Periodically, I interview car dealers, Realtors and various business people to get their input for my negotiation seminars and corporate training programs.
A young Realtor, whose dad has also been in the field for decades with a prominent firm, recently mentioned it is paramount for buyers to have a talk with themselves before negotiating for properties.
“They need to get their priorities straight,” she said with earnestness.
If they get caught up in bargaining fever, she asks them point blank: “Do you want a good deal or do you want a great house?”
People can plunge themselves so deeply in dickering and trying to beat the other party that they forget negotiating is about optimizing as well as maximizing.
Sure, we want to save as much as we can, but what we really need is VALUE.
Ask yourself the same question before house hunting.
What is my primary purpose, to find a livable, comfortable home that I’ll be happy in for years? Or, am I looking to “flip houses,” which speculators do when they try to find bargains, fix them up a little, and then place them back onto the market at a profit?
Ideally, you want to get a great bargain on your dream house, but this is very unlikely. If it’s that cool of an abode, and the seller isn’t desperate or dumb, you won’t be alone in bidding for it.
I came across a professional home speculator, who specializes in repairing and restoring 1920’s and 1930’s Spanish style homes in Southern California, and then he re-markets them.
But when it came to his own house, his wife insisted they purchase a top-notch place, and he admits “I paid full price for it.”
Why?
“Making your wife happy is worth a lot!” he points out.
