Answers by Mark Schweller

Every property is unique, and every listing agent will price it in their specific way based on a meeting of the minds with their seller client. Unfortunately, a weak listing agent may not be able to convince their client to price a home to sell right away or at fair market value. A good rule of thumb if you want to offer less than the list price is to evaluate the days on market. Homes that have just been listed aren't likely to accept less than their list price during the initial 2-3 weeks of market time. However, if a home has been on the market longer than 21 days and not recently reduced, making a below list price offer can be quite successful. As always, the quality of the agent making the low offer and their ability to educate the weaker listing agent can make all the difference as to the success of the below list price offer.

In California, we see both Cahier's Checks and Wire Transfers quite frequently. The main way to avoid wire fraud is to verify that your wire instructions come directly from your escrow officer. In all cases, your real estate professional will be able to guide you on how best to proceed.