The Seller Won’t Negotiate: Time to Move on? (2024)

FAQs

What to do when a seller won't negotiate? ›

If they're not responding, or they come back with a not-so-great counteroffer, cut to the chase. Make your maximum offer immediately and put it in writing. Then, if they still don't respond, start looking elsewhere. If the sellers have a change of heart later, they'll know how to find you.

Yes, sellers can stay in their house after closing day as long as all parties in the real estate transaction agree to a post-occupancy agreement in the purchase contract. If you have any questions on how to get this done or to start your new construction home search, talk to us today.

In theory, there's no rule about how quickly a seller has to respond to purchase offers. You can take as long as you want before responding since there is no official time frame. However, the industry standard is to get back to interested buyers within 24 to 72 hours.

Typically, a lowball offer is considered to be at least 20% below the asking price. If you're offering 10% below, the property should be in a good condition but may just need some cosmetic work done. The goal of offering 10% below the asking price is to use those extra funds to cover the repairs.

Most home sales involve the use of a standard real estate contract, which provides a five-day attorney review provision. During this time, the seller's attorney or the buyer's attorney can cancel the contract for any reason. This allows either party to back out without consequence.

There are numerous reasons a deal could fall through on or after closing day, including buyer's/seller's remorse, missing documents, and more. But it's also possible your loan could be denied at the last minute. And you, the buyer, don't have financing, the deal is off.

Common Reasons of Delayed Escrows and Closings by A Seller

The seller needs more time to pack and move. The seller is facing issues with the new home they purchased. If you're purchasing a home through a short sale, the sellers might be stalling on purpose because they're living in the home for free.

“Receiving an early offer indicates strong interest in the property,” Napolitano says. “If the first offer received is at or above the asking price, it may be tempting for a seller to accept it, especially if the offer aligns with their expectations and the current market conditions.”

Can a seller back out after accepting an offer? ›

Bottom line. “Generally, a seller can't cancel without cause,” Schorr says. “You could build in some contingency, but absent that, you had better be committed to the sale.” Reneging because you fear you underpriced the house, or you actually receive a better offer, doesn't count as “cause.”

While laws vary by state, in general, up until that contract is signed by both parties—even after counteroffers have been sent out—all new offers can be considered and accepted. Once both parties have signed it, however, the seller is pretty much locked into the deal.

In most cases, if the home does not close on time, the purchase contract expires if the seller does not agree to delay closing to give the buyer some extra time. However, this only sometimes means the house purchase will not go ahead.

The best way to avoid closing delays caused by unrealistic contract dates is to be realistic about the time it will take to complete all of the necessary tasks. This includes things like getting an inspection, waiting for repairs to be completed, and finalizing the loan.

“A typical purchase contract says 'Closing on or before X date unless a change is mutually agreed upon by both parties,'” says Hardy. That means a final closing date is set, but there's room in the contract for either the buyer or seller to ask the other party for some wiggle room.

On the other hand, if the seller is simply slow to respond, speak with your real estate agent to follow up with the seller's agent. Ask them to find out if there is a counteroffer or if the seller can provide any reasoning behind having your house offer rejected.

Typically, when a seller rejects your offer they come back with a counteroffer to potentially negotiate a deal what works better for them. If your offer is rejected without counter, it might mean that your offer was too low to be considered by the seller.

If the seller has refused to negotiate after the home inspector found issues, you've got options. Try a different negotiation approach to get the seller to change their mind, buy the home as-is or walk away if you feel you can't justify the purchase price and the cost of repairs.