Dear Zenilde -
30 days is really not a long time for a house to be listed. The average listing time for houses in our market is 90+. That means some sell quickly and others are there for 6 months or more. If the house has issues it will be on the market longer. The more people a house appeals to and the better shape it's in, the faster it goes.

The answer to your question about offering a lower price is really ...it depends. If the seller is not highly motivated to sell they will entertain all offers but only accept one that fits their needs. If they ARE highly motivated (moving to another state for a job, about to lose the house in foreclosure) they might accept something much lower but the only way to really know is to write an offer and see what happens.

I highly recommend (if you're not already doing so) that you work with a REALTOR as a buyers agent who knows your area and can pull comparable sales from the last 3 to 6 months. That should give you an idea whether the property is accurately priced or not. If you don't know a good REALTOR, please contact me and I'll give you the name of several that are highly qualified and know your area. You could interview them and choose one that you'd be comfortable working with.

Having a REALTOR work with you as a buyers agent is a great way to go because:
1) you hire them to be your advocate and watch out for your best interest, someone to be in your corner
2) the listing agent represents the seller and is watching out for THEIR best insterests
3) the commission for the buyers agent is paid by the seller so it doesn't cost you anything to be represented and protected so why WOULDN'T you use a buyers agent
Purchaing a home is probably the most expensive and important financial decision you'll make so you ought to look for a professional to help you make the best decisions. Remember, not all real estate agents are REALTORS and not all REALTORS are created equal. You'd check out the doctor you'd go to and you ought to check out your REALTOR as well.

If you'd lie to contact me for recommended agents, my information is below.
Trisha Lee REMAX Boone Realty, Columbia, MO
ABR (accredited buyers representative) GRI (graduate realtors institute) CRS (certified residential specialist) e-PRO (real estate internet professional)
(573) 999-1000 (cell phone)
TrishaLee@Remax.net (email)

Sat May 10 2008, 10:00