Warming those "Cold Feet"

There are lots of reasons why you might logically decide not to buy a specific property. Valid concerns would be poor location, not enough bedrooms or bathrooms to suit your needs or it’s too much of a “fixer-upper” for your interest. But let’s for a minute examine some of the reasons that might initially steer you away from a subject property that deserves a second look.

• It’s overpriced. One thing that I’ve heard before is that “I don’t want to insult the seller by making a low offer.” The reality is however that there’s nothing to be lost by making what you consider a reasonable low offer. There are many factors involved in setting the sales price and it’s never an exact science. Often times you’ll find that making an offer, any offer, begins the negotiation process. This is where real estate sales begin.


• It’s been on the market “forever.” Often buyers feel that if a property has been on the market too long there must be something inherently wrong with it. This isn’t always the case. Poor marketing, over-pricing or lack of proper staging might also be factors involved. Every home has a buyer and sometimes the two simply haven’t met. Again, if it’s of interest to you it’s probably worth exploring further no matter how long it’s been on the market.


• It needs some work. So the prospective property you have in mind has a few cosmetic flaws. Maybe you’re not drawn to the choice of colors the current owner has used. Perhaps the hardware in the kitchen or elsewhere is not your particular taste. Whatever the reason you initially feel turned off by the home, step back and reflect. These things can all be changed and typically aren’t that difficult to fix. The odds of finding a truly “turn key” property that needs absolutely no input from you are slim. So get comfortable with the minor changes. After all, this is where your personality is going to shine through!

As always, happy hunting and call me if you need some outside perspective.