What is the best price to offer, once you have found the perfect home?

It is hard to know what price to offer once you have found your dream home.  Do you offer the list price?  5% below?  Over list price?  "My friend just offered $30K OVER the list price and still di not get the home!"

Your offer price should be based on the facts about comparable sales in the area, and other research that presents the best factual background.  It should also be based on whether there are competing offers the seller has already received.

I have had parents coach their kids that they are fools if they do not offer at least 5% below the list price.  They will say that anything less is not being a good negotiator. My opinion is that it all depnends on what the list price is.  If the home is listed too high, an offer 5% low may not be low enough.  But if the home is listed low, then an above-list-price offer might be the better offer.

While it is difficult to know what price you should offer, a good start is to figure out the home's worth at this point in time, then decide whot it is worth you YOU!