HOW DO I MAKE AN OFFER?

You will be able to get assistance from a real estate agent regarding your written offer and it will include a number of different things:

• A complete description of the entire property, including any fixtures that may be included
• The amount of earnest money, which is a deposit on the property that represents a desire to buy
• The amount of the down payment and the financing details from the lender
• The date that the buyer would like to move in
• The price that the buyer is offering 
• The date that the buyer would like to have everything closed by
• How long this offer is valid for
• Any other details of the deal that need to be in writing.

While this is a good starting point, remember that the seller does not have to accept your terms. Therefore, you may have to negotiate with the seller and adjust things in the contract that he or she does not agree with.

HOW DO I DETERMINE THE INITIAL OFFER?

Remember, first of all, that the broker usually works for the seller, unless you have hired your own broker. Therefore, you may not want to simply go along with the terms that the broker recommends. Therefore, you will need to know how to set forth your own offers, which means that you will have to know how much to offer. Be sure to ask the broker to keep all of your conversations confidential because you do not want information regarding your deal to be leaked. You should listen to the real estate agent's advice, as he or she wants to get the deal done as much as you, but also follow your own beliefs. What you need to do is look at other homes that are selling in the area in order to determine a fair price. This does not mean simply looking at the listed prices of these properties, but finding out what they actually sold for. This is because the listed price is usually considerably higher than what the home actually ended up selling for. You must also consider factors like the condition of the house, how long it has been available for, how hot the housing market in genera is, the terms of financing, and what the seller's situation is. The longer the house has been on the market, the less the seller will be likely to accept. With a little research, you should be able to come up with a number that is acceptable for both parties. Also, be prepared to negotiate the price a little bit once you have made your first offer. If you cannot agree on a price, this may take some time to complete. Also, do not be afraid to walk away should the seller charge you more than you are willing to spend because there are other houses out there.