Understanding the
Atlanta Home Buying Process


Step #8 - Negotiating the Best Price and Terms

We will present your offer to the seller's agent and discuss the offer with them as necessary, and then they will present the offer to the seller.

The negotiating process has now begun.

After the seller reviews your offer, they will do one of three things:

1. Reject the offer

While it is unusual for sellers to reject the initial offer, they do have this option. If they reject your offer, you have the option of presenting another offer or moving on to the next home.

Why would a seller reject an offer? There are an infinite number of reasons a seller would reject an offer. They may not be satisfied with the price or terms that you offered, they may have decided that they don't want to sell, they may not be comfortable negotiating with a buyer who hasn't been approved for a mortgage, or there could be many other reasons that we will never know about. Don't be offended; it's not personal. There are tens of thousands of homes on the market, so you will have many other homes to choose from.

2. Present a counter offer

While sellers could reject your offer, it is more common for them to submit a counter offer. A counter offer is the seller's way of saying that they are interested in doing business with you, but they want to modify the contract so it meets their needs as well as yours. Actually, they may not care about your needs, but smart sellers realize that a transaction must be good for everyone involved, or it probably won't work out for anyone.

When a seller counter offers, they usually increase the sales price, but they may also change the closing date, the earnest money amount, the closing attorney, or something else that may be important to them.

Once we receive their written counter-offer, we will present it to you right away. We will also show you how their counter-offer will affect your out-of-pocket expenses and monthly payments. You will then have the same three options that the seller had. You can reject the counter offer and move on to a different home, accept the counteroffer and sign the contract, or submit your own counter offer.

It's not unusual for this process to go back and forth a few times before you and the seller agree to all of the terms and conditions.

3. Accept the offer

While it is unusual for a seller to accept your first offer, it does happen. Why? They may need to sell quickly so they can move closer to family or to their new job. They may just be tired of selling and anxious to move to their new home. Whatever their reasons, congratulations, they have accepted your offer and you are one step closer to moving into your new home.

Once you and the seller have agreed upon the price, terms and conditions, we will submit the signed "Purchase and Sales Agreement" to your lender and to the closing attorney so they can begin processing all of the paperwork.

Congratulations! You now have a signed contract on your new home, and you are one step closer to receiving your house keys and moving in.

Step #9 - Inspections and Negotiating Repairs >