Most home buyers, for any number of reasons, frequently ask, “Why are they selling?” The buyers may just be curious or they may be looking for a reason to offer a lower price to test the seller’s motivation to sell their house and move on.  Divorce, illness, job relocation and many other reasons may be an inducement for the Seller to take just about any price offered.  That’s why it’s not a good reason for Sellers to disclose the “why”.

More to the point, market value is determined by general home prices in the neighborhood.  Each seller is different and each seller has a different reason for selling.  The reason doesn’t determine market value and it really has no relevance on the price a buyer should offer.  Ditto whatever the original price of the home might have been.

Why Sellers Don’t Care About A Buyer’s Reason

As much as buyers want to know “why” a seller is selling, it is rare for a seller to even consider asking “why” a buyer wants to buy their particular home.  The seller just wants the money.  Hopefully, they want what the market says their house is worth.  Not a penny more.

Another reason sellers rarely ask is that their Realtor will have had the little Fair Housing talk with them.  In a nutshell, if someone can demonstrate that they have the financial ability to buy a house, the seller should sell.  Not must…should.

Wouldn’t it be interesting, though, if seller did ask “Why are they buying?” more frequently. If the buyers liked the school system or the two car garage or the fact it was so close to the Metro maybe they would pay a little bit more than they’re offering.

Maybe the buyers are in the midst of a divorce or a job relocation and they really need a place to live.  Some folks have been known to want homes without many stairs.  Great!  No stairs comes with a higher price.  Get the picture.

So, when it comes right down to it, “why” doesn’t really matter from either the buyer side or the seller side.

Price, condition, location.  They matter.