Steve La Rue

It really does depend on your motivations and goals. Without knowing your local market, I can't tell you if your plan of action poses a threat of offending the Seller or not. If you're motivated to buy the house and your goal is to fix it up yourself to live in, the price might not be the most important factor to consider. If you're motivated to get a great deal and your goal is to have some instant equity, offending the Seller is probably not the most important factor. I imagine that you, like most buyers, are somewhere in the middle so you'll have to dance a little and see if you can find some middle ground there. If this isn't something you guys do very often, Jeff's advice to talk to a local Realtor is pretty well founded. They can help you figure out what the current value is and what the improved value would be. With that information you'll be well equipped to start the negotiations. Good Luck! - Thu May 8 2008, 12:00