As a Realtor that works with both buyers and sellers on a regular basis, I see offers come in from time to time that are blatantly and intentionally too low. Receiving, and sometimes submitting, low balls offers is part of the the job. However, I very seldom, if ever, actually see one work. In an overwhelming majority of cases, extremely low offers are not going to result in a contract acceptance.
If you are an investor and do not care if you purchase a particular property or not, coming in with a low offer may make sense. In that case, if the deal doesn’t work out, you can move on to another one. However, if you are a serious buyer and you intend to purchase a particular property, a low ball offer is not a good idea. You will likely insult the seller and set the stage for unfavorable negotiations that are unlikely to result in you buying the house. Simply put, if you want a fair response, make a fair offer.
Keep in mind that the average percent of list price received in in our area is around 96%. Making an offer much lower than asking price is often detrimental to the deal.
Lee Hamilton
Allen Tate Realty
803 322 4340