The House Has Been Sitting for 60 Days. Should You Make an Offer?

When buyers see a house that’s been sitting on the market for 60 days, they often assume something must be wrong with it.

Sometimes there is.

But sometimes, a house that’s been sitting is exactly where the opportunity is.

In a market where the best homes can still get attention quickly, buyers naturally gravitate toward the newest listings. Once a property has been sitting for a while, it can start to feel stale. Buyers wonder why nobody else bought it, and eventually they stop clicking on it altogether.

That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad house.

Maybe it was overpriced when it first hit the market. Maybe the photos weren’t great. Maybe it launched during a slow week. Maybe the seller rejected offers early on and is now more motivated. Or maybe there’s something about the property that buyers simply haven’t been willing to overlook.

That’s why I wouldn’t automatically skip a listing just because it has been sitting for 60 days.

I’d investigate.

Look at the original list price and every price reduction. Find out whether it has fallen out of escrow before. Review the disclosures. Look at comparable sales. Ask the listing agent what kind of activity they’ve had and, when appropriate, what the seller’s situation looks like.

Because once you understand why the house hasn’t sold, you can decide whether there’s an opportunity.

And the opportunity isn’t always just getting the house for less money.

A seller who has been on the market for two months may be more willing to negotiate on closing costs, repairs, credits, timing or other terms that matter to you. Meanwhile, you may be competing against far fewer buyers than you would have been during the property’s first weekend on the market.

Of course, days on market alone don’t make something a good deal. A house can sit for 60 days and still be overpriced. It can have expensive problems. Or the seller may simply have no interest in negotiating.

But that’s the point.

Don’t let the number of days scare you away before you know the story.

Sometimes the house everyone else stopped looking at is the one worth looking at twice.

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Kristin Gutierrez
Helping Homeowners Turn What You Have Into What You Want.

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