Recent negotiations I've been a part of, or have heard about....

   SELLER:  $299,000          BUYER:  $225,000

   SELLER:  $239,000          BUYER:  $215,000

   SELLER:  $495,000          BUYER:  $300,000

Needless to say, more and more buyers are making low offers on properties that are currently for sale.  Buyers would call the offers aggressive.  Sellers would call the offers ridiculous, absurd, far-fetched, tear-inducing, etc.

I do think, however, that this is an important part of a real estate market that is regaining its foothold and seeing what home values really are, what they should be, and what they could be.

Even if some (many?) of these low offers don't go anywhere, and even if they hurt the feelings of some sellers, I think that in a big picture sense it is good that buyers are making these offers.  It puts the local real estate market in a lot better position than when buyers were just sitting on the sidelines thinking sellers' prices were too high, and not being willing to do anything about it.

Buyers.....keep 'em coming!

Sellers.....let's brace ourselves, and work hard to try to make a deal work!