"I Should Have Taken That Offer!!!"

I can't even count the number of times over the course of my nearly 30 year real estate career that a seller did not accept a reasonable offer on their home, only to call me days or weeks later asking, "Has that buyer has bought anything yet?"

Today's market does not lend itself to sellers holding out for top dollar...Unless of course, they really don't need to sell...and then I wonder, Why are they testing the market now anyway? Not a good time to just put a sign in your yard and hope someone loves your decorating. The media is inundating us all with news of foreclosures and short sales, sales not going through due to low appraisals, and now added to the mix, a major oil spill! This has every potential Florida Real Estate purchaser leery of the uncertainty...Yesterday, in one of the dozens of online publications to which I subscribe, it was reported that Southwest Florida has less than a 1% chance of being effected directly by the spill. That being said, we are all feeling some peripheral fallout from this disaster.

Keeping all this in mind, I suggest every homeowner that thinks they want to sell their home in today's present market climate, reconsider and only make the decision to sell if you are willing to negotiate a fair price for your property.  I'm not suggesting you give your homes away, but a ready, willing and able cash buyer is something I urge you all to take very seriously!

Case in point: I wrote an offer on Tuesday for a lovely, furnished villa in one of the most exclusive country club communities in Naples. The buyer just happens to also be a real estate agent from the Northeast. It was their third 'real estate shopping' trip to Naples this year. We based the offer on facts derived from multiple listing data and public records. It was a CASH offer with a quick closing and no contingencies! The seller did not even counter! Imagine my shock [never mind the buyer's disappointment] when the listing agent informed us they felt we were too far apart to warrant a counter! I assure you, the offer was a VERY good offer! Who ever heard of a seller in this market not wanting to negotiate? ~Ah, well. Luckily, I'm working with super buyers, and they know that I will be here to help them whenever the right property comes up on the market...and, When it does, I'm fairly certain we just might hear this seller say, "I should have taken that offer!"

For an updated, detailed list of the best real estate buys in Naples Florida, please call one of the Harris Peppe Team members today. We hope to hear from you soon, and we look forward to earning your business. 239.370.0574