“I’ve been looking at homes and made a few offers. My friend is a bookkeeper, but he has a real estate license, so he’s been showing me homes. He’s told me on several homes to offer over the list price, but I don’t feel comfortable doing that…”
Answer:
Let me interject two comments…
#1: It’s pitifully easy to get a real estate license.
Thus, having one does NOT mean someone is qualified to represent you or anyone. If you still think a license makes someone an expert, take a look at some of the drivers out there! They’re licensed too (or at least most of them are).
#2: Value matters, not list price.
I’d gladly pay $100,000 over list price for a home that’s priced $200,000 under market. Wouldn’t you?
That’s an extreme example, but it proves the point that you should be willing to pay market value for a home you want, whether that’s paying under, at, or over list price.
How would you feel if you found out your dream home sold to someone else for a price you were willing to pay, but refused because it was over the list price?
