You find a home you love, priced at $375K, and you know it will appeal to a lot of buyers.  So, we prepare an offer... with an escalation clause. Now comes the hard part... how high will you go?

You'd happily pay $385K or $390K. Would you pay $400K? Maybe. You're not sure.

Try thinking about it in terms of how you'd feel afterward, not just the number itself.

Paying $390K... Delighted?
Paying $400K... A bit uneasy, but still glad you got the house?
Paying $410K... Regretful you went that high?

The shift from delighted to uneasy but glad, to regretful can show us where the top of that escalation clause should be... for you... for that one property.  That number will be different for each buyer on any particular house.

Comps and market value still matter... you don't want to escalate (too far) past what an appraisal can support. But comps don't reflect you how much you want the house, or what price you'd feel good about long after closing. That part is yours to define.

When you're preparing to make an offer on an uber-popular house, we'll talk through the numbers, and the feelings, so you land on a price you'll feel good about.