Kjersey, Your agent is correct. It is customary to ask for these things. The only reason you may not get this home is if there are other competing cash offers that are offering more cash, or not asking for the pest inspection. Even though it is customary it is still negotiable. Escrow fees are always split, buyer pays his own escrow fees and seller pays thier escrow fees. Good Luck!

We are making a cash offer, and the only things in the contract is that the seller pay for, is the pest inspection, and half of the escrow. My agent said it is customary in California for the seller to pay for half to the escrow.

Kjersey, There are many components to an offer other than price such as:

Was it a cash offer? (Cash offers tend to take precedence over a loan due to the fact that there is no risk that the bank will have to foreclose....again)

Did you ask for any repairs? (Banks will not do repairs)

If you are getting a loan then the following would apply:

How much down payment did you include in your offer? (Offers with a larger down payment will take precedence over an offer such as a VA No No because again it is more risk for the bank).

Did you ask for closing costs to be paid? (If there were competing offers that did not ask for CC then the net to the bank would be greater).

The question you don't know is what the competing offers were like.

If they were higher than yours, (The banks will sometimes take a higher offer, to see if it will appraise, again, this applies especially for buyers obtaining loans. I have seen banks pick an offer that is higher, then have it appraise for less than the offer but I guess they want to try.)

I have also had cash buyers offer higher than asking, and pay the price over the appraised value just because they believe it is a good deal. The appraisal will only affect someone who is obtaining a loan. Banks will not lend over the appraised value.

If it is a hot property that many are placing offers on then the banks will really take a close look at everything the buyer is asking for, and how much risk that buyer is to the bank, in regards to defaulting.

Recently, I was helping a buyer purchase a really hot property in Menifee and the listing agent told me there were 36 offers on the property within 2 days!

So as you can see there are many things affecting the banks decision when they are deciding which offer to choose.