Woodlandsmom,
To answer your question directly - YES they are making offers that low. That is about 6% below asking price which is very common because the average list to sales price in The Woodlands is about 96% and that gives them room to negotiate.
If your house is priced where it should be that does not mean you should plan on giving in to a lower sales price than what the market is selling at in your neighborhood. Make sure you hire a solid Realtor with lots of experience in The Woodlands. I always recommend you interview at least 2 or 3 to get clear understanding of what price to list your house for. Remember a Listing Agent does NOT just put your house on HAR and let the Buyers Agents bring you Buyers - they should have a solid marketing plan that allows your house to be seen by as many potential Buyers as possible.
If you have any questions please do not hesistate to call me at 936-499-1067 or check out my website at http://www.bradcarlson1.com.
Thanks,
Brad Carlson
#1 Individual Realtor for Prudential Gary Greene, REALTORS - RFO 2008 & 2009

It best list your home within reasonable limits. If a buyer is only qualified for $225K an agent won't show a home $240K more than likely seller wont' move off their price by $15K or more.

We take our clients from amount approved only nothing over.

Good luck

National Featured Realtor and Consultant, Mortgage Loan Officer, Credit Repair Lecturer
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Lynn911
Lynn911

Dear Woodlandsmom,
First of all you have to ask yourself if your home is "priced right" meaning at market value at $ 239,000. A good realtor is able to provide a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) for you. You do not want to list your home overpriced just to try it out for some time and see if you get any takers.
Second for the buyers; some home buyers are looking at higher priced homes and will make "lowball" offers and try to get the deal or the steal of the market. Others are strictly looking within their prize range and will not even find your home on the market.
If the offer price is an insult depends on the seller.
Finally you should know if your home is priced right and the market will support the asking price - your home will sell! In determining the asking price you should also consider how quickly you want or need to move, how many other homes are on the market just like yours and in what shape is your home.
There are many questions to ask and you should talk to a REALTOR® to determine the best strategy for you.
Helpful information can be found on the NAR web page.
If you have further questions please don't hesitate to call me at 936 525 0144 or email at mlothert@kw.com

Best Regards and Good Luck
Martina Lothert
REALTOR®
Keller Williams Realty

Hello Woodlands Mom,

You are so smart to be thinking through the consequences of the listing - presentation - showing - offer - negotiation - closing processes and how they all interact with one another.

If you list your house with an agent that has both lots of experience and strong negotiation skills, you will benefit from their strategies and techniques for getting you the best offer in the least amount of time and net you the most equity for your home.

When a good agent prepares for the marketing strategy session with you, there is a lot of data that will be gathered. You will learn the ratio of asking price vs selling price...so, as an example, if homes similar to yours are selling for 97% of the asking price, you will need to prepare for negotiation prior to putting it on the market.

There are so many things I would like to tell you about the process of selling your home and getting the maximum equity - but it would take more space than we have in this media. I invite you to call me or email. That way, we can take all the time you need to feel comfortable that you have the information to make informed decisions.

To answer your original question - if a buyer is interested in your home, they should write an offer through your listing agent. However, if the comparable sales show your house is overpriced, many buyers will keep looking because they do not want to insult you. As a buyer, it is unwise to make an offer that is insulting, because the seller will often "dig in their heels" and refuse to negotiate in good faith.

The only way to navigate the complex world of real estate negotiation is to have an advocate working hard for you. I am Kathi Frank. You can reach me by phone (832) 515=5754 or email, Kathi@KathiFrank.com

buyers will have their agents run the solds for the area to make a determination if your asking price is reasonable, way high or "just right." The listing agt should have given the seller a list of solds in the past 6 mos-1 year that also gives the same information..if you need a list of solds for your area, write me at springrealtor@sbcglobal.net, I'll be glad to send them to you

It really all depends on 1) Their Realtor and what their Realtor is showing them (and presenting to them) and 2) What comparables are running in your subdivision, and or upgrades, repairs that may be needed. Pricing your home too high, will most likely knock a lot of people out and your home will sit longer on the market. Pricing competitively will allow you to see a lot more showings and most likely offers in a shorter period of time. Don't forget presentation of your property (declutter, etc) and curb appeal :)

everytime you reduce the price you open the door to a whole new set of buyers..buyers look around $5000-10000 more or less than they can afford . Every buyer is different..If he has already lost out on other homes, his offer varies from someone just starting out. Write me at springrealtor@sbcglobal.net
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