start getting rid of clutter and before you know it you will be able to organize many things in under a few minutes.

About the Author: Marilyn Bohn is the owner of Get it Together Organizing, a business dedicated to developing practical organizing solutions that help individuals and business professionals live clutter-free and productive lives. She is the author of “Go Organize! Sign up for her free tips

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By Real Estate Advisor

In June 2007, the United States Census Bureau released data listing the top 25 most populated cities in the country. Not only is California the most populous state in the country with about 36 million people, it also has four of the most populated cities in the United States.

California cities that made the top 25 list include:

Los Angeles, ranked number 2 with about 3,849,378 people.

San Diego, ranked number 8 with about 1,256,951 people. San Jose, ranked number 10 with about 929,936 people. San Francisco, ranked number 11 with about 744,041 people.

Texas, being the second most populated state in the country (25,507,783 people), had six cities that ranked in the top 25 list. These cities include: Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth and El Paso.

Listed below is the entire ranking of the top 25 most populated cities as of July 1, 2006, according to the United States Census Bureau.

Top 25 Most Populated Cities

1.New York (New York) – 8,214,426

2.Los Angeles (California) – 3,849,378 3.Chicago (Illinois) – 2,833,321 4.Houston (Texas) – 2,144,491 5.Phoenix (Arizona) – 1,512,986 6.Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) – 1,448,394 7.San Antonio (Texas) – 1,296,682 8.San Diego (California) – 1,256,951 9.Dallas (Texas) – 1,232,940 10.San Jose (California) – 929,936 11.Detroit (Michigan) – 871,121 12.Jacksonville (Florida) – 794,555 13.Indianapolis (Indiana) – 785,597 14.San Francisco (California) – 744,041 15.Columbus (Ohio) – 733,203 16.Austin (Texas) – 709,893 17.Memphis (Tennessee) – 670,902 18.Fort Worth (Texas) – 653,320 19.Baltimore (Maryland) – 631,366 20.Charlotte (North Carolina) – 630,478 21.El Paso (Texas) – 609,415 22.Boston (Massachusetts) – 590,763 23.Seattle (Washington) – 582,454 24.Washington (District of Columbia) – 581,530 25.Milwaukee (Wisconsin) – 573,358

To put these numbers in perspective, consider the fact that many of these cities have a larger population that several entire states. For example, while New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio and San Diego all have populations over 1 million, there are many states that have populations of less than 1 million. These smaller states with populations less than 1 million include: Montana (944,632), Delaware (853,476), Alaska (670,053), North Dakota (635,867), Vermont (623,908), and Wyoming (515,004). To keep updated on population estimates, visit the Census Bureau’s web site.

About the Author: Del Mar CondosDel Mar Real EstateEncinitas Condos

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