If you have found a property that you want to purchase but you think the list price is a little too high since there is a lot of work that needs to be done to the property, there are some things that you want to consider doing with a real estate agent. You don't want to buy a house you instantly have to stick money into after you've paid for the home. A real estate agent will be your best option for getting a good deal on the property and dealing with the steep purchase price of the home. Talk with an agent about these things:
Evaluate the Comparable Properties
Your real estate agent doesn't just have access to see what other houses are listed at, that are similar to the property that you want, but they can also quickly see what comparable listings in the MLS database have sold for. This means they can prove when you put in an offer that other houses have sold for similar prices, not just what they were listed at.
Negotiating Updates or Closing Costs
The real estate agent can write the offer asking for a credit on the purchase price of the home, and state that this credit will be used to replace carpeting or update other areas of the home. The real estate agent may also suggest that the seller pay the closing costs, to make up for the updates that you as the buyer will have to make to move into the home.
Utilize the Inspection
You don't want to buy a property without having an inspection completed. Your real estate agent can schedule the inspection, and then you can use the things that are wrong in the inspection and have them fixed in order for the house purchase to be finalized. State that you want major issues in the inspection repaired or treated, so you aren't purchasing a house that is flawed.
If you have found a property that you like the layout and the structure, but there are some cosmetic issues and some updates that make the house less valuable than what it is listed for, you'll want to talk with a real estate agent to see what you can do to get the price down. The real estate agent will represent you to help you get the best deal on real estate for sale, so you can buy the home and afford to make the changes it needs.
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