Over the past five years, we've experienced a fast-moving real estate market here in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Most homes have been selling quickly -- often in a matter of days -- and many or most have sold at or above the asking price.

This dynamic (homes selling quickly, at or above the list price) has created a dynamic in the market that is not always helpful for buyers (or sellers) today...

A buyer walks through a house and likes it. It checks most of their boxes, and they would love for it to be their next home.

But... either...

1. They think it's worth $10K to $20K less than the list price.

...or...

2.  They can't quite afford the monthly payment associated with the list price, but they could if the price were $10K to $20K lower.

And so... the buyer does nothing. They don't make an offer, as they assuming the seller won't negotiate or that their offer wouldn't be considered seriously.

My encouragement to buyers thinking these thoughts... let the seller make that decision of what they will or will not accept in an offer.  By not making an offer at all, you're deciding for them.

So, if you want to make a less than list price offer on a house, it's perfectly reasonable to wait a day or two to see if someone else steps in and pays full price, but it's also totally OK to just go ahead and make the offer.

The seller likely won't be offended. In many cases, they'll appreciate having an offer to consider. And who knows? You might be pleasantly surprised by their response.

Even in a market that still favors sellers in most price ranges, it is still reasonable to consider trying to negotiate on price and other terms. Doing so all starts with simply raising your hand and saying: "I'd like to buy your house - and here's what I can offer, or what I am comfortable offering."

So, yeah, just make the offer...