How to make a strong offer without simply offering the most money
You’ve found the house.
You’ve toured it.
You like it.
Now comes the part that makes a lot of buyers nervous:
Writing the offer.
How much should you offer?
Should you offer asking price?
Should you offer more?
Should you ask the seller to pay closing costs?
How much earnest money should you put down?
What about inspections?
What happens if the appraisal comes in low?
There are a lot of moving pieces.
The good news is that price is only one part of the offer.
My job as your buyer’s agent is to help you understand those moving pieces & put together an offer that makes sense for your situation.
The Highest Offer Isn’t Always the Best Offer
One of the biggest misconceptions I see with buyers is:
“If somebody else wants the house, we just need to offer more money.”
Not necessarily.
A seller isn’t only looking at the purchase price.
They’re also looking at things like:
• How much earnest money you’re offering
• Your financing
• Your closing timeline
• Your requested concessions
• Your inspection terms
• Your appraisal terms
• Your ability to actually close
• What personal property you’re requesting
• What the seller needs after closing
• How certain the transaction feels
There are a lot of ways to structure an offer.
That’s where strategy comes into play.
First: We Need to Know Your Numbers
Before I recommend an offer price, I want to understand what you’re actually comfortable spending.
That means we’re looking at more than:
“The lender says you qualify for $350,000.”
We need to consider your:
• Purchase price
• Down payment
• Monthly payment
• Property taxes
• Homeowners insurance
• Closing costs
• Earnest money
• Inspection costs
• Appraisal
• Potential repairs
• Cash reserves
Just because you can buy a particular house doesn’t necessarily mean you should.
Your Offer Has More Than One Number
Think of an offer as a package.
The purchase price is obviously important.
But we can also negotiate things such as:
Seller-paid closing costs
If you need help with your cash-to-close, we may be able to negotiate for the seller to contribute toward your allowable closing costs.
I’ve seen seller concessions ranging from a few thousand dollars to $15,000 or more, depending on the property, financing, & negotiation.
Personal property
Sometimes the negotiation isn’t just about the house.
Refrigerators, washers, dryers, furniture, or other personal property may be negotiable depending on the situation.
Repairs or credits
Instead of asking a seller to complete repairs before closing, we may be able to negotiate a credit or other solution.
Closing date
When does the seller need to close?
When do you need to close?
Sometimes matching the seller’s preferred timeline can make your offer more attractive.
A Real Example From Berea
In July 2026, I represented first-time home buyers who purchased a home listed for $256,500.
Their accepted purchase price?
$240,000.
But we didn’t stop at negotiating the price.
We also negotiated for the seller to provide the buyers with a brand-new refrigerator, because there wasn’t one included with the home.
The seller also agreed to provide a $4,000 credit at closing to help the buyers handle repairs.
That’s the difference between simply saying:
“How much should I offer?”
& asking:
“How can we structure this entire deal to make the most sense for you?”
Earnest Money Deposit
You may hear me refer to this as EMD.
That’s your earnest money deposit.
Think of it like an engagement ring.
You’re telling the seller:
“I’m serious about following through with this purchase.”
But it isn’t simply money you’re giving away.
The contract determines what happens to that money throughout the transaction.
During the applicable due-diligence period, you generally have contractual protections that can allow you to terminate the agreement & recover your earnest money.
After those protections expire, getting your earnest money back can depend on why you’re terminating & what the contract allows.
That’s why understanding your deadlines is extremely important.
Your Due-Diligence Period
This is your opportunity to do your homework.
Depending on the contract & negotiated terms, that can include things such as:
• Home inspection
• Getting a survey done
• WDI/pest inspection
• Radon testing
• Sewer evaluation
• Reviewing disclosures
• Reviewing relevant property documents
• Evaluating the condition of the property
• Investigating anything else that needs additional attention
A general home inspection in this area will often run around $450–$600, depending on the home’s size, age, & additional testing.Additional inspections or testing can cost more.
And I would much rather see you spend money investigating a house than spend hundreds of thousands of dollars discovering a problem after you own it.
Inspections Don’t Mean the Seller Has to Fix Everything
This is another important distinction.
An inspection isn’t necessarily:
“Find everything wrong & make the seller fix it.”
It’s about understanding what you’re buying.
Once we know what’s going on, we can determine what—if anything—we want to negotiate.
Depending on the situation, that could mean:
• Asking the seller to make repairs
• Asking for a credit
• Negotiating a price adjustment
• Requesting specific items
• Accepting the property as-is
• Or deciding the property isn’t right for you
The inspection gives you information.
Then we decide what to do with that information.
The Appraisal Is Another Piece of the Puzzle
If you’re financing the purchase, your lender will typically require an appraisal.
The appraiser’s job isn’t to decide whether you love the house.
They’re determining whether the property supports the value being used for the loan.
If the appraisal comes in below the purchase price, we have a potential problem to solve.
Depending on the circumstances, we may be able to negotiate with the seller, reconsider the purchase price, restructure the transaction, or explore other options.
The important thing is:
Don’t panic.
A low appraisal doesn’t automatically mean the deal is dead.
It means we need to figure out what makes sense from there.
Your Financing Matters
The type of loan you’re using can affect how we structure an offer.
Common financing options I work with include:
• Conventional
• FHA
• USDA
• VA
And depending on your circumstances, there may also be down-payment assistance available.
For example, qualified buyers using FHA financing may be able to utilize Kentucky Housing Corporation down-payment assistance.
USDA financing can also offer 100% financing for eligible buyers.
Much of Berea is within USDA-eligible areas, but eligibility is ultimately property-specific.
If you’re not sure whether a property qualifies, I can help you figure out where to check.
Don’t Forget About Cash-to-Close
Your purchase price isn’t the only money you’ll need.
You’ll also need to account for things like:
• Down payment
• Closing costs
• Earnest money
• Home inspection
• Additional inspections
• Appraisal
• Prepaid expenses
• Insurance
• Other lender-required costs
That’s why I don’t want you writing an offer based solely on:
“I can afford the monthly payment.”
We need to know how the entire transaction fits into your finances.
What About Seller-Paid Closing Costs?
This can be an extremely valuable negotiating tool.
Instead of simply asking the seller to lower the price, we may be able to negotiate for the seller to contribute toward your allowable closing costs.
For some buyers, that can make a much bigger difference than a small reduction in purchase price.
For example, if you have limited cash available but you’ve found the right home, we may structure the offer differently so that more of your available cash stays in your pocket.
That’s strategy—not just price negotiation.
What If There Are Multiple Offers?
This is where things can get interesting.
If multiple buyers are competing for the same property, you don’t automatically have to throw everything you have at the seller.
Instead, we look at the entire situation.
What does the seller want?
What does the seller need?
What can we offer that makes our offer more attractive?
Maybe it’s price.
Maybe it’s timing.
Maybe it’s fewer concessions.
Maybe it’s a flexible closing date.
Maybe it’s a combination of several things.
And maybe we even work together to submit an escalation clause.
Every situation is different.
There isn’t one magic formula that works for every Berea home.
My Job Isn’t to Talk You Into Paying More
I want to be very clear about this.
As your REALTOR®, I’m compensated when your transaction closes.
But my job is not to convince you to spend as much money as possible.
My job is to help you make an informed decision.
If I think you’re overpaying, I’m going to tell you.
If I think the property is a good opportunity, I’m going to tell you.
If I think there’s a better way to structure the offer, we’ll discuss it.
And ultimately:
You make the decision.
I’m here to give you the information & strategy you need to make it confidently.
Sometimes the Right Offer Is Less Than Asking Price
This is important in today’s market.
A house isn’t automatically worth its asking price simply because that’s the number the seller chose.
We look at:
• Recent comparable sales
• Current competition
• Condition
• Location
• Days on market
• Price history
• Seller motivation
• Market conditions
• Potential repairs
• What similar homes have actually sold for
Then we determine what we believe makes sense.
Sometimes that’s asking price.
Sometimes it’s higher.
Sometimes it’s lower.
And Sometimes You Should Walk Away
One of the most important things I can help you do is recognize when not to buy a house.
Maybe the inspection reveals too many problems.
Maybe the numbers don’t make sense.
Maybe the appraisal creates an issue we can’t resolve.
Maybe the seller won’t negotiate in a way that makes sense.
Maybe you simply realize:
“This isn’t the house for me.”
That’s okay.
There will be another house.
I would much rather help you walk away from the wrong property than convince you to buy something you’ll regret.
What Happens After Your Offer Is Accepted?
Once the seller accepts your offer, we move into the next stage of the process:
Escrow & Closing
That’s where we handle the inspections, appraisal, lender requirements, title work, final negotiations, closing preparation, & everything else required to get you from
accepted offer → keys in hand.
Ready to Write an Offer?
If you’ve found a home you like & you’re ready to take the next step, it’s time to talk through the offer. We’ll look at the property, the market, your financing, your goals & the terms that could make your offer as strong as possible without simply offering the most money.
Book a Buyer’s Consultation →
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Once your offer is accepted, the next step is:
