Opinions needed - how to make offers without seeming too keen?

[see_change]

We've never made a written offer.

We tend to stick to the truth . I'm only going to make an offer on a place I want a buy .

But the truth is I want to buy a place for as cheap a price as I can get . I'm not emotionally attached ( usually ...) to a property I want to buy , unless that attachment is that think it's a bargin.

If an agent told me an offer of 450 on an asking price of 470 is too low , I'd suspect I was dealing with an inexperienced agent. When we've been tol by an agent that our offer is too low , I'd say . fine , but that's all I want to pay for it and I'd remind the agent they have a legal obligation to forward any offers to the owner ( unless the owner has specifically told them not to ). If I was selling a place at 470 I'd be annoyed if the agent didn't pass on an offer of 450.

It is good practice to go and make low ball offers to see how you react and the agents react in the situation. Find a place that's 100 K more than you can afford , and then offer what you can afford . Every so often you might be suprised at what comes back to you . Nothing's set in stone untill you sign.

Cliff

 

[Y33]

Sometimes it pays to let them know this house is your second choice so you are only prepared to offer x amount of dollars as you will put an offer in for a another place.

This then makes the REA think that if he doesn't push your offer you will be gone. If asked which other house are you interested in just say its not in this area but about 30K cheaper and closer to your buying range.

 

[bradje]

Had this happen to me

This is almost exactly my experience recently.
Placed an offer on a house about 3 months ago and the agent (quite an experienced one) got quite shirty about the "insulting" offer blah blah.
Well, that agent didn't sell the place and the vendors gave it to another REA.
The house went for auction (3 months after my offer) and guess what? Went for $20K LESS than my offer, ~$420K!
So don't be intimidated by the Agent(s). It's just that we are so used to paying according to a price tag for an item, and the agents know this, so they try and use it to their advantage. Just pay the price tag is what, in essence, they will try and tell you.
I would say that if what you are looking for is a bargain, then you need to look at about 100 places before you get a GOOD feel for value and will know straight away the value of a place as soon as you walk in to it.
Hth,
JB